• Energy Research
• other engineering and technologies close
• 12. Responsible consumption close
• 1. No poverty close
• PL close
• CZ close
• UA close

This paper evaluated the environmental effects of socially responsible investments (SRIs) in European countries and analyzed the differentiation between them in terms of SRIs and selected features in the environmental dimension. The first section of the paper discusses contemporary trends in Europe and in certain European countries, whilst the second compares SR environmental investments and environmental factors in selected European countries from a multidimensional perspective. The aim of the study was to identify and evaluate these trends as well as to find similarities and differences between European countries, and subsequently to indicate groups of countries with similar approaches to pro-ecological investments. In order to solve the problem, descriptive and multidimensional statistical methods were used, namely correspondence analysis (CA). Although the research results clearly revealed upward tendencies in the volume of SR environmental investments in the analyzed period, they nonetheless represent a relatively low share in the total number of socially responsible investments. The overall growth in SRIs in Europe may have resulted from the more intense activities of policymakers in some countries as a consequence of concluding agreements reached during the 21st Conference of the Parties (COP21) in 2015. The results of the study also revealed no significant correlations between SR environmental investments and environmental variables among the European countries analyzed; hence, there is no substantial evidence that investors’ assets contribute to the improvement of the environment.

This study focuses on formulating the most sustainable concrete by incorporating recycled concrete aggregates and other products retrieved from construction and demolition (C&D) activities. Both recycled coarse aggregates (RCA) and recycled fine aggregates (RFA) are firstly used to fully replace the natural coarse and fine aggregates in the concrete mix design. Later, the cement rich ultrafine particles, recycled glass powder and mineral fibres recovered from construction and demolition wastes (CDW) are further incorporated at a smaller rate either as cement substituent or as supplementary additives. Remarkable properties are noticed when the RCA (4–12 mm) and RFA (0.25–4 mm) are fully used to replace the natural aggregates in a new concrete mix. The addition of recycled cement rich ultrafines (RCU), Recycled glass ultrafines (RGU) and recycled mineral fibres (RMF) into recycled concrete improves the modulus of elasticity. The final concrete, which comprises more than 75% (wt.) of recycled components/materials, is believed to be the most sustainable and green concrete mix. Mechanical properties and durability of this concrete have been studied and found to be within acceptable limits, indicating the potential of recycled aggregates and other CDW components in shaping sustainable and circular construction practices. The authors wish to acknowledge the financial support from EU Horizon 2020 Project VEEP ‘‘Cost-Effective Recycling of C&DW in High Added Value Energy Efficient Prefabricated Concrete Compo-nents for Massive Retrofitting of our Built Environment” (No.723582).

The problems of environmental pollution in the conditions of high dust content in the air during the development of coal mines in the territory of the Czech Republic are considered. A mechanism for making managerial decisions was developed using an integrated approach using the new technological process Nastup Tušimice (DNT) aimed at eliminating pollutant emissions and managing workers in dusty conditions in mining operations. The recommendations of active and passive measures aimed at reducing dustiness in the process of coal mining have also been developed.

It is important to reduce the amount of municipal waste deposited in landfills, Czech Republic, therefore, puts more emphasis on the recovery of mixed municipal waste, which oblige and EU regulations. Production of solid alternative fuel that is suitable also due to less consumption of fossil fuels, is one of the uses of mixed municipal waste (Waste to Energy). A relatively high proportion of glass in mixed municipal waste is a major problem in the production of solid alternative fuel. The glass contained in the solid alternative fuel can be the cause of formation incrusts on heat transfer surfaces in combustion plants. For all examined types of glass, it was found that the melting temperature of the muffle furnace was 750 ° C. When using the method (ISO 540) for determining the temperature of softening , melting and flow showed no effect of the amount of glass in the ash, but the melting point was significantly higher (around 1,200 °C).

