Springer Science and Business Media LLC

Small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) play a vital role in the an country’s economic growth. Several developed nations have adopted environment friendly practices in their enterprises recently and due to rise in CO2 emission and increase in temperature immediate environment friendly practices are needed to be implemented globally. SMEs in developing countries are still in struggle for green practices adoption. SMEs in developing country like Pakistan need to implement green practices for a number of reasons. In order to fill the existing research gap, this research study aims to explore the key drivers motivating SMEs (especially food industry) to adopt green practices, further our research study is aiming at identify the major barriers hinder green practices implementation. Based on the extensive review of existing literature and experts’ opinions and by utilizing Delphi method, a total 13 key drivers that motivate green practices implementation and 25 major barriers hindering adoption of green practices were identified. By the experts’ recommendations, all the key drivers and major barriers influencing green practices adoption were ranked. Findings of our study showed that among the key drivers “Financial assistance/support from government” was the highest ranked key driver motivating SMEs to adopt green/environment-friendly practices followed by “Organizational commitment”, “Promotion of green practices” and “Proper training about green practices”. Results of our study further revealed that “Limited financial resources” was the highest ranked barrier hindering SMEs green practices adoption among 25 barriers followed by “Lack of HR capabilities”, “Loose organizational structure” and “Lack of resources”, respectively. Based on our research study findings, we propose a number of green/environment-friendly practices that overcome the barriers currently SMEs sector is facing. Our this study findings are anticipated to benefit authorities and enterprises to focus on the implementation of green/environment-friendly practices and formulate the necessary solutions to overwhelmed barriers hindering SMEs growth and adoption of green practices.

The association between personality traits on Individual Waste Sorting Behaviour (IWSB) is a research topic that particularly interests psychology, sociology and public administration. The research on this topic is limited, and most research has focused on discussing the correlation between prosocial behaviour and personality traits. As a component of prosocial behaviour, the IWSB plays a significant role in promoting the sustainable development of society. Thus, this paper focuses on investigating and differentiating the quantitative relationship between personality traits and IWSB in China, filling the research gap in the relevant field. Assisted by convenience sampling, the author distributed Chinese residents of community J/K in Nanjing, Jiangsu province, to test their performance of IWSB and personality traits with two types of questionnaires created by the Nanjing Municipal Government (called Classification of Domestic Waste in Nanjing which measures the performance of IWSB), and Ashton and Lee (called HEXACO-60 which measures personality traits). With the help of regression analysis, two conclusions could be made accordingly. Firstly, Honesty-Humility/Agreeableness/Consciousness has a positive association with the IWSB significantly, whilst Emotionality/eXtraversion/Openness to experience has a negative association with the IWSB robustly. Secondly, age, education level, annual salary, Honesty-Humility, Emotionality, Extraversion, Agreeableness, Consciousness, and Openness to experience could provide a 17.70% explanation for the variance of the IWSB. Based on the results, three recommendations could be given to promote waste sorting behaviour or improve sustainable waste management practices. At first, people with prominent Emotionality/eXtraversion/Openness to experience performed poorly in IWSB. Therefore, in promoting waste classification, they should be the focus of attention. Afterwards, strengthening the cultivation of Honesty-Humility/Agreeableness/Consciousness in individual personality is conducive to better promoting the popularization of the IWSB. Finally, personality traits can be used to predict a person’s performance on the IWSB.

Carbon dioxide emission has become a global issue, and its global impacts are even more pronounced with the deepening of globalization. In this context, this study investigates the non-linear role of globalization in the energy use-CO2 nexus and real income-CO2 nexus in 95 countries by utilizing the panel smooth transition regression model. The results show a negative effect of globalization on carbon dioxide emissions across 95 countries. Under a high level of globalization, we find that the more globalization is, the less carbon dioxide emissions are in countries with high and low income levels and in net energy exporters. A positive effect of globalization on carbon dioxide emissions is found in net energy importers. Energy use, real income, and investment have different impacts on carbon dioxide emissions under different levels of globalization.

Farm size plays a critical role in agricultural sustainability, which has profound implications for the economic and environmental performances of food production. However, the mechanisms and magnitude of how farm size impacts sustainability remain incomplete. Based on 365 farms survey in the North China Plain, we aimed to evaluate agricultural sustainability of large and small farms (LF vs. SF) concerning greenhouse gas emissions (GHGs), reactive nitrogen (N) losses, energy use efficiency, and net economic benefits. Our results showed that the sustainability performance index of LF (7.7–9.2) was higher than that of SF (6.7–7.7) mainly due to the 1.4–2.1 times higher net profit in LF than SF. The relationship between sustainability performance index and farm size revealed that 35–55 ha was an optimal range for farms with wheat–maize double cropping. The LF and SF with low GHGs had a higher sustainability performance index relative to the high emission ones. Both wheat and maize for the low GHG emission LF had the highest sustainability performance index (9.2 and 8.4). This was mainly due to low GHG emission farms having more efficient management, i.e., optimized N fertilization and scientific irrigation schedule. A literature review supported that increasing farm size improves agricultural sustainability in China. In conclusion, optimal farm size and the use of low emission agronomic practices could improve agricultural sustainability by reducing the environmental consequences and enhancing economic benefits.

