Environmental Sciences Europe最新文献

{"title":"Are circular economy practices drivers of carbon neutrality? Cross-industry insights from European firms’ perspective","authors":"Paula Serna-Serna,&nbsp;Lirios Alos-Simo,&nbsp;Viktor Prokop,&nbsp;Aleksandar Erceg","doi":"10.1186/s12302-026-01403-x","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s12302-026-01403-x","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Although carbon neutrality has become a strategic imperative, it is often implemented from a technical perspective, without considering the organization’s strategic vision. This study therefore employs a management perspective to analyze Circular Economy (CE) practices—reduction, recycling, and redesign—as differential drivers of the adoption of corporate carbon neutrality (CCN) strategies. To offer comprehensive picture, we are also focusing on the moderating roles of different sectors of activities. Drawing on the (Natural) Resource-Based View and using binary logistic regression, we analyzed a sample of 6393 companies from 27 EU countries, extracted from Flash Eurobarometer 498. The results confirm the significance of redesigning and recycling in driving CCN adoption. By contrast, we show that reduction is only effective for companies in the service industry, where it exercises a pure moderating effect. Moreover, we show that service companies are more likely to adopt CCN than manufacturing ones. This study makes a threefold contribution. First, it transcends the technical approach to frame carbon neutrality as a strategic management challenge. Second, it disaggregates the CE construct, providing empirical evidence of the differential impact of CE practices. Third, it provides a decision-making framework for managers by demonstrating that the effectiveness of CE strategies for achieving carbon neutrality is not universal but depends fundamentally on sectoral context.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":546,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Sciences Europe","volume":"38 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":7.1,"publicationDate":"2026-05-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1186/s12302-026-01403-x.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148466193","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"From lab to legislation: a harmonized experimental approach to drinking water treatment assessments","authors":"Patrick Olaf Helmer,&nbsp;David Pelzer,&nbsp;Tom Boultwood,&nbsp;Michael Swift,&nbsp;Sonja Weishaupt,&nbsp;Hannah Jakubovic,&nbsp;Michael Kubicki","doi":"10.1186/s12302-026-01401-z","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s12302-026-01401-z","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>In August 2023, European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) and European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) published guidance (applicable from April 2026) to assess the impact of drinking water treatment (DWT) processes on residues of plant protection products and biocides (hereafter referred to as EFSA/ECHA guidance). This guidance addresses an important regulatory need by introducing new experimental approaches to evaluate transformations of active substances and their environmental transformation products during drinking water treatment. However, while the regulatory intent of the EFSA/ECHA guidance is clear, its practical implementation presents significant challenges. The experimental concepts are described at a high level, but key testing parameters, operational conditions and analytical considerations are insufficiently specified, and no recognized or validated protocols were available at the time of publication. As a result, implementation of the guidance within such a short timeline risks inconsistent experimental design, poor reproducibility and limited comparability of data across laboratories and studies. To address these challenges, CropLife Europe (CLE) has undertaken a coordinated effort to establish the scientific and technical foundations required to operationalize the EFSA/ECHA guidance. This work focuses on the development of harmonized experimental and analytical frameworks for DWT simulation, including definition of representative treatment conditions, standardized sampling and sample-preparation procedures, and fit-for-purpose analytical workflows. The CLE approach combines targeted quantification with non-target and suspect screening by high-resolution mass spectrometry (HRMS) to detect and elucidate transformation products, enabling reproducible, robust data generation that aligns with the EFSA/ECHA guidance. The overarching objective of these efforts is not to reinterpret the regulatory intent of the EFSA/ECHA guidance, but to enable its consistent and scientifically robust application. By establishing practical testing protocols and best-practice recommendations, the CLE framework aims to improve repeatability and reproducibility of DWT studies across industry, facilitate meaningful comparison of results, and provide a reliable evidence base for regulatory evaluation and decision-making. This policy brief outlines the rationale, methodology and scope of the CLE approach and advocates for its adoption and further validation to support harmonized implementation of the EFSA/ECHA guidance.