Porter effect vs cost effect: The impact of China's low carbon city pilot on carbon emissions and economic performance

Building a low-carbon economy can help cities effectively mitigate climate risks, but it is challenging for developing countries. Using a difference-in-difference and event study model, we investigate the joint impact of China's Low-Carbon City Pilot (LCCP) on carbon emissions and economic performance. Our findings show that the LCCP significantly reduces carbon emissions and increases gross revenues, employee count, and fixed assets without compromising the net profit of manufacturing firms. The LCCP has a cumulative effect, with the positive joint impact increasing gradually over time. A heterogeneity analysis shows that the later pilot cities have not achieved better carbon emissions and economic performance than the early pilot cities. The reason for the positive joint effect of LCCP is that the Porter effect outweighs the cost effect. These findings contribute to knowledge about how developing countries can develop a low-carbon economy.

The effects of selected neglected tropical diseases on economic performance at the macrolevel in Africa

BACKGROUND

Neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) such as leprosy, lymphatic filariasis (LF), schistosomiasis and onchocerciasis are endemic in several African countries. These diseases can lead to severe pain and permanent disability, which can negatively affect the economic productivity of the affected person(s), and hence resulting into low economic performance at the macrolevel. Nonetheless, empirical evidence of the effects of these NTDs on economic performance at the macrolevel is sparse. This study therefore investigates the effects of the above-mentioned NTDs on economic performance at the macrolevel in Africa.

METHODS

The study employs a panel design with data comprising 24 to 45 African countries depending on the NTD in question, over the period, 2002 to 2019. Gross domestic product (GDP) is used as the proxy for economic performance (Dependent variable) and the prevalence of the above-mentioned NTDs are used as the main independent variables. The random effects (RE), fixed effects (FE) and the instrumental variable fixed effects (IVFE) panel data regressions are used as estimation techniques.

RESULTS

We find that, an increase in the prevalence of the selected NTDs is associated with a fall in economic performance in the selected African countries, irrespective of the estimation technique used. Specifically, using the IVFE regression estimates, we find that a percentage increase in the prevalence of leprosy, LF, schistosomiasis and onchocerciasis is associated with a reduction in economic performance by 0.43%, 0.24%, 0.28% and 0.36% respectively, at either 1% or 5% level of significance.

CONCLUSION

The findings highlight the need to increase attention and bolster integrated efforts or measures towards tackling these diseases in order to curb their deleterious effects on economic performance. Such measures can include effective mass drug administration (MDA), enhancing access to basic drinking water and sanitation among others.

Unlocking the double-dividend: Evaluating the impact of SO₂ emissions trading scheme on firm's environmental and economic performance

The optimal design of environmental instruments demands a balance between environmental enhancement and economic growth. Utilizing microdata from the China Environmental Statistics Database and the China Industrial Firm Database, this study employs the difference-in-differences (DD) methodology to explore the dual effects of the SO₂ Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) on the environmental and economic performance of micro-firms. The findings suggest that: (1) The SO₂ ETS not only induces emission reduction effects among firms in pilot areas but also improves their industrial added value. (2) The SO₂ ETS exhibits heterogeneous impacts across firms of diverse ownership, export status, and size. (3) While the SO₂ ETS prompts firms to advance technologically, boosting desulfurization capacities and subsequently enhancing total factor productivity, it also inadvertently results in companies offsetting some environmental compliance costs by curtailing employee wages.

Supply chain in transition navigating economic growth and environmental sustainability through education

The growing interest in the Management of Eco-Friendly Supply Chains warrants this study. Green supply chain management (GSCM) is an approach to supply chain management (SCM) that takes into account environmental factors. Therefore, GSCM is vital in shaping the cumulative environmental effect of businesses engaged in supply chain operations. In addition, GSCM may help improve the effectiveness of sustainability initiatives. Manufacturing companies, particularly in developing nations like India, are trying to adjust essential procedures and supply chains because of the rising need to be ecologically sustainable. However, such efforts must be deployed strategically to be ecologically sustainable and economically successful. As a result, this study focuses on the relationship between green supply chain management and education that affect environmental sustainability and economic performance. As a further step toward more sustainable development, the mediating function of education is sustainable economic growth and environmental health. The data was collected by distributing a well-crafted questionnaire to manufacturing facilities in India. We employed PLS-SEM to analyze and interpret the data test hypotheses based on data from 415 replies. The findings point to cost and profit as the primary metrics of corporate success. Disposal of trash, usage of resources, and release of greenhouse gases are alternative measures of environmental sustainability. Distributed online links and in-person interviews with employees at companies throughout India who use GSCM procedures provided the basis for the study's primary data set. The data was gathered with the use of an organized survey form. The findings of tests conducted on the hypotheses were considered. According to this research, cost, profit, waste, resource, and GHG emission impacts vary depending on which GSCM techniques are implemented. Green supply chain management strategies significantly affect price, trash disposal, resource utilization, and GHG emissions. There was no discernible trend between GSCM methods and financial success. In addition to discussing the unique elements of sustainable supply chains and the limits of current research, this article also discusses how a company's bottom line will benefit monetarily from establishing a sustainable supply chain. This should inspire more study in this area. Our investigation revealed patterns and voids, and we used that information to outline a thorough plan for future GSCM studies. The research helps manufacturing company management improve their sustainable policies while providing policymakers with pointers.

Decoding the green supply chain: Education as the key to economic growth and sustainability

The value of environmental safeguarding is rising in both private and public spheres. What is meant by the term "green supply chain management" (GSCM)? It is minimizing the negative effects of a company's operations on the natural world. Particularly in the research and academic disciplines of the expanding economy of the China region, the concept of the intersection of green supply chain management and sustainable development is dissected at a foundational level. However, there has been little attention paid to how GSCM, GHC, environmental performance, and economic performance all relate to one another. This study fills that void in the literature by giving hard data to encourage businesses in the China area to adopt GHC (green human capital) and SCM (sustainable supply chain management) in order to significantly improve their environmental and economic outcomes. To better understand the interplay between these ideas, we constructed a conceptual framework. The information was gathered using a survey consisting of questionnaires. Manufacturing companies from ten (10) different areas in China provided the 470 responses. The information was analyzed using structural equation modeling (SEM). Research shows that green human capital and green supply chain management have a beneficial influence on economic performance but no discernible effect on environmental outcomes. The results also demonstrate that green supply chain management is an effective act as a mediator between environmental performance and economic performance, with a beneficial effect on both. An initial conclusion may be made that bettering the green human capital stock was more important for China's green economy's growth than bettering the human capital structure. Research like this helps fill out the picture of the green economy and informs policy decisions at the national level.

