Search in Publications

Found 6341 publications

Interplay between economic progress, carbon emissions and energy prices on green energy adoption: Evidence from USA and Germany in context of sustainability

Yuriy Bilan Mohammad Sharif Karimi Zhanren Zhang Umer Shahzad Naveen Mahasen Weerasinghe

Publication Name: Renewable Energy

Publication Date: 2024-10-01

Volume: 232

Issue: Unknown

Page Range: Unknown

Description:

In contemporary times, where most academic research mainly focuses on the factors of economic and environmental sustainability and emissions reduction. Yet, very little attention has been paid to the identification of the factors of renewable energy, which requires appropriate policy-level attention. Consequently, this research investigated two developed economies, i.e., Germany and the USA, from 1991 to 2021 where, the objective of the study includes using novel and robust empirical methods to test the causal relationship between renewable energy and CO2 emissions, economic growth, technological innovations and oil prices. Using the normality and unit root estimators, this study observed that non-normal data distribution, yet all the variables are stationary. Using time-series and panel cointegration tests, the results validate the cointegration between economic growth, oil prices, carbon emission, technological innovation, and renewable energy adoption in the United States whereas Germany does not show cointegration between the variables. This study employ ‘s the Morlet-Wavelet approaches and key findings show that all these variables have a significant role in improving renewable energy adoption in both the region. Furthermore, results show a unidirectional and bidirectional causal association between the variables via the panel-stacked Granger causality test. This study recommends effective policy ramifications concerning improved investment in technological innovation, improved low-carbon production, and diverting economic growth to renewable energy transition. Use of improved new time-series method of wavelet coherence show the key contribution in this paper with new evidence of time frequency analysis on how external variables affect renewable energy consumption in developed countries of US and Germany. The objective includes understanding the effects of CO2 emissions, economic growth, technological innovations and oil prices on renewable energy which would give evidence to policy makers and environmentalists on how developed countries should improve clean energy adoption.

Open Access: Yes

DOI: 10.1016/j.renene.2024.121038

Minerals at the crossroads: Economic policies, global trade, and renewable energy in the global South

Mosharrof Hosen Mrinalini Srivastava Amar Rao Jaya Singh Parihar Shubham Chavriya

Publication Name: Resources Policy

Publication Date: 2024-10-01

Volume: 97

Issue: Unknown

Page Range: Unknown

Description:

No description provided

Open Access: Yes

DOI: 10.1016/j.resourpol.2024.105257

Endothermic–Exothermic Hybrid Foaming of Recycled PET Blends

Gusztáv Fekete V. A. Szabó Gabor Dogossy

Publication Name: Journal of Composites Science

Publication Date: 2024-10-01

Volume: 8

Issue: 10

Page Range: Unknown

Description:

Over the past decades, the use of polyethylene terephthalate (PET) has seen significant growth, particularly in the packaging industry. However, its long decomposition time poses serious environmental challenges. The aim of this research was to develop a process for the foaming of large quantities of recycled PET (rPET) using endothermic and exothermic foaming agents. Various formulations with different ratios of endothermic and exothermic foaming agents were prepared, as well as their mixtures. The study found that the endothermic–exothermic hybrid foaming process resulted in a finer cell-size distribution and enhanced mechanical properties, making the foams highly suitable for widespread applications. The results support the potential use of exothermic foaming agents as nucleating agents in a hybrid foaming system. In particular, the ratio of 3% endothermic and 1% exothermic foaming agents proved optimal in terms of achieving a balance between porosity and mechanical strength, thereby enabling broad industrial applicability.

Open Access: Yes

DOI: 10.3390/jcs8100383

An Efficient Tour Construction Heuristic for Generating the Candidate Set of the Traveling Salesman Problem with Large Sizes

Péter Földesi Boldizsár Tüű-Szabó László T. Kóczy

Publication Name: Mathematics

Publication Date: 2024-10-01

Volume: 12

Issue: 19

Page Range: Unknown

Description:

