Environmental Quality Management

Big data analytics (BDA) has become a transformative driver of competitiveness in supply chain management (SCM). It offers opportunities for efficiency, cost reduction, and enhanced customer satisfaction. Yet, adoption in developing economies remains limited due to infrastructural, financial, and skills-related challenges. This study examines the experiences, strategies, barriers, and outcomes of BDA adoption in Ghanaian supply chains. Using a survey of 205 managers and executives in the Greater Accra Region, the research employed descriptive statistics, chi-square tests, correspondence analysis, and logistic regression to analyze adoption patterns and predictors. Findings reveal that large firms are significantly more likely to adopt BDA, implement enterprise-wide strategies, and derive greater benefits compared to small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). Barriers include high investment costs, limited executive support, and concerns over data security. Professional capacity and operational experience emerged as significant predictors of future adoption. The study contributes to the literature by providing empirical evidence from Ghana, offering insights into the unique challenges of digital transformation in Sub-Saharan Africa. Policy recommendations emphasize investment in infrastructure, capacity building, and targeted support for SMEs to bridge the digital divide.

Globally, Environmental degradation poses a great threat to society. The accumulation of organic wastes have a connectivity on Collapsement of water bodies, drastic changes in soil conditions, damages to ground water and air quality changes, unpleasant odours and negative impacts on biodiversity. The waste disposal cost is another major problem for the government bodies. Hence, recycling of organic wastes becomes a better solution to reduce their effects. Most of the construction industries face the challenges to identify the raw materials which are eco-friendly. Although many research investigations have found using the decomposable components such as corncobs, elephant grass, rice husk, wheat straw as the substitute for concrete production in the industry, contractor's needs to find a substitute with less supply chain and a low cost material.

Over a century ago, Rudolf Diesel tested the used of vegetable oil as fuel for his automotive engine, several years later, bio-based diesel obtain from trans-esterification of animal fats or vegetable oils in presence of catalyst have been used as alternative automotive fuels to safe guard the environment and avoid global warming. Cost of production process has limited the diversification and generalizes usage of biodiesel, thus exploring avenues for cost effective production process. One such approach is to use reusable or recycle substrates such as waste cooking oil (WCO). More so, applied experimental design by parameter manipulation is considered as one of the approaches for the process optimization. In this research, the influence of catalyst type and loading (0.5-2.5g/100ml of oil) on biodiesel yield and quality was observed. The study has demonstrated that both NaOH and KOH catalysts performed excellently in biodiesel production. We have observed that increasing catalyst loading beyond 0.5g/100ml of WCO, dramatically reduces biodiesel yield with KOH performing better compared to NaOH. About 87% biodiesel yield was observed when NaOH was used in contrast to KOH that catalyzed the production of > 90% biodiesel yield. Increasing catalyst loading resulted in biodiesel production with lower FFA and acid values and moderate specific gravity, with quality parameters similar to that of ASTM standards. The study established that the optimum catalyst loading which produced highest biodiesel in both yield and quality to be 0.5g/100ml of WCO. Furthermore, the study has demonstrated the feasibility of using WCO as substrate to reduce biodiesel production cost, it has also established that catalyst manipulation could be employed to optimize the process efficiently.

The study involves the removal of color and COD from textile dyeing effluents using the method of adsorption. Montmorillonite clay is used as an adsorbent. The surface area of the adsorbent is increased using acid treatment techniques with Para Toluene Sulfonic Acid (PTSA) and Phenol Di-Sulfonic Acid (PDSA) solutions. In addition, the dosage of adsorbent for maximum removal of color and COD, the effect of contact time on adsorption, and the treatment cost of montmorillonite clay with PTSA and PDSA were determined. From the results, the surface area of montmorillonite clay increased from 30 to 119 m 2 /g and 246 m 2 /g upon treating it with PTSA and PDSA solutions, respectively. Raw montmorillonite clay was able to adsorb 89% of acid dye with a dosage of 1.8 g/100 ml and 93% of basic dye with a dosage of 1.0 g/100 ml for a dye having an initial concentration of 2000 mg/L. With an increase in the surface area of modified montmorillonite clay, it was able to adsorb about 95% of acid dye with a dosage of 1.2 g/100 ml and 96% of basic dye with a dosage of 0.5 g/100 ml. Concerning Acid Blue1 dye, about 86%, 90%, and 93% of the dye were adsorbed in the initial 2 min for raw montmorillonite clay, modified montmorillonite clay treated with PTSA, and PDSA solution, respectively. In the case of Basic Yellow2 dye, about 86% of the dye was adsorbed in the initial 2 min for raw montmorillonite clay and the clay treated with PTSA solution, whereas about 96% of the dye was adsorbed onto clay treated with PDSA. Regarding Basic Violet1, about 98%, 96%, and 99% of the dye were adsorbed in the initial 2 min for raw montmorillonite clay, clay treated with PTSA, and clay treated with PDSA solution, respectively. The cost of treatment of clay with PTSA and PDSA solutions is found to be Rs. 1.70/g or 0.023 $ per gram and Rs. 6.6/g or 0.089 $ per gram of clay, respectively. Therefore, considering the cost of treatment, clay treated with PTSA is preferred over clay treated with PDSA solution.

