The 100 most-cited articles in Sustainability, 2023

The recent high performance of ChatGPT on several standardized academic tests has thrust the topic of artificial intelligence (AI) into the mainstream conversation about the future of education. As deep learning is poised to shift the teaching paradigm, it is essential to have a clear understanding of its effects on the current education system to ensure sustainable development and deployment of AI-driven technologies at schools and universities. This research aims to investigate the potential impact of AI on education through review and analysis of the existing literature across three major axes: applications, advantages, and challenges. Our review focuses on the use of artificial intelligence in collaborative teacher–student learning, intelligent tutoring systems, automated assessment, and personalized learning. We also report on the potential negative aspects, ethical issues, and possible future routes for AI implementation in education. Ultimately, we find that the only way forward is to embrace the new technology, while implementing guardrails to prevent its abuse.

In the ever-evolving era of technological advancements, generative artificial intelligence (GAI) emerges as a transformative force, revolutionizing education. This review paper, guided by the PRISMA framework, presents a comprehensive analysis of GAI in education, synthesizing key insights from a selection of 207 research papers to identify research gaps and future directions in the field. This study begins with a content analysis that explores GAI’s transformative impact in specific educational domains, including medical education and engineering education. The versatile applications of GAI encompass assessment, personalized learning support, and intelligent tutoring systems. Ethical considerations, interdisciplinary collaboration, and responsible technology use are highlighted, emphasizing the need for transparent GAI models and addressing biases. Subsequently, a bibliometric analysis of GAI in education is conducted, examining prominent AI tools, research focus, geographic distribution, and interdisciplinary collaboration. ChatGPT emerges as a dominant GAI tool, and the analysis…

This paper delves into the multifaceted concept of sustainability, covering its evolution, laws, principles, as well as the different domains and challenges related to achieving it in the modern world. Although capitalism, socialism, and communism have been utilized throughout history, their strengths and drawbacks have failed to address sustainable development comprehensively. Therefore, a holistic approach is necessary, which forms the basis for a new development model called sustainalism. This study proposes a new socio-economic theory of sustainalism that prioritizes quality of life, social equity, culture, world peace, social justice, and well-being. This paper outlines the six principles of sustainalism and identifies sustainalists as individuals who embrace these new concepts. This study also explores how to attain sustainalism in the modern world through a sustainable revolution, representing a step toward a sustainable era. In conclusion, this paper summarizes the key points and emphasizes the need for a new approach to sustainalism in the broader sense. The insights…

A new era of education and research based on chatbots and artificial intelligence is quickly growing. However, the application of these new systems is associated with several challenges and limitations, mainly related to ethics. This paper explores the potential use of AI systems and chatbots in the academic field and their impact on research and education from an ethical perspective. Through a qualitative methodology, the researcher perform exploratory research and data collection based on expert analysis and interpretation. The researcher conducted a comprehensive review of the main potential challenges associated with the use of chatbots in education and research to identify current practices, challenges, and opportunities. This explorative work provides a foundational understanding of the studied topic. It also helps us to better understand the subjective experiences and perspectives of the observed phenomenon, and uncovers their meanings and proposes potential solutions to the observed issues. This study examines the advantages and limitations of AI systems and chatbots, as…

This paper presents a comprehensive study of Convolutional Neural Networks (CNN) and transfer learning in the context of medical imaging. Medical imaging plays a critical role in the diagnosis and treatment of diseases, and CNN-based models have demonstrated significant improvements in image analysis and classification tasks. Transfer learning, which involves reusing pre-trained CNN models, has also shown promise in addressing challenges related to small datasets and limited computational resources. This paper reviews the advantages of CNN and transfer learning in medical imaging, including improved accuracy, reduced time and resource requirements, and the ability to address class imbalances. It also discusses challenges, such as the need for large and diverse datasets, and the limited interpretability of deep learning models. What factors contribute to the success of these networks? How are they fashioned, exactly? What motivated them to build the structures that they did? Finally, the paper presents current and future research directions and opportunities, including the…

Sustainability through digital transformation is essential for contemporary businesses. Embracing sustainability, micro-, small-, and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) can gain a competitive advantage, attracting customers and investors who share these values. Moreover, incorporating sustainable practices empowers MSMEs to drive innovation, reduce costs, and enhance their reputation. This study aims to identify how owners or senior managers of MSMEs can initiate a sustainable digital transformation project. A systematic literature review was carried out, including 59 publications from 2019 to 2023. As a result, this research identifies the first steps owners of MSMEs can take to begin the transition by identifying critical organizational capabilities necessary for successful transformation, explores the technologies that can support MSMEs in their sustainability goals, and emphasizes the significance of stakeholders in achieving a successful digital transformation journey. Firstly, owners or senior managers should change the organizational culture to support decisions and strategies…

Wastewater treatment involves the extraction of pollutants, removal of coarse particles, and elimination of toxicants. Moreover, wastewater treatment kills pathogens and produces bio-methane and fresh manure for agricultural production. The connection between waste management and sustainability created the basis for this research. Wastewater treatment is part of the efforts to minimize water waste, minimize pressure on natural sources of water, and create a pathway for clean energy. A systematic literature review was selected for this study to evaluate and synthesize the available evidence in support of wastewater treatment for both economic and environmental sustainability. The articles were evaluated using the PRISMA framework to identify the most appropriate articles for inclusion. A total of 46 articles were selected based on their content validity, relevance to the research question, strength of evidence, year of publication (2000–2023), and relevance to sustainable resource management. The findings indicate that wastewater treatment enables sustainable resource management by…

In recent years, there has been mounting concern about the bearing of microplastics on human health and the comprehensive natural environment. These particles come from a variety of sources, such as soaps, personal care products, and the rundown of bigger plastic items. The impacts of microplastics on marine life and other ecosystems are substantial, including ingestion by marine animals, interference with their reproductive systems, and even death. The economic implications of microplastics are also significant, with industries, such as fishing and tourism being affected by the presence of microplastics in the environment. Exposure to microplastics can also pose potential health risks to humans, including respiratory and digestive problems, as well as disrupt sleep, contribute to obesity, and increase the risk of diabetes. To address this issue, policies and initiatives have been put in place to reduce microplastic pollution, but there are challenges that need to be overcome, such as lack of awareness, limited resources, and ineffective regulations. Further research is also needed…

This article presents a review of current advances and prospects in the field of forecasting renewable energy generation using machine learning (ML) and deep learning (DL) techniques. With the increasing penetration of renewable energy sources (RES) into the electricity grid, accurate forecasting of their generation becomes crucial for efficient grid operation and energy management. Traditional forecasting methods have limitations, and thus ML and DL algorithms have gained popularity due to their ability to learn complex relationships from data and provide accurate predictions. This paper reviews the different approaches and models that have been used for renewable energy forecasting and discusses their strengths and limitations. It also highlights the challenges and future research directions in the field, such as dealing with uncertainty and variability in renewable energy generation, data availability, and model interpretability. Finally, this paper emphasizes the importance of developing robust and accurate renewable energy forecasting models to enable the integration of RES…

Due to the rapid emergence and evolution of AI applications, the utilization of smart imaging devices has increased significantly. Researchers have started using deep learning models, such as CNN, for image classification. Unlike the traditional models, which require a lot of features to perform well, CNN does not require any handcrafted features to perform well. It uses numerous filters, which extract required features from images automatically for classification. One of the issues in the horticulture industry is fruit classification, which requires an expert with a lot of experience. To overcome this issue an automated system is required which can classify different types of fruits without the need for any human effort. In this study, a dataset of a total of 26,149 images of 40 different types of fruits was used for experimentation. The training and test set were randomly recreated and divided into the ratio of 3:1. The experiment introduces a customized head of five different layers into MobileNetV2 architecture. The classification layer of the MobileNetV2 model is replaced by…

Conventional farming practices can lead to soil degradation and a decline in productivity. Regenerative agriculture (RA) is purported by advocates as a solution to these issues that focuses on soil health and carbon sequestration. The fundamental principles of RA are to keep the soil covered, minimise soil disturbance, preserve living roots in the soil year round, increase species diversity, integrate livestock, and limit or eliminate the use of synthetic compounds (such as herbicides and fertilisers). The overall objectives are to rejuvenate the soil and land and provide environmental, economic, and social benefits to the wider community. Despite the purported benefits of RA, a vast majority of growers are reluctant to adopt these practices due to a lack of empirical evidence on the claimed benefits and profitability. We examined the reported benefits and mechanisms associated with RA against available scientific data. The literature suggests that agricultural practices such as minimum tillage, residue retention, and cover cropping can improve soil carbon, crop yield, and soil…

The invention of ChatGPT and generative AI technologies presents educators with significant challenges, as concerns arise regarding students potentially exploiting these tools unethically, misrepresenting their work, or gaining academic merits without active participation in the learning process. To effectively navigate this shift, it is crucial to embrace AI as a contemporary educational trend and establish pedagogical principles for properly utilizing emerging technologies like ChatGPT to promote self-regulation. Rather than suppressing AI-driven tools, educators should foster collaborations among stakeholders, including educators, instructional designers, AI researchers, and developers. This paper proposes three key pedagogical principles for integrating AI chatbots in classrooms, informed by Zimmerman’s Self-Regulated Learning (SRL) framework and Judgment of Learning (JOL). We argue that the current conceptualization of AI chatbots in education is inadequate, so we advocate for the incorporation of goal setting (prompting), self-assessment and feedback, and personalization as…