The assessment of greenhouse gases (GHGs) and air pollutants emitted to and removed from the atmosphere ranks high on international political and scientific agendas. Growing international concern and cooperation regarding the climate change problem have increased the need to consider the uncertainty in inventories of GHG emissions. The approaches to address uncertainty discussed in this special issue reflect attempts to improve national inventories, not only for their own sake but also from a wider, system analytic perspective. They seek to strengthen the usefulness of national emission inventories under a compliance and/or global monitoring and reporting framework. The papers in this special issue demonstrate the benefits of including inventory uncertainty in policy analyses. The issues raised by the authors and featured in their papers, along with the role that uncertainty analysis plays in many of their arguments, highlight the challenges and the importance of dealing with uncertainty. While the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) clearly stresses the value of conducting uncertainty analyses and offers guidance on executing them, the arguments made here in favor of performing these studies go well beyond any suggestions made by the IPCC to date. Improving and conducting uncertainty analyses are needed to develop a clear understanding and informed policy. Uncertainty matters and is key to many issues related to inventorying and reducing emissions. Considering uncertainty helps to avoid situations that can create a false sense of certainty or lead to invalid views of subsystems. Dealing proactively with uncertainty allows for the generation of useful knowledge that the international community should have to hand while strengthening the 2015 Paris Agreement, which had been agreed at the 21st Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). However, considering uncertainty does not come free. Proper treatment of uncertainty is demanding because it forces us to take the step from “simple to complex” and to grasp a holistic system view. Only, thereafter, can we consider potential simplifications. That is, comprehensive treatment of uncertainty does not necessarily offer quick or easy solutions for policymakers. This special issue brings together 13 papers that resulted from the 2015 (4th) International Workshop on Uncertainty in Atmospheric Emissions, in Cracow, Poland. While they deal with many different aspects of the uncertainty in emission estimates, they are guided by the same principal question: “What GHGs shall be verified at what spatio-temporal scale to support conducive legislation at local and national scales, while ensuring effective governance at the global scale?” This question is at the heart of mitigation and adaptation. It requires an understanding of the entire system of GHG sources and sinks, their spatial characteristics and the temporal scales at which they react and interact, the uncertainty (accuracy and/or precision) with which fluxes can be measured, and last but not least, the consequences that follow from all of the aforementioned aspects, for policy actors to frame compliance and/or global monitoring and reporting agreements. This bigger system context serves as a reference for the papers in the special issue, irrespective of their spatio-temporal focus, and is used as a guide for the reader.

Nowadays about 60% of world production and consumption of plastics are polyolefines. They are used as packaging, in building engineering, automotive industry or electronic engineering. High calorific value and proper Chemical composition of polyolefines (based on carbon and hydrogen) make them ideal for use in a wide range of applications. The polyolefines can be used as a substitute for coke in blast-furnace processes. This paper outlines thermal decomposition of PE-LD, PE-HD, PP which are used in agriculture and packaging from household. Thermogravimetry (TG) and Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC) were used as analytical methods.

Abstract Worldwide the search for new raw materials that are suitable for the production of energy pellets is increasing. Each new raw material undergoes evaluation through various analytical processes and quality assessments before being considered for use as energy pellet. In recent times, the raw materials such as agricultural, forestry, and food waste, as well as the surpluses originating from the agri-food production have become very popular for the production of energy pellets. In this study, we evaluated the feasibility of using lignocellulosic raw materials such as chamomile waste, birch sawdust, pea waste, and soybean waste for the production of pellets. In this study, we focused on the production of thermal energy from pellets by assessing the pellets in accordance with the required standards. The results have shown that lignocellulosic raw materials can be used to produce good quality energy pellets. The proportion of individual raw materials determines the individual strength characteristics of pellets and the suitability of pellets to produce thermal energy.

This article describes the process of business activity organization on the regional level and possible influence that external factors cause on it. It is stated that in the years 2010-2016 the number of economic entities in Ukraine has slightly decreased. It is concluded that the share of all the types of enterprises is similar in Ukraine comparing with the EU averages, although there is a significant deviation in the indices of businesses by 10 thousand population which in Ukraine are less than the average for EU countries. In the process of researching the state of development of business activity and the problems of SME development are being indicated. The problems include the following: lack of business support programs at the national level; inconsistency of bank lending to the requirements of business (high interest rates); insufficient infrastructure to support business; unsatisfactory state of vocational training; lack of seed capital for business creation; lack of working capital for business development. It’s concluded that the business model of any business activity plays the role of a template in the process of creation and operation of business in the certain circumstances. It also is an important step in the strategic planning, which includes an overview of future business that in turn affects the evaluation of the main keys of success of the enterprise and determines its growth. The model of business creation is relatively based on resource approach, which is concentrated on the resources and capabilities of the enterprise and is the most important for determining strategic actions. In the perfect circumstances the resources for business activity are meant to become the part of the process of business creation and development. They may be helpful not only as route map of the project implementing but also as its main part. The issue of developing the set of measures that provide the specific tasks of development and activity of small and medium enterprises at the regional level that will ensure efficient use of any information and implementation of scientific approach in business was further developed. The measures mentioned include: implementing the support of entrepreneurship; microcredit funding of the SMEs; increasing the number of small and medium-sized businesses in the production and others. The article also states that business is entirely dependent on the state system concept. The set of measures that provide specific tasks of development and activity of small and medium enterprises (stimulation of entrepreneurship, attracting business in the IT sector, the promotion of export-oriented businesses) should not only solve the economic problems of the country and the region but social issues as well: providing more working places and supporting the small business in the regions. The research and conclusions gained in this article may be used as the theoretical and practical material for government in order to support the SMEs and for entrepreneurs who intend to start their own business.