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":546,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Sciences Europe","volume":"38 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":6.0,"publicationDate":"2026-05-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1186/s12302-026-01401-z.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147938797","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Spatiotemporal analysis of artificial nighttime light pollution and environmental interactions in a rapidly urbanizing megacity","authors":"Abdulla Al Kafy,&nbsp;Md Nahid Ferdous,&nbsp;Ahmed Ali A. Shohan,&nbsp;Saleh Alsulamy,&nbsp;Sanjida Bintey Ali,&nbsp;Tekalign Ketema Bahiru","doi":"10.1186/s12302-026-01380-1","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s12302-026-01380-1","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Artificial nighttime light pollution (ANTLP) poses significant threats to ecological integrity, human health, and urban sustainability in rapidly urbanizing megacities. However, comprehensive understanding of spatiotemporal ANTLP dynamics and their environmental associations remains limited in developing regions. This study investigated: (a) spatiotemporal patterns and statistically significant hotspots of ANTLP; (b) associations between light pollution and urban development, topographic, hydrological, thermal, and demographic factors; and (c) co-occurring environmental changes in vegetation health, surface water extent, and thermal conditions in Dhaka, Bangladesh, during 2014–2023. Integrated VIIRS satellite data with Landsat-derived spectral indices (NDVI, NDBI, NDWI), MODIS nighttime land surface temperature, SRTM topography, and demographic data were analyzed. Getis-Ord Gi* hotspot analysis identified spatial clustering patterns, while principal component analysis (PCA) and correlation analysis quantified environmental associations. Mann–Kendall trend tests and permutation testing assessed statistical significance of temporal changes. ANTLP intensity increased from 0.56 to 143.25 nW/cm²/sr (7.2% annual growth; Mann–Kendall Z = 3.21, <i>p</i> = 0.0013). Hotspot coverage expanded significantly from 15 to 42% of the metropolitan area (permutation test <i>p</i> = 0.0091). Building proximity exhibited the strongest association with ANTLP (r = 0.97), followed by population density (r = 0.85). PCA identified five components explaining 89% of ANTLP variance. Areas of high ANTLP co-occurred with vegetation decline (NDVI: − 0.22 to − 0.55), surface water reduction (NDWI: − 0.37 to − 0.54), and 2.3 °C nighttime temperature elevation. These findings suggest that ANTLP serves as a spatially explicit indicator of broader urbanization pressures. The results provide evidence-based frameworks for sustainable urban lighting policies, including zoning regulations, buffer zone establishment around water bodies, and smart lighting implementation in rapidly developing cities.</p><h3>Graphical Abstract</h3><div><figure><div><div><picture><source><img></source></picture><span>The alternative text for this image may have been generated using AI.</span></div></div></figure></div></div>","PeriodicalId":546,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Sciences Europe","volume":"38 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":6.0,"publicationDate":"2026-05-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1186/s12302-026-01380-1.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148237141","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Governance-conditioned financial and energy transition pathways to ecological sustainability","authors":"Md Qamruzzaman,&nbsp;Abdulateif A. Almulhim,&nbsp;Abdullah A. Aljughaiman","doi":"10.1186/s12302-026-01407-7","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s12302-026-01407-7","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>This research aims to explore the dynamic nexus among governance quality, forms of financial development, energy transition, and ecological sustainability in emerging economies between 2005 and 2023. Based on an unequal sample of 95 developing countries, the analysis combines institutional theory, public choice perspectives, and the Environmental Kuznets Curve framework to examine how institutions and finance jointly determine environmental performance. Ecological sustainability is predominantly quantified by ecological footprint, with CO₂ emissions and energy intensity serving as robustness checks. The study accounts for cross-sectional