Supply chain agility has become a key success factor for businesses trying to handle upheavals and uncertainty in today’s quickly changing business environment. Proactive risk reduction is essential for achieving this agility. To facilitate real-time risk prevention and improve agility, this research study proposes an innovative strategy that makes use of machine learning as well as predictive analytics approaches. Traditional supply chain risk management frequently uses post-event analysis as well as historical data, which restricts its ability to address real-time interruptions. This research, on the other hand, promotes a futuristic methodology that uses predictive analytics to foresee possible disruptions. Based on contextual and historical data, machine learning models can be trained to find patterns and correlations as well as anomalies that point to imminent dangers. Organizations can identify risks as they arise and take preventative measures by incorporating these models into a real-time monitoring system. This study examines numerous predictive analytics methods, showing…

Artificial intelligence (AI) and deep learning (DL) have shown tremendous potential in driving sustainability across various sectors. This paper reviews recent advancements in AI and DL and explores their applications in achieving sustainable development goals (SDGs), renewable energy, environmental health, and smart building energy management. AI has the potential to contribute to 134 of the 169 targets across all SDGs, but the rapid development of these technologies necessitates comprehensive regulatory oversight to ensure transparency, safety, and ethical standards. In the renewable energy sector, AI and DL have been effectively utilized in optimizing energy management, fault detection, and power grid stability. They have also demonstrated promise in enhancing waste management and predictive analysis in photovoltaic power plants. In the field of environmental health, the integration of AI and DL has facilitated the analysis of complex spatial data, improving exposure modeling and disease prediction. However, challenges such as the explainability and transparency of AI and DL…

This study focuses on the potential of generative artificial intelligence tools in education, particularly through the practical application of the 4PADAFE instructional design matrix. The objective was to evaluate how these tools, in combination with the matrix, can enhance education and improve the teaching–learning process. Through surveys conducted with teachers from the University of ESPE Armed Forces who participated in the MOOC course “Generative Artificial Intelligence Tools for Education: GPT Chat Techniques”, the study explores the impact of these tools on education. The findings reveal that generative artificial intelligence tools are crucial in developing massive MOOC virtual classrooms when integrated with an instructional design matrix. The results demonstrate the potential of generative artificial intelligence tools in university education. By utilizing these tools in conjunction with an instructional design matrix, educators can design and deliver personalized and enriching educational experiences. The devices offer opportunities to enhance the teaching–learning…

Nanomaterials have gained significant attention as a remarkable class of materials due to their unique properties and the fact that they encompass a wide range of samples with at least one dimension ranging from 1 to 100 nm. The deliberate design of nanoparticles enables the achievement of extremely large surface areas. In the field of cost-effective electrochemical devices for energy storage and conversion applications, nanomaterials have emerged as a key area of research. Their exceptional physical and chemical properties have led to extensive investigations aimed at improving the performance and cost-effectiveness of electrochemical devices, including batteries, supercapacitors, and fuel cells. The continuous development and enhancement of these high-performance materials are driven by the demand for enhanced productivity, connectivity, and sustainability at a reduced cost. This review focuses on the electrochemical performance of electrodes, energy storage, and electrochemical sensors (ES) based on nanotechnology. It discusses the application of nanotechnology in…

Although it existed in a few different forms earlier, digital education is essentially a modern invention. It is the digitalization of a segment of the educational system. This article attempts to offer insightful thoughts on the future potential and difficulties of information and communication technology (ICT) and digital education as they relate to adopting the most recent technological advancements in the digital era and extensive online open courses. With the development of internet technology, we have observed a significant shift in how we communicate and collaborate among academics. The digital revolution encouraged unrestricted access to information on a global scale. Today’s classrooms are equipped with a wealth of ICT tools, and almost all instructors have made significant progress in integrating digital technology to improve students’ access to information and cooperative learning opportunities. The higher education system must seek to utilize the power of ICT to be competitive and provide high-quality education as a consequence of digital transformation, disruptive…

The development of artificial intelligence in recent years has promoted the use of chatbot technology in sustainable education. Many studies examined the effect of chatbots on learning outcomes. However, scant studies summarized the effectiveness of chatbots in education. The aim of the study is to investigate the effect of chatbot-assisted learning on various components and how different moderator variables influenced the effectiveness. This study, through a meta-analysis, reviewed 32 empirical studies with 2201 participants published between 2010 and 2022. The results showed that chatbot technology exerted a medium-to-high effect on overall learning outcomes regardless of moderator variables, i.e., intervention duration, chatbot roles, and learning content. In terms of learning components, chatbots could significantly improve explicit reasoning, learning achievement, knowledge retention, and learning interest despite negative findings in critical thinking, learning engagement, and motivation. Future research could expand chatbot research by including different learning components.

This research aims at providing a meta-analysis of empirical findings of the literature on the characteristics of social media influencers on customer engagement and purchase intention. For this purpose, researchers derived eight social media influencers’ characteristics, i.e., homophily, expertise, trustworthiness, credibility, congruence with the product, entertainment value, informative value, and attractiveness. The current study synthesizes 176 effect sizes derived from 62 individual studies, and 22,554 individuals act as an aggregate sample. Results revealed that these characteristics have a moderate to high correlation with customer engagement and purchase intention. The entertainment value of social media influencers has the strongest association with customer engagement among all the attributes studied in this analysis. It also concluded that the credibility of influencers impacts purchase intention more than any other attribute. This work provides a novel approach to reducing the heterogeneity in influencer marketing research by empirically specifying the directions of…

This paper provides an in-depth review of the current state and future potential of hydrogen fuel cell vehicles (HFCVs). The urgency for more eco-friendly and efficient alternatives to fossil-fuel-powered vehicles underlines the necessity of HFCVs, which utilize hydrogen gas to power an onboard electric motor, producing only water vapor and heat. Despite their impressive energy efficiency ratio (EER), higher power-to-weight ratio, and substantial emissions reduction potential, the widespread implementation of HFCVs is presently hindered by several technical and infrastructural challenges. These include high manufacturing costs, the relatively low energy density of hydrogen, safety concerns, fuel cell durability issues, insufficient hydrogen refueling infrastructure, and the complexities of hydrogen storage and transportation. Nevertheless, technological advancements and potential policy interventions offer promising prospects for HFCVs, suggesting they could become a vital component of sustainable transportation in the future.

This paper presents a comprehensive understanding of current digital twin (DT) implementations in the construction industry, along with providing an overview of technologies enabling the operation of DTs in the industry. To this end, 145 publications were identified using a systematic literature review. The results revealed eight key areas of DT implementation including (i) virtual design, (ii) project planning and management, (iii) asset management and maintenance, (iv) safety management, (v) energy efficiency and sustainability, (vi) quality control and management, (vii) supply chain management and logistics, and (viii) structural health monitoring. The findings demonstrate that DT technology has the capacity to revolutionise the construction industry across these areas, enabling optimised designs, improved collaboration, real-time monitoring, predictive maintenance, enhanced safety practices, energy performance optimisation, quality inspections, efficient supply chain management, and proactive maintenance. This study also identified several challenges that hinder the widespread…

This study analyzes the sustainability of the metaverse technology by adopting a responsible digitalization perspective to drive the transition to Industry 5.0. This is motivated by the current experiences of digital transformation paths, which appear careless regarding the side effects induced when adopting digital technologies—for example, the energy consumption associated with blockchain, the jobs lost due to 3D printing, and the continuous payments required by artificial intelligence systems. While very few sustainable solutions are currently available to properly address these issues, similar effects might materialize when adopting metaverse technology. Therefore, this study provides tools to undertake a responsible digital transformation path through the metaverse to properly manage the transition to Industry 5.0. Specifically, it offers a set of frameworks to analyze the metaverse either from the perspective of the triple bottom line or by adopting an environmental, social, and governance (ESG) perspective and linking it to the most impacted business strategies or by…

Smallholder farmers play an important role in ensuring world food security. In addition to food security, small-scale farming also provides numerous other direct and indirect environmental, social, cultural, and economic benefits by improving crop diversification, job security, and self-sufficiency. However, small-scale agriculture faces several challenges which are further exacerbated by climate change, population increase, water scarcity, and soil degradation. Agriculture has seen a lot of technological advancements in the last few decades. However, access to these advancements has not always been economically viable for small or medium farm operations. This article aimed to review the major barriers to small-scale farming and to review the status and potential opportunities offered by advanced technologies that can benefit small-scale holders. Based on the review, we found that economics, marketing, climate change, lack of awareness, educational resources, infrastructure, information, and technology are the major challenges to small-scale farming. Technologies such as unmanned…

Digital agriculture involving different tools and management practices has advanced considerably in recent years, intending to overcome climate risk and reduce food insecurity. Climate change and its impacts on agricultural production and food security are significant sources of public concern worldwide. The objective of this study was to provide an overview of the potential impact of digital agriculture technologies and practices that can reduce greenhouse gas emissions and enhance productivity while ensuring food security. Based on a comprehensive survey of the previously published works, it was found that due to global warming, altered precipitation patterns, and an increase in the frequency of extreme events, climate change has negatively impacted food security by reducing agricultural yields, slowing animal growth rates, and decreasing livestock productivity. The reviewed works also suggest that using digital technology in agriculture is necessary to mitigate the effect of climate change and food insecurity. In addition, issues regarding creating sustainable agricultural food…

Food supply chains are highly distributed, collaborative, heterogeneous, diverse, and varied by product, process, and destination. The global food supply chain (FSC) objective is to maintain a good balance between supply and demand and move products from producer to market. However, sustainability of the FSC has become a major concern as limited resources and increasing population pressure threaten its existence. Supply chain management is an important issue for FSC due to information flow throughout the supply chain. Industry-specific characteristics and extensive integration among multiple actors in an entire supply chain exacerbate this situation. The agri-food sector has one of the lowest rates of information technology penetration for innovation. Over the past thirty years, information and communication technology (ICT) has been introduced into the agricultural and food sectors, helping to improve food production and transportation. However, there are various challenges, such as transparency, accountability, food scandal, trust, and inefficient information flow, that the food…

Food waste is a global issue with significant economic, social, and environmental impacts. Addressing this problem requires a multifaceted approach; one promising avenue is using artificial intelligence (AI) technologies. This article explores the potential for AI to tackle food waste and enhance the circular economy and discusses the current state of food waste and the circular economy, highlighting specific ways that AI can be used to monitor and optimise food production and supply chains, redistribute excess food to those in need, and support circular economy initiatives. As a result, we can maximise resource efficiency and minimise environmental impact with these applications, ultimately creating a more sustainable and equitable food system.

