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This study investigated the co-combustion of the blends of coal and biomass residues from poplar sawdust, rice husk, pine nut shells, and sunflower residues for ecofriendly energy production. Proximate and ultimate analyses and calorific values of the coal and biomass residues were also carried out to evaluate the properties of the coal and biomass residues. The volatile matter in coal was reported as 43.38 wt% and ranged from 56.76 wt% to 80.95 wt% in the biomass residues. The ultimate analysis reported the carbon and sulfur content of coal as 68.7 wt% and 5.5 wt%, respectively. The coal and biomass blends were prepared using different ratios on the thermal basis of coal and biomass given as 100:0, 90:10, 80:20, 70:30, 60:40, and 50:50 by weight percentage. The consequent stoichiometric air requirements for all the blends were also calculated. The results revealed that the combustion of 60:40 of coal and sunflower residue blend was the most efficient blend, resulting in less emission of NOx, SOx, and CO2 in the flue gas compared to the combustion of pure coal. The study revealed a great perspective of the selected biomass residues to blend with coal for environmentally friendly and sustainable energy production.

The history of urbanisation in Cambodia is a fascinating case study. During 1965–1973, the Vietnam war triggered the mass migration of Cambodians to the urban centres as its rural economy was virtually annihilated by an unprecedented cascade of aerial bombardments. During the Pol Pot regime, 1975–1979, urban areas were hastily closed down by the Khmer Rouge militia that led to the phase of forced de-urbanisation. With the ouster of the Pol Pot regime, since 1993 a new wave of urbanisation has taken shape for Cambodia. Rising urban population in a few urban regions has triggered multidimensional problems in terms of housing, employment, infrastructure, crime rates and congestions. This paper investigates the significant drivers of urbanisation since 1994 in Cambodia. Despite severe limitations of the availability of relevant data, we have extrapolated the major long-term drivers of urbanization by using autoregressive distributed lag (ARDL) analysis and nonlinear autoregressive distributed lag (NARDL) models. Our main finding is that FDI flows have a significant short-run and long-run asymmetric effect on urbanisation. We conclude that an increase in FDI boosts the pull-factor behind rural–urban migration. At the same time, a decrease in FDI impoverishes the economy and promotes the push-factor behind the rural–urban migration.

Remarkable agricultural productivity gains have been achieved during the last several decades as a result of green revolution (GR) technologies that have greatly increased food production and reduced hunger. However, climate change threatens to reverse the progress made so far in the fight against food insecurity. The agricultural sector in many developing countries, including the rice and wheat producers such as in Punjab (Pakistan and India), is highly vulnerable to climate change, which has serious implications for rural livelihoods and food security. Adaptation is considered a key tool to tackle climate challenges at the farm level and is, therefore, the focus of this study in terms of its impact on rice yields. A household survey was conducted in the Punjab province of Pakistan, and farmers were interviewed face-to-face. We employed a simultaneous equations model to assess the differential impacts of climate change adaptation on adapting and non-adapting farmers’ rice yields. Using the cross-sectional data of 480 rice growers, an endogenous switching regression model provided a means to estimate the selection bias of farmers’ attributes. The results show a significant positive impact of adaptations on rice yields. Specifically, the yield of farmers who adapted to climate change was 24% higher than the non-adapting farmers. The results further indicate that non-adapters can also benefit from the adaptation strategies if they decide to adapt. We also found a significant positive effect of farmers’ climate risk perceptions, literacy level, access to irrigation, ownership of livestock, and availability of farm advisory services on their adaptation decisions. These results, therefore, suggest that policymakers should take into account farmers’ local adaptation knowledge and farming practices when formulating adaptation policies.

This study aimed to conduct a techno-economic performance and optimisation analysis of grid-connected PV, wind turbines, and battery packs for Syiah Kuala University, situated at the tip of Sumatra island in the tsunami-affected region. The simulation software Hybrid Optimisation Model for Electric Renewables (HOMER) was used to analyse and optimise the renewable energy required by the institution. The methodology began with the location specification, average electric load demand, daily radiation, clearness index, location daily temperature, and system architecture. The results revealed that the energy storage system was initially included in the simulation, but it was later removed in order to save money and optimise the share of renewable energy. Based on the optimisation results, two types of energy sources were chosen for the system, solar PV and wind turbine, which contributed 62% and 20%, respectively. Apart from the renewable energy faction, another reason for the system selection is cost of energy (CoE), which decreased to $0.0446/kWh from $0.060/kWh. In conclusion, the study found that by connecting solar PV and wind turbines to the local grid, this renewable energy system is able to contribute up to 82% of the electricity required. However, the obstacle to implementing renewable energy in Indonesia is the cheap electricity price that is mainly generated using cheap coal, which is abundantly available in the country.

