Impact of Corporate Social Responsibility, Green Intellectual Capital, and Green Innovation on Competitive Advantage

The concept of green intellectual capital has gained substantial popularity in context of pressures from competition, environmental forces, and mounting stakeholders’ expectations for environment protection. Scholars have, investigated about the antecedents and consequences of green intellectual capital. However, those investigations look inexhaustive in terms of the research frameworks and contexts employed therein. Based on the systematic literature review, this paper builds a better model involving, both, antecedents and consequences of green intellectual capital. The model proposes that corporate social responsibility is a factor leading to green intellectual capital. Additionally, green intellectual capital leads to green innovation resulting in competitive advantage for firms. Importantly, the model acknowledges contingency theory and suggests that the relationship between corporate social responsibility and green innovation could be moderated by the extent to which a firm is visible to general public for its activities as well as the extent to which the firm is transparent.

Innovation to zero emissions: nuclear energy trough nonproliferation and environment protection- Romanian experience for GEN 4

The UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (NY 2019) has concluded that nations must move more swiftly to reduce emissions of carbon dioxide, methane, and other greenhouse gases to avoid the most devastating effects of global warming. The paper presents nuclear energy as part of the solution. Due to the fact that the population is concerned about nuclear proliferation, plant safety and radiation protection, the paper presents the Romanian experience regarding the reduction of the risk of proliferation as well as the project of the 4th generation reactor ALFRED. One of the most important steps in assessing the candidate materials for Generation IV reactors is the material performance under neutron irradiation. In this respect, the paper also presents the results of the evaluations on some potential materials to be used in fast lead cooled reactors.

Contesting Sustainability of Mega-Events in Chinese Metropolises: A Narrative and Practise Review

Since the Rio Summit, sustainability has been enshrined in the official claims of mega-events, and scholars' sustainability concerns over mega-events persist. This research is one of the few contextualising the debates in China where mega-events have become prevalent and contributed to metropolitan boosterism since the 1990s. It argues that the ill-defined, ambiguous meaning of sustainability leaves room for host cities to discursively strike a balance between environment protection, social equity and economic growth, but unavoidably leads to paradoxes of sustainability in actual practises. The argument is supported by a longitudinal study on 12 major mega-events held or to be held in Chinese metropolises. Narratively, Chinese government's articulation of sustainability declared by international organisations of top mega-events has evolved technocratic and inclusive. Practically, amongst the three variants of sustainability, economic sustainability, and environmental sustainability appear to work better than social sustainability. Findings of this research call for clarified narratives and concrete measures to guide mega-event practises.

Integrated Underground Mining Hazard Assessment, Management, Environmental Monitoring, and Policy Control in Pakistan

This study focused on the significance of underground mining in Pakistan, resulting in the employment of operational staff to undertake the primary tasks of this sector, such as explosions, rock excavation, mineral research, mining-supporting walls, and mine compactivity. Occupational accidents and illnesses arise due to the activities mentioned above because the working circumstances are not optimal. The decision-matrix risk-assessment (DMRA) approach, in which incidents are evaluated according to their severity and probability, was also utilized to improve working conditions, including public health and environment protection. To assess the risks and to select which actions should continue in the same manner, we highlighted hazards that need control measures and, as the last option, those that must be stopped. By taking into account the results of the study, corrective actions were proposed that can help avoid the occurrence of the presented accidents through applying occupational safety and health regulations issued by the Department of Minerals and Mines, which is a governmental entity responsible for both the issuing and the compliance to those regulations. The current study also outlined the requirements that must be reported under mining-related laws.

Green entrepreneurship and SME performance: the moderating effect of firm age

Green entrepreneurship has been increasing with growing attention to environment protection by a variety of stakeholders. Green innovation, as the essence of green entrepreneurship, has attracted a broad range of scholarly attention with yet inconclusive findings regarding its effect on firm performance. According to our analyses of 1667 firms listed on SME board and GEM in China during the period from 2010 to 2019, we find interesting results regarding the type of green innovation involved and the moderating effect of firm age on the link between green innovation and SME performance. More precisely, we find green utility-model innovation positively influences firm performance for SMEs, whereas green invention innovation does not contribute to firm performance overall. More interesting, our empirical results suggest that older firms benefit more from both green invention innovation and green utility-model innovation than younger firms. This research contributes to the literature on green entrepreneurship as well as green innovation.

DEVELOPMENT OF THE COMBINED RESERVOIR OF MIXTURE OF TECHNICAL COMBUSTIBLE LIQUIDS AS COMPONENT OF ENVIRONMENT PROTECTION TECHNOLOGY

In this study the development, analysis and description of the sche­me of environment protection technology for the oil storage were carried out. The proposed scheme is provided for the utilization of vapors of technical combustible liquids stored at the enterprise, namely diesel fuel, gasoline and motor oil, formed during the manifestation of the phenomena of small and large reservoir breathing in significant quantities. Set of initial data and the mass hour­ly emission of such vapors into the en­vironment were obtained according to an improved approach. Development of a high-pressure storage reser­voir for such vapors as the executive device of environmental protection technology for the oil storage according to an improved approach was carried out. Parameters of the reciprocating compressor, which distills the mixture of such vapors from the low-pressure storage reservoir to the high-pressure sto­rage reservoir, compressing them, was selected. Calculation of the reservoir wall thickness ba­sed on the theory of strength of closed solid shells was carried out taking into account the mechanical properties of the wall material, namely steel 60, and the value of the pressure of the gaseous fluid in it. Magnitudes of weight of the deve­loped reservoir and the cost of materials for its manufacture were determinated. Design of a combined reservoir for the ac­cu­mu­lation of a volley of a mixture of such vapors with a system of intermediate cooling of the mixture after its compression by a reciprocating compressor and the pos­sibility of heating the condensate in the reservoir was de­ve­loped.

ON THE PARTICIPATION OF NON-GOVERNMENTAL ORGANIZATIONS IN THE ENVIRONMENT PROTECTION IN THE REPUBLIC OF BASHKORTOSTAN

Ecological problems of the Republic of Bashkortostan are connected with the oil, petrochemical and chemical refinery plants and unfair fulfilling of the ecological requirements by the owners. Environment protection, preservation and far-sighted use of resources are due to a low level of the population’s ecological world outlook and information awareness. The author notes that social participation in the solution of the environmental problems is the important stage in forming ecological world outlook as a necessary element of strategic management of natural resources. Highlighting the activities of the non-governmental environmental organizations, mass media system development in this aspect especially use of the modern IT-technologies, Internet, mobile applications are required.

3D Printing Applications in Agriculture, Food Processing, and Environmental Protection and Monitoring

This paper presents a mini review of the applications of 3D printing, formally known as additive manufacturing, in the fields of agriculture, food processing, and the environment protection and monitoring. The paper discusses materials used in 3D printing, the different printing technologies employed in the process, as well as its prospects. PLA and ABS thermoplastics find the most application in the field of agriculture as they are affordable filaments available in the market and they are relatively easy to print. The direct extrusion of food helps people with swallowing difficulties increase their food intake as well as customize their diet. As for the environment, applications in water desalination and air quality monitoring are among the use cases of 3D printing presented in this paper.