This article analyzes how the circularity of resources occurs in Brazilian craft breweries supported by innovation and proposes the creation of alternative craft breweries to promote circular economy. Data were collected through 11 interviews with entrepreneurs in the craft brewery segment, checklist application, and access to the website of the cases investigated. Our results expand the relationship with innovation suggesting that: a) the circularity of resources is still focused on several long-cycle practices; b) short cycles, which are the most desired for the retention of resource value in the production chain, are already present, but demand more attention from the enterprises surveyed; c) innovation practices can become barriers to or drivers for the feasibility of circular economy in the beer context; d) technical cycles are consolidated in most of the researched cases, while biological cycles still demand greater engagement from all stakeholders; e) the nature and content o...

Limited supply of petroleum resources, global warming issues and increasing yearly prices of petroleum in the present time, motivated scientists to find new alternative and cheap energy resources. Utilization of edible oil like vegetable oils as fuel actualized the competition between human needs in food and non -food applications. Also, the utilization of non-edible seed oils as renewable sources of fuel are costly due to the planting and production cost of the crude oils. In this study, the physical properties of crude palm oil (CPO), refined bleached deodorized (RBD) palm oil, waste cooking oil (WCO) and their methyl esters, has been investigated and characterized. Secondly, comparison was made using conventional method and microwave irradiation method of production of biodiesel, looking at different microwave exit powers, reaction time and reaction temperatures. The waste cooking oil (WCO) methyl ester characterization was done according to the ASTM method and was compared with published data. Generally, the flash point of this oil was reduced to 131ºC in its methyl ester form which is safe to be stored. Another result was the calorific value of the WCO methyl ester. It was 40,870 kJ/kg, which was slightly higher than its unprocessed form but still lower than diesel fuel. The cloud point and pour point of WCO methyl ester were lower than the CPO methyl ester but slightly higher than RBD methyl ester which are 13ºC and 9ºC respectively. The kinematic viscosity at 40ºC was 3.019 cSt, which was comparable with conventional diesel. Waste cooking oil's density (0.886 kg/liter) was slightly higher than conventional diesel. The results showed that microwave irradiation decreases the reaction time dramatically from using conventional methods of 60 to 180 min to only 5 to 9 min.

There are various views on the concept of intellectualism. For the sake of simplicity, we will divide them into two general groups: 1) The concept of intellectualism from the perspective of Marx, Marxists, Marxist-Leninists, communists, and the left in general; 2) The concept of intellectualism from the perspective of non-Marxists, or so-called other perspectives. We have discussed the left's perspective on the concept and social position of this group in detail elsewhere. Here, we will examine the views of four of the major non-Marxist thinkers in this field, namely Scheler, Geiger, Mannheim, and Lepsius, on intellectuals.The concept of intellectualism from another perspective, Scheler, Geiger, Lepsius, Mannheim

PurposeThe purpose of this study is to measure the effect of land degradation and the environmental changes on agricultural productivity in Somalia, as well as the other factors that affect crop production in Somalia.Design/methodology/approachCobb-Douglas production function assumes crop production as a dependent variable and land degradation, labor, capital, fertilizer and climate change as the explanatory variables. In this study time-series data (1962–2017) collected from the Food and Agriculture Organization and World Development Indicators were used. The unit root of the data was examined using Ng-Perron and the Lee-Strazicich methods to explore the unit root property of the breaks. Structural breaks are observed using the Chow test, and the long-run relationship between the variables is examined using Gregory and Hanssen's approach.FindingsThis study found that land degradation and climate change have a negative relationship with agriculture production in Somalia. Land de...

As green roofs, terraces, and walls are becoming more common, structural engineers appear to be unaware of the structural issues involved and how to address them. Green roofs, terraces, and walls are an architectural/mechanical approach that tackles the sustainable design issues of storm water runoff, reduction of building energy use, and an opportunity to provide usable space to building occupants. Structural engineers must understand the structural implications of such approaches with regards to static loads, dynamic loads, serviceability, durability, and anchorage. This document describes the structural implications of intensive green roofs/terraces, extensive green roofs, and green walls. An in depth discussion on assumed dead loads, live loads, seismic loads, wind effects, load combinations, serviceability concerns, and ASTM standards is provided. An analysis of tree loading, sloped roofs, seismic anchorage of green roofs, and recommended structural design specifications and st...