Green construction practices and economic performance: The mediating role of social performance and environmental performance

Currently, there is a surge in the adoption of green construction practices (GCP) to address and attempt to alleviate the adverse effects of construction activities on the natural environment. The current research surrounding sustainability in the industry has witnessed a notable surge in efforts, primarily driven by a growing consciousness of environmental concerns. In this context, it is worth noting that the focus of assessment schemes in developed countries has predominantly gravitated toward economic and environmental factors, with relatively less emphasis placed on social performance (SP). Many researchers have underscored this disparity, highlighting the need for a more comprehensive approach encompassing all three sustainability dimensions. Hence, the present research examines the effects of green construction practices on economic performance (ECP) while considering the mediating role of environmental performance (EP) and SP. The results showed no direct impact of GCP on ECP. However, the mediating role of SP and EP in the association between GCP and ECP was found to be statistically significant. The present study provides several implications. This study presents empirical evidence that implementing GCP yields several benefits for contractors, including cost reduction in waste management, legal expenses, and energy consumption. These cost savings effectively offset the initial investment required to implement GCP, enabling construction projects to attain ECP thresholds. This study provides a significant contribution to the expanding corpus of knowledge concerning green building site practices and construction management. It offers novel insights into the influence of a project's EP and SP on its economic feasibility. Furthermore, this research study has effectively showcased the positive impact of GCP on construction projects' environmental construction performance, particularly concerning environmental and social considerations. Integr Environ Assess Manag 2024;00:1-11. © 2024 SETAC.

Predicting economic resilience of territories in Italy during the COVID-19 first lockdown

This paper aims to predict the economic resilience to crises of territories based on local pre-existing socioeconomic characteristics. Specifically, we consider the case of Italian municipalities during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic, leveraging a large-scale dataset of cardholders performing transactions in Point-of-Sales. Based on a set of machine learning classifiers, we show that network-based measures and variables related to the social, economic, demographic and environmental dimensions are relevant predictors of the economic resilience of Italian municipalities to the crisis. In particular, we find accurate classification performance both in balanced and un-balanced scenarios, as well as in the case we restrict the analysis to specific geographical areas. Our analysis predicts that territories with larger income per capita, soil consumption, concentration of real estate activities and commuting network centrality in terms of closeness and Pagerank constitute the set of most affected areas, experiencing the strongest reduction of economic activities during the COVID-19 pandemic. Overall, we provide an application of an early-warning system able to provide timely evidence to policymakers about the detrimental effects generated by natural disasters and severe crisis episodes, thus contributing to optimize public decision support systems.

Studying environmental and economic considerations on tourism activities in achieving sustainable development goals: implications for sustainability

The study aims to extend the understanding of environmental and economic considerations on tourism activities in achieving sustainable development goals. The motivation of the study is to provide the empirical inference of variables based on study topicality and the implications to achieve SDG 8 and SDG 9 specifically. The study used panel data from 2000 to 2021 to check for cross-sectional dependency and performed various panel unit root tests to verify the unit root properties of the variables. With the help of Pedroni and Kao's statistical results, we confirm variables are integrated. The results from OLS modified and dynamic demonstrate the correlation between transformation, measured by patents and publications, and higher economic performance and lower environmental hazard, emphasizing the role of transformation. The results also show that tourism arrivals have a significant positive effect on reducing pollution hazards and increasing economic performance, which shows progress toward sustainable development. Based on the study, it was determined that the contribution of asylum seekers did not positively impact the host countries' economic conditions or environmental improvement initiatives. It was found that higher levels of education play a crucial role in promoting sustainable development through economic growth and mitigating environmental risks. To achieve sustainable development in the G20 economies, promoting tourism, undertaking transformational measures, and enhancing higher education are recommended. These results have significant implications for policymakers, firms, and an agenda of the United Nations sustainable development program.

Life cycle assessment and cost-benefit analysis of small-scale anaerobic digestion system treating food waste onsite under different operational conditions

This study employed life cycle assessment and cost-benefit analysis to evaluate the environmental and economic profile of a real decentralized small-scale anaerobic digestion (AD) system treating food waste (FW). Different operational conditions, including temperature, biochar addition, biogas engine efficiency, and FW loading, were compared via scenario analysis. Biochar addition could potentially obtain carbon reduction and save fossil fuel. Moreover, at high FW loading and biogas engine efficiency, biochar addition achieved 1-3190% better performance than the system without biochar in all the nine impact categories. The system under mesophilic conditions performed worse than ambient conditions due to high energy demand. All the current scenarios resulted in a monetary loss at US$ 480 k-681 k, while profit was possible if the capital cost and operator salary decreased significantly. Overall, operating the small-scale AD system under ambient temperature with biochar addition was preferred due to its potential environmental benefits and economic profits.

Green human resource management and economic, social and environmental performance: Evidence from the Spanish wine industry

The purpose of this research is to assess the impact of Green Human Resource Management (GHRM) on the economic, social, and environmental performance of Spanish wineries. Additionally, age, size, and Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) membership are introduced as control variables in order to increase the accuracy of the cause-effect associations examined. To reach this objective, a conceptual model has been constructed and assessed through Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) using data gathered from a survey conducted between September 2022 and January 2023, involving 196 Spanish wineries. The results demonstrate the occurrence of a positive and meaningful relationship between GHRM activities and the three yield typologies assessed in the Spanish wine context. This study is novel in the academic literature on environmental and human resource management, since, to the best of our knowledge, no previous research has looked into the effect of GHRM on the sustainable performance of Spanish wineries. Thus, it is useful for both academics and wine industry professionals who are examining potential variables that can catalyze winery performance.

Does energy-consuming right trading have double dividend effect on firm's economic performance and carbon emission?

Whether the market-based environmental regulation policy can achieve a win-win situation of economic growth and carbon emission reduction has always been an academic controversial topic. Taking the pilot policy of energy-consuming right trading (ECRT) of China in 2016 as a quasi-natural experiment, this paper uses the difference-in-differences (DID) method to investigate the policy impact of ECRT on the economic performance and carbon emissions of firms. An economy-environment composite index has been conducted for testing double dividend effect of ECRT. The empirical results show that ECRT can improve the economic performance and reduce carbon emissions of firms significantly. The double dividend effect is more significant in high-carbon emission firms, non-state-owned firms and prior to COVID-19 pandemic. ECRT policy has Porter innovation mechanism, in which innovation input is the main contribution of economic dividend effect and green technology innovation is the main contribution of environmental dividend effect. The conclusions of this paper provide empirical evidence and policy implications for realizing the common development of economy and environment, accelerating the process of emission reduction and building a national energy trading market.

Impact of green human resource management practises on sustainable performance: serial mediation of green intellectual capital and green behaviour

This research aims to examine the factors that determine the sustainable performance of the hospitality sector of Pakistan. Particularly, it measures the effect of three green HRM practises on hotels' social, economic, and environmentally sustainable performance. The research model incorporates a serially mediated role of green intellectual capital and green behaviour to connect green training, green benefits and compensation, and green hiring with sustainable performance. The study uses the Social Cognitive Theory and resource-based view theory and analyses data using simple random sampling, confirmatory factor analysis, and structural equation modelling. Data is collected from the staff of hotels through a dyad approach by employing the self-administered 5-Likert scale questionnaire. The response rate is 99%, and findings show that green intellectual capital and green behaviour serially mediate amongst green performance, green training, sustainable social performance, sustainable economic performance, and environmentally sustainable performance. However, green hiring does not regress directly or partially with the components of sustainable performance. The study's originality develops green HRM practises based on sustainable performance in the hospitality sector in developing nations. The study's findings are important for achieving sustainable development goals, improving the hospitality sector performance, and employees' role in sustainable performance. The study is sector-specific, and future studies may choose the moderated role of factors to determine sustainable performance.