In 2023, the global use of generative AI, particularly ChatGPT-3.5 and -4, witnessed a significant surge, sparking discussions on its sustainable implementation across various domains, including education from primary schools to universities. However, practical testing and evaluation in school education are still relatively unexplored. This article examines the utilization of generative AI in primary school education. The study involved 110 pupils, aged 8–14 years old, studying in the 4th–6th grades across four classes in two schools. Using laptops, pupils participated in test lessons where content, text, figures, and exercises were generated and modified using generative AI, specifically ChatGPT-3.5. The results demonstrated that it was possible to use ChatGPT-3.5, as one example of generative AI, to personify learning material so that it would meet the knowledge and learning skills of pupils with different levels of knowledge. A clear majority of pupils enjoyed learning the generative AI-modified material. There is a promising potential of generative AI use in school education,…

Over the past decade, energy demand has witnessed a drastic increase, mainly due to huge development in the industry sector and growing populations. This has led to the global utilization of renewable energy resources and technologies to meet this high demand, as fossil fuels are bound to end and are causing harm to the environment. Solar PV (photovoltaic) systems are a renewable energy technology that allows the utilization of solar energy directly from the sun to meet electricity demands. Solar PV has the potential to create a reliable, clean and stable energy systems for the future. This paper discusses the different types and generations of solar PV technologies available, as well as several important applications of solar PV systems, which are “Large-Scale Solar PV”, “Residential Solar PV”, “Green Hydrogen”, “Water Desalination” and “Transportation”. This paper also provides research on the number of solar papers and their applications that relate to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in the years between 2011 and 2021. A total of 126,513 papers were analyzed. The results…

This paper delves into the pivotal role of water electrolysis (WE) in green hydrogen production, a process utilizing renewable energy sources through electrolysis. The term “green hydrogen” signifies its distinction from conventional “grey” or “brown” hydrogen produced from fossil fuels, emphasizing the importance of decarbonization in the hydrogen value chain. WE becomes a linchpin, balancing surplus green energy, stabilizing the grid, and addressing challenges in hard-to-abate sectors like long-haul transport and heavy industries. This paper navigates through electrolysis variants, technological challenges, and the crucial association between electrolytic hydrogen production and renewable energy sources (RESs). Energy consumption aspects are scrutinized, highlighting the need for optimization strategies to enhance efficiency. This paper systematically addresses electrolysis fundamentals, technologies, scaling issues, and the nexus with energy sources. It emphasizes the transformative potential of electrolytic hydrogen in the broader energy landscape, underscoring its role in…

Artificial intelligence (AI) has entered the mainstream as computing power has improved. The healthcare industry is undergoing dramatic transformations at present. One of the most recent industries to heavily use AI is telehealth, which is used for anything from issuing electronic healthcare cards to providing individual counselling. Artificial intelligence (AI) is influencing telehealth in the United States in a major way. Using AI in telehealth to allow clinicians to make real-time, data-driven rich choices is critical to offering a better patient experience and improved health outcomes as practitioners strive toward expanding virtual care options along the care continuum. Research in the medical industry has started to use AI’s strengths in data processing and analysis in telehealth, reflecting the widespread adoption of AI in other sectors. Because of the difficulties inherent in telemedicine’s deployment, there is an urgent need to broaden its capabilities and enhance its processes so that they may be tailored to address particular issues. This article is aimed to study…

Amidst the rapid advancements in the digital landscape, the convergence of digitization and cyber threats presents new challenges for organizational security. This article presents a comprehensive framework that aims to shape the future of cyber security. This framework responds to the complexities of modern cyber threats and provides guidance to organizations to enhance their resilience. The primary focus lies in the integration of capabilities with resilience. By combining these elements into cyber security practices, organizations can improve their ability to predict, mitigate, respond to, and recover from cyber disasters. This article emphasizes the importance of organizational leadership, accountability, and innovation in achieving cyber resilience. As cyber threat challenges continue to evolve, this framework offers strategic guidance to address the intricate dynamics between digitization and cyber security, moving towards a safer and more robust digital environment in the future.

The globe is at a crossroads in terms of the urban heat island effect, with rising surface temperatures due to urbanization and an expanding built environment. This cause-and-effect connection may be linked to weather-related dangers, natural disasters, and disease outbreaks. Urbanization and industrialization will not lead to a secure and sustainable future. Finding solutions to problems such as the heat island effect is at the forefront of scientific research and policy development. Sustainable ways to decrease urban heat island impacts are a core principle for urban planners. This literature study examines the benefits of adding green infrastructure and sustainable materials in built-up areas to reduce the urban heat island effect. Materials such as reflective street pavements, coating materials including light-colored paint, phase-change materials, color-changing paint, fluorescence paint, and energy-efficient appliances are considered sustainable materials, whereas green infrastructure like green roofs, green walls, green parking and pavements, and shaded streets are considered…

Land use land cover (LULC) modeling is considered as the best tool to comprehend and unravel the dynamics of future urban expansion. The present paper provides a comprehensive review of existing LULC modeling techniques and novel approaches used by the research community. Moreover, the review also compares each technique’s applications, utility, drawbacks, and broader differences. The rationale behind such a comparison is to highlight the strengths/weakness of individual techniques. The review further highlights the utility of the hybridization of different techniques (e.g., machine learning model combined with statistical models) to LULC modeling to complement their strengths. Although significant progress has been made in LULC modeling, the review highlights the need to incorporate the policy framework into LULC modeling for better urban planning and management. The present review will help researchers and policymakers to achieve better land management practices and ultimately assist in achieving Sustainable Development Goal-15 (SDG-15) (i.e., life on land).

A conversational chatbot or dialogue system is a computer program designed to simulate conversation with human users, especially over the Internet. These chatbots can be integrated into messaging apps, mobile apps, or websites, and are designed to engage in natural language conversations with users. There are also many applications in which chatbots are used for educational support to improve students’ performance during the learning cycle. The recent success of ChatGPT also encourages researchers to explore more possibilities in the field of chatbot applications. One of the main benefits of conversational chatbots is their ability to provide an instant and automated response, which can be leveraged in many application areas. Chatbots can handle a wide range of inquiries and tasks, such as answering frequently asked questions, booking appointments, or making recommendations. Modern conversational chatbots use artificial intelligence (AI) techniques, such as natural language processing (NLP) and artificial neural networks, to understand and respond to users’ input. In this study, we…

The boom in technological advances in recent decades has led to increased demand for rare earth elements (REEs) (also known as rare earth metals) across various industries with wide-ranging industrial applications, including in the clean energy sector, but with some environmental, economic, and social footprint concerns. This paper reviews the complexities of the production, consumption, and reuse or recovery of REEs, presenting current trends in terms of potentials and challenges associated with this. This paper in particular focuses on the supply, demand, and (environmental and economic) sustainability of REEs, as a subset of critical raw materials. It does so via a critical stocktaking of key discussions and debates in the field over the past 15 years up until now, through a thematic analysis of the published and gray (policy) literature with a grounded theory approach. The paper finds that carefully balanced lifecycle sustainability assessments are needed for assessing the respective dimensions of the extraction, processing, and reuse or recovery methods for different types of…

Microgrids are an emerging technology that offers many benefits compared with traditional power grids, including increased reliability, reduced energy costs, improved energy security, environmental benefits, and increased flexibility. However, several challenges are associated with microgrid technology, including high capital costs, technical complexity, regulatory challenges, interconnection issues, maintenance, and operation requirements. Through an in-depth analysis of various research areas and technical aspects of microgrid development, this study aims to provide valuable insights into the strategies and technologies required to overcome these challenges. By assessing the current state of microgrid development in Pakistan and drawing lessons from international best practices, our research highlights the unique opportunities microgrids present for tackling energy poverty, reducing greenhouse gas emissions, and promoting sustainable economic growth. Ultimately, this research article contributes to the growing knowledge of microgrids and their role in addressing global…

Challenges and competition are being faced in higher education. Students’ unsatisfactory academic performance and dropouts are obvious problems worldwide. The “student-centered” pedagogy requires universities to pay attention to the needs of students. Research has demonstrated that academic self-efficacy is a positive psychological variable in the prevention of students becoming academically burnt out and withdrawing from their studies. By increasing academic engagement and improving academic performance, academic self-efficacy can reduce the dropout rates. This study attempted to achieve an in-depth comprehension of the nexus between academic self-efficacy and academic achievement among university students and the mediating role of academic engagement in the association between the two. A total of 258 participants were included in the cross-sectional study. The relationships among academic self-efficacy, academic engagement, and academic performance were examined using Pearson correlation coefficients. In order to examine the intermediating role of academic engagement in the…

In the era of digital transformation, organizations are making efforts towards sustainability. In particular, leadership is transforming into digital leadership according to changes in management environments, which are deeply related to organizational performance. In this study, we focus on organizational performance and sustainability management and clarify the role of digital culture and employees’ digital capabilities in perspectives on digital leadership. We collected data from 149 employees who work in South Korean organizations using a survey based on digital leadership, digital culture, employees’ digital capabilities, and organizational performance, and we tested our hypotheses using structural equation modeling. The results show that digital leadership has a positive direct and indirect effect on organizational performance. Moreover, digital culture and employees’ digital capabilities partially mediate the relationship between digital leadership and sustainable organizational performance in South Korea. This study contributes to leadership and resource-based view (RBV)…