dependence, slope heterogeneity, endogeneity, and nonlinear dynamics using well-established second-generation panel data techniques, including Cross-Sectionally Augmented Autoregressive Distributed Lag, Common Correlated Effects Error Correction Model, Common Correlated Effects Mean Group, Augmented Mean Group, and System Generalized Method of Moments, quantile regression, threshold models, and Dumitrescu-Hurlin causality tests. The findings suggest a steady, long-run correlation among governance, finance, energy transition, and ecological sustainability. The quality of governance can greatly boost environmental performance and amplify the ecological scorecard of financial development and the adoption of renewable energy. The enhancement of financial deepening yields the greatest sustainability gains when institutions are well designed, which supports the existence of governance thresholds. Energy transition proves to be the most consistent source of environmental enhancement among estimators, as well as subsamples. Empirical tests on causality reveal that governance and finance are more likely to precede energy transition and improvements in sustainability, with weak feedback effects. In general, the results show that the effectiveness of institutional strength in finance in the context of the environment and sustainable energy transition in the new economy depends on the activities of emerging economies.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":546,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Sciences Europe","volume":"38 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":7.1,"publicationDate":"2026-05-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1186/s12302-026-01407-7.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148466065","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Globalisation and environmental pressure in Europe: evidence from ecological footprint dynamics","authors":"Chanugi Meegamaarachchi,&nbsp;Nuwanidu Senavirathna,&nbsp;Rukshan Perera,&nbsp;Paveesha Reshini,&nbsp;Ruwan Jayathilaka,&nbsp;Dinithi Athalage","doi":"10.1186/s12302-026-01409-5","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s12302-026-01409-5","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><p>Environmental degradation, as assessed by the ecological footprint, remains a significant global challenge. Although research has examined its linkages with globalisation, evidence remains fragmented and region-specific, thereby leaving uncertainties regarding global patterns and temporal causality.</p><h3>Methods</h3><p>This study examines the predictive causal dynamics based on Granger causality between globalisation and environmental degradation across 35 European countries from 1993 to 2023, using the panel and country-level Granger causality and Wavelet Coherence analyses. Given the strong regulatory architecture of the European Union, understanding how global economic integration interacts with environmental outcomes is crucial for designing effective regional environmental governance strategies.</p><h3>Results</h3><p>The findings demonstrate that environmental-globalisation dynamics in Europe operate through multi-scale interaction rather than uniform country-level pathways. These findings highlight the importance of supranational regulatory coordination within the European Union, where environmental governance is shaped not only by national policies but also by regional regulatory frameworks. Furthermore, the study’s findings underscore the importance of regional and country-specific policy implications. These patterns suggest potential heterogeneity across countries; however, given the statistical limitations associated with multiple testing and the small sample size. These findings should be interpreted as indicative rather than conclusive evidence of institutional differences. Time–frequency analysis reveals that globalisation intensifies ecological pressure in the short-term, while it demonstrates mitigating effects over the medium-term. This pattern is consistently observed across the empirical analysis.</p><h3>Conclusion</h3><p>By employing the ecological footprint as a comprehensive indicator and introducing the LJC heat map visualisation, this study advances methodological and empirical understanding of the globalisation-environmental nexus, while providing targeted policy insights for SDG-aligned sustainability strategies.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":546,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Sciences Europe","volume":"38 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":7.1,"publicationDate":"2026-05-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1186/s12302-026-01409-5.