Purpose – In Europe, as in other developed regions of the world, formal protected areas (PA) are, almost by definition, conservation islands within a wider landscape of intensive farming, towns, industry and transport links. The recognised need for “more, bigger, better and joined” implies the need for complementary approaches. The purpose of this paper is to examine some innovative funding and delivery mechanisms in the UK and their strengths – and weaknesses – compared to the formal system of PA. Design/methodology/approach – Building on recent research undertaken for the UK Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) the HLF landscape partnership (LP) programme is described and related to other area-based approaches including the Wildlife Trust’s Living Landscapes, the Futurescapes programme of the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds and the UK government’s Nature Improvement Areas (NIA). Findings – LPs represent an increasingly important vehicle for securing conservation of the natural an...

Judicial Review of Nonre y ulatory Scientific Assessments: The Second-Hand Tobacco Smoke Risk Assessment Case I n our last column, we explored the potential for improving science-based regulatory decisions by administrative agencies. The method proposed was a modified application of the four threshold criteria proposed by the Supreme Court in Daubert v.

In 1999 the City of Portland (City) began to require that stormwater management facilities (SMF) be built when private property is newly developed or redeveloped (City Code Chapter 17.38). Proper maintenance and upkeep of SMFs is essential to ensuring they function appropriately. The City’s Maintenance Inspection Program (MIP) is tasked with inspecting stormwater management facilities on private properties in order to ensure that they are being properly operated and maintained and to meet provisions of the City’s NPDES Municipal Separated Storm Sewer System (MS4) permit. Greenroofs are one type of SMF that are installed to satisfy this requirement. Understanding the long-term maintenance needs of a greenroof is essential to reaching MIP goals established by City Code and the MS4 permit. Data collection occurred between November 2011 and May 2013 at private properties in Portland, Oregon during routine maintenance inspections of stormwater management facilities for the City’s Mainten...

In 1999 the City of Portland (City) began to require that stormwater management facilities (SMF) be built when private property is newly developed or redeveloped (City Code Chapter 17.38). Proper maintenance and upkeep of SMFs is essential to ensuring they function appropriately. The City's Maintenance Inspection Program (MIP) is tasked with inspecting stormwater management facilities on private properties in order to ensure that they are being properly operated and maintained and to meet provisions of the City's NPDES Municipal Separated Storm Sewer System (MS4) permit. Greenroofs are one type of SMF that are installed to satisfy this requirement. Understanding the long-term maintenance needs of a greenroof is essential to reaching MIP goals established by City Code and the MS4 permit. Data collection occurred between November 2011 and May 2013 at private properties in Portland, Oregon during routine maintenance inspections of stormwater management facilities for the City's Maintenance Inspection Program (MIP). The objectives of this study are to:  Provide a summary of the type and frequency of greenroofs inspected in Portland as well as common issues, concerns from the property owners, and other information gained from greenroof inspections. This will also address questions such as o What does a typical Portland greenroof look like? o How deep is the growing media? o What types of plants are used? o What stressors act on the greenroofs? o Does replanting a greenroof eliminate stressors?  Inform property managers, architects, engineers, and maintenance personnel about some design techniques that may ease long-term maintenance input and expense. This study also aims to further scientific and systematic evaluation of greenroofs as an amenity and stormwater management facility. I would like to express my sincere gratitude to the Stormwater Group at the City of Portland for their encouragement and support. A special thanks goes to Michael Pronold for giving me the chance to work with the group and take on the project. I am very grateful to Sherri Peterson whose support, encouragement, cheerful demeanor, and in-depth knowledge of stormwater management was always available and generously shared. Loren Shelly's technical support and excellent counsel is much appreciated. I also extend my special thanks to Tim Dean for answering questions with insight and compassion. I owe a tribute of gratitude to Daryl Houtman, Marty Anderson, Laura Johnson, and Rueben Snyder for their companionship, encouragement and for kindly sharing their knowledge of stormwater management and environmental stewardship. An additional thanks is due to Marveita Redding, Manager of Pollution Prevention Services, for allowing this project to take place. I am also sincerely grateful to the staff of the Clean River Rewards, Sustainable Stormwater, and Floor to Area Ratio Programs for sharing information and providing excellent technical support. My immense thanks are given to all staff of Pollution Prevention Services and the Water Pollution Control Laboratory for making me feel like a valuable member of the team. Dr. Joseph Maser has been an excellent advisor through the course of my Master's program and through this project. Dr. Pan has provided excellent insight into the field of statistics and his review of this project is appreciated. Finally, limitless love and support from my family has been a huge motivation and has made this project possible. Thank you, Josephine Carney and Larry Beck for editing this project and being my most vocal cheerleaders. I would also like to thank Heather Buck, Christy Jorgensen and Storm Beck for your kind words of encouragement. I am forever grateful to Pete and Rene' Simens for your love, companionship and support.

