{"title":"The influence of the beliefs of Italian and Spanish managers in their engagement in sustainability reporting","authors":"J. García-Machado, Marco Papa, Mario Carrassi","doi":"10.1007/s43621-023-00171-5","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s43621-023-00171-5","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":34549,"journal":{"name":"Discover Sustainability","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":2.6,"publicationDate":"2023-12-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139002340","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Abimael de Jesus Barros Costa, Sonia Maria da Silva Gomes, Daniel Kouloukoui, Nathalie de Marcellis-Warin, Thierry Warin
{"title":"Twitter conversations on sustainable development goals in Brazilian public universities using natural language processing","authors":"Abimael de Jesus Barros Costa, Sonia Maria da Silva Gomes, Daniel Kouloukoui, Nathalie de Marcellis-Warin, Thierry Warin","doi":"10.1007/s43621-023-00170-6","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s43621-023-00170-6","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":34549,"journal":{"name":"Discover Sustainability","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":2.6,"publicationDate":"2023-12-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"138613532","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Wiwat Pongruengkiat, K. Tippayawong, P. Aggarangsi, Preda Pichayapan, Tossapon Katongtung, N. Tippayawong
{"title":"Assessing sustainability of Chiang Mai urban development","authors":"Wiwat Pongruengkiat, K. Tippayawong, P. Aggarangsi, Preda Pichayapan, Tossapon Katongtung, N. Tippayawong","doi":"10.1007/s43621-023-00174-2","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s43621-023-00174-2","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":34549,"journal":{"name":"Discover Sustainability","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":2.6,"publicationDate":"2023-12-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"138611528","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Some lessons learned and still to be learned about the role of forests and urban green areas during the COVID-19 pandemic","authors":"G. Bonanno, Vincenzo Veneziano","doi":"10.1007/s43621-023-00172-4","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s43621-023-00172-4","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":34549,"journal":{"name":"Discover Sustainability","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":2.6,"publicationDate":"2023-12-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"138618115","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"The role of microfinance service in the sustainable development goals of women's empowerment: a glimpse from Amhara Credit and Savings Institution (ACSI)","authors":"Habtamu Wondimu, Dagnachew Terefe, Girum Melkamu","doi":"10.1007/s43621-023-00161-7","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s43621-023-00161-7","url":null,"abstract":"Abstract Gender equality and women’s empowerment are major concerns under Goal 5 of the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals to be achieved by 2030. Therefore, microfinance institutions in developing nations have been working on these issues by providing loans to married women and others in need. As a result, this paper focuses on one such microfinance institution in Ethiopia, called ACSI (Amhara Credit and Saving Institution), and its role in fostering economic independence for married women and their involvement in various public social schemes. The study utilized a qualitative approach, collecting data through in-depth interviews (26), focus group discussions (1), and life histories from ACSI experts (4) and key informants from Women's and Children's Affairs (6). Specifically, the study focused on married women in Basona Werana Woreda and examined the impact of ACSI's credit services on their social conditions. The empirical findings of the study reveal that the social condition of married women clients has improved due to the credit services provided by ACSI. Women's social empowerment indicators have shown positive changes after utilizing the credit services. However, the study also identified challenges faced by the institution, such as a lack of adequate transportation means and a shortage of personnel to reach remote residents and fulfill their mission of improving the situation of vulnerable low-income and productive poor resident women. Additionally, cultural attitudes pose significant challenges to the social empowerment of women. The empirical implementation of this study provides insights into the achievements and hurdles that need to be addressed in enhancing economic security for married women through microfinance initiatives.","PeriodicalId":34549,"journal":{"name":"Discover Sustainability","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-11-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"135972888","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Panagiotis Papadakos, Ioannis Chrysakis, Theodore Patkos, Giorgos Flouris, Giorgos Samaritakis, Dimitris Angelakis, Nena Basina, Nikoleta Tsampanaki, Ariadne Pratikaki, Pavlos Baritakis, Ilias Loulakakis, Maria Gouma, Akis Kioupakis, Christina Apostolidi, Bart Lyrarakis
