Current Research in Environmental Sustainability最新文献

{"title":"The European green deal, retail investors and sustainable investments: A perspective article covering economic, behavioral, and regulatory insights","authors":"Matthias Horn","doi":"10.1016/j.crsust.2024.100241","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.crsust.2024.100241","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>The purpose of the European Green Deal and the regulation associated with the so-called EU Taxonomy for Sustainable Activities is to lead capital flows towards sustainable investments. According to the European Commission this is necessary to finance solutions for the immense challenges ahead, such as climate change, social inequality, and loss of biodiversity. However, academic research raises concerns that sustainable investments may earn lower risk-adjusted returns in the long run. The European Supervisory Authorities identify greenwashing risks and pronounce the limited ability of retail investors to make informed investment decisions. The aim of this perspective article is to provide suggestions for a regulation on relevant information on sustainable investments provided by financial service providers to retail investors. Therefore, the existing regulations are put in relation with recent research on investments considering ESG issues. To enable retail investors' self-determined decision-making, financial service providers such as banks, mutual funds, and financial advisors must provide easily accessible, clear, and easily understandable information regarding the ESG-conformity of the offered financial products. In addition, financial service providers must inform retail investors about some specific risks that can arise from a narrow focus on ESG assets such as under-diversification, an overweight of large stocks, and returns that can be lower than the market return.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":34472,"journal":{"name":"Current Research in Environmental Sustainability","volume":"7 ","pages":"Article 100241"},"PeriodicalIF":4.4,"publicationDate":"2024-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S266604902400001X/pdfft?md5=ee4744fc7fdedf37d198d2a9bf2388ff&pid=1-s2.0-S266604902400001X-main.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139549545","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Life cycle energy use and carbon emission of a modern single-family residential building in Nepal","authors":"Ajay Kumar K.C. ,&nbsp;Anish Ghimire ,&nbsp;Bikash Adhikari ,&nbsp;Hitesh Raj Pant ,&nbsp;Bijay Thapa ,&nbsp;Bivek Baral","doi":"10.1016/j.crsust.2024.100245","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.crsust.2024.100245","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>The rapid urbanization and rural-urban migration trends have led to an increase in building construction activities, shifting from traditional practices to modern concrete structures. However, this transition has imposed significant environmental pressures, including heightened resource and energy demands, resulting in increased emissions. To gauge the environmental impact of construction, a thorough examination of each phase is crucial. This study used the Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) tool, based on ISO 14040:2006, ISO 14044:2006, and EN 15978:2011, to evaluate the carbon dioxide equivalent (CO₂-eq) emissions throughout the complete life cycle of a modern single-family residential building. The findings reveal a total energy use of 6411.33 MJ per square meter and emissions of 718.35 kg CO₂-eq per square meter over the building's lifespan of 50 years. Notably, the production of building materials and the construction phase contribute to the highest percentage (60.29%) of the total life cycle emissions owing to 49.51% of energy use. In contrast, emissions during the operational phase are relatively lower, attributed to increased electricity usage for cooking and minimal energy consumption for heating and cooling. Additionally, the study suggests that achieving complete electricity sufficiency within the country could reduce building emissions by 39.30%, as fossil fuel-based imports from India would be replaced with cleaner hydroelectricity.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":34472,"journal":{"name":"Current Research in Environmental Sustainability","volume":"7 ","pages":"Article 100245"},"PeriodicalIF":4.4,"publicationDate":"2024-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2666049024000057/pdfft?md5=8791b2a6ca8c6cd8adfcf8f4fb1666bd&pid=1-s2.0-S2666049024000057-main.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139941834","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Climate change-induced hazard risks and migration in Bangladesh: A case study","authors":"Md. Assraf Seddiky,&nbsp;Esmat Ara,&nbsp;Afsarul Karim","doi":"10.1016/j.crsust.2024.100253","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.crsust.2024.100253","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>This study explored the effect of climate related hazard-induced risks on migration using both qualitative and quantitative approaches. Data were collected by conducting a field survey in Cumilla City Corporation, eastern Bangladesh, with 100 respondents using simple random and purposive sampling techniques. Qualitative and quantitative data were analyzed using an integrated thematic analysis method directed by numerical and non-numerical coding. The findings revealed that climate-related incidents in Bangladesh forced people to move from vulnerable to less vulnerable areas. People who have been hurt by disasters often decided early on to move away in search of a better life. Although many disaster-affected people had the minimum opportunity to stay in the same places, they migrated to avoid future risks and search for a secure life. Migrants faced many socio-economic and environmental challenges in their new settlements. The raising awareness and policy strategies regarding environmental pollution and climate adaptation are urgently needed to reduce the hazard risks and vulnerability of the communities.