In 1999 the City of Portland (City) began to require that stormwater management facilities (SMF) be built when private property is newly developed or redeveloped (City Code Chapter 17.38). Proper maintenance and upkeep of SMFs is essential to ensuring they function appropriately. The City's Maintenance Inspection Program (MIP) is tasked with inspecting stormwater management facilities on private properties in order to ensure that they are being properly operated and maintained and to meet provisions of the City's NPDES Municipal Separated Storm Sewer System (MS4) permit. Greenroofs are one type of SMF that are installed to satisfy this requirement. Understanding the long-term maintenance needs of a greenroof is essential to reaching MIP goals established by City Code and the MS4 permit. Data collection occurred between November 2011 and May 2013 at private properties in Portland, Oregon during routine maintenance inspections of stormwater management facilities for the City's Maintenance Inspection Program (MIP). The objectives of this study are to:  Provide a summary of the type and frequency of greenroofs inspected in Portland as well as common issues, concerns from the property owners, and other information gained from greenroof inspections. This will also address questions such as o What does a typical Portland greenroof look like? o How deep is the growing media? o What types of plants are used? o What stressors act on the greenroofs? o Does replanting a greenroof eliminate stressors?  Inform property managers, architects, engineers, and maintenance personnel about some design techniques that may ease long-term maintenance input and expense. This study also aims to further scientific and systematic evaluation of greenroofs as an amenity and stormwater management facility. I would like to express my sincere gratitude to the Stormwater Group at the City of Portland for their encouragement and support. A special thanks goes to Michael Pronold for giving me the chance to work with the group and take on the project. I am very grateful to Sherri Peterson whose support, encouragement, cheerful demeanor, and in-depth knowledge of stormwater management was always available and generously shared. Loren Shelly's technical support and excellent counsel is much appreciated. I also extend my special thanks to Tim Dean for answering questions with insight and compassion. I owe a tribute of gratitude to Daryl Houtman, Marty Anderson, Laura Johnson, and Rueben Snyder for their companionship, encouragement and for kindly sharing their knowledge of stormwater management and environmental stewardship. An additional thanks is due to Marveita Redding, Manager of Pollution Prevention Services, for allowing this project to take place. I am also sincerely grateful to the staff of the Clean River Rewards, Sustainable Stormwater, and Floor to Area Ratio Programs for sharing information and providing excellent technical support. My immense thanks are given to all staff of Pollution Prevention Services and the Water Pollution Control Laboratory for making me feel like a valuable member of the team. Dr. Joseph Maser has been an excellent advisor through the course of my Master's program and through this project. Dr. Pan has provided excellent insight into the field of statistics and his review of this project is appreciated. Finally, limitless love and support from my family has been a huge motivation and has made this project possible. Thank you, Josephine Carney and Larry Beck for editing this project and being my most vocal cheerleaders. I would also like to thank Heather Buck, Christy Jorgensen and Storm Beck for your kind words of encouragement. I am forever grateful to Pete and Rene' Simens for your love, companionship and support.

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to analyze the long-run as well as short-run nonlinear effect of foreign direct investment (FDI), economic growth (EG) and industrialization on environmental degradation (carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions) in Pakistan. Design/methodology/approach The study applies a nonlinear autoregressive distributive lag methodology to examine the long-run and short-run relationship among the variables. FDI, EG and industrialization are decomposed into positive and negative variations to examine the nonlinear relationship with CO2 emissions. Granger causality test is used to examine the direction of causality among the variables. The study uses annual time-series data of Pakistan from 1975 to 2016. Findings An increase in FDI has a positive and significant effect on CO2 emissions in the long run, while a decrease in FDI has a negative and insignificant effect on CO2 emissions. An increase in EG has a positive and significant effect, while a decrease in EG has a n...

Effective land use planning and management requires extensive knowledge of the three subsystems that constitute the natural world-the atmosphere, the hydrosphere, and the lithosphere (Gernuks, . When analysis of these subsystems is combined with an understanding of an area's evolution in regard to demotechnic growth-the exponential increase in resource consumption driven by population growth and increased use of technology-it is possible to diagnose a region's situation. This diagnosis should be based on a holistic analysis combining both socioeconomic and environmental data in order to reduce uncertainty when making decisions pertaining to land use as a territory is developed. Vehicular traffic, industrial activity, and urban growth are among the main contributors to environmental degradation (Hughey, Cullen, Kerr, & Cook, 2004) and to socioeconomic stress and degradation. In turn, such degradation compromises the aims of sustainable development, Environmental Quality Management / DOI 10.1002/tqem / Winter 2014 / 61

Although landfills are generally an environmentally safe option for the disposal of solid waste, the treatment and management of landfill leachate are still critical. The aim of this work was to study through physical‐chemical analyses the effects of leachate on the effluent of the sewage treatment plant to which it is disposed on both study sites. The results were compared with those of existing studies, current legislation, municipal waste management practices, and landfill operations. Ethinylestradiol analyses were also performed on the influent and effluent from the sewage treatment plant. The results showed that the landfill leachate has a polluting potential, being found parameters above the allowed value, such as chemical oxygen demand (3,510.33 mg L−1), chloride (3,631.78 mg L−1), and manganese (21.61 mg L−1). The properties of the leachate indicated that the landfill was still in the acid formation phase and did not influence the influent that reached the sewage treatment p...