Are circular economy strategies economically successful? Evidence from a longitudinal panel

While the Circular Economy (CE) is considered a critical tool for addressing environmental degradation, its economic consequences have not received much attention yet. This study fills this gap by investigating the effect of CE strategies on key corporate profitability indicators, debt financing and stock market valuation. Our analysis focuses on a global sample of listed companies over the 2010-2019 period, which allows us to document how CE strategies have evolved over time and regions. To assess the impact of CE strategies on corporate financial measures, we construct multivariate regression models which incorporate a CE score to capture the overall corporate CE performance. We also analyze single CE strategies. Results suggest that implementing CE strategies improves economic returns and is rewarded by the stock market. Creditors, instead, started penalizing firms with worse CE performance only after 2015, the year of the Paris Agreement. Eco-design, take-back and recycling systems, and waste reduction strategies play a major role in increasing operational efficiency. These findings encourage companies and capital providers to direct investments toward CE implementation, with beneficial effects on the environment. From a policymaking perspective, they show that the CE can benefit not only the environment but also the economy.

Organic conversion tea farms can have comparable economic benefits and less environmental impacts than conventional ones-A case study in China

Lack of experience concerning the organic conversion period and its associated challenges have made it difficult for conventional farmers to convert to organic farming. In this study, using a combined life cycle assessment (LCA) with data envelopment analysis (DEA) approach, we investigated farming management strategies, and environmental, economic, and efficiency impacts of organic conversion tea farms (OCTF, N = 15) compared to conventional (CTF, N = 13) and organic (OTF, N = 14) tea farms in Wuyi County, China for a year-round (2019). We found that the OCTF reduced agricultural inputs (environmental impacts) and applied more manual harvesting (increased added value) to pull through the conversion period. According to the LCA results, OCTF showed a similar integrated environmental impact index compared with OTF but significantly (P < 0.05) lower than CTF at both midpoint and endpoint levels. In terms of economic assessment, OTF showed the significantly highest total revenue (18.7 thousand $ ha^-1 yr^-1) and profit (13.7 thousand $ ha^-1 yr^-1) (P < 0.05) among the farm types. In contrast, OCTF and CTF did not show significant differences in relation to these economic indicators (P > 0.05). The total cost and cost-profit ratio did not show significant differences among the three farm types. Considering the DEA analysis, there were no significant differences in the technical efficiency of all farm types. However, the eco-efficiency of OCTF and OTF was significantly higher than that of CTF. Therefore, conventional tea farms can survive the conversion period with competitive economic and environmental benefits. In this regard, policies should promote organic tea cultivation and agroecological practices to enhance the sustainable transformation of tea production systems.

Air pollution control or economic development? Empirical evidence from enterprises with production restrictions

Production restriction is an environmental regulation adopted in China to curb the air pollution of industrial enterprises. Frequent production restrictions may cause economic losses for enterprises and further hinder their green transformation. Polluting enterprises are faced with the dilemma of choosing environmental protection or economic development. Using panel data on industrial enterprises in China from 2016 to 2019, this paper evaluates the impact of production restrictions on both enterprises' environmental and economic performance with regression models. The results show that production restrictions significantly drop the concentrations of SO2 and NOx emitted from polluting enterprises. Meanwhile, production restrictions have significant negative effects on operating income, financial expenses, net profit, and environmental protection investment. The mechanism analysis reveals that production restrictions mitigate air pollutant concentrations by increasing the number of green patents and improving total factor productivity, which also verifies the Porter hypothesis. However, there is a masking mediating effect of environmental investment, which indicates that the reduction of environmental investment hinders the enterprise's efforts to control air pollution. In addition, heterogeneous analysis shows that the economic shock on microenterprises is larger than that on small enterprises. Implementing production restrictions for microenterprises may be a way to eliminate their backwards production capacity.

Linking occupational accidents and construction firm survival

INTRODUCTION

This paper examines the relationships between the reported accidents of workers in construction firms and the probability of those firms' survival.

METHOD

Between 2004 and 2010, a sample of 344 Spanish construction firms from Majorca were selected. The study built panel data with the reported official accidents from the Labor Authority records and the firm survival or mortality from the Bureau van Dijḱs Iberian Balance Sheet Analysis System database. The hypothesis is that a higher number of accidents directly affects the probability of the company surviving in the sector. By using a probit regression model with panel data, the relationship between these two variables were explored to test the hypothesis.

RESULTS

The study found evidence that an increment in accidents decreases the probability of the company continuing to operate, or worse, going bankrupt. The results can be useful to highlight the importance of defining policies to control those accidents effectively, since this may be a key factor in the sustainability, competitiveness, and growth of the construction sector for the economy of a region.

Bridging the gap between health and safety performance and owner's satisfaction in construction projects adopting pro-environmental construction practices: role of economic performance

The satisfaction of clients/owners, though very important as a determinant of construction project performance, has often been given very little attention in pro-environmental-related studies. To this end, this study's aim is to determine how owner's satisfaction (OS) can be realized via health and safety performance (HSP) and economic performance (EP) on construction projects that adopt pro-environmental construction practices (PCP) in Nigeria and to determine how the impact of HSP on OS can vary contingent on the level of EP. This study's aim was realized through data obtained from a survey of 249 construction projects and analyzed by adopting the partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) technique. The results of this study signify that HSP has a significant positive effect on OS; the nexus between HSP and OS is partially mediated by EP, while EP moderates the HSP-OS link with high EP producing the stronger effect. The practical contributions of this research emanate from the fact that its findings show that the existing gap between the level of HSP and OS is partly due to EP. Also, projects with high EP have a greater influence on the HSP-OS relationship. Therefore, to bridge the gap between HSP and OS in construction projects that adopt PCP, due attention should be given to EP.

Economic and carbon emission performance of green farming by marketing cooperatives

Investigating the economic and carbon emission performance of green production in marketing cooperatives is important in clarifying China's green transition path and promoting green development. In this paper, we estimated the economic and carbon emission performance of green production in marketing cooperatives using survey data from 340 samples in Shandong Province, China. The results show that green farming improved the performance of marketing cooperatives, and the larger the scale, the better the performance. It is still valid after weakening the endogenous problem through endogenous transformation regression. Particularly, green farming has a more significant effect on the performance of low-performing marketing cooperatives. In addition, the carbon emission per unit area of green produces are significantly lower than that of conventional produces, and the carbon emission per unit yield of most green produces lower than that of conventional produces. Therefore, strengthening the standardized development of marketing cooperatives, promoting green technology research and development, and standardizing the market supervision of green produces are important ways to achieve the economic and carbon emission performance of green produces in China, as well as to promote China's green transformation.