{"title":"Message-in-a-bottle: engaging stories around sustainable and safe wine products","authors":"Panagiotis Papadakos, Ioannis Chrysakis, Theodore Patkos, Giorgos Flouris, Giorgos Samaritakis, Dimitris Angelakis, Nena Basina, Nikoleta Tsampanaki, Ariadne Pratikaki, Pavlos Baritakis, Ilias Loulakakis, Maria Gouma, Akis Kioupakis, Christina Apostolidi, Bart Lyrarakis","doi":"10.1007/s43621-023-00160-8","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s43621-023-00160-8","url":null,"abstract":"Abstract The wine industry has evolved thanks to the introduction of digital technologies in every aspect of the wine production chain and the emerging need of the food industry for qualitative, sustainable, and safe products. As a result, the incorporation of digital services that facilitate access to related data of wine products is crucial for wine enterprises to increase their competitiveness, customer loyalty, and market share in this highly competitive domain. In this work, we present the Message-in-a-Bottle (MiB) ecosystem, which exploits multi-dimensional and multi-sourced data for creating engaging and interactive stories around wine labels. We especially focus on the sustainability and safety issues in the wine industry and showcase how MiB addresses them. The ecosystem is developed in the context of the MiB project and has already started to be available in the market through the Lyrarakis wine enterprise.","PeriodicalId":34549,"journal":{"name":"Discover Sustainability","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-10-31","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"135814130","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Prospects for hydrogen fuel cell vehicles to decarbonize road transport","authors":"Mehmet Doğan Üçok","doi":"10.1007/s43621-023-00159-1","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s43621-023-00159-1","url":null,"abstract":"Abstract This paper explores the role of hydrogen fuel cell vehicles (HFCVs) in helping to meet global climate goals of limiting long-term greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions to 1.5 °C. Employing the GREET Model and data from the International Energy Agency (IEA), the study comprehensively compares the full fuel-cycle emission profiles of HFCVs and battery electric vehicles (BEVs). The paper conducts an in-depth examination of the interplay between the carbon intensity of the electric grid and the resulting GHG emissions within the context of refueling HFCV vehicles via electrolyzers, and the analysis draws a comparison to BEVs charged using the same electric grid. The study finds that while emissions for BEVs increase, emissions for HFCVs are significantly larger when HFCVs are refueled from retail outlets producing hydrogen via electrolysis from grid electricity—a finding that was not previously reached in the current literature. The research underscores that countries operating electric grids characterized by high GHG emissions or lacking robust pathways to emission reduction would face suboptimal outcomes by adopting HFCVs powered by hydrogen sourced from distributed grid electricity generation. The gCO2e/mi for BEVs and HFCVs are also calculated when the electricity is produced from renewable energy resources. When electricity is derived from renewable energy sources, it becomes evident that the gCO2e/mi for both HFCVs and BEVs converge towards ‘zero’. The emission metric of gCO2e/mile for a HFCV refueled with the hydrogen produced from natural gas via steam methane reforming (SMR) without carbon capture utilization and storage (CCUS), stands at 105 gCO2e/mile, whereas in the absence of CCUS, it escalates notably to 247 gCO2e/mile, an approximate 150% increase in stark contrast to CCUS inclusion. This quantitative portrayal serves to underscore the substantial potential for curtailing carbon footprints achievable through the integration of CCUS, thereby amplifying its significance within the realm of hydrogen-based transportation and the broader purview of climate change mitigation endeavors. In order to provide a comprehensive perspective, the study delves into the examination of hydrogen production pathways and associated costs for the years 2021, 2030, and 2050. The forecasted supply costs are elucidated, particularly in relation to the potential hydrogen supply originating from variable renewable energy (solar PV and wind) sources and from CCUS-equipped hydrogen production facilities (considering the project pipeline of projects upto 2030). These factors are of substantial importance in shaping the hydrogen supply landscape and subsequently influencing the adoption of HFCVs in the market. The study also examines the cost implications of hydrogen delivery for varying transportation distances (for 2030), acknowledging their important role in the broader context. The challenges posed by the integration of variable renewable energy sources are al","PeriodicalId":34549,"journal":{"name":"Discover Sustainability","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-10-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"135411997","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Exploration of urban sustainability in India through the lens of sustainable development goals","authors":"Ajishnu Roy, Nandini Garai, Jayanta Kumar Biswas","doi":"10.1007/s43621-023-00158-2","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s43621-023-00158-2","url":null,"abstract":"Abstract The United Nations' (UN) Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) are a recognised metric for measuring environmental, economic, and societal