PurposeThis study examines various aspects of green energy management operations in India and reports the current state, potential avenues and barriers for green energy management.Design/methodology/approachThis study performs an extensive literature review and covers the several aspects of green energy management operations.FindingsThe findings report the current state of various aspects of green energy management operations such as: procurement, manufacturing and distribution and provides the viable business models. It further explains the various facilitators and barriers of green energy management and reports the opportunities and challenges that exist in developing and managing green energy supply chain.Originality/valueThe study is pioneer in providing a comprehensive view of developing and managing green energy operations in India. The study is useful to various organisations on drafting strategies to effectively adopt and manage green energy. The study is also useful in poli...

Agriculture lies at the heart of civilization. Cultures that mistreat their soils do not long endure. Modern agriculture seems in many ways to be the pinnacle of human achievement, enabling fewer farmers to feed more of humanity than ever before. Yet much of the practice is unsustainable. This paper will examine one aspect of that unsustainability, the interactions of energy with agriculture. It will explore some of the challenges farmers face from energy issues, especially in a carbon-constrained world, and describe how the principles of Natural Capitalism can help farmers take a leadership role in making their operations and their communities more sustainable. Disciplines Agriculture This conference proceeding is available at Iowa State University Digital Repository: http://lib.dr.iastate.edu/leopold_conf/1 Energy and Sustainable Agriculture

PurposeGreen building is a relatively new concept with limited applications in property development in South Africa. The objectives of this study are therefore threefold: identify key green building principles considered by property developers, establish the benefits of implementing the principles and determine the barriers to its applications.Design/methodology/approachThe study adopted a case study of two Green Star South Africa (SA)-certified buildings in Sandton, Johannesburg. These are Alexander Forbes building, and Ernst & Young Eris Towers. The two certified buildings were purposefully selected because of the insightful information they provide regarding application of green building principles. The main themes investigated in the cases are environmental awareness, green building principles applications, as well as benefits and barriers of green building. A total of six interviewees from the contractors', property developers', environmental/green building consultants&...

Purpose Anecdotal evidence indicates that there is a backlog in the pre-tertiary school infrastructure in the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa. The purpose of this paper is to assess the adoption of alternative building technologies (ABT) for pre-tertiary educational infrastructure delivery with a view to providing empirical evidence that could guide policy responses towards its wider adoption. Design/methodology/approach The study adopted a mixed methodology approach. This comprises a triangulation of a questionnaire survey and interviews. In total, 100 participants were randomly selected from 182 built environment professionals namely quantity surveyors, architects and engineers (electrical, mechanical, civil and structural) from the Department of Roads and Public Works (DRPW), who are currently involved in the Eastern Cape School Building Program (ECSBP). The questionnaire survey was supplemented by semi-structured interviews conducted with four top government officials (thr...

O despreparo pedagogico dos professores universitarios,fruto de sua propria formacao, pode afetar a formacao dos futuros profissionais que necessitam do conhecimento e afeta a todas aquelas pessoas que passam pelo ensino medio sem terem tido a oportunidade de uma formacao minima dos conteudos basicos.Admite-se hoje que o conhecimento constitui a mente e o pensamento dos sujeitos em um processo continuado e permanente.A mente do sujeito nunca esta pronta,e elastica pode modificar-se constantemente na interacao social e cultural,as emocoes,sentimentos, frustracoes e situacoes de prazer estao presentes e em constante construcao no processo ensino aprendizagem. Este estudo pretende entender a necessidade de uma formacao mais completa que possibilite a constituicao do educador como um ser pensante, critico, transformador, atraves do exercicio sistematizado de reflexividade sobre a sua praxis pedagogica, orientado pela unidade teoria-pratica, e assim, para autonomia docente.O que possibil...