Malaria control and elimination in Kenya: economy-wide benefits and regional disparities

BACKGROUND

Malaria remains a public health problem in Kenya despite several concerted control efforts. Empirical evidence regarding malaria effects in Kenya suggests that the disease imposes substantial economic costs, jeopardizing the achievement of sustainable development goals. The Kenya Malaria Strategy (2019-2023), which is currently being implemented, is one of several sequential malaria control and elimination strategies. The strategy targets reducing malaria incidences and deaths by 75% of the 2016 levels by 2023 through spending around Kenyan Shillings 61.9 billion over 5 years. This paper assesses the economy-wide implications of implementing this strategy.

METHODS

An economy-wide simulation model is calibrated to a comprehensive 2019 database for Kenya, considering different epidemiological zones. Two scenarios are simulated with the model. The first scenario (GOVT) simulates the annual costs of implementing the Kenya Malaria Strategy by increasing government expenditure on malaria control and elimination programmes. The second scenario (LABOR) reduces malaria incidences by 75% in all epidemiological malaria zones without accounting for the changes in government expenditure, which translates into rising the household labour endowment (benefits of the strategy).

RESULTS

Implementing the Kenya Malaria Strategy (2019-2023) enhances gross domestic product at the end of the strategy implementation period due to more available labour. In the short term, government health expenditure (direct malaria costs) increases significantly, which is critical in controlling and eliminating malaria. Expanding the health sector raises the demand for production factors, such as labour and capital. The prices for these factors rise, boosting producer and consumer prices of non-health-related products. Consequently, household welfare decreases during the strategy implementation period. In the long run, household labour endowment increases due to reduced malaria incidences and deaths (indirect malaria costs). However, the size of the effects varies across malaria epidemiological and agroecological zones depending on malaria prevalence and factor ownership.

CONCLUSIONS

This paper provides policymakers with an ex-ante assessment of the implications of malaria control and elimination on household welfare across various malaria epidemiological zones. These insights assist in developing and implementing related policy measures that reduce the undesirable effects in the short run. Besides, the paper supports an economically beneficial long-term malaria control and elimination effect.

Nexus between financial integration, capital market development and economic performance: Does institutional structure matters?

This study investigates the role of institutional structure on asymmetries dynamic impact of financial integration, capital market development on economic performance in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). The study classified economic performance into RGDPC, nominal gdp and human capital development, and employed (PNARDL) modeling framework, and a panel of 16 nations of SSA over the period 1996-2019. The finding of this research output can be summarize as thus: i.) In the long run, a rise in positive shock to the financial integration index leads to a rise in RGDPC, while a negative shock to FI leads to a fall in RGDPC. ii.) Both shocks (positive and negative) to MCAP reduce RGDPC. Institutional quality index (INSQI) is revealed to have a positive and significant impact on RGDPC in the long run and indeed intensify their asymmetries. iii.) Both shocks to FI exert inverse influence on nominal GDPC, while positive and negative shocks to MCAP exert a positive and negative influence on GDPC, respectively. INSQI also affects GDPC negatively and significantly and indeed reduces their asymmetries. iv.) Positive and negative shocks to FI reduce HCD as well as shocks to MCAP. INSQI, on the other hand, adds to HCD and intensifies their asymmetries. However, the lack of consistency in the results across the models suggest that the interplay between these variables are still undeveloped relative to other continents of the world, and the benefits are yet to be adequately harnessed.

Environmental, energy, and economic impact assessment of sludge management alternatives based on incineration

In this study, different management strategies for sewage sludge disposal were evaluated associated with environmental, energy, and economic impact, using life cycle assessment (LCA), cumulative energy demand (CED) and life cycle costing (LCC) approaches. Four scenarios, including mono-incineration, co-incineration in municipal solid wastes (MSW) incineration plant, co-incineration in coal-fired power plant and co-incineration in cement kiln, were assessed. The environmental burdens generated from the sludge incineration contributed primarily to the global warming, followed by eutrophication, marine aquatic ecotoxicity, and human toxicity potential across the four scenarios. Furthermore, mono-incineration scenario appeared to be the most environmentally unfriendly, energy and economy intensive alternative, with the LCA, CED and LCC value of 5.41E-09, 1736 MJ and 1.84 million CNY, respectively. By contrast, co-incineration in cement kiln exhibited the lowest CED (368 MJ), LCC (0.59 million CNY), and environmental burdens (1.02E-09). In addition, the sensitivity analysis indicated that four scenarios were sensitive to the changes in the electricity efficiency and the moisture content contained in sewage sludge, suggesting that it was of great significance to enhance the efficiency of sludge dewatering and thermal drying The findings of this study can provide scientific reference for selecting the optimal strategies for the most environmentally and economically friendly sewage sludge management with optimum energy efficiency.

The sources of the Kuznets relationship between the COVID-19 mortality rate and economic performance

This paper discusses the findings of an empirical analysis of the Kuznets, or reverse U-shaped relationship, between the COVID-19 mortality rate and economic performance. In the early stages of economic development, the COVID-19 mortality rate is anticipated to rise with rising economic activity and urbanization. Eventually, the mortality rate decreases at higher economic development levels as people and the government are more capable of investing in disease abatement measures. The quality of political institutions, wealth distribution, urbanization, vaccination rate, and improvements in healthcare systems are hypothesized to affect the COVID-19 mortality rate. Examining this relationship can be effective in understanding the change in the COVID-19 mortality rate at different economic performance stages and in identifying appropriate preventive measures. This study employed the negative binomial regression to model a cross-sectional dataset of 137 countries. Results indicated that the relationship between the per-head gross domestic product (GDP) level and the COVID-19 mortality rate appeared to follow a pattern like the Kuznets curve, implying that changes in institutional quality, healthcare advancements, wealth distribution, urbanization, vaccination rate, and the percentage of the elderly population were significant in explaining the relationship. Improvement of the healthcare system has a notable effect on lowering the COVID-19 mortality rate under more effective government conditions. Additionally, the results suggested that a higher per-head GDP is required to reverse the rising trend of the mortality rate under higher income inequality. Based on these results, preventive measures, and policies to reduce COVID-19 mortalities were recommended in the conclusion section.

Effects of the green supply chain management practices on firm performance and sustainable development

The idea of sustainable development and green supply chain management is considered at the underlying stage in the research and academic fields, particularly in the rising economies of Asia. This research investigates the persuasive force of the firm's green supply chain management practices with the mediating part of the competitiveness and investment recovery. Data was collected from the 12 ISO 9001 and ISO 14001 leather industries based in Pakistan. We distributed the 350 questionnaires at 12 leather industries, and the questionnaire was also transferred on Google Forms, and 50 questionnaire mail to different individuals who work in leather industries of other cities of Pakistan; out of 350 questionnaires, 183 were filled, and the remaining questionnaires were incomplete, and out of 50 emails, we get the response of 33 emails, and evaluated the model of this study by using the partial least square structural equation modeling PLS-SEM. We interact with the employees of leather industries and try to understand how they are following the green practices in their firms. This research uses resource dependence theory as the theoretical base. This study elaborates how the organization's behavior is affected by the external resources of the corporation. The actual outcomes uncover that green supply chain management activities positively impacting the firm's performance, where competitiveness and investment recovery play a mediating role among intra-organizational green practices.