In this paper, we address the challenge of creating candidate sets for large-scale Traveling Salesman Problem (TSP) instances, where choosing a subset of edges is crucial for efficiency. Traditional methods for improving tours, such as local searches and heuristics, depend greatly on the quality of these candidate sets but often struggle in large-scale situations due to insufficient edge coverage or high time complexity. We present a new heuristic based on fuzzy clustering, designed to produce high-quality candidate sets with nearly linear time complexity. Thoroughly tested on benchmark instances, including VLSI and Euclidean types with up to 316,000 nodes, our method consistently outperforms traditional and current leading techniques for large TSPs. Our heuristic’s tours encompass nearly all edges of optimal or best-known solutions, and its candidate sets are significantly smaller than those produced with the POPMUSIC heuristic. This results in faster execution of subsequent improvement methods, such as Helsgaun’s Lin–Kernighan heuristic and evolutionary algorithms. This substantial enhancement in computation time and solution quality establishes our method as a promising approach for effectively solving large-scale TSP instances.

Open Access: Yes

DOI: 10.3390/math12192960

Malta's low carbon transition towards sustainability

Yuriy Bilan Brian Azzopardi Rafał Kasperowicz Marcin Pinczynski Dalia Streimikiene

Publication Name: Sustainable Development

Publication Date: 2024-10-01

Volume: 32

Issue: 5

Page Range: 5120-5128

Description:

The transition to low-carbon energy and energy independence of a country play an important role in the sustainable development of its energy sector. Another important issue of sustainable energy development is the cost competitiveness in the generation process; with new renewable energy technologies, a sustainable energy transition to carbon-neutral society is possible. In this article, we present a view of sustainable energy transformation based on a case study of Malta. We have created a simulation of a Maltese electricity system with projected growth and dominance of photovoltaic energy in the electricity market. The study results suggest that a system with a high penetration of photovoltaics has significant advantage over a conventional system using fossil fuels. In particular, in the simulated Maltese system, the total annual cost of energy was reduced threefold, the CO2 emissions were reduced by 40%, and the energy independence of Malta increased by 60%. In the end, the article gives a recommendation for further research into the Maltese energy system.

Open Access: Yes

DOI: 10.1002/sd.2967

Post-pandemic pursuits: Activity preferences of rural tourists in Western Transdanubia

Roland Zsolt Szabó Csaba Kőmíves Ferenc Darabos

Publication Name: Hungarian Geographical Bulletin

Publication Date: 2024-10-01

Volume: 73

Issue: 3

Page Range: 283-301

Description:

This study examines the changing preferences of rural tourists in Western Transdanubia, Hungary, in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. We aim to uncover how rural tourism has changed and identify the new winners of the shifting demand. In 2021, we conducted a comprehensive survey with 925 participants and introduced a novel activity-based segmentation of rural tourists, revealing a strong preference for complex service packages. Practically, our findings highlight that village caterers who have strategically segmented the market have emerged as winners, successfully attracting different age groups and genders with customized packages. Cluster analysis revealed a segment of rural tourists who, without exception, were enthusiastic about diverse activities. In particular, our cross-cluster analysis points to a significant amount of potential demand among middle-aged tourists. These findings help practitioners develop a targeted product mix and marketing strategy to meet the changing demands of rural tourism.

Open Access: Yes

DOI: 10.15201/hungeobull.73.3.5

Complex pattern of nexus between global mining consortiums and sustainability in the Middle East and North Africa region

Laszlo Vasa Joanna Nakonieczny Hamed Tajmir Riahi Parisa Iranpour

Publication Name: Resources Policy

Publication Date: 2024-10-01

Volume: 97

Issue: Unknown

Page Range: Unknown

Description:

This research investigates the intricate interplay between major global mining entities and sustainability initiatives in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region, as a key part of Global South countries. The study conducts a comprehensive analysis of the global mining industry at five distinct levels: mining, mining cap-weighted, mining coal exclusion, global gold mining tracker, and global electrification minerals mining. The objective is to comprehend the multi-fractal patterns and implications of their interconnectedness with sustainability and conventional investments. By employing a time-varying parameter vector autoregressive (TVP-VAR) approach to identify the degree of nexus between each pair consisting of a mining index and sustainability or conventional investments, and utilizing the generalized Hurst exponent of a multiscale multi-fractal analysis (MMA) from September 18, 2017, to July 3, 2023, the study reveals that none of the bi-variate interconnectedness adheres to a random walk process, thereby confirming their inefficient behavior. The level of efficiency among pairs varies, demonstrating heterogeneity across the connections. The analysis indicates a relatively lower level of inefficiency in pairs of pairwise connectedness indices (PCIs) related to sustainable investments compared to conventional investments. Generally, conventional investments exhibit more distinct trends or predictability over various time scales, suggesting a less complex and unpredictable pattern compared to sustainable investments. Additionally, the persistence level in PCIs linked to conventional sustainable investments is higher than that of sustainable investments, implying that conventional investments have more predictable associations with mining consortiums. These findings provide valuable insights into the dynamic relationships between global mining entities and sustainability initiatives in the MENA region, with implications for investors, policymakers, and industry stakeholders. The clarity observed in connectivity patterns with conventional investments presents strategic opportunities for investors, potentially influencing regulatory adjustments for sustainable resource governance. The identified inefficiencies create opportunities for refining risk management tools and optimizing investment strategies. Furthermore, the study highlights the stability of connections between conventional sustainable investments and mining consortiums over time, providing guidance for long-term planning and risk mitigation.