Management system standards (MSS), such as ISO standards, TQM, etc. are widely-used standards adopted by millions of organizations worldwide. It is still an unclear question whether these standards are beneficial for an organization, besides the fact that they might be required or expected by law or customers. The question, whether MSS increase the efficiency, the output, or the performance of an organization is still discussed in scientific research. One reason might be that performance measurement itself is not fully understood or in constant development ranging from pure financial evaluations over intellectual capital rating to calculating of levels of environmental, social or economic expectations known as the Trible Bottom Line. The Balanced Scorecard is one possible solution for performance measurement on a strategic and operational level and therefore useful for the measurement of the influence of MSS within organizations. This study summarized current research in the field of performance measurement in the context of MSS and IMS and the use of BSC and quantitatively and qualitatively tests the usefulness of BSC in measuring the effect of MSSs using the Execution Premium. It was found that BSC is often used, that an average number of companies integrate their measurement initiatives of their MSSs into the BSC-process, and that a high integration of MSS into the BSC improves the organizational performance. This research is useful for researchers and practitioners in order to understand the benefits of the usage of the BSC in the context of MSS or Integrated Management Systems.

Enterprise Risk Management (ERM) includes processes and methodologies for organizations to manage companies’ risks. Due to an increase in the environmental complexity, a standardized approach of managing risks and opportunities is not only useful, but absolutely essential for business continuation – the way organizations deal with such risks is the key role for success and can be seen in the company’s overall performance. In a previous paper the authors suggested a model for ERM assessment. In order to proof this model, this paper presents a case study of a production company with a working ERM to evaluate the model, based on a real example. The results demonstrate that a suggested model to assess ERM and its performance is practically useable by organizations and might be further extended in future studies.

Management system standards (MSS), such as ISO standards, TQM, etc. are widely-used standards adopted by millions of organizations worldwide. It is still an unclear question whether these standards are beneficial for an organization, besides the fact that they might be required or expected by law or customers. The question, whether MSS increase the efficiency, the output, or the performance of an organization is still discussed in scientific research. One reason might be that performance measurement itself is not fully understood or in constant development ranging from pure financial evaluations over intellectual capital rating to calculating of levels of environmental, social or economic expectations known as the Trible Bottom Line. The Balanced Scorecard is one possible solution for performance measurement on a strategic and operational level and therefore useful for the measurement of the influence of MSS within organizations. This study summarized current research in the field o...

Purpose -The purpose of this paper is to outline and analyze the influence of environment-oriented cooperation on innovations as the important factor for sustainable development. The research question is how could environment-oriented cooperation contribute to innovations in enterprises? Design/methodology/approach -For empirical research, a mix of methods is to be selected. At first, the results are obtained qualitatively and validated quantitatively afterwards. Two cooperation cases are selected: industry-related and intersectoral cooperation. Findings -The paper explains the contribution of environment-oriented cooperation to realize innovations by identification of the innovation-relevant cooperation factors such as: heterogeneous constellation of the cooperation partners; specialist know-how exchange; coordination; and importance of industry orientation. These factors are also necessary for the implementation of sustainability-oriented innovation practices in a wider (economical, ecological and social) understanding. Practical implications -The paper shows that an environment-oriented cooperation with different actors -which is coordinated by experts and concentrated on industry specific as well as oriented on the interests of all actors -can definitely help to realize potentials of innovation. Originality/value -Concerning the increasing role of cooperation for the creation and implementation of environmental innovations, substantial awareness gaps are still observed. The paper has tried to identify and analyze cooperation characteristics which influence the implementation of environmental innovations and therefore the sustainable development.

Wood residues generated in Nigeria amount to approximately 5.2 million tonnes annually, highlighting the resource-intensive nature of the Nigerian wood industry. Cleaner production practices, which involve the identification and implementation of strategies to reduce raw material consumption, energy use, waste generation, and pollution, have been widely adopted in many countries. However, in Nigeria, the adoption of cleaner production practices remained limited. This study aims to review the potential impact of cleaner production practices in the Nigerian wood industry on productivity and the creation of a sustainable environment. It sheds light on the unique characteristics and challenges faced in the Nigerian wood industry that influence the widespread adoption of cleaner production practices. The study delved into the different phases of cleaner production implementation, emphasising the importance of planning, implementation, monitoring, and evaluation. It highlighted the adoption of low-cost and practical cleaner production measures, debunking the misconception that cleaner production implementation is always costly. Furthermore, the study examined the prospects and challenges of implementing cleaner production measures within the specific context of Nigeria's peculiarities. It discussed comprehensive waste management strategies, noise control measures, materials modification, and substitution, as well as the application of cleaner production practices on machinery and equipment. The paper emphasised the need for stronger policies and their enforcement to ensure compliance with cleaner production practices in the wood industry. By promoting the adoption of cleaner production measures, the country can witness enhanced productivity, minimise waste, and create a sustainable and environmentally friendly wood industry sector.