Environmental degradation and sustainable development of economies: empirical evidence on economic performance

The present paper aims to analyze the influence of environmental practices over the sustainable development of economies which create economic resilience for the economies classified according to different income levels. The authors aim to assess the impact of high environmental degradation (HED) on GDP growth volatility and GDP growth for economies over the long term and short term for the period of 1955-2020 in 124 countries. The findings of empirical analysis conclude that HED economies will have high growth in the long term than their counterparts. The economies of HED have a significant mean difference in volatility with their counterpart control group that implies HED economies have low volatility than the control group. Economies with HED have higher financial development relative to their control economies. The empirical analysis of robustness checks shows that economies with HED have low volatility in GDP and higher growth rates. HED economies enjoy high and sustainable financial development and high gross fixed capital formation, which signifies a high level of investment in their economy than their control counterpart.

The trade-off between economic performance and environmental quality: does financial inclusion matter for emerging Asian economies?

This study examines the role of financial inclusion on the environment-economic performance in the top five Asian emerging economies. The data used for empirical investigation covers the time period from 1995 to 2019. Financial inclusion is measured through bank branches, bank credit, and insurance premiums. To check long-run associations, the panel ARDL approach has been employed for empirical analysis. The empirical evidence confirms the significant associations between financial inclusion-GDP nexus and financial inclusion-CO2 nexus. The findings show that bank branches and bank credit have a significantly positive impact on economic growth and CO2 emissions in the long run. However, insurance premium has no impact on economic growth but it exerts a significant negative impact on carbon emissions in the long run. Furthermore, energy consumption is highly sensitive to economic growth and carbon emissions. The study delivers imperative points for pollution eradication and attaining sustained economic growth. There is a need for government-level efforts to align the targets of financial inclusion with economic growth and environmental policies.

Oil prices volatility and economic performance during COVID-19 and financial crises of 2007-2008

We examine the time-frequency dynamics of spillovers between oil price shocks and economic performance globally. We use both time and frequency domains simultaneously to find the response of macroeconomic performance to changes in oil prices during the global financial and pandemic crises. Using Wavelet analysis, this seminal study explores the connectedness between oil price shocks and economic activities during COVID-19 and the financial crises of 2008. This study finds that both economic activities and oil prices have shown high power during the period of global financial crises. The recently COVID-19 outbreak indicates significant volatility in economic activities and oil prices during the period of crisis. Moreover, we observe a strong interconnectedness between oil prices and economic activities during global financial crises and COVID-19 crises. We argue that a shock to oil prices in global financial crises and the COVID-19 outbreak has serious repercussions for economic activities. The highest total connectedness between oil prices and economic activities is observed during the COVID-19 outbreak, which advocates that the speed of information transmission amid oil prices and economic activities is greater in the era of the COVID-19 outbreak as compared to other global financial crises. The results of this study have significant implications for policymakers.

China economic performance and natural resources commodity prices volatility: Evidence from China in COVID-19

Since the beginning of the 21st century, the world has faced many challenges, including the 2003 oil price hike, the 2007-08 global financial crisis, among others. While the recent Covid-19 outbreak slowdown economic performance and create uncertainty in natural resources commodity prices, which brought the attention of academic research. Current study examined economic performance and natural resource commodity price volatility in China over the period 1990-2020. Also, this study considers the role of renewable energy investment, renewable electricity output, and green finance in the pre and post Covid-19 pandemic periods. For empirical investigation, this study employed dynamic ordinary least square (DOLS), fully modified ordinary least square (FMOLS), and Canonical Cointegrating Regression (CCR). The outcomes reveal that the first-differenced stationary variables are all cointegrated in the long run. While these estimators confirmed that natural resources commodity price volatility negatively affects economic performance. Besides, the results validate the positive impact of renewable energy investment, renewable electricity output, and green finance on economic performance. The results are found robust and consistent, justified by Robust regression. These findings could have essential economic, natural resources, and energy implications for policymakers, governors, and researchers.

Natural resources rents and economic performance: Post-COVID-19 era for G7 countries

COVID-19 affected the economies of both developed and developing countries through multiple channels. However, the impact of this pandemic was also not so different for the developed world too. This study aims to evaluate the effect of the natural resources' rents such as oil, natural gas and energy rents on the economic performance of G7 economies from 1990 to 2020. This study uses updated panel data methods to identify the effect of COVID-19 by using novel diagnostic and unit root methods. The study found that during the COVID-19 and post pandemic, economic performance has been declined. This study found that natural resources rent, including oil and gas, help to improve the economic performance. Further, structural break for the year 2019 caused by COVID-19 also slowed down the economic performance of G7 economies. This study suggests more stabilization policies towards natural resources commodity prices and encouragement of active role from the G7 countries. This study further provides relevant policy implications in the concluding section for the selected group of countries.

How financial development affects green energy finance? Relationship between environmental regulation and economic performance

The construction of green finance index is a three-tiered process that involves macroeconomic, ecological, and monetary indicators. Therefore, this research is one of the first thorough assessments of the impacts of green financing regulations in China, examining 30 provinces during the period of 2010 to 2017. Data envelopment analysis models for 30 provinces in China have been tested by using non-radial models and longitudinal datasets. The findings demonstrate that between 2010 and 2017, the efficiency of China's provinces such as Beijing, Fujian, Guangdong, Hainan, Hebei, Jiangsu, Liaoning, Shandong, Shanghai, Tianjin, and Zhejiang and provinces of central regions as well as western provinces of country green economies has increased with distinct geographical disparities becoming more apparent. The geographical distribution of economic efficacy in the green economy is greatest in the eastern parts and poorest in the Chongqing, Gansu, Guangxi, Guizhou, Inner Mongolia, Ningxia, Qinghai, Shaanxi, Sichuan, Tibet, Xinjiang, and Yunnan. The study revealed that sustainable financial growth may be accomplished via the creation of green financing, which can be achieved by employing different solutions across the macroeconomic, institutional, and ecological considerations. The western and central areas, however, have a significant negative association. There are substantial variations in factors at the state and federal level from the viewpoint of dependent variables. Eventually, the research offers some suggestions for future ecological impact of China, along with the creation of new environmental legislation.