Plant roots aid the growth and functions of several kinds of microorganisms such as plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria, mycorrhizal fungi, endophytic bacteria, actinomycetes, nematodes, protozoans which may impart significant impacts on plant health and growth. Plant soil–microbe interaction is an intricate, continuous, and dynamic process that occurs in a distinct zone known as the rhizosphere. Plants interact with these soil microbes in a variety of ways, including competitive, exploitative, neutral, commensal, and symbiotic relationships. Both plant and soil types were found to have an impact on the community diversity and structure of the rhizosphere, or vice versa. The diversity of microorganisms in soil is thought to be essential for the management of soil health and quality because it has different plant growth-promoting or biocontrol effects that could be very advantageous for the host plant and alter plant physiology and nutrition. The composition of microbial community is influenced by soil and plant type. Besides these beneficial microbes, the soil also harbors…

The emergence of smart cities has addressed many critical challenges associated with conventional urbanization worldwide. However, sustainable traffic management in smart cities has received less attention from researchers due to its complex and heterogeneous nature, which directly affects smart cities’ transportation systems. The study aimed at addressing traffic-related issues in smart cities by focusing on establishing a sustainable framework based on the Internet of Things (IoT) and Intelligent Transportation System (ITS) applications. To sustain the management of traffic in smart cities, which is composed of a hybridized stream of human-driven vehicles (HDV) and connected automated vehicles (CAV), a dual approach was employed by considering traffic as either modeling- and analysis-based, or/and the decision-making issues of previous research works. Moreover, the two techniques utilized real-time traffic data, and collected vehicle and road users’ information using AI sensors and ITS-based devices. These data can be processed and transmitted using machine learning algorithms and…

As an emerging e-commerce model that combines the convenience of traditional e-commerce with the real-time and interactive nature of live streaming, live-streaming (LS) e-commerce is loved and recognized by consumers. At the same time, LS e-commerce also faces many difficulties such as homogenization of marketing content and consumers’ low willingness to repeat purchase. Therefore, how to better stimulate consumers’ continuous purchase willingness in LS has become a hot topic of current research. Based on the stimulus–organism–response (SOR) model, this paper constructs a model of consumers’ purchase intention mediated by consumers’ trust in LS e-commerce, measuring consumers’ perceived value in LS e-commerce in three dimensions: utilitarian value, hedonic value and social value, and using consumers’ trust in the streamer and trust in the product as mediators to investigate the influence of perceived value on consumers’ continuous purchase intention. Data of Chinese users were collected by questionnaire survey to prove the assumptions of this paper. The results show that consumers’…

Biochar (BC) properties and its influences within agricultural soil health and environmental ecosystems largely depend on feedstock, residence time and pyrolysis conditions. The organic and inorganic contaminants from soil can be removed using BC as an adsorbent. Additionally, soil amendment with BC is known to improve overall soil quality, microbial and enzymatic activities and soil organic carbon content with nutrient retention and availability. Moreover, one of the great impacts of BC is its capability to capture soil nutrients and sequestrate carbon. The physicochemical properties of biochar could be affected by the feedstocks and pyrolysis conditions (temperature, duration, activation method, etc.). This review paper summarizes the recent research studies on the composition of BC that controls carbon presence in soil, as well as BCs role in improving soil fertility and carbon sequestration, which has not been reported in detail yet. The main finding of the present work revealed that the high pyrolytic temperatures in BC production may have negative impacts on phyto-availability…

Abstract Recently published research (Hickman et al., 2021) described concern and anxiety about climate change among young people aged 16-25 in ten countries around the world. Using the same dataset, this paper examines differences associated with gender and age. There were small but consistent gender differences, with female respondents expressing greater levels of concern and negative emotions, while male respondents were more optimistic and expressed greater faith in government. Within this narrow age group, there was some evidence that concern and negative emotions about climate change were higher among older respondents compared to those who were younger. There were complex differences among countries; in general, respondents in the Philippines, India, and Nigeria report a stronger psychological impact of climate change than respondents in the United States and Finland. These results help to describe the extent and patterns of climate anxiety worldwide in an age range that is relatively understudied.

Floods are a devastating natural calamity that may seriously harm both infrastructure and people. Accurate flood forecasts and control are essential to lessen these effects and safeguard populations. By utilizing its capacity to handle massive amounts of data and provide accurate forecasts, deep learning has emerged as a potent tool for improving flood prediction and control. The current state of deep learning applications in flood forecasting and management is thoroughly reviewed in this work. The review discusses a variety of subjects, such as the data sources utilized, the deep learning models used, and the assessment measures adopted to judge their efficacy. It assesses current approaches critically and points out their advantages and disadvantages. The article also examines challenges with data accessibility, the interpretability of deep learning models, and ethical considerations in flood prediction. The report also describes potential directions for deep-learning research to enhance flood predictions and control. Incorporating uncertainty estimates into forecasts, integrating…

Remote sensing (RS) techniques offer advantages over other methods for measuring soil properties, including large-scale coverage, a non-destructive nature, temporal monitoring, multispectral capabilities, and rapid data acquisition. This review highlights the different detection methods, types, parts, and applications of RS techniques in soil measurements, as well as the advantages and disadvantages of the measurements of soil properties. The choice of the methods depends on the specific requirements of the soil measurements task because it is important to consider the advantages and limitations of each method, as well as the specific context and objective of the soil measurements, to determine the most suitable RS technique. This paper follows a well-structured arrangement after investigating the existing literature to ensure a well-organized, coherent review and covers all the essential aspects related to studying the advancement of using RS in the measurements of soil properties. While several remote sensing methods are available, this review suggests spectral reflectance, which…

Smart cities require the development of information and communication technology to become a reality (ICT). A “smart city” is built on top of a “smart grid”. The implementation of numerous smart systems that are advantageous to the environment and improve the quality of life for the residents is one of the main goals of the new smart cities. In order to improve the reliability and sustainability of the transportation system, changes are being made to the way electric vehicles (EVs) are used. As EV use has increased, several problems have arisen, including the requirement to build a charging infrastructure, and forecast peak loads. Management must consider how challenging the situation is. There have been many original solutions to these problems. These heavily rely on automata models, machine learning, and the Internet of Things. Over time, there have been more EV drivers. Electric vehicle charging at a large scale negatively impacts the power grid. Transformers may face additional voltage fluctuations, power loss, and heat if already operating at full capacity. Without EV…

This study proposes a multi-stakeholder framework to enhance fintech use in Africa, aiming to improve financial inclusion and achieve the Sustainable Development Goals. This article analyzes past research and frameworks built to help stakeholders in developing nations adopt fintech, some of which have been tested in African states with limited success. The study recommends prioritizing national ownership, creating an enabling environment for private sector investment, partnering with multilateral development banks and other stakeholders, fostering innovation and digital literacy, and focusing on cost-effective, non-government-guaranteed financing. In accordance with the G20’s High-Level Principles for Digital Financial Inclusion, a country-specific strategy can boost financial technology and digital financial services uptake in Africa. Each government may build a legislative climate that supports innovation and competition, strengthens its digital infrastructure, increases digital literacy and awareness, and collaborates with private sector stakeholders to extend financial…

Electronic waste (e-waste) is the fastest-growing class of waste because of the remarkable demand for various electronic gadgets such as mobiles and laptops. Moreover, its improper disposal is life-threatening because it includes hundreds of different substances, many of which are toxic elements and pollutants that can leach to soil and surface and groundwater or be emitted into the air, causing a major negative impact on the environment and public health. As a result, studies on the sustainable management of e-waste have gained increasing attention from researchers globally in the last decade to explore practical strategies to reduce or utilize this special waste. This review aims to provide an in-depth understanding of the major aspects of e-waste, including its definition, composition, and the impact of its end-of-life disposal on human health and the environment, while also focusing on some practical sustainable solutions and strategies toward effective e-waste management. It will also discuss the production of electronics; global demand and the mining boom; and the pollution…

The paper focuses on analysing the potential benefits and challenges of the Metaverse, particularly in the field of research in the tourism and food and wine sectors. The Metaverse is part of the new generation of the internet known as web 3.0, which also includes AI, blockchain and other digital innovations. The food marketing and tourism sectors are the main fields where companies are experimenting with solutions to offer people a fully functioning immersive Metaverse experience. This paper aims to highlight the potential impact of the Metaverse on tourism sectors as well as on research activities. Open challenges concern the social acceptance, affordability, and environmental sustainability of these technologies. Research is needed on the Metaverse’s ability to reduce bias and accurately simulate real experiences, as well as on tourists’ perceptions, attitudes, and willingness to pay for mediated experiences. Another important issue is the management of sensitive data that will travel through the Metaverse. Looking forward, the Metaverse has the potential to become a valuable…

The COVID-19 pandemic has remarkably affected the business processes and performance of micro-, small-, and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) across the world. MSMEs have had to adopt and implement numerous strategies to sustain their businesses, and their financial and sustainability performance has been impacted by their choice of e-commerce (EC) platforms and digital marketing (DM) strategies. The objective of this research was to explore the effects of EC and DM platforms and strategies on facilitating MSMEs’ financial and sustainability performance amid the devastating COVID-19 pandemic. This study gathered data from 212 MSMEs from three districts of Bangladesh. A partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) approach was undertaken, to test the hypothesized model. The findings revealed that e-commerce had a significant association with MSMEs’ financial performance and sustainability amid the pandemic. It was also observed that digital marketing strategies had a substantial impact on MSMEs’ financial performance. However, the linkage between DM strategies and…