progress. However, national or multinational-level analyses are more prevalent than sub-national types. The performance of 14 SDGs for 56 Indian cities (grouped into 6 regions) with the available 77 indicators (2020–2021) have been analysed. Pearson’s correlation, hierarchical clustering, data envelopment analysis, Theil index, etc. were used to infer existing status, interactions, inequality, efficiency, and interrelationships. Finally, policy suggestions have been offered coupled with limitations to mitigate the drawbacks of the Indian city SDG framework. The findings reveal the asynchronous nature of the SDGs. 18% of Indian cities register a poor track record of converting environmental performance into socioeconomic prosperity, while 55% of cities are lagging in performance compared to their respective states. Significant inequality exists among cities in various regions towards achieving the SDGs. The environment is adversely affected in a race to be economically powerful. So, mainstreaming the environment into development planning is urgently warranted.","PeriodicalId":34549,"journal":{"name":"Discover Sustainability","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-10-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"135729444","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Amro A. Kawashty, Sameh O. Abdellatif, Gamal A. Ebrahim, Hani A. Ghali
{"title":"Maximizing the output power for electric vehicles charging station powered by a wind energy conversion system using tip speed ratio","authors":"Amro A. Kawashty, Sameh O. Abdellatif, Gamal A. Ebrahim, Hani A. Ghali","doi":"10.1007/s43621-023-00155-5","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s43621-023-00155-5","url":null,"abstract":"Abstract This study investigates the influence of tip speed ratio (TSR) as maximum power point tracking (MPPT) technique on energy conversion for wind-powered electric vehicles (EVs) charging stations. The data for 14 different models of (EVs) as well as the energy demand profile for El Sherouk city in new Cairo, Egypt, is used in the study. Those vehicles represent the models that are most likely to be used according to the nature of the Egyptian market from economic and technological concerns. This includes range, battery capacity, battery technology and charging methods. charging can be in the form of fast DC, three phases which are suitable for commercial charging stations or a single phase charging suitable for residential use. A simulation is done using MATLAB/Simulink for a wind turbine Permanent Magnet Synchronous Generator (PMSG) system including TSR MPPT algorithm. The energy output is compared with and without implementing the MPPT algorithms to measure the difference in energy. The system simulation optimized by the TSR MPPT algorithm shows an increase in the energy yield by 41.68%. The economic analysis showed a 30% reduction in the levelized cost of energy while utilizing the TSR concerning a bare system without an MPPT algorithm.","PeriodicalId":34549,"journal":{"name":"Discover Sustainability","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-09-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"134958597","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Wael A. Aboutaleb, Ibrahim M. Nassar, Ragab M. Mahmoud, A. Marey, Radwa A. El-Salamony
{"title":"Black sand as a cost-effective catalyst for methylene blue photo-remediation under visible light","authors":"Wael A. Aboutaleb, Ibrahim M. Nassar, Ragab M. Mahmoud, A. Marey, Radwa A. El-Salamony","doi":"10.1007/s43621-023-00157-3","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s43621-023-00157-3","url":null,"abstract":"Abstract Methylene blue (MB) is commonly a persistent and perilous pollutant in industrial wastewater effluent. While MB has a massive negative effect on human and ecology safety. The neutralization of such harmful material would save a huge clean water amount. This work proposes the natural and abundant black sand as a catalyst for MB photodegradation. The sand sample was calcined at three temperatures of 300°, 400°, and 600 °C. The properties of samples were analyzed with different micro- as well as spectroscopic techniques. The experimental data revealed the sample's main composition of SiO 2 , Fe 2 O 3 , and Al 2 O 3 . XRD and XPS results proved the formation of mixed oxides composites due to calcination, especially at 400 °C. The UV– vis analysis conducted showed that samples can absorb light in the visible range. The photodegradation reached a maximum of 975.3%, 82.7%, and 75.7% for BS 400 , BS 600 , and BS 300 respectively; by illumination for 2.5 h in the visible range. The observed distinguishable catalytic performance was discussed via the spectroscopic analysis and oxygen availability in the catalyst lattice. When AO, t-BuOH, and BQ are used as scavengers instead of just BQ during the photodegradation of MB dye over BS 400 catalyst, the photodegradation rate drops significantly. The degradation % of MB dye diminished to 60%, and 70% by using AO, t-BuOH, and BQ scavengers; respectively. This proved that rather than hydroxyl radicals, superoxide radicals or positive hole production is the main determining step in MB photo-degradation over BS 400 catalyst.","PeriodicalId":34549,"journal":{"name":"Discover Sustainability","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-09-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"135815650","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}