The motorcycle deaths to passenger car deaths ratio and economic performance: A panel data analysis

The existing literature in road safety revealed that the relationship between motorcycle deaths and per-head income follows a Kuznets or reverse U-curve pattern, whereby motorcycle deaths incline at lower income levels but decline once the per-head income has exceeded a threshold level. The same reverse U-curve relationship was also observed between per-head income and other road injury-related variables, including road deaths, road injuries, as well as road deaths to road injuries ratio. Evidence showed that motorcycles and passenger cars are the dominant vehicle modes and contributed significantly to global road deaths. The main objective of this study is to examine the relationship between the motorcycle deaths to passenger car deaths (MDC) ratio and per-head Gross Domestic Product (GDP). Examining the relationship between the MDC ratio and GDP per capita can be effective in understanding the relative change between motorcycle and passenger car deaths at different economic development stages, as well as identifying appropriate preventive measures. We apply a panel linear regression analysis on a panel of 38 countries over the period 1965-2013. Result demonstrated that there is a reverse U-curve relationship between the MDC ratio and the logarithm of GDP per capita. This implies that, at lower levels of GDP per capita, motorcycle deaths were more prevalent than passenger car deaths, whereas as the level of GDP per capita rises, passenger car deaths became relatively prevalent than motorcycle deaths. Moreover, there is a reverse U-shaped relationship between motorcycle ownership to passenger car ownership ratio (MPC) and the MDC ratio, while a U-shaped relationship exists between relative growth in higher mobility roads as compared to higher accessibility roads (MPA) and the MDC ratio. Based on our results, policies and interventions to reduce motorcycle and passenger car deaths were suggested in the conclusion of the paper.

Material flow cost accounting (MFCA) for the circular economy: An empirical study of the triadic relationship between MFCA, environmental performance, and the economic performance of Japanese companies

The purpose of this study is to address the question of whether material flow cost accounting (MFCA) can contribute to the circular economy. Because MFCA is an environmental management accounting tool that simultaneously assesses company material and financial flows, it is expected to contribute to the circular economy by assisting companies to achieve both environmental and economic goals through resource efficiency. In short, the expected linkages between MFCA, company environmental and economic goals, and the circular economy are inputs, outputs, and outcomes. However, there is a lack of consensus regarding its potential, perhaps because of the scarcity of studies, with most being models and case studies without readily generalizable results. To address this gap, we analyze the triadic relationship between MFCA, environmental performance, and economic performance using a two-stage regression of data from Japanese listed companies. The main findings are as follows. Companies that implement MFCA more proactively are more likely to improve their environmental performance in terms of energy consumption, CO₂ emissions, and waste produced. In turn, those that improve their environmental performance are also more likely to improve their productivity, while those that specifically improve environmental performance in terms of waste produced are also more likely to increase in profitability. Consequently, because MFCA can improve several aspects of environmental performance by saving resources, it can improve productivity by improving a range of environmental performance indicators. In particular, MFCA can improve company productivity and thereby profit, at least by reducing the amount of waste produced. This supports the view that MFCA is an effective tool to contribute to the circular economy.

Natural resources commodity prices volatility and economic performance: Evidence from China pre and post COVID-19

Volatility in the prices of natural resources particularly in the Covid-19 period is the subject of major concern in recent times. Although many studies have empirically investigated the influence of oil prices on economic growth and Covid-19 on oil prices. However, the current study contributes to the literature by investigating the causal linkage of natural resources commodity prices and economic growth in the pre and post Covid-19 period for China over the period from January 01, 2019, to April 01, 2021. This study employed the wavelet power spectrum, and the wavelet coherence approaches, and the frequency domain causality test, which is known for the causal identification in the long-run, medium-run, and short-run. The empirical findings reveal that the natural resource commodity prices are more vulnerable than the economic performance particularly in the Covid-19 peak period in China. However, the wavelet coherence approach demonstrates that a bidirectional causal association exists between natural resources commodity prices and economic performance at different frequencies and time periods. Additionally, the frequency domain causality test confirms that the natural resource commodity prices volatility significantly causes economic performance only in the medium-run. Based on the empirical findings, this study recommends that innovative technological and precautionary measures must be taken to accommodate or overcome natural disasters in the future, and tackle natural resources commodity prices volatility.

Determinants and implications of environmental practices for waste management and the minimization in the construction industry: a case study of Pakistan

The construction projects and activities generate waste materials, which impose negative impacts on the environment and contribute towards environmental degradation. In this regard, the implementation of environmental practices (EPs) can play a vital role in reducing the environmental risks associated with waste materials from construction projects. Based on this hypothesis, the present survey study was conducted to assess the effectiveness of different EPs in reducing environmental risks associated with waste materials from construction firms (n = 159) operating in Pakistan. Organizational and government support, regulatory pressure, and economic and environmental performance were among the main determinants of EPs studied in the present study. The partial least squares technique was used for the data collection, assessment, and prediction of the results based on the hypothesis testing for a range of determinants. Compose reliability analysis of determinants showed that all items gave a value of 0.7, which is a clear indication of the reliability of each determinant in the formation of the hypothesis. From all eight hypotheses, H₁ (0.475), H₄ (0.217), H₆ (0.114), H₇ (0.210), and H₈ (0.149) hypotheses with size effect in parentheses were acceptable due to their positive construction with EPs, while H₂, H₃, and H₅ hypothesis did not show the significant effect with size effect values lower than 0.1. The study demonstrated that current environmental regulations and governing bodies in Pakistan are not sufficiently effective and strict to implement environmental regulations. In this regard, regulatory pressure is necessary to promote EPs along with increasing stakeholders' awareness. Overall, the implementation of EPs not only prepares construction firms to deal with the pressure exerted by regulations and customers but also enhances the environmental and economic performance of construction firms.

Green process innovation, green product innovation and its economic performance improvement paths: A survey and structural model

Green technology innovation is an important driving force for high-quality development in China. Recently, much attention has focused on the connotation, influencing factors and mode selection of green technology innovation, yet few studies have systematically tested the transmission paths between green technology innovation and economic performance. Green technology innovation can be divided into green process innovation and green product innovation, both of which can improve the environmental and economic performance of enterprises. Drawing on previous research, this study constructs a model of economic performance transmission for green technology innovation and upgrading, and conducts an empirical analysis based on data from 642 industrial enterprises in China. The results show that green process innovation and green product innovation can effectively improve the economic performance of enterprises. The environmental performance and market competitiveness of enterprises are important mediating variables in the paths of economic performance improvement. An enterprise's green process innovation can positively promote green product innovation, and there is also room for technological innovation upgrading. There are two main differences in the transmission paths for different types of green technology innovation: (1) Green process innovation can improve economic performance directly, whereas green product innovation can only do this indirectly; (2) In most cases, the path from green product innovation to economic performance is more important than that from green process innovation to economic performance. This study deepens understanding of the green technology innovation process and has implications for optimizing policy design for green development.

Economic Growth and Productivity Performance in Central Asia

This paper analyzes patterns of long-term economic performance in all five Central Asian countries. We first look at sources of economic growth based on a simple growth accounting exercise. Our findings show that under the period of study total factor productivity growth rates were modest ranging from 1.7% for Kazakhstan, 1.4% for Uzbekistan, and 0.8% for Tajikistan and Turkmenistan to-0.4% for the Kyrgyz Republic. The second part of the paper is connected with exploring productivity level analysis across all Central Asian countries by decomposing differences in output per worker into differences in capital intensity and productivity. Results reflect different levels of productivity performance in the region compared with Japan and South Korea as frontier economies for the analysis.