Household consumption accounts for the largest share of the global anthropogenic greenhouse gases (GHG) emissions. The literature assessing the environmental impacts of household consumption is mostly focused on developed economies, thus, leaving a critical gap when it comes to assessing the impacts of household consumption and of related environmental policies in developing countries. Therefore, in order to fill this gap, this study analyzes household consumption-based emissions for high income, upper middle income, lower middle income, and low-income countries from six different geographical regions. It assesses the sector-wise CO2, CH4 and N2O-footprints and evaluates their social costs. The study methodology employs an environmentally extended multiregional input–output model from the EORA26 database which uses a common 26-sector classification for all countries. The findings show that household consumption accounts for 48–85% of the national CO2-footprints. (The values are similar for CH4 and N2O.) Developing economies have lower CO2-footprints of household final consumption than developed economies, but exert a higher pressure on the environment with respect to CH4- and N2O-footprints per capita. That highlights the necessity to focus environmental policies in developing countries on tackling CH4 and N2O on a first-priority basis. The study also identifies those sectors where the social costs of aggregated CO2, CH4 and N2O emissions make up a substantial share of the industries’ output, thus, indicating the level of technological efficiency of the respective economies and the industries where more stringent environmental regulation should be implemented.

Conservation on privately held and working land will be an important component of large-scale efforts aimed at tempering habitat loss to protect biodiversity. This realization has given rise to numerous voluntary conservation initiatives. The Wildlife Habitat Council (WHC) is a not-for-profit non-governmental organization founded in 1989 to promote and certify voluntary habitat conservation on corporate lands through partnerships and education. To date, little effort has gone toward analyses of data generated through WHC’s certification program to test hypotheses about potential conservation benefits. To address this gap, we performed two distinct data synthesis exercises. First, we conducted a site-level synthesis using data from 1990 through 2015 to determine growth of the program through time. Second, we conducted a detailed synthesis of certification application data submitted between 2012 and 2015 to determine characteristics of recent efforts. We explored potential on-the-ground conservation benefits of WHC certification programs by looking at participating sites within the USA using two geospatial analyses. First, we examined the proximity of these sites to selected areas currently under conservation management and areas considered by The Nature Conservancy to be high priorities for future conservation management. Second, we examined the intersection of sites with mapped potential ranges of species of concern. To illustrate some of the activities associated with these sites, we provide three brief illustrative case studies. Collectively, results suggest potential for WHC certification to provide landscape connectivity and measurable conservation benefits comparable to some financially incentivized programs.

As one of the efficacious environmental governance instruments, environmental regulations usually have been adopted to control haze pollution in most developing countries. However, as proved in recent researches, the relationship between environmental regulation and haze pollution remains uncertain. This paper develops a conceptual model and attributes this phenomenon to two reasons: the spatial spillover effect and industrial agglomeration threshold effect of effective environmental regulation. Spatial durbin model (SDM), instrumental variable (IV) and panel threshold model are used to estimate these effects based on 277 cities data in China from 2012 to 2016. The results confirm the spatial spillover effects of environmental regulations and haze pollution, which could influence the pollutant reduction effect through positive and negative spatial spillover effects. It also validates the thresholds of industrial agglomeration of approximately 0.818 and 1.271. Nevertheless, only 1.271 represents the turning point of the environmental regulation effect changing and environmental regulations could significantly reduce haze, only if it exceeds this numerical value. Moreover, the results have regional heterogeneity regarding spillover effect and threshold effect as well. The environmental regulation intensity in central and western regions plays a “multi-stage promotion” role on haze pollution emission with the adjustment of industrial agglomeration threshold, while it turns out to be a “triple-stage downward” trend in eastern China. At last, we put forward differential policies suggestions according to their industrial agglomeration levels.

Most of the existing researches focus on the role of video teaching in traditional technology extension in farmers’ technology adoption behavior. However, there is a lack of special exploration and heterogeneity analysis for video extension in the new media. This study analyses the impact of video extension on farmers’ green control technology (GCT) adoption based on questionnaire data of 761 households in Henan and Hubei provinces. By distinguishing between video senders and video receivers, we further explain the effect mechanism of video extension on farmers’ GCT adoption behavior. Our results indicate that, first, video extension can significantly promote the adoption of GCT by farmers. After solving the endogeneity problem and testing the robustness, the above conclusion is still valid. Second, heterogeneity analysis based on the perspective of video senders shows that farmers’ GCT adoption behavior is more likely affected by the video extension from government organizations compared with market organizations and informal organizations. Government video extension raises farmers’ media trust, which encourages farmers to adopt GCT. Third, heterogeneity analysis based on the perspective of video receivers shows that information utilization ability can positively regulate the positive impact of video extension on farmers’ GCT adoption. Specifically, the promotion effect of video extension on GCT is greater for farmers with stronger information utilization ability. This effect is also stronger on farmers with higher levels of education.

As significant emerging players, BRICS economies encounter the complex task of harmonizing economic expansion with ecological sustainability. Although renewable energy offers the potential to decrease greenhouse gas emissions, broaden energy resources, and reinforce energy security within BRICS nations, this dimension remains relatively unexplored. This study addresses a research gap, unveiling how governance, “information and communication technology (ICT)”, and financial development impact renewable energy generation in BRICS from 2000 to 2020. Employing the STIRPAT framework, the study takes a comprehensive, systematic econometric approach. Empirical findings show that ICT trade can effectively boost renewable energy production in BRICS nations. Good governance plays a pivotal role in connecting ICT with renewable energy generation. Conversely, financial development negatively affects renewable energy production, while economic growth and foreign investments enhance it. Causality analysis supports a feedback loop between economic growth and renewable energy, but there is a one-way link between renewable energy, financial development, ICT, and foreign investments. The study underscores the importance of making a clean environment a top governmental priority to achieve environmental goals: to enhance renewable energy in BRICS, bolster governance in energy projects, and concurrently implement green ICT strategies to facilitate renewable energy initiatives.