Achieving sustained competitive advantage in the current business landscape has become an important challenge for both the service and manufacturing sectors. Based on the thematic analysis of the empirical data from expert interviews of 46 professionals from Australia and Pakistan, this study puts forward a framework to achieve sustained competitive advantage. The research employs a dynamic capability (DC) theory lens and creates a foundation for the “sustainable dynamic capabilities” concept for future research. The findings affirm that (1) sustainable dynamic capabilities lead to sustained competitive advantage, (2) sustainable dynamic capabilities lead to corporate sustainability, (3) corporate sustainability leads to sustainable dynamic capabilities, and (4) corporate sustainability acts as a mediator between sustainable dynamic capabilities and sustained competitive advantage. By utilising the proposed framework, practitioners can clearly define their strategies to achieve competitive advantage by implementing sustainability practices. The findings of this research clearly pinpoint the interrelationship between sustainability practices and sustained competitive advantage, and sustainability should be taken as a dynamic capability itself, opening up new avenues for future research.

The relationship between human development and environmental quality has been explored in this study by examining the human-development status and carbon (CO2)-emissions levels of 60 countries from the low, lower-middle, and upper-middle income categories. The roles of renewable energy and some economic and institutional factors such as GDP, the rule of law, regulatory quality, and corruption control have also been investigated to ascertain their impacts on the relationship. The empirical investigations apply the generalized method of moments (GMM), fixed effects (FE), and random effects (RE) methods, and the long-run associations among the variables are investigated by applying the fully modified ordinary least squares (FMOLS) and dynamic ordinary least squares (DOLS) techniques. The robust findings support the trade-off relationship between human development and environmental quality in the selected low-income and developing countries. With evidence of an environmental Kuznets’s relationship between economic growth and environmental quality, these findings reveal that the measures pursued to improve human-development status have a contributory impact on CO2 emissions in the selected countries. However, an increased demand for renewable energy, effective enforcement of the rule of law, and improved control over corruption have a mitigating effect on CO2 emissions. The result has also highlighted the policy issues instrumental to increased emissions levels in these countries. Consequently, it is recommended to formulate policies for resolving disparities within the various dimensions of human development while also making deliberate investments in the socio-economic aspects of human development to ensure both sustainable human development and environmental quality.

Despite its well-known potential to reduce energy use, the inquiry of whether vernacular architecture prompts its occupants to have energy-saving behavior has been neglected. This paper aims to investigate the influence of vernacular houses on the behavior of their occupants and other parameters affecting occupant behavior. Along with site observations, 117 surveys including multiple choice and open-ended questions were conducted with households living in vernacular houses and new houses in the historical settlement, Behramkale (Assos). A principal component analysis was conducted for the whole sample to determine whether there is a relationship between energy saving occupant behavior and energy use, household, and housing characteristics. Then further analyses were performed to explore the differences in descriptive properties of occupants. Household characteristics were found to be associated with occupant behavior. The females and married people tended to show more energy-saving behavior and sought to use their houses in more environmentally friendly ways. The older people were more likely to show no-cost energy-saving behavior. The households with high income and high-level education tended to invest in energy-efficient appliances but consumed more energy than other households. Besides the effects of household characteristics, historical heritage, and landscape values specific to the area influenced occupant behavior. Vernacular houses enabled the households to behave in a certain way and to continue the traditional daily habits related to sustainable, energy-saving behaviors.

Sustainability transitions are purposeful and require deliberate collective action from multiple organizations, leading to the necessity to adopt new business models and redesign value networks. In both business model and sustainability transition research, the explicit activities needed to re-shape value creation and capture systems of organizations are largely unaddressed. We aim to fill this gap by proposing collaborative sustainable business modeling (CSBMing) as a participative multi-actor approach aimed at value network innovation to accelerate sustainability transitions. To do this, we first conceptualize a sustainability transition as a business ecosystem change. We then introduce the value network as the interceding level connecting the individual business to the wider ecosystem, which upon scaling, can change the ecosystem, leading to transition. CSBMing aims to redesign value networks and may thus be used as an actionable approach to accelerate transitions. Second, through the multi-level perspective, we explain how CSBMing can scale, influence other value networks, and change the ecosystem. Third, we recognize that scaling value networks might need more than just implementation of a CSBM and show how elements of CSBMing can complement executing transition management activities. We illustrate the potential role of CSBMing in accelerating transitions through two examples from the Dutch energy transition. In all, we show that CSBMing can be a fruitful approach to innovate and scale value networks, create collective action needed for sustainability transitions, and contribute to transition management activities.