Analyzing the mediating effect of economic performance on the relationship between green construction practices and health and safety performance in Nigeria

The adoption of green construction practices (GCP) has been on the increase in recent years as a means of reducing the negative effects of construction on the natural environment. However, GCP have been discovered to expose the construction workers to numerous health and safety (HS) risks, resulting from a decline in safety investment due to the economic burden associated with its adoption. This study explores the means through which GCP influence the HS performance of construction projects through economic performance. To obtain the views of contractors, a survey questionnaire was developed, and data was collected from project managers and site managers of "class A" contractors, with a response rate of 81.55%. The partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) technique was adopted to analyze the data. The results show that the effect of GCP on HS performance is fully mediated by economic performance. The study concludes that for projects that adopt GCP to have high levels of HS performance, they are required to have an optimal economic performance. Efforts should be intensified by the government in providing subsidies, tax waivers, and other incentives for adopters of GCP to ensure the economic performance of their projects since it guarantees high HS performance.

Can environmental information disclosure promote the high-quality development of enterprises? The mediating effect of intellectual capital

The Chinese government has given a high priority to economic high-quality development (HQD) in recent years. This study empirically examines whether environmental information disclosure (EID) can promote corporate HQD using a sample of 302 Chinese listed companies from 2012 to 2018. The results show that EID has a positive impact on firms' HQD and intellectual capital plays a mediating role in this relationship. The results remain robust and valid after a series of endogenous and robustness tests. This study significantly contributes to the existing EID literature by exploring the integrated effect of EID on corporate HQD through constructing a comprehensive indicator to measure corporate HQD, which includes economic performance, environmental performance, and social performance. The findings of our study also add impetus for enterprises to improve their EID.

Digital inbound marketing: Measuring the economic performance of grocery e-commerce in Europe and the USA

This research investigates the cost-result relationship of the Inbound Marketing actions used by grocery e-commerce. The analysis is based on the application of the Dorfman and Steiner (1954) model for optimal advertising budget, which is adapted by the authors to digital marketing and verified with empirical statistical analysis. Considering 29 leading companies in six countries over a time horizon of six years, an analysis of the mix of SEO and SEM techniques aimed at the attraction and conversion of Internet users to the web pages of their companies is carried out. The results confirm that e-commerce is optimizing Digital Inbound Marketing in line with the established model. Differences are identified depending on the type of format (pure player versus brick and mortar) and at the country level (UK and USA versus others).

Environmental and economic performance analysis of recycling waste printed circuit boards using life cycle assessment

Recycling precious elements from the electronic waste could be an environmental friendly way to avoid likely ecological damages caused by leaching of heavy metals and toxic elements as well as an economically attractive option to recover valuable materials that would otherwise be wasted. This research assessed the environmental and economic performance of recovering nine metal elements (aluminum (Al), copper (Cu), gold (Au), lead (Pb), nickel (Ni), silver (Ag), tin (Sn), zinc (Zn), and iron (Fe)) and two non-metal materials (resin and glass-fiber) from the waste printed circuit boards (PCBs), one of the vital components of electronic-waste (e-waste). SimaPro software was used to assess the environmental performance of recycling waste PCBs. Data were collected from recycling plants in Taichung City, Taiwan, and Eco-invent database was also used in the study. The impacts of metal recycling from PCBs were compared with the impacts caused by the mining of respective metals from their natural ores. Among the analyzed elements, only the recovery of Au from waste PCBs proved to have less environmental impacts than the mining from the natural ore. Among 16 environmental impact categories (ILCD midpoint 2011+ method of impact analysis) considered in the present study, cancer and non-cancer human toxicity were the most affected categories followed by minerals, fossils, and resource extraction. However, the economic analysis showed that the recycling of all elements from waste PCBs had a net positive benefit. When considering both the environment and economic performance, the recycling of Au proved to be a beneficial option.

Modeling heterogeneous dynamic interactions among energy investment, SO2 emissions and economic performance in regional China

Massive investments in energy industry may either promote or mitigate the air pollution which is likely to influence the economic performance. In light of this, the current work is an empirical examination of heterogeneous dynamic causal interactions among energy investment, sulphur dioxide (SO₂) emissions and economic growth in regional China. A modified STIRPAT model is developed to introduce energy investment as a determinant of technology. Based on a modified model, a simultaneous equations system has been established to examine the three-way causal interactions among the variables of interest. As a first step, an error-correction-based second generation Westerlund (Oxford Bulletin of Economics and Statistics 69: 0305-9049, (2007). cointegration has been employed and found the long-run relationship. The simultaneous equations have been estimated by employing second generation dynamic common correlated effects mean group estimator (DCCEMGE) for 30 Chinese provinces and cities from 2001 to 2017. The empirical analysis has revealed that the energy investment induces emissions promotion effect while economic growth introduces emissions curtailment effect. However, the emissions curtailment effect remained slightly stronger than emissions promotion effect both at country and regional levels. Further, the energy investment growth uncovered economic performance enhancement effect. Furthermore, the SO₂ emissions growth induced economic performance deterioration effect. In this regard, the economic performance deterioration effect exceeded the economic performance enhancement effect. Besides, there is a bidirectional causality operative between SO₂ emissions and gross regional product (GRP) growth for the country as well as regional samples. On the contrary, a positive bilateral causal relationship between energy investment and GRP growth is found for the country as well as regional samples. Similarly, it has been found that there exists a positive bilateral causal association between SO₂ emissions and energy investment. Graphical abstract.

Dynamic causality among urban agglomeration, electricity consumption, construction industry, and economic performance: generalized method of moments approach

This paper is a maiden empirical attempt to analyze the dynamic causal linkages among urban agglomeration, electricity consumption, construction industry, and economic performance, making use of simultaneous structural equations. A national panel of 30 provinces and three sub-national panels of China, for time span 2000 to 2016, have been estimated employing system and difference generalized method of moments (GMM) estimator. A construction industry-augmented model of economic growth has been proposed, incorporating construction industry and urban agglomeration as exogenous shocks to the aggregate production and electricity consumption as the input of production function. The core empirical results are first, the urban agglomeration and construction industry positively cause electricity consumption but are not caused by the same. It revealed the critical role played by urban agglomeration along with construction industry in boosting electricity consumption. Second, the economic performance positively causes electricity consumption, urban agglomeration, and construction industry and is also caused by the same. Third, urban agglomeration causes the construction industry and is caused by the same. It exposed the mutual role of urban agglomeration and urban industry in reinforcing each other in the times of high economic performance. Finally, among the three regions, the eastern zone is found to be strongest in terms of linkages among urban agglomeration, construction industry, electricity consumption, and economic performance. The intermediate zone is moderately strong, while the western zone is found to have the least strong linkages as compared with the two regions. These results are in line with the sub-national level of economic development of China. These findings, in terms of statistical significance, are highly robust across all the panels. Furthermore, depending upon empirical results, the related strategies are proposed.