Within the framework of the ongoing implementation of the 2030 Vision for Comprehensive Development of Higher Education in Saudi Arabia, the integration of artificial intelligence (AI) has emerged as a pivotal objective for the country’s numerous higher education institutions. This study aims to examine the opportunities and challenges that arise from the adoption of AI-based learning outcomes in Saudi Arabia’s higher education institutes. Moreover, the research also investigates the contribution of major higher education institutes in Saudi Arabia to the field of AI-based learning outcomes. To gather relevant literature, the Scopus and Web of Science databases were utilised, resulting in the selection of fifty-five studies for final analysis. The study employed the PRISMA statement 2020 for records filtration and utilised VOS viewer software to classify the literature on AI-based learning outcomes in Saudi Arabian universities. Through detailed analysis, three significant data streams were identified and examined. The findings indicate that AI is in a nascent stage within the realm…

Metaheuristic optimization algorithms are tools based on mathematical concepts that are used to solve complicated optimization issues. These algorithms are intended to locate or develop a sufficiently good solution to an optimization issue, particularly when information is sparse or inaccurate or computer capability is restricted. Power systems play a crucial role in promoting environmental sustainability by reducing greenhouse gas emissions and supporting renewable energy sources. Using metaheuristics to optimize the performance of modern power systems is an attractive topic. This research paper investigates the applicability of several metaheuristic optimization algorithms to power system challenges. Firstly, this paper reviews the fundamental concepts of metaheuristic optimization algorithms. Then, six problems regarding the power systems are presented and discussed. These problems are optimizing the power flow in transmission and distribution networks, optimizing the reactive power dispatching, optimizing the combined economic and emission dispatching, optimal Volt/Var…

The fashion industry is one of the largest contributors to greenhouse gas emissions and climate change. Sustainable fashion (SF) aims to address this issue by designing, creating, and marketing socially and environmentally responsible products. This paper provides a broad overview of the extant literature on SF marketing to understand the trends and future directions. The paper starts with a discussion on sustainable consumption and marketing in the particular context of fashion and ends with potential research gaps, which have scope for further work. For the analysis, 97 research papers were selected based on a structured, systematic search with a particular set of keywords. The review finds that marketing SF from a customer’s perspective has been emphasized in the existing literature. Widely studied topics include consumer behavior, purchase behavior, and the attitude–behavior gap. Further research is required to explore how SF can gain from B2B marketing, circular economy, sustainability-oriented innovations, and subsistence markets, particularly in emerging economies. This paper…

Sustainable consumption is one of the goals of the ‘Sustainable Development Goals 2030′ set by the United Nations. The study is primarily interested in how sustainable consumption behavior can be fostered through environmental knowledge, behaviors, and attitudes. For environmental concern, the role of environmental knowledge is considered significant. Therefore, academia is powered by the desire to impart environmentally friendly attitudes and behaviors to students for sustainable consumption. The main purpose of this study was to measure the influence of environmental knowledge and environmental risk perceptions on the environmental concerns of university students. Likewise, how environmental attitudes act as a moderator in the association between environmental concern and pro-environmental behavior was also taken into account. The unit of analysis was the students enrolled in the universities of China. Following a deductive approach and positivist paradigm, and using SmartPLS, we deployed a structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM) technique to test the relationships. The results…

Bioenergy has emerged to be among the primary choices for the short- and medium-term replacement of fossil fuels and the reduction in greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. The most practical method for transforming biomass into biofuel is thermochemical conversion, which may be broken down into combustion, torrefaction, pyrolysis, hydrothermal liquefaction, and gasification. In this study, producing biofuels using a biomass pyrolysis process was investigated. This study explored the pyrolysis process and operating conditions to optimize the process parameters to maximize the desired product yields and quality. The pyrolysis process produces three main products, which are bio-oil, bio-char, and gas. There are three classifications for the pyrolysis method, with each of them producing a majority of a certain product. First, slow pyrolysis is conducted in the temperature range of 300–950 °C and residence time of 330–550 s. It produces around a 30% oil yield and 35% char yield, and thus, the majority yield of slow pyrolysis is char. Second, fast pyrolysis produces around 50% oil, 20% char,…

Digital transformation, which significantly impacts our personal, social, and economic spheres of life, is regarded by many as the most significant development of recent decades. In an industrial context, based on a systematic literature review of 262 papers selected from the ProQuest database, using the methodology of David and Han, this paper discusses Industry 4.0 technologies as the key drivers and/or enablers of digital transformation for business practices, models, processes, and routines in the current digital age. After carrying out a systematic literature review considering key Industry 4.0 technologies, we discuss the individual and collective ways in which competitiveness in contemporary organizations and institutions is enhanced. Specifically, we discuss how these technologies contribute as antecedents, drivers, and enablers of environmental and social sustainability, corporate growth and diversification, reshoring, mass customization, B2B cooperation, supply chain integration, Lean Six Sigma, quality of governance, innovations, and knowledge related to dealing with…

Hybrid work models have rapidly become the most common work arrangement for many knowledge workers, affording them with improved work–life balance and greater levels of job satisfaction, but little research has been conducted to identify the different hybrid work models that are emerging, and the appropriate supports needed to drive sustainable improvement. This paper utilises primary data from a series of semi-structured interviews with senior Australian human resource (HR) managers, to identify a range of different approaches to hybrid work design, applying the Conservation of Resources (COR) theory. Analyses of these findings have resulted in five key contributions: one being the identification of the most popular current hybrid work arrangements; the second being the key supporting pillars that are required to support successful hybrid work; the third identifies the infrastructure required to support these pillars; the fourth being a theoretic contribution that extends the existing academic literature in this field; and with the final contribution being an interpretation of the…

Despite growing research on the significance of transformational leadership as a key contextual factor that determines innovative behavior, recent studies have not investigated the psychological mechanisms that link transformational leadership to employees’ innovative behavior thoroughly. Thus, the main purpose of this study was to examine the mediating role the four dimensions of psychological capital—self-efficacy, hope, resilience, and optimism—play in the relationship between transformational leadership and employees’ innovative work behavior. Data from 178 Iranian agriculture experts were collected and analyzed using structural equation modeling. The results indicated that transformational leadership was related to employees’ innovative work behavior directly and positively. Furthermore, the results showed that hope and self-efficacy partially mediated the relationship. This study fills a gap in the literature by clarifying the way the dimensions of psychological capital influence transformational leadership’s positive relationship to employees’ innovative work behavior in the…

The healthcare industry has been transitioning from paper-based medical records to electronic health records (EHRs) in most healthcare facilities. However, the current EHR frameworks face challenges in secure data storage, credibility, and management. Interoperability and user control of personal data are also significant concerns in the healthcare sector. Although block chain technology has emerged as a powerful solution that can offer the properties of immutability, security, and user control on stored records, its potential application in EHR frameworks is not yet fully understood. To address this gap in knowledge, this research aims to provide an interoperable blockchain-based EHR framework that can fulfill the requirements defined by various national and international EHR standards such as HIPAA and HL7. The research method employed is a systematic literature review to explore the current state of the art in the field of EHRs, including blockchain-based implementations of EHRs. The study defines the interoperability issues in the existing blockchain-based EHR frameworks,…

The aim of this review study is to understand the current state and practice of sustainability innovation in the textile industry. The textile industry is regarded as one of the industries that faces the biggest challenges in incorporating sustainability in its business practices. In this study, we conducted a systematic review to synthesize empirical knowledge relevant to sustainable innovation in the textile industry. From the systematic search process, 41 papers that were identified met the criteria of inclusion and were then analyzed qualitatively using thematic analysis. The findings showed that the attention of researchers toward sustainability innovation has increased in the recent years. Sustainability innovation practices in the textile industry were identified. Sustainability product innovation includes ecodesign, ecolabel, life cycle assessment, materials, and packaging. Sustainability process innovation includes cleaner production, ecoefficiency, waste handling, supply chain management, and enzymatic textile processing in process innovation. Sustainability organizational…

Southern Africa is facing chronic food insecurity mainly because of the multistressor context in which agriculture is practiced in this region. Climate-change-related constraints are fueling food shortages for marginalized rural communities. Climate-smart agriculture (CSA) has been recognized as a key strategy for mitigating the effects of climate change. However, there has been a minimal level of adoption of CSA among smallholder farmers in southern Africa. Factors contributing to the limited adoption of CSA include poor access to resources by smallholder farmers, poverty, poor infrastructure, and an inadequate level of farmer advisory and resource service provision. These are the same factors that have resulted in the increased vulnerability of smallholder farmers to climate shocks in southern Africa. Currently, there are a limited number of reviews that simultaneously address the impacts of climate change and CSA on southern Africa’s smallholder agricultural sector. The current review synthesizes information on the contribution of smallholder agriculture to food security in…

Academicians and practitioners have recently begun to accord Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Big Data Analytics (BDA) significant consideration when exploring emerging research trends in different fields. The technique of bibliometric review has been extensively applied to the AI and BDA literature to map out existing scholarships. We summarise 711 bibliometric articles on AI & its sub-sets and BDA published in multiple fields to identify academic disciplines with significant research contributions. We pulled bibliometric review papers from the Scopus Q1 and Q2 journal database published between 2012 and 2022. The Scopus database returned 711 documents published in journals of different disciplines from 59 countries, averaging 17.9 citations per year. Multiple software and Database Analysers were used to investigate the data and illustrate the most active scientific bibliometric indicators such as authors and co-authors, citations, co-citations, countries, institutions, journal sources, and subject areas. The USA was the most influential nation (101 documents; 5405 citations),…

The world has relied on fossil fuel energy for a long time, producing many adverse effects. Long-term fossil fuel dependency has increased carbon emissions and accelerated climate change. In addition, fossil fuels are also depleting and will soon be very costly. Moreover, the expensive national electricity grid has yet to reach rural areas and will be cut off in inundation areas. As such, alternative and carbon-free hydrogen fuel cell energy is highly recommended as it solves these problems. The reviews find that (i) compared to renewable energy such as solar, biomass, and hydropower, a fuel cell does not require expensive transmission through an energy grid and is carbon-free, and hence, it is a faster agent to decelerate climate change; (ii) fuel cell technologies have reached an optimum level due to the high-efficiency production of energy, and they are environmentally friendly; (iii) the absence of a policy on hydrogen fuel cells will hinder investment from private companies as they are not adequately regulated. It is thus recommended that countries embarking on hydrogen fuel…