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":34472,"journal":{"name":"Current Research in Environmental Sustainability","volume":"7 ","pages":"Article 100253"},"PeriodicalIF":4.4,"publicationDate":"2024-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2666049024000136/pdfft?md5=15fd9825208bc33a3e3b9c5d4807c2b2&pid=1-s2.0-S2666049024000136-main.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140330588","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"A global assessment of the long-term effects of biochar application on crop yield","authors":"Yuhan Jiang ,&nbsp;Tong Li ,&nbsp;Xiangrui Xu ,&nbsp;Jianfei Sun ,&nbsp;Genxing Pan ,&nbsp;Kun Cheng","doi":"10.1016/j.crsust.2024.100247","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.crsust.2024.100247","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>The impact of biochar application on crop yield has always been a topic of concern. However, most current research focuses on the short-term effects of biochar on crop growth. Investigating the long-term effects of biochar in increasing crop yields is crucial for food security and sustainable agricultural development. To address this issue, this study performed a coupling of meta-analysis and structural equation model (SEM) based on the establishment of a dataset containing 981 sets of observations. The results demonstrated that biochar significantly and durably boosted crop yield, and biochar also has shown an average increase of 36.2% in SOC over a monitoring period exceeding 2 years. Crop yields increased by an average of 16% after biochar application for the long-term scale, although the increase varied across crop types, and biochar application performed better on corn and wheat than paddy rice production. It is noteworthy that the yield still increased by 15% on average after 6 years of biochar application. According to SEM, the yield increase was positively correlated with the application amount of biochar, and the yield increase was higher under low nitrogen (N) input than under high N input. The long-term yield-increasing effect of biochar was more attributable to its enhancement of SOC rather than its effects on soil bulk density and pH.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":34472,"journal":{"name":"Current Research in Environmental Sustainability","volume":"7 ","pages":"Article 100247"},"PeriodicalIF":4.4,"publicationDate":"2024-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2666049024000070/pdfft?md5=837b21e93b2bbb7e6d674e219fd513e9&pid=1-s2.0-S2666049024000070-main.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140052282","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Implications of consumer orientation towards environmental sustainability on the uptake of bio-based and biodegradable plastics","authors":"Carly A. Fletcher ,&nbsp;Selena Aureli ,&nbsp;Eleonora Foschi ,&nbsp;Walter Leal Filho ,&nbsp;Jelena Barbir ,&nbsp;Freddys R. Beltrán ,&nbsp;Liisa Lehtinen ,&nbsp;Craig E. Banks","doi":"10.1016/j.crsust.2024.100246","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.crsust.2024.100246","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>The overconsumption of conventional plastics has led to several environmental and social-economic issues related to plastic pollution, carbon emissions and resource depletion. Acknowledging these issues, the introduction of alternatives such as bioplastics has been promoted by national, supranational, and international organizations. However, the market for such materials is still niche, where businesses are uncertain about the benefits and costs associated with the use of these innovative materials. Successful (and sustainable) uptake of such alternatives will depend on public acceptance and changes in consumer behavior. Therefore, this study aims to explore how consumers' orientation towards environmental sustainability is related to consumer utilization of alternatives such as bio-based and biodegradable plastics. Consumer knowledge and performance expectations of these materials are also analyzed. This study employed a predominately quantitative research approach, where a self-administered online survey was used to collect the opinions of consumers across society using a snowball sampling technique. Results show continued consumer confusion, unrealistic expectations, and a value-action gap. These elements may have consequences for market uptake and broader implications across the value chain. A key implication is that both policy makers and businesses should address these barriers through enhanced communication of relevant information alongside improved consumer awareness and education.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":34472,"journal":{"name":"Current Research in Environmental Sustainability","volume":"7 ","pages":"Article 100246"},"PeriodicalIF":4.4,"publicationDate":"2024-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2666049024000069/pdfft?md5=1b59019bdd923f89e2c42514a6b0d7b8&pid=1-s2.0-S2666049024000069-main.