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148465711","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Spatio-temporal analysis of urban ecological degradation in a Himalayan municipality using remote sensing and their spatial association with infrastructure and transportation","authors":"Saeed Alqadhi,&nbsp;Javed Mallick,&nbsp;Alok Das,&nbsp;Abdullah Faiz Saeed Al Asmari,&nbsp;Khadeijah Yahya Faqeih,&nbsp;Hazem Ghassan Abdo","doi":"10.1186/s12302-026-01404-w","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s12302-026-01404-w","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Mountain cities are increasingly experiencing ecological stress due to rapid urban expansion, tourism infrastructure growth, and transportation development. In fragile Himalayan environments such as Darjeeling municipality, understanding the spatial dynamics of ecological quality is essential for sustainable urban planning. This study evaluates the spatio-temporal dynamics of ecological environmental quality in Darjeeling municipality using the remote sensing ecological index (RSEI) derived from multi-temporal Landsat 8/9 OLI/TIRS imagery during 2013–2024 to examine temporal variations with their temporal trend in key ecological indicators, and examine the spatial association between transportation corridors and ecological conditions. Four indicators i.e. NDVI, WET, NDBSI, and LST were integrated using principal component analysis to construct RSEI, followed by hotspot detection using the Getis–Ord Gi* statistic and temporal trend assessment using the Mann–Kendall test and Sen’s slope estimator. PC1 explained approximately 50–59% of total variance, confirming the comprehensiveness of the RSEI framework in representing ecological conditions. Spatial patterns reveal that good to very good ecological quality predominates in vegetated peripheral slopes, whereas moderate to poor conditions concentrate within the central urban corridor. The area under the Very Good ecological class peaked at 3.093 km² in 2015 but declined to 1.380 km² in 2018, indicating temporary ecological deterioration. Mean RSEI values ranged between 0.6285 and 0.7107, a weak and statistically non-significant trend (Sen’s slope = 0.000372, <i>p</i> = 0.837). Infrastructure proximity analysis shows that ecological quality generally improves with increasing distance from roads (r = 0.13–0.27), while areas within 0–30 m of infrastructure consistently exhibit lower RSEI values. These findings highlight the localized ecological impacts of transportation networks and urban expansion in mountain cities and provide a spatially explicit framework to support ecosystem-sensitive urban planning aligned with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":546,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Sciences Europe","volume":"38 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":7.1,"publicationDate":"2026-05-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1186/s12302-026-01404-w.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148465709","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Integrating eDNA metabarcoding into fish-based ecological indices for lowland rivers under the EU Water Framework Directive","authors":"Charlotte Van Driessche,&nbsp;Teun Everts,&nbsp;Sabrina Neyrinck,&nbsp;Gerlinde Van Thuyne,&nbsp;Els Lommelen,&nbsp;Tom Ruttink,&nbsp;Dries Bonte,&nbsp;Rein Brys","doi":"10.1186/s12302-026-01388-7","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s12302-026-01388-7","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Environmental DNA (eDNA) metabarcoding is widely used as a non-invasive alternative to catch-based methods for fish monitoring in general, with strong potential to support the EU Water Framework Directive (WFD) in particular. However, its suitability for ecological index calculation and intercalibration under the WFD remains largely unknown. We therefore compare eDNA metabarcoding and electrofishing at 91 sites of lowland rivers across a habitat pressure gradient in Flanders (Belgium), and evaluate the integration of eDNA-derived fish community data into the fish-based lowland Index of Biotic Integrity (IBI). Specifically, we compared (i) fish species richness and (ii) Ecological Quality Ratios (EQRs) between eDNA metabarcoding and electrofishing across all sites, and for a subset of sites across a seasonal gradient. eDNA metabarcoding consistently detected higher species richness than electrofishing, and showed high within-site replicability. Additionally, eDNA-derived species richness showed an asymptotic relationship with electrofishing-based richness, reflecting differing variation in detection sensitivity across the richness gradient. Despite pronounced metric-level differences, eDNA-derived EQRs did not differ significantly from those obtained using the fish-based index. Agreement between eDNA- and fish-based EQRs showed no evidence of systematic bias. Both methods yielded seasonally stable EQR values and showed consistent negative responses to increasing habitat pressure. Moreover, our results show that eDNA metabarcoding yields Ecological Quality Classes (EQCs) comparable to conventional fish-based assessments. These findings support a hybrid WFD monitoring approach in lowland rivers, in which eDNA enables cost-effective, broad-scale status assessment combined with targeted electrofishing providing more detailed information about recruitment and size-structure of the fish populations. Development of eDNA-native indices and typology-specific calibration as next critical steps toward broader regulatory implementation are discussed.