This study explores the interplay among economic growth, financial globalization, urbanization, fossil fuel consumption, and renewable energy usage and their combined impact on the load capacity factor in Mexico. This research employs the load capacity factor as a unique measure of ecological health, facilitating a comprehensive ecosystem assessment by sequentially evaluating biocapacity and ecological effects. Using time series data spanning from 1971 to 2018, this study employs the Autoregressive Distributed Lag (ARDL) method to analyze both long-term and short-term dynamics and cointegration. The findings reveal that economic growth, fossil fuel usage, and urbanization reduce Mexico’s load capacity factor, thereby diminishing environmental quality. In contrast, the adoption of renewable energy sources and the influence of financial globalization exhibit positive effects on the load capacity factor over the long and short term. These outcomes remain consistent even when compared with alternative estimation techniques, including dynamic ordinary least squares (DOLS), fully modified…

Smallholder farmers are key contributors to food security globally, and more so in developing countries. Despite their critical role in food security, smallholder farmers are highly constrained by specific contextual challenges such as climate change, productivity, cost of production, credit access, and financial resources constraints that impact their sustenance, sustainability, and growth. Digital agriculture has emerged as a viable solution to addressing smallholder farmers’ contextual challenges, with many digital solutions already existing and developed to serve the agriculture sector. However, many smallholder farmers are beyond the reach of these digital solutions due to underdeveloped or nonexistent digital ecosystems. This paper reports on a systematic review conducted to examine the research that has been undertaken regarding digital agriculture ecosystems in relation to smallholder farmers and to identify challenges, usage, benefits, access, and uptake of the systems. The key findings reveal very limited research directed at digital literacy or skills, affordability, and…

The rise of stakeholder interest globally in sustainable business practices has resulted in a rise in demands from stakeholders that companies report on the environmental and social impacts of their business activities. In certain cases, however, companies have resorted to the practice of providing inaccurate disclosures regarding sustainability as part of their corporate communications and sustainability reporting—commonly referred to as “greenwashing”. Concurrently, technological improvements in artificial intelligence have presented the means to rapidly and accurately analyze large volumes of text-based information, such as that contained in sustainability reports. Despite the possible impacts of artificial intelligence and machine learning on the fields of greenwashing and sustainability reporting, no literature to date has comprehensively and holistically addressed the interrelationship between these three important topics. This paper contributes to the body of knowledge by using bibliometric and thematic analyses to systematically analyze the interrelationship between those…

This research aims to analyze the environmental impact of six fibers in the textile industry: conventional and organic cotton, silk, jute, flax, and polyester. The study used a life cycle assessment (LCA) methodology with a cradle-to-gate system boundary and analyzed the stages of agriculture, spinning, weaving, and dyeing. In agriculture production, five impact categories (i.e., fossil resource scarcity, global warming, land use, terrestrial ecotoxicity, and water consumption) have the most significant differences across these fibers. Polyester production significantly impacted the terrestrial ecotoxicity impact category, while stratospheric ozone depletion had a minor impact. In yarn preparation and spinning, silk has the most significant impact in most categories, followed by conventional cotton, while jute had the most minimal impact. In weaving, the most visible differences were in fossil resource scarcity, global warming, land use, terrestrial ecotoxicity, and water consumption. Conventional cotton dyeing showed significant impacts on global warming potential and terrestrial…

To address the problems of low network accuracy, slow speed, and a large number of model parameters in printed circuit board (PCB) defect detection, an improved detection algorithm of PCB surface defects based on YOLOv5 is proposed, named PCB-YOLO, in this paper. Based on the K-means++ algorithm, more suitable anchors for the dataset are obtained, and a small target detection layer is added to make the PCB-YOLO pay attention to more small target information. Swin transformer is embedded into the backbone network, and a united attention mechanism is constructed to reduce the interference between the background and defects in the image, and the analysis ability of the network is improved. Model volume compression is achieved by introducing depth-wise separable convolution. The EIoU loss function is used to optimize the regression process of the prediction frame and detection frame, which enhances the localization ability of small targets. The experimental results show that PCB-YOLO achieves a satisfactory balance between performance and consumption, reaching 95.97% mAP at 92.5 FPS,…

Recently, different techniques have been applied to detect, predict, and reduce traffic congestion to improve the quality of transportation system services. Deep learning (DL) is becoming increasingly valuable for solving critiques. DL applications in transportation have been collected in several recently published surveys over the last few years. The existing research has discussed the cloud environment, which does not provide timely traffic forecasts, which is the cause of frequent traffic accidents. Thus, a solid understanding of the difficulties in predicting congestion is required because the transportation system varies widely between non-congested and congested states. This research develops a bi-directional recurrent neural network (BRNN) using Gated Recurrent Units (GRUs) to extract and classify traffic into congested and non-congested. This research uses a bidirectional recurrent neural network to simulate and forecast traffic congestion in smart cities (BRNN). Urban regions worldwide struggle with traffic congestion, and conventional traffic control techniques have failed…

Proper hazard recognition is fundamental to effective safety management in construction workplaces. Nevertheless, poor hazard recognition levels are a widespread and persistent problem in the construction industry. For example, recent investigations have demonstrated that a significant number of workplace hazards often remain unrecognized in construction workplaces. These unrecognized workplace hazards often remain unmanaged and can potentially translate into devastating and unexpected safety incidents. Therefore, interventions targeted at improving hazard recognition levels are foundational to enhancing safety management in construction workplaces. The main objective of the current investigation was to examine if ChatGPT, a language model recently launched by OpenAI, can aid hazard recognition when integrated into the curriculum of students pursuing a career in the construction industry. The investigation was carried out as an experimental effort with 42 students enrolled in the construction program at a major state university in the United States. First, prior to the introduction…

Aquaculture is growing rapidly as a food-producing sector and in recent years, fishmeal prices have climbed by more than twofold on a global scale. This review of previous studies was performed to contribute to the extant literature on the aquaculture sector to aid cost reduction of aquafeeds by identifying substitute protein that can replace fishmeal. The review followed the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) using the SCOPUS and WOS (Web of Science), DOAJ (Directory of Open Access Journals), Academia, and Pubmed Central databases with the following search terms: “fishmeal,” “alternative protein source” and “aquafeeds.” This resulted in 5,331 articles from the SCOPUS and WOS databases. Finally, the titles and abstracts of the articles were screened, giving a total of 162 articles that were used in the study; another 58 articles came from open databases. Results have shown that 100% replacement of fishmeal with blood meal did not affect the growth of fish as well as 75% to 100% combination of poultry-by-product (PBM), feather meal (FEM), and…

Acceptance of, behavioral intention towards, and actual use of AI-based systems or programs has been a topic of growing interest in the field of education. A considerable number of studies has been conducted to investigate the driving factors affecting users’/students’ intentions regarding certain technology or programs. However, few studies have been performed to understand college students’ actual use of AI-based systems. Moreover, the mediating effect of students’ learning motivation was seldom considered. Therefore, the present study was conducted to explain factors contributing to college students’ actual use of AI-based systems, as well as to examine the role of their learning motivations. As a result, perceived usefulness and perceived ease of use of AI-based systems positively impacted students’ attitude, behavioral intentions, and their final, actual use of AI-based systems, while college students’ attitude towards AI-based systems showed an insignificant impact on students’ learning motivations of achieving their goals and subjective norms. Collectively, the findings of…

China is the largest total pollution emitter country on the globe and a vast literature has investigated the environmental Kuznets curve (EKC) hypothesis in China. Thus, we aim to review empirical studies on the testing of the EKC hypothesis using different pollution proxies and area samples in China. The EKC hypothesis can be validated by establishing an inverted U-shaped or an N-shaped relationship between pollution and economic growth. In this review of the Chinese literature, the validity of the EKC hypothesis is found more often than its absence. In comparison, a higher proportion of the studies validated the EKC hypothesis using global pollution proxies compared with local pollution proxies. Moreover, a greater percentage of the studies substantiated the EKC hypothesis using Chinese provincial and city-level data compared with aggregate national data. To validate these findings, we applied logistic regression, and the chance of the validity of the EKC hypothesis was found to be 5.08 times higher than the absence of the EKC if a study used a global pollution proxy. Moreover,…

In the practice of medicine, antibiotics are extremely important and are employed in the treatment of infections. A lot of antibiotics are consumed by humans and excreted via urine and feces into sewage systems and treatment plants. These are considered to be non-biodegradable, and over the years they accumulate in the aquatic environment. The presence of antibiotics in water resources causes the emergence of antibiotic-resistant bacteria, posing a serious threat to the health of human beings. Water bodies must be adequately treated before being discharged to prevent the spread of antibiotic resistance. In the present article, the sources of antibiotics and strategies used for their effective removal, such as ultrafiltration, microfiltration, nanofiltration, membranous biological reactor treatment, Advanced Oxidation Process (AOP), Reverse Osmosis (RO) and Nano sorbents, are discussed. Conventional wastewater treatment plants are not able to eliminate antibiotics deposition/resistance genes effectively and efficiently. In this regard, the adsorption method is the most effective way…