Environmental impact from vermicomposting of organic waste in Kampala, Uganda

Urban animal farming is becoming increasingly important in feeding the growing population of many sub-Saharan African cities. However, management of the animal manure generated is proving to be challenging due to space restrictions. Vermicomposting is one of the methods proposed to address this challenge. This study investigated the environmental performance of the vermicompost system by measuring the gaseous emissions generated from the system. In addition, the vermicompost system was compared with other manure management systems currently in use, using life cycle assessment (LCA) methodology. The emissions factors for the vermicompost system were found to be 10.8, 62.3 and 12.8 g/Megagram biowaste for methane, nitrous oxide and ammonia, respectively. LCA showed satisfactory performance of vermicomposting in terms of global warming and eutrophication potential, although if the vermicompost generated is dumped, this could lead to increased eutrophication. However, this is still much lower than the eutrophication caused by open dumping of untreated manure.

Determinants for the success of regional ICT ventures: a close examination of South Korea

Background

This study identifies the key motivational factors in enhancing economic performance and increasing new job opportunities for information and communication technology ventures (ICTVs) in South Korea and examines their potential causal relationships through structural equation modeling analysis on data collected from over 200 ICTVs located in Daedeok Innopolis.

Results

The results indicate that the economic performance of ICTVs is determined mainly by government support, innovation effort, and private equity and support. Government support and innovation effort are also positively associated with new job opportunities.

Conclusions

The theoretical, industrial implications of the key findings, and recommendations for the Korean government are discussed.

Molasses supplementation for dual-purpose cows during the dry season in subtropical Mexico

The effect of including 9 % of molasses in supplements offered to dual purpose cows, during dry season in subtropical Mexico was determined. Forage availability in pastures during the dry season is reduced and of low quality. Molasses is a readily available source of energy that may improve forage utilization and could have a positive effect on cow's milk production and calves daily weight gain (CDWG). Twelve multiparous Brown Swiss cows (409 ± 33 kg of body weight and 136 ± 73 days in milk), and their calves were randomly assigned to two supplements (six cows per treatment). Control supplement (COS) consisted of cracked maize ears (CME), soybean meal and urea (14 % CP), and experimental supplement in which 9 % of CME was replaced by molasses (MOS). Cows received 4.5 kg/cow/day dry matter (DM) of supplement. Experiment lasted 10 weeks divided in five experimental periods (EP). Animal responses (milk yield, milk composition, body weight, body condition score and CDWG) were recorded at the end of every EP. A linear mixed model was used to analyse the data as a complete random design. Net profits from milk and beef due to supplements were estimated using partial budget approach. Average milk yield was 7 (kg/cow/day) with 30.6, 30.4 and 42.5 (g/kg milk) of fat, protein and lactose, respectively. Average cow weight was 422 kg and CDWG was 0.8 kg/day. No significant responses on animal production variables were found when 9 % of MOS was included in the supplement; however, total net income increased on 4 %, due to higher CDWG.

Eco-efficiency of agricultural water systems: Methodological approach and assessment at meso-level scale

This study presents a methodological framework for the meso-level eco-efficiency assessment of agricultural water systems using a life-cycle system-based approach. The methodology was applied to the Sinistra Ofanto irrigation scheme, located in Southern Italy, where about 28,165 ha are under irrigation. The environmental performance of the system was evaluated through a set of selected mid-point environmental impact categories while the economic performance was measured using the total value added to the system's final products due to water use and the adopted management practices. Both economic performance and environmental performance were measured at different stages and for each stakeholder in the value chain. A distinction was made between foreground and background systems referring, respectively, to the processes that occurred inside the water system boundaries and those used for the production of supplementary resources. The analysis revealed that the major environmental burdens are: i) the freshwater resource depletion (i.e. excessive groundwater pumping), ii) climate change (i.e. direct emissions due to fertilizer use and diesel combustion), and iii) eutrophication (as a result of excessive application of N and P fertilizers). A considerable impact was observed on the background system where energy, fuel and agrochemicals were produced thereby confirming the prominent role of background processes in the comprehensive eco-efficiency assessment. The presented methodology aimed at the quantitative assessment of the eco-efficiency level rather than at the identification of the most affected environmental category. Hence, the results can be used to compare the performance of the system from one year to the next, among different stakeholders (water users) and/or to assess the impact of adopting innovative technologies and management practices. Moreover, the presented approach is useful for comparing the performance among different agricultural water systems and also in respect to other meso-level water systems in a cross-sectorial analysis.

Is environmental management an economically sustainable business?

This paper investigates whether environmental management is an economically sustainable business. While firms invest in green production and green supply chain activities with the primary purpose of reducing their environmental impact, the reciprocal relationships with economic performance need to be clarified. Would firms and suppliers adjust their environmental strategies if the higher economic value that environmental management generates is reinvested in greening actions? We found out that environmental management positively influences economic performance as second order (long term) target, to be reached conditioned by higher environmental performance; in addition, firms can increase their performance if they reinvest the higher economic value gained through environmental management in green practices: While investing in environmental management programs is a short term strategy, economic rewards can be obtained only with some delays. Consequently, environmental management is an economically sustainable business only for patient firms. In the evaluation of these reciprocal relationships, we discovered that green supply chain initiatives are more effective and more economically sustainable than internal actions.

Effects of different physical forms of concentrate on performance, carcass characteristics, and economic analysis in hanwoo steers

This study was performed to investigate the effects of different forms of concentrate fed to Hanwoo steers on performance, carcass characteristics, and economic performance. Forty-two Hanwoo steers (average age of 5.1 ± 0.8 mo. with body weight of 147.05 ± 10.85 kg) were randomly allotted into FC (animals fed flakes for entire experimental period) and GC (animals fed grounded concentrate during growing and fattening phases followed by flaked concentrate during finishing phase) groups for 758 d after reaching an age of 30.0 ± 0.82 mo. There was no difference in body weight (BW) or ADG between the treatments until fattening (15 ~ 22 mo.) phase. However, by finishing phase (23 ~ 30 mo.), the GC group (739.24 kg BW and 0.67 kg ADG) showed greater (P < 0.05) BW and ADG than the FC group (702.93 kg BW and 0.59 kg ADG). Steers in the GC group also showed greater (P < 0.05) BW and ADG than the FC group throughout the entire experimental period (5 ~ 30 mo.). There was no significant difference in carcass weight or backfat thickness between the treatments. M. Longissimus dorsi area of the GC group (91.00 cm²cm²) was greater (P < 0.05) than that of the FC group (83.59 cm²). Marbling score and percentage of 1⁺⁺ meat quality grade were 14.0 and 48.0% higher in the GC group compared to the FC group. There was no significant difference in physicochemical characteristics, including moisture and crude protein levels, between the treatments. Gross income per head excluding operating expenses was 59.3% greater in the GC group (1,647,512 won) compared to the FC group (1,034,343 won).