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":546,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Sciences Europe","volume":"38 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":7.1,"publicationDate":"2026-05-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1186/s12302-026-01388-7.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148465710","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Comparative adsorption of methylene blue dye using rice husk modified biochar through surface functionalization","authors":"Mayank Bahuguna,&nbsp;Nupur Joshi,&nbsp;Geeta Bhandari,&nbsp;Vikash Singh Jadon,&nbsp;Sanjay Gupta,&nbsp;Vinod Kumar,&nbsp;Shuank Malik,&nbsp;Saurabh Gangola,&nbsp;Shshank Chaube","doi":"10.1186/s12302-026-01381-0","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s12302-026-01381-0","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Synthetic dye pollution remains a critical challenge in wastewater treatment, particularly due to phenothiazine dyes such as methylene blue (MB), which generate ecotoxic by-products harmful to aquatic ecosystems. This study investigates the adsorption of MB cations onto rice husk biochar modified by alkaline (NaOH, RHALK) and acid (RHACT) treatments. The modified biochar was characterized to elucidate enhanced physicochemical properties and their impact on MB removal. Batch adsorption experiments demonstrated that alkaline modification achieved a high removal efficiency of 89%, with maximum adsorption capacity (<i>q</i>max) of 45.8 mg/g, compared to acid modification (<i>q</i>max = 31.5 mg/g) in a reaction volume of 70 ml dye concentrate (20 mg/L), 30 mg biochar dosage, pH = 8, and incubation temperature of 25 °C. The superior performance of RHALK is attributed to hydroxyl (–OH) and carboxyl (–COOH) groups forming hydrogen bonds with nitrogen‑containing groups (–N(CH₃)₂) in MB, supported by its larger surface area (124.47 m²/g vs. 71.83 m²/g for RHACT). Kinetic modeling revealed that the pseudo‑first‑order model provided the best fit (R² = 0.987, SSE = 5.18), indicating a predominantly physisorption mechanism, while isotherm analysis identified the Redlich–Peterson model as the most suitable, suggesting the presence of both homogeneous and heterogeneous adsorption sites. Overall, alkaline‑modified biochar significantly enhanced MB removal compared to acid modification, demonstrating its potential for reutilizing an agricultural residue, which may offer potential cost advantages and effective adsorbent for dye‑contaminated wastewater.</p><h3>Graphical Abstract</h3>\u0000<div><figure><div><div><picture><source><img></source></picture></div></div></figure></div></div>","PeriodicalId":546,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Sciences Europe","volume":"38 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":7.1,"publicationDate":"2026-05-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1186/s12302-026-01381-0.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148465790","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"About transformation in transdisciplinary approaches","authors":"Helge Kminek,&nbsp;Katrin Böhning-Gaese,&nbsp;Thomas Friedrich,&nbsp;Henner Hollert,&nbsp;Johanna Kramm,&nbsp;Antje Schlottmann,&nbsp;Carolin Völker,&nbsp;Flurina Schneider","doi":"10.1186/s12302-026-01402-y","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s12302-026-01402-y","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><p>It is widely accepted today that various socio-ecological challenges, such as biodiversity loss, climate change, chemical pollution, populism, fake news and conspiracy theories, pose fundamental challenges to human societies and that these challenges reinforce each other. Transdisciplinary research is widely regarded as a promising approach to knowledge production for successfully addressing these challenges and contributing to transforming societies. However, the question of how different approaches conceptualise transdisciplinarity, and the contribution of transdisciplinary research to socio-ecological transformation is one that has rarely been asked to date. This research question is addressed by examining and comparing seven approaches.