In recent years, interest in economic, environmental and social sustainability has increased significantly. Companies are gradually adopting behaviors aimed at achieving the Sustainable Development Goals, which represent a crucial aspect of the 2030 Agenda. In practice, they are currently incorporating organizational strategies that jointly consider environmental, social and corporate governance (ESG), with the aim of generating value for all stakeholders. This paper aims to review, through a recognized seven-step procedure, the current literature on the impact that ESG practices have in industry, with a focus on the reduction of carbon emissions. The results are extremely useful for both researchers and entrepreneurs. The bibliometric analysis shows that interest in the ESG paradigm has grown considerably in the last three years. Furthermore, through the analysis of 13 key documents, it emerges that (i) the European community is pushing significantly towards the adoption of ESG practices through new regulations, (ii) the link between industrial operations and carbon emissions can…

The term “Resilient Supply Chain 4.0” incorporates two research areas: Industry 4.0 and Supply Chain Resilience (SCRes). Industry 4.0 technologies include innovations such as the Internet of Things (IoT), Cyber-Physical Systems (CPS), Augmented Reality (AR), Cloud Computing (CC), the Internet of Services (IoS), Big Data Analytics (BDA), Artificial Intelligence (AI), Digital Twins (DT), Blockchain (BC), Industrial Robotics (IR), and Additive Manufacturing (AM). Industry 4.0 technologies do not have a direct impact on SCRes, but on resilience elements such as flexibility, redundancy, visibility, agility, collaboration, robustness, and information sharing. This paper aims to investigate which of the Industry 4.0 technologies can help improve the Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) that are used for creating a Resilient Supply Chain 4.0. A non-systematic literature review has been conducted for the identification of (a) the most important constituent elements of SCRes, (b) the Industry 4.0 technologies that improve the SCRes elements, and (c) the KPIs that enhance SCRes. A systematic…

As concerns about the environment continue to increase and restrictions become tougher, professionals in business and legislators are being compelled to investigate the environmental effects of the activities associated with their supply chains. The control of carbon emissions by governments all over the world has involved the adoption of a variety of strategies to lower such emissions. This research optimizes COVID-19 pandemic logistics management as well as a green closed-loop supply chain design (GCLSCD) by basing it on carbon regulatory rules. This research looks at three of the most common types of normal CO2 restrictions. In the models that have been proposed, both costs and emissions are optimized. When it comes to supply chain (SC) activities, there is a delicate balance to strike between location selection, the many shipment alternatives, and the fees and releases. The models illustrate these tensions between competing priorities. Based on the numerical experiment, we illustrate the impact that a variety of policies have on costs in addition to the efficiency with which…

Construction material sustainability and waste reuse have emerged as significant environmental issues. Concrete is widely used in the building and engineering fields. Ultra-high performance concrete (UHPC), which has remarkably high mechanical properties, has become one of the most common concrete varieties in recent years. As a result, substantial amounts of Portland cement (PC) are frequently used, raising the initial cost of UHPC and restricting its broad use in structural applications. A significant amount of CO2 is produced and a large amount of natural resources are consumed in its production. To make UHPC production more eco-friendly and economically viable, it is advised that the PC in concrete preparations be replaced with different additives and that the recycled aggregates from various sources be substituted for natural aggregates. This research aims to develop an environmentally friendly and cost-effective UHPC by using glass waste (GW) of various sizes as an alternative to PC with replacement ratios of 0%, 10%, 20%, 30%, 40%, and 50% utilizing glass powder (GP). Fine…

Electric vehicles have been gaining attention as a cleaner means of transportation that is low-carbon and environmentally friendly and can reduce greenhouse gas emissions and air pollution. Despite EVs’ many advantages, widespread adoption will negatively affect the electric grid due to their random and volatile nature. Consequently, predicting the charging demand for electric vehicles is becoming a priority to maintain a steady supply of electric energy. Time series methodologies are applied to predict the charging demand: traditional and deep learning. RNN, LSTM, and transformers represent deep learning approaches, while ARIMA and SARIMA are traditional techniques. This research represents one of the first attempts to use the Transformer model for predicting EV charging demand. Predictions for 3-time steps are considered: 7 days, 30 days, and 90 days to address both short-term and long-term forecasting of EV charging load. RMSE and MAE were used to compare the model’s performance. According to the results, the Transformer outperforms the other mentioned models in terms of…

Climate change has become a global issue that requires collective efforts, and green finance policies are an important way to address this problem and promote enterprise development. This paper uses listed company data and city panel data to investigate the utility and mechanisms of the influence of the development of green finance in different cities on the Green Total Factor Productivity (GTFP) of enterprises. The conclusion was that green finance can improve enterprise GTFP, which remained significant after conducting a series of robustness tests. The mechanism analysis showed that green finance can improve enterprise GTFP by promoting energy conservation and emission reduction. The heterogeneity analysis indicated that green finance has a better effect on non-state-owned enterprises, large-scale enterprises, and enterprises with weak financing constraints. This paper enriches the literature that addresses the impact of green finance and the influential factors among GTFP.

The Internet of Medical Things (IoMT), an application of the Internet of Things (IoT) in the medical domain, allows data to be transmitted across communication networks. In particular, IoMT can help improve the quality of life of citizens and older people by monitoring and managing the body’s vital signs, including blood pressure, temperature, heart rate, and others. Since IoMT has become the main platform for information exchange and making high-level decisions, it is necessary to guarantee its reliability and security. The growth of IoMT in recent decades has attracted the interest of many experts. This study provides an in-depth analysis of IoT and IoMT by focusing on security concerns from different points of view, making this comprehensive survey unique compared to other existing studies. A total of 187 articles from 2010 to 2022 are collected and categorized according to the type of applications, year of publications, variety of applications, and other novel perspectives. We compare the current studies based on the above criteria and provide a comprehensive analysis to pave…

In the field of education, ongoing processes, and optimal schoolwork outcomes require educational leadership, especially in developing countries, due to the lack of sustainable teaching performance and effective leadership. The present study aims to examine the mediating role of teachers’ commitment to transformational leadership and sustainable teaching performance. The sample of the study was selected using a stratified random sampling technique. Out of the 450 copies distributed to the participants, only 374 were retrieved as valid. The hypotheses of the study were tested using PLS–SEM. The findings showed a positive effect of transformational leadership on teachers’ commitment. Moreover, transformational leadership was also found to positively impact teachers’ performance. In contrast, the teachers’ commitment was revealed to positively affect sustainable teaching performance. Finally, the study showed that the teachers’ commitment mediated the relationship between transformational leadership and sustainable teaching performance. This study is unique for being among the few…

This work establishes the technological elements that have enabled the preservation, promotion, and dissemination of tangible and intangible cultural heritage in the period from 2018 to 2022. For this, a Systematic Literature Review (SLR) was conducted in the scientific databases Scopus, Science Direct, IEEE and Web of Science, which facilitated the identification of 146 articles related to the topic. A quantitative and qualitative analysis of the journals, authors and topics was carried out, detailing the important variables required to establish the sought-out elements; for this purpose, the following were quantified in the papers: type, topic, categorization, country, and language; in the publications, the type of heritage chosen, the place of the heritage and the type of intervention were investigated. The number of publications reporting the use of some type of technology was also identified, finding that 70% of them show a technological approach to preserve cultural heritage, while 30% refer to other types of interventions. The technologies reported to be used the most are 3D…

The present study was carried out using artificial neural network (ANN) model for predicting the sodium hazardness, i.e., sodium adsorption ratio (SAR), percent sodium (%Na) residual, Kelly’s ratio (KR), and residual sodium carbonate (RSC) in the groundwater of the Pratapgarh district of Southern Rajasthan, India. This study focuses on verifying the suitability of water for irrigational purpose, wherein more groundwater decline coupled with water quality problems compared to the other areas are observed. The southern part of the Rajasthan State is more populated as compared to the rest of the parts. The southern part of the Rajasthan is more populated as compared to the rest of the Rajasthan, which leads to the industrialization, urbanization, and evolutionary changes in the agricultural production in the southern region. Therefore, it is necessary to propose innovative methods for analyzing and predicting the water quality (WQ) for agricultural use. The study aims to develop an optimized artificial neural network (ANN) model to predict the sodium hazardness of groundwater for…

Digital technologies are used in various local government activities. Adopting suitable digital technology strategies could enhance service efficiency, effectiveness, and accountability. The challenges of technology adoption among local governments, however, are also evident. One of the major challenges is capacity, including the lack of knowledge or awareness of how to balance the local government’s resources and the strategies that need to be implemented. This challenge also forms a research gap. The study aims to consolidate the understanding of local government digital technology adoption strategies via the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA). It analyses the adoption opportunities, challenges, and strategies through the lens of people, processes, and technology frameworks. The results show that: (a) Strategies concerning the people aspects include building a platform for public participation, employees’ skills, and decision-makers' positive mindset development. (b) Strategies concerning the process aspects include recognizing the players’…

The prediction of wind power output is part of the basic work of power grid dispatching and energy distribution. At present, the output power prediction is mainly obtained by fitting and regressing the historical data. The medium- and long-term power prediction results exhibit large deviations due to the uncertainty of wind power generation. In order to meet the demand for accessing large-scale wind power into the electricity grid and to further improve the accuracy of short-term wind power prediction, it is necessary to develop models for accurate and precise short-term wind power prediction based on advanced algorithms for studying the output power of a wind power generation system. This paper summarizes the contribution of the current advanced wind power forecasting technology and delineates the key advantages and disadvantages of various wind power forecasting models. These models have different forecasting capabilities, update the weights of each model in real time, improve the comprehensive forecasting capability of the model, and have good application prospects in wind power…

Sustainability’s growth, year after year, continues to be staggering, becoming a reference point for those working on these issues [...]