This study aims to explore the ability of oyster (Crassostrea malabonensis) shells as an adsorbent of oil and grease in wastewater. Numerous pollutants can harm our environment. Oil and grease are examples of a pollutant that can cause a serious problem to our environment. Effects of varying amounts of powdered oyster shell and a varying amount of contact time on the sorption capacity of powdered oyster shell on the biosorption using oyster shell were observed. The solutions were then analyzed using Gravimetry (n-Hexane Extraction) (SM 5520 B). The results were used to estimate the adsorbent sorption capacity. The results revealed that a high percentage of adsorption was obtained at a contact time of 24 hours (69.74%) and an adsorbent dosage of 30 grams (79.17%). Generally, the more adsorbent dosage and the longer the contact time, the higher the percentage adsorption of oil and grease.

This work examines the possibility and the potential application of physicochemical processes (coagulation and flocculation) and advanced oxidative processes (Fenton Process) in the treatment of effluents from the re‐refining of used lubricating oils.

Nowadays trace organic pollutants represent a major concern in water treatment systems. Activated carbon has been used for most applications aiming at the reduction of these kind of compounds in aqueous effluents, but regeneration needs and high operation costs led to a renewed interest in the search for alternative sorbents. Pine bark is an excedentary raw material from sawmills in Portugal, and therefore a profitable natural resource that has already been successfully tested in the adsorption of organochlorines from contaminated water. This study aims at characterizing the pine bark surface structurally and chemically, to understand the nature of sorption occurring when a trace organic contaminant is present in aqueous effluents. Pentachlorophenol (PCP) was the trace contaminant used in the experiments. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM), mercury porosimetry, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) were the techniques used, in addi...

The implementation of various management systems and standards has become an important activity for organisations irrespective of their size, sector or nature of the business. Even with a history of implementing change across the organisation, managers continue to experience resistance and challenges when implementing and maintaining the systems/standards, whether they be in quality, occupational health and safety, environmental or any other area. Based on a major research project recently completed, this paper presents the critical success factors for successful implementation of an environmental management system. The project involved three phases of fieldwork: preliminary interviews, a questionnaire survey and in‐depth interviews. A brief summary of the findings from each of these phases of research is presented. Based on the findings, the paper discusses the critical success factors for the successful implementation and maintenance of EMS.

PurposeSupply chain (SC) managers influence firms in incorporating green behavior throughout the value chain in functions such as purchasing, production, distribution and transportation. In this study, we aim to understand the antecedents of pro-environmental behavior (PEB) in SC managers.Design/methodology/approachWe develop a research model hypothesizing a direct role of SC managers' private green behaviors, subjective norms, personal and organizational barriers as factors influencing the manager's pro-environmental intentions. We also analyze the impact of these intentions on actual behavior. We surveyed managers working in the SC of manufacturing firms in a developing country and tested the research model using structural equation modeling.FindingsOur results indicate that SC managers' personal barriers significantly influence intentions to act pro-environmentally and these intentions then predict their actual behavior. However, SC managers' private green behavio...

Aluminum is one of the most abundant metals in the earth's crust. Although it shows no known biological function, it is recognized as an adjuvant in vaccines for human and veterinary uses. This study aims to evaluate the role of lifestyle and environment in the promotion of chronic disease. In it, we associated two factors: chronic exposure to aluminum and high-fat diets. Thus, we aimed to determine whether the association of long-term exposure to aluminum and high-fat diets affects the NTPDase and 5 ′ -nucleotidase activities in the blood platelets and lymphocytes obtained from the mesenteric lymph nodes of young rats. In fact, the ectonucleotidase activities were shown to be upregulated upon exposure to aluminum plus high-fat diets. As a result, we can suggest that the progressive upregulation of ectonucleotidase activities that we observed could be controlling the extent of inflammation and immune response.

Aluminum is one of the most abundant metals in the earth's crust. Although it shows no known biological function, it is recognized as an adjuvant in vaccines for human and veterinary uses. This study aims to evaluate the role of lifestyle and environment in the promotion of chronic disease. In it, we associated two factors: chronic exposure to aluminum and high-fat diets. Thus, we aimed to determine whether the association of long-term exposure to aluminum and high-fat diets affects the NTPDase and 5 ′ -nucleotidase activities in the blood platelets and lymphocytes obtained from the mesenteric lymph nodes of young rats. In fact, the ectonucleotidase activities were shown to be upregulated upon exposure to aluminum plus high-fat diets. As a result, we can suggest that the progressive upregulation of ectonucleotidase activities that we observed could be controlling the extent of inflammation and immune response.