</p><h3>Results</h3><p>All of the approaches recognise the complex socio-ecological crisis, showing the limits of traditional understanding and highlighting issues and obstacles in universities and research institutions and ways to overcome them. We identify six distinct patterns across these seven approaches: (i) transforming universities into active institutions that serve society; (ii) overcoming the limitations of disciplinary scientific systems; (iii) creating favourable conditions for societal progress and sustainable development by developing a shared understanding of problems, integrating different types of knowledge, and fostering long-term collaboration between science and society; (iv) starting with the desired outcomes in mind and deliberately rethinking and aligning research designs, implementation, and evaluation with these outcomes; (v) cultivating spaces and relationships in which participants can explore the evolutionary potential of the present moment and generate new meanings, understandings, and practices; and (vi) mobilising alternative landscapes of transdisciplinary research by deconstructing academic power structures and privilege.</p><h3>Conclusions</h3><p>Despite significant epistemological and procedural differences, the analysis demonstrates that all examined approaches share a common underlying assumption: that transformation can be supported and achieved through the successful design and implementation of transdisciplinary processes. Whether emphasising institutional reform, structured knowledge integration, outcome-oriented design, emergent learning processes or epistemic justice, the approaches converge in attributing transformative potential primarily to the internal logic of TDR itself. In this sense, transformation is largely framed as an effect of ‘getting the process right’. The comparative analysis also reveals a critical blind spot: the approaches remain largely implicit with regard to the social-ontological pathways for societal change.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":546,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Sciences Europe","volume":"38 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":7.1,"publicationDate":"2026-05-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1186/s12302-026-01402-y.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148380945","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Employing industrial symbiosis to promote sustainable industrial activities as a transformational change tool","authors":"Almudena Muñoz Puche,&nbsp;Pawel Krzeminski,&nbsp;Aleksandar Erceg,&nbsp;Hasan Volkan Oral,&nbsp;Mine Gungormusler,&nbsp;Vasiliki Skoulou,&nbsp;Istemi Berk,&nbsp;Azemina Mashovic,&nbsp;Apostolos Michopoulos,&nbsp;Jiri Strouhal,&nbsp;Gamze Nur Mujdeci,&nbsp;Petre Lameski,&nbsp;Aleksandar Anastasovski,&nbsp;Anđelka Stojanović,&nbsp;Leonardo Piccinetti,&nbsp;Peter Chrabak,&nbsp;Besa Shahini,&nbsp;Dzintra Atstaja,&nbsp;Tanja Berglez Krivec","doi":"10.1186/s12302-026-01386-9","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s12302-026-01386-9","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><p>Industrial Symbiosis (IS) is increasingly recognised as a key mechanism for advancing circular economy objectives and low-carbon industrial transformation. While previous research has largely focused on case-based performance assessments, less attention has been paid to integrating governance configurations, digital operational tools, and policy frameworks into a unified analytical perspective capable of explaining IS scalability.</p><h3>Results</h3><p>Drawing on a qualitative comparative analysis of 162 documented IS initiatives across several sectors and regions around the world compiled within the LIAISE COST Action, this study conceptualises IS as a multi-layer socio-technical system. The findings indicate that while material exchanges dominate current practice, long-term stability and scalability depend on regulatory clarity, facilitative governance arrangements, and digitally enabled identification, optimisation, and monitoring mechanisms. The interaction of these enabling conditions determines whether IS remains localised or evolves into resilient industrial ecosystems.</p><h3>Conclusions</h3><p>The study advances the literature by addressing the identified gaps through the proposal of a multi-layer enabling architecture that integrates policy alignment, collaborative governance, and digital operational infrastructures within a unified framework. By empirically grounding this architecture, the research provides theoretical and practical insights into how IS can address structural industrial sustainability challenges and scale beyond isolated initiatives.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":546,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Sciences Europe","volume":"38 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":7.1,"publicationDate":"2026-05-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1186/s12302-026-01386-9.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148380994","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}