This paper investigates adopting metaverse in academic institutions based on a conceptual model. The proposed conceptual model was created to empower future perspectives of the metaverse system. Even though the metaverses system was just recently launched, few attempts have been made to evaluate its impact on the educational sector. This paper attempted to determine the impact of metaverse system by providing a conceptual model that encompasses innovativeness, context awareness, perceived enjoyment, ubiquity, complexity, and value. The information was gathered using an online questionnaire completed by 953 people. The findings indicate that an innovative academic environment can influence teachers’ and students’ attitudes toward new technology. Understanding how the metaverse system functions as an innovative educational tool can influence students’ views regarding the use of new technology, assisting higher education institutions in developing regulations that enhance the learning process. As a result, the study discovered that the moderating impact of’ innovativeness is critical…

In response to the dramatic increase in social media usage among the young generation, the patterns of manufacturing and consumption have changed. Social media has altered the green consumption market and completely changed consumer psychology and attitude. The influence of social media on the younger generation’s behavior regarding green consumption through subjective norms and perceived green value is hardly discussed in the earlier literature with special reference to China. This study has the objective to explore the impact of social media on the green purchase intentions of young people in the presence of subjective norms and perceived green value. A survey of 303 young people in China is conducted and multiple statistical techniques are applied to determine the reliability and validity of the data such as the Fisher F test, White’s test, the Durbin–Watson test, the Shapiro–Wilks test, and confirmatory factor analysis. The mediating impact of the variables are explored through the bootstrap method and multiple regression is applied for finding the relationship among dependent…

In response to the problem of increasing climate change and energy security, investment in renewable energy sources has increased significantly both in Europe and globally. Wind and solar power plants are expected to be the largest contributors to global decarbonization, ranking first and second in projected capacity by 2050. As all power plants have a certain impact on the environment, so do PV power plants, and due to their planned large capacities, it is necessary to assess their impact on the environment. Improving the manufacturing technology of PV system components, increasing the efficiency of solar cells, and using materials that are less harmful to the environment will reduce these impacts. Manufacturing PV system components is a highly energy-intensive process that involves greenhouse gas emissions. As new renewable energy capacity is built, the amount of “green” electricity on the grid increases, reducing CO2 emissions per kWh consumed. The objective of this paper is to analyze the current status of the environmental impact of PV power plants under these changing…

Digital marketing innovation plays an important role in a company’s performance. Since this concept is quite new, there are not many empirical studies on the impact of marketing innovations. The purpose of this study is to examine the impact of digital marketing innovation on firm performance, consider the mediation effect of marketing capability on the impact of digital marketing capability on firm performance and explore the potential moderating effect of firm size on the mediation effect. Using KOSPI and KOSDAQ data and a linear moderated mediation estimation, we found that digital marketing innovation on firm performance through marketing capability has significant direct and indirect effects, with indirect effects greater than direct effects. Theoretical and practical implications are also discussed in this article.

Purpose: To systematically present the publication trends related to sustainable energy, which is an interdisciplinary concept. Design/methodology/approach: This study performed bibliometric analysis to investigate sustainable energy research between 1980 and 2022 using a sample of 1498 research papers from the Web of Science (WoS) databases, with only published articles on sustainable energy. Findings: A bibliometric analysis reveals trends in sustainable energy research publications, showing sustainable energy as an emerging topic and trends in sustainability and energy research. However, it seems that sustainable energy is still a niche area of study. Within the scope of the study, 2857 publications were included in the analysis. Of the publications included in the analysis, 1498 are articles and 1089 are other publication types. As a result of the analysis, the number of articles on the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals and the Paris Agreement has significantly increased since 2015. In 2022, the highest number was reached. It is seen that this finding is related to…

In recent decades, the rapid development of artificial intelligence (AI) technology has led to the increasing use of AI speaking apps in foreign language learning. This research investigates the impact of social network-based interaction on students’ English speaking practice with the assistance of AI speaking apps in China. During the summer vacation, 70 students from different Chinese universities and majors were recruited for the experiment. They were required to practice speaking skills with AI apps for five weeks and were divided into two groups. Participants in the experimental group were encouraged to engage in various interactive activities when practicing speaking with AI apps, while those in the control group were asked to use AI speaking apps without interaction. Data were collected through questionnaires and semi-structured interviews as well as pre-and post-tests. The results indicated that students generally held positive attitudes towards interactive activities when using AI apps to practice their spoken English. The finding also showed that social network-based…

The rapid advancements in digital technologies have prompted organizations to embrace digital transformations (DTs) in order to enhance efficiency, gain a competitive advantage, and achieve long-term sustainability objectives. However, the successful adoption of innovative digital technologies necessitates the careful consideration of various factors, such as stakeholder engagement, resource allocation, risk mitigation, and the availability of resources and implementation support. This study examines the sustainable adoption of innovative digital technologies (DTs) within digital transformations. The data for this study were collected from 760 stakeholders through a questionnaire survey and analyzed using SPSS software (Version 27). This study’s results underscore the significance of considering the efficiency of the transformation process and the long-term sustainability outcomes for organizations. The findings of the analysis clarify that integrating sustainability principles and DT has a positive impact on the effectiveness of the transformation, as indicated by environmental,…

Solar photovoltaic (PV) technology is a cornerstone of the global effort to transition towards cleaner and more sustainable energy systems. This paper explores the pivotal role of PV technology in re-ducing greenhouse gas emissions and combatting the pressing issue of climate change. At the heart of its efficacy lies the efficiency of PV materials, which dictates the extent to which sunlight is transformed into electricity. Over the last decade, substantial advancements in PV efficiency have propelled the widespread adoption of solar PV technology on a global scale. The efficiency of PV materials is a critical factor, determining how effectively sunlight is transformed into electricity. Enhanced efficiency, achieved through a decade of progress, has driven the global expansion of solar PV. Multi-junction photovoltaic materials have now exceeded 40% efficiency in lab tests. China leads the world in solar PV installations, boasting over 253 GW of installed capacity by the end of 2021. Other prominent countries in this sector are the United States, Japan, Germany, and India. Supportive…

In essence, Islamic law (Maqasid al-Shariah) and the sustainable development goals (SDGs) initiated by the United Nations have the same goal: to achieve the perfection of a sustainable human life. Meanwhile, Islamic finance is regarded as an implementation of Islamic law, as many Islamic finance products and instruments are derived from Islamic law. Prior studies on Islamic law, Islamic finance, and SDGs tend to be scattered, and the role of Islamic finance in SDGs is still questionable. This paper uses a systematic literature review to investigate the intersection of Islamic finance, Islamic law, and SDGs. We selected papers that focused on Islamic finance as an inclusion criterion and excluded papers that only discussed Islamic countries as an exclusion criterion. We retrieved 65 papers and book chapters published from 2008 to 2022 from the Scopus database to analyze which parts of Islamic finance and law can contribute to the SDGs. We use thematic analysis for data synthesis by grouping findings into their relation to Islamic law using Al-Ghazali’s Framework of Maqashid…

Corporate performance in ESG has received increased attention; however, the discussion on how digital development will affect corporate practice of ESG needs to be deepened. This paper discusses the impact of digital transformation on corporate ESG performance using multiple linear regressions with STATA 17.0 for 2707 companies listed in China A-shares in the period 2010–2021. Based on principal–agent theory, resource-based theory and signaling theory, the study finds that digital transformation can improve corporate ESG performance. From an external perspective, the contribution of digital transformation to ESG performance diminishes when environmental uncertainty increases; from an internal perspective, the positive effect of digital transformation on ESG performance is more significant in larger-scale enterprises. In addition, digital transformation will further enhance ESG performance by promoting green innovation, i.e., green innovation has a mediating role in the relationship between the two factors. The findings of the study introduce new thinking on the factors that…

Clean and safe energy sources are essential for the long-term growth of society. Wind energy is rapidly expanding and contributes to many countries’ efforts to decrease greenhouse gas emissions. In terms of sustainable development goals (SDGs), renewable energy development promotes energy security while also facilitating community development and environmental conservation on a global scale. In this context, the current article aims to investigate wind energy’s role within the SDGs. Furthermore, the present study highlights the role of the London Array wind farm in achieving the SDGs. Indeed, deploying clean and economical energy sources in place of conventional fossil fuel power plants provides vital insights into environmental impacts. The London Array operation is saving approximately 1 million tons of carbon dioxide (CO2) equivalent. Furthermore, the London Array contributes to the achievement of multiple SDGs, including SDG 8: decent employment and economic growth; SDG 9: industry, innovation, and infrastructure; SDG 11: sustainable cities and communities; and SDG 15: life on…

The value created by enterprise digitalization is not only reflected in economic value but also has social and environmental value. Using data on A-share listed companies in Shanghai and Shenzhen from 2010 to 2020 as research samples, empirically tested the impact and mechanism of enterprise digital transformation on the environmental, social, and governance (ESG) performance. Overall, enterprise digital transformation can significantly improve the ESG performance of enterprises. Further, the mechanism testing shows that there are three main driving factors in promoting digital transformation: restraining the short-sightedness of management; improving the transparency of the internal information of enterprises; and improving the technological innovation of enterprises. The conclusion of the study enriches the strategic level of enterprise sustainable development from the perspective of “resource allocation”, and reveals the “black box” of the causal relationship between digital transformation and enterprise ESG performance.

The rapid increase in data traffic caused by the proliferation of smart devices has spurred the demand for extremely large-capacity wireless networks. Thus, faster data transmission rates and greater spectral efficiency have become critical requirements in modern-day networks. The ubiquitous 5G is an end-to-end network capable of accommodating billions of linked devices and offering high-performance broadcast services due to its several enabling technologies. However, the existing review works on 5G wireless systems examined only a subset of these enabling technologies by providing a limited coverage of the system model, performance analysis, technology advancements, and critical design issues, thus requiring further research directions. In order to fill this gap and fully grasp the potential of 5G, this study comprehensively examines various aspects of 5G technology. Specifically, a systematic and all-encompassing evaluation of the candidate 5G enabling technologies was conducted. The evolution of 5G, the progression of wireless mobile networks, potential use cases, channel models,…