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140066909","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Assessing determinants, challenges and perceptions to adopting water-saving technologies among agricultural households in semi-arid states of India","authors":"Geetha Mohan ,&nbsp;Lakshmi Narayana Perarapu ,&nbsp;Saroj Kumar Chapagain ,&nbsp;A. Amarender Reddy ,&nbsp;Indrek Melts ,&nbsp;Ranjeeta Mishra ,&nbsp;Ram Avtar ,&nbsp;Kensuke Fukushi","doi":"10.1016/j.crsust.2024.100255","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.crsust.2024.100255","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>This study investigates the adoption of water-saving irrigation technologies, specifically drip and sprinklers, within India's semi-arid states. Utilizing a probit model and data sourced from the India Human Development Survey-II, the research scrutinizes a sample size of 2891 households while engaging in focus group discussions. The findings highlight several key factors significantly impacting technology adoption, including education, caste, employment status, household income, orchard ownership, landholding size, irrigation source, access to irrigation, the Kisan Credit Card scheme, and utilization of electric and diesel pumps. Moreover, the study uncovers state-specific variations driven by factors such as water resources, crop patterns, and government policies, ultimately shaping the adoption landscape of specific irrigation technologies. Focus group discussions conducted in Andhra Pradesh reveal prominent challenges faced, including limited subsidies, high costs associated with adoption, and crop-specific irrigation requirements. In light of these findings, the study emphasizes the necessity for a comprehensive approach to achieve water conservation and enhance livelihoods. This approach advocates for the integration of joint farming practices, water-sharing methods, supportive financial policies encompassing subsidies and accessible credit facilities, and the implementation of sustainable government social schemes. Such integrated efforts are deemed imperative for fostering resilient societies amidst evolving agricultural and environmental landscapes.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":34472,"journal":{"name":"Current Research in Environmental Sustainability","volume":"7 ","pages":"Article 100255"},"PeriodicalIF":4.4,"publicationDate":"2024-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S266604902400015X/pdfft?md5=c4182737195661f07019abc5b880441d&pid=1-s2.0-S266604902400015X-main.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141290119","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Prosperous futures inspired by prosperous pasts: Fostering imagination of radical food system alternatives in Guatemala","authors":"Lucas Rutting ,&nbsp;Marieke Veeger ,&nbsp;Randolph von Breymann ,&nbsp;Ubaldino Garcia ,&nbsp;Norma Sancir ,&nbsp;Sandra Calel ,&nbsp;Fredy Canek ,&nbsp;Miriam Suyuk ,&nbsp;Joost Vervoort","doi":"10.1016/j.crsust.2024.100270","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.crsust.2024.100270","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Transformations imply the need for radical alternatives to current realities. This requires a fundamental reimagination of current systems. Different future-oriented practices specifically designed for the imagination of transformations have emerged in recent years, including the Disruptive Seeds approach (DS). DS focuses on innovative bottom-up initiatives (seeds), that show potential to grow in impact and challenge unsustainable systems, contributing to transformative change. This paper reports on the first time DS was applied in practice, as part of a project focusing on food systems transformation in Guatemala. Working primarily with Indigenous actors representing smallholder communities, DS shows great potential when it comes to emphasizing their perspectives and objectives in the imagination of desired futures. Tapping into marginalized perspectives and sources of knowledge, it can help advance the conceptualization of transformative change that truly contributes to social equity and justice. Moreover, the approach facilitates an inclusive platform for articulating and interrogating power dynamics. Initially developed and tested in Global Northern contexts, the DS approach demonstrates adaptability across diverse contexts, including Indigenous communities in the Global South. Findings underscore the transformative potential of collective imagination rooted in Indigenous worldviews, offering alternatives to unsustainable and unjust realities, challenging dominant narratives and contributing to more just and sustainable futures. More generally, it demonstrates huge potential for imagining transformations, challenging dominant political structures and imaginaries, emphasizing issues of social justice and equity. It shows the value of incorporating the knowledge, perspectives, values and imaginaries of—often marginalized—communities into conversations about sustainability transformations.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":34472,"journal":{"name":"Current Research in Environmental Sustainability","volume":"8 ","pages":"Article 100270"},"PeriodicalIF":3.7,"publicationDate":"2024-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142706270","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Challenges to managing fisheries with high inter-community variability on the Kenya-Tanzania border","authors":"T.R. McClanahan ,&nbsp;R.M. Oddenyo ,&nbsp;Jesse K. Kosgei","doi":"10.1016/j.crsust.2024.100244","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.crsust.2024.100244","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Reconciling variable between-community and neighboring country goals is the focus of the United Nations partnership goals (Sustainable Development Goal 17) because of the challenges of managing shared common-pool resources, such as fisheries. Our objective was to better understand and suggest management that accounts for this variability among fishing villages along the Kenya-Tanzania national boundary. We asked stakeholders to scale their dependency on fish, objective knowledge of fisheries, governance effectiveness, management preferences, and future fisheries provisioning scenarios among villages economically aligned with international trade or national park conservation. We found high dependency on fish (90% daily consumption), modest objective knowledge about fisheries and their status (62% correct answers) but a broad agreement on the need for community engagement (&gt;90% agreement). The perceived weakest governance principles were fisheries monitoring and the resolution of conflicts with neighbors. Considerable variability in opinions about how to provide more fish reflected the international boundary trade and conservation contexts. Rural households further from the border favored community management and local or national fisheries closure management whereas stakeholder preferences with more urban and public were associated with greater support for offshore fishing and port and aquaculture infrastructure developments. Previously measured losses of fisheries catch production in most villages was hidden from stakeholders by a lack of catch monitoring and production potential estimates. Lost fisheries production and sustainability could be recovered by increased knowledge of resource production capacity, monitoring, and governance engagement that increases compliance. Village level economics and transnational contexts require multilevel governance and good coordination to manage the diverse capacities, preferences, and management needs.