Open Access: Yes

DOI: 10.1016/j.resourpol.2024.105256

Artificial intelligence-based expert weighted quantum picture fuzzy rough sets and recommendation system for metaverse investment decision-making priorities

Dragan Pamucar Hasan Dincer Muhammet Deveci Gang Kou Serhat Yuksel Serkan Eti

Publication Name: Artificial Intelligence Review

Publication Date: 2024-10-01

Volume: 57

Issue: 10

Page Range: Unknown

Description:

There should be some improvements to increase the performance of Metaverse investments. However, businesses need to focus on the most important actions to provide cost effectiveness in this process. In summary, a new study is needed in which a priority analysis is made for the performance indicators of Metaverse investments. Accordingly, this study aims to evaluate the main determinants of the performance of the metaverse investments. Within this context, a novel model is created that has four different stages. The first stage is related to the prioritizing the experts with artificial intelligence-based decision-making method. Secondly, missing evaluations are estimated by expert recommendation system. Thirdly, the criteria are weighted with Quantum picture fuzzy rough sets-based (QPFR) M-Step-wise Weight Assessment Ratio Analysis (SWARA). Finally, investment decision-making priorities are ranked by QPFR VIKOR (Vlse Kriterijumska Optimizacija Kompromisno Resenje). The main contribution of this study is the integration of the artificial intelligence methodology to the fuzzy decision-making approach for the purpose of computing the weights of the decision makers. Owing to this condition, the evaluations of these people are examined according to their qualifications. This situation has a positive contribution to make more effective evaluations. Organizational effectiveness is found to be the most important factor in improving the performance of metaverse investments. Similarly, it is also identified that it is important for businesses to ensure technological improvements in the development of Metaverse investments. On the other side, the ranking results indicate that regulatory framework is the most critical alternative in this regard.

Open Access: Yes

DOI: 10.1007/s10462-024-10905-0

SELECTION OF AGRICULTURAL PRODUCT SALES CHANNELS USING FUZZY DOUBLE MEREC AND FUZZY RAWEC METHOD

Dragan Marinković Dragan Pamucar Adis Puška Miroslav Nedeljković

Publication Name: Agriculture and Forestry

Publication Date: 2024-09-30

Volume: 70

Issue: 3

Page Range: 45-58

Description:

When selling food products, it's important to choose the appropriate sales channel. These channels connect producers with consumers. The aim of this study was to select a channel for the sale of cabbage to end customers. In this paper, six different sales channels that are used in the Semberija region for the sale of cabbage were observed. These sales channels were evaluated using 11 different criteria. In order to choose the sales channel that best meets the set objectives, a fuzzy set approach was used. This approach was chosen because qualitative criteria were used and expert ratings were in the form of linguistic values. Based on the input of seven experts who are professors at agricultural faculties in Bijeljina, it was found that consumer habits were the most important criterion, followed by the criterion compliance with environmental standards, while the smallest weight value was given to the criterion delivery method. Using the RAWEC (Ranking of Alternatives with Weights of Criterion) method, it was shown that online sales yield the best results, after that follows Producer-sales agent-consumer, while according to experts, the sales channel is the best rated Producer-wholesaler-retailer-consumer. This is because various tools can be utilized on the Internet for selling agricultural products. Based on the conducted research, the contribution of this study lies in the selection of sales channels using the integration of the MEREC and RAWEC methods.

Open Access: Yes

DOI: 10.17707/AgricultForest.70.3.03