This study aims to improve the characteristics of VCO biodiesel so that when mixed with dexlite it can meet the fuel requirements of diesel engines in order to improve engine performance. The expected better characteristics of VCO biodiesel are viscosity, calorific value and density. The method used is the transesterification of biodiesel VCO using Kupang natural zeolite catalyst and methanol with a percentage of 50% catalyst and 50% VCO which is processed at a temperature of 60 ºC. Then the results of transesterification of VCO in its use are mixed with dexlite fuel with a percentage of 30% and 40%. The load used in the test was 35 kgf, and was tested at a high speed of 3000 to 4000 rpm. Diesel engine performance measured is effective power, fuel consumption, thermal efficiency and CO and HC exhaust gases. The results showed that the transesterification process with Kupang natural zeolite could improve the characteristics of VCO biodiesel by lowering the viscosity from 24 Cst to 14,5 Cst. when used as a dexlite mixture, the performance of the diesel engine produced is close to the use of pure dexlite fuel at a mixture of 30%. in the 40% mixture the exhaust emissions are reduced but the engine power is also reduced.

Purpose The improper maintenance affects the performance of management practices for Green Building (GB) in Malaysia. This is due to the issues of lack of GB knowledge and competency for maintenance activities in GB projects. However, only a few researchers have investigated maintenance within the GBs. This may be due to industry’s lack of awareness concerning the currently existing maintenance problems and their causes. The paper aims to discuss these issues. Design/methodology/approach This paper intends to develop a new Information and Communication Technology (ICT) based approach for managing maintenance in GB schemes. As a precursor to this work, the current maintenance management activities, ICT tools and techniques are reviewed and explored in such projects to gather processes and information database of maintenance and management. Findings The findings reveal the need for more sophisticated maintenance management solutions that accord with the needs of GB schemes to manage q...

PurposeRecently, Colac Otway Shire in Australia released its management plan for Lake Colac, claiming over‐enrichment of the lake with nutrients and degraded water quality. This paper aims to investigate these claims by establishing a correlation between key water and ecological indicators and land uses.Design/methodology/approachThe paper examines the correlation between impairment and stressors in Lake Colac. This was achieved by identifying the likely sources of pollutants into Lake Colac; identifying any existing monitoring program; and characterizing the water and sediment inputs. The likely impacts of increased nutrients and sediment levels on indigenous flora and fauna were also examined. The use of meiofauna (very small benthic metazoan animals) was investigated as an indicator of degraded sites. Plankton diversity as a measure of water health was also assessed.FindingsWater quality in Lake Colac was found to vary both temporally and spatially, and exhibited low attainment a...

Groundwater resources in special have been applied for drinking water use versus surface water in Iran. However, this groundwater withdrawal has not been monitored for its level and quality. The present study aimed at determining the qualitative changes of Hamedan groundwater resources using the Kriging and analysis of quality assurance approach. To investigate the spatial variations of water quality in Hamedan, the following physical parameters were taken into consideration: total dissolved solid and electrical conductivity; chemical agents including calcium, magnesium, sodium adsorption ratio, iron, fluoride, sulfate, nitrate, phosphate; residual concentrations of pesticides in drinking water, including organochlorine (difenoconazole and permethrin), organophosphate (chlorpyrifos, diazinon, and malathion), and pyrethroids (fenvalerate); and heavy metals including cadmium, lead, arsenic, mercury, chromium, copper, and zinc. The geographic information system (ArcGIS10.4) was used to...

PurposeTackling the challenges of water scarcity requires comprehensive management according to financial, environmental and social issues. This paper aims to develop a planning approach for systematic decision-making and pay attention to uncertainties in water demand management and supply investment.Design/methodology/approachThis study presents a multiobjective optimization model to manage water resources based on the balance of supply and demand. The objectives of the model include economic, social and environmental (sustainable development) factors. The model achieves an optimal urban water portfolio by using a scenario tree.FindingsThe mathematical goal programming (GP) in a multiobjective optimization model is applied and solved by the branch and bound method. The results indicate the selected supply augmentation and demand management options in each stage for 20 years according to the dry, normal and wetness year scenarios.Practical implicationsThis model is based on a real-w...

Climate change (CC) is now recognized as posing a serious threat to the sustainable development of Addis Ababa city, Ethiopia. As a consequence, city authorities are showing increasing interest in combating CC by streamlining adaptation measures into city development planning through a comprehensive and integrated approach. Nevertheless, in the past, the integration of CC adaptation into urban planning (UP) and landscape design (LD) was not given adequate consideration by planners and designers due to lack of knowledge regarding CC and the efforts that can be taken to mitigate its effects. The objective of this work is: • To summarize the current state of knowledge of, and conceptualization of, the core elements of CC impacts and responses in Addis Ababa in terms of their implications for UP and LD in the city; • To develop a common understanding among urban planners and related professionals of how improvements in UP and LD can contribute to CC adaptation; and • To mainstream CC in future UP and LD endeavors. The results of this study show that integrating CC adaptation and other response options into UP and LD at the city, subcity/catchment, neighborhood, site/project, and building levels will enhance the sustainability of the city with respect to its resilience to flood risk hazards, water supply during drought periods, and urban heat island effects.