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":34472,"journal":{"name":"Current Research in Environmental Sustainability","volume":"7 ","pages":"Article 100244"},"PeriodicalIF":4.4,"publicationDate":"2024-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2666049024000045/pdfft?md5=7eaa4266aad00813691e503cebbbee79&pid=1-s2.0-S2666049024000045-main.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139908395","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"The development of global environmental concern during the last three decades","authors":"Axel Franzen,&nbsp;Sebastian Bahr","doi":"10.1016/j.crsust.2024.100260","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.crsust.2024.100260","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>The environmental concern of a country's population is an important prerequisite for addressing environmental problems, foremost reducing CO₂ emissions and limiting global warming. In this paper, we analyze the development of environmental concern by using the newest wave of the environmental module of the International Social Survey Programme (ISSP) for 29 countries. First, we discuss the measurement of environmental concern and construct a ranking of countries according to the 2020 survey results. Second, we analyze the determinants of environmental concern by employing multilevel models that take individual effects as well as context effects into account. The results show that environmental concern has increased in almost all nations since the last measurement in 2010. The country ranking is headed by European nations such as Switzerland, France and Germany. The USA takes a middle position and China ranks number 20. We observe more variance within countries at the individual level as compared to the differences between countries. At the individual level, environmental concern is closely related to education, post-materialistic values, political attitudes, and individuals' trust in the news media and in science. At the country level, the average environmental concern increases with the wealth of nations.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":34472,"journal":{"name":"Current Research in Environmental Sustainability","volume":"8 ","pages":"Article 100260"},"PeriodicalIF":3.7,"publicationDate":"2024-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2666049024000203/pdfft?md5=89b2801d82a8b176cee8ec81d9a73976&pid=1-s2.0-S2666049024000203-main.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141482754","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"A field methodology to advance social equity and transformative adaptation to climate change in smallholder communities","authors":"Patti Petesch ,&nbsp;Eleanor Fisher ,&nbsp;Olivia Ebenstål Almeida ,&nbsp;Jon Hellin ,&nbsp;Renee Bullock","doi":"10.1016/j.crsust.2024.100272","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.crsust.2024.100272","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Global climate policies recognize the urgent need to address the inequitable impacts of climate change on smallholder agricultural communities, but there is limited understanding of how to accomplish this in practice. We contribute to closing this gap through the design of a participatory qualitative methodology intended to nurture locally-led “transformative adaptation pathways” that strengthen social equity and sustainability. Our conceptual framework draws upon theories of social equity and justice rooted in participatory parity—values and norms that encourage people to interact with one another as equals and synergistically nurture recognitional, distributional, representational and intergenerational equities. Recognizing that social equity is enhanced when poor and vulnerable people gain decision-making power that expands their access to resources and opportunities, we question how people understand and experience social equity and its relationship to their capacity to adapt. We also ask how norms about gender, generation, and socio-economic status shape people's understandings and experiences of social equity and adaptation. To address these questions, we illustrate the methodological approach with evidence gathered from pilot tests conducted in smallholder communities of Kenya and Philippines. Our findings show how understandings of fairness provide a basis for learning, eliciting comparative and contextualized findings that can inform community-based adaptation. Overall, we demonstrate that in the face of social processes that typically fuel inequities, participatory tools and learning tactics can serve to empower low-income women and men to identify, contribute to, and monitor actions that nurture their community's progress towards strong and equitable climate adaptation capacity.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":34472,"journal":{"name":"Current Research in Environmental Sustainability","volume":"8 ","pages":"Article 100272"},"PeriodicalIF":3.7,"publicationDate":"2024-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143157678","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}