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Striving for reduction of production costs and constraints on natural resources cause the use of waste materials as substitutes of traditional raw materials to become increasingly important. Dynamic development of sewerage systems and sewage treatment plants observed over the recent years leads to increase of mass of the produced sewage sludge. According to the Waste Law, the municipal sewage sludge can be used if it is properly stabilized, e.g., through thermal processing. This process results in significant quantities of fly ash which must be properly utilized. The paper presents results of investigations of influence of partial replacement of cement by the fly ash from sewage sludge on concrete parameters. It was designed as a C20/25 class concrete mix, based on the Portland cement CEM I 42.5R with various ash content. Physical and chemical properties of the ash as well as frost resistance and the compressive strength of the concrete after 28, 56 and 365 days of curing were investigated. The obtained results of investigations confirm the possibility of application of fly ash wastes as a cement substitute in the concrete manufacturing. If a predefined quantity of cement is replaced by the fly ash, then one can obtain cement composite with good strength parameters.

The idea of sustainable development has been present in the field of management for many years, yet the challenges and rules of contemporary business mean that it remains topical. At the same time, the results of much research indicates an unsatisfactory level of execution of development concepts. Due to this, the subject of the study encompasses the implementation of the idea of sustainability in the strategy execution process, lending it a holistic and balanced nature. The purpose of the paper is an examination of the relationship between strategy implementation and the effectiveness of the strategy execution process. The relationships between the perspectives defined and results obtained by organizations were investigated. The research demonstrated the existence of a positive correlation of varied intensity. It is thus possible to identify a positive influence of the integration of the idea of sustainability with strategy execution, which is reflected in the effectiveness of activities undertaken.

Salt mines, a significant category of local, regional, national, and/or European underground heritage, are becoming attractive tourism destinations. This paper examines three cases of salt mining in different European countries, namely Wieliczka in Poland, Campina de Cima in Portugal, and Turda in Romania. They are analyzed in the context of history, typical attributes of their attractiveness, and new uses after the salt extraction was or is going to be stopped, in order to detect their unique values as important assets for both Underground Built Heritage (UBH) and Salt Heritage Tourism (SHT). The results of their comparison show that despite a positive impact related to their protection as cultural and industrial heritage, there are also some negative aspects related to increasing costs of their maintenance and adaptation of salt mines to new functions and to meet the tourism needs. By putting in place measures to enhance the awareness of their values and for activating the local community, the three mines are showcases for the economic outputs for their sites and regions, as well as for increasing knowledge regarding UBH.

We propose an ethical analysis as a method to reflect on how companies’ decisions promote sustainable development. The method proceeds by first identifying the choice according to financial business interests, and by then scrutinizing this choice according to consequentialist and deontological ethics. The paper applies the method to the choice of an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) that a consortium of Brazilian companies (EGASUR) delivered as part of their project proposal for the realization of the Inambari hydropower dam in the Peruvian Amazon. We show that if an EIA is chosen based on the attempt to maximize the financial bottom line, it raises ethical issues both from a consequentialist perspective by involving negative consequences for various stakeholder groups, and from a deontological perspective by not complying with relevant rules, guidelines, and principles. The two ethical perspectives hence reveal where the consortium faces impediments to a genuine commitment to sustainability. Building on stakeholder interviews, observations of the project developments, and the executive summary of the actual EIA, we provide indications that EGASUR has indeed made a choice that resembles a decision based on financial interests.

Sustainable development and environmental protection are among the most important challenges facing humanity today. One important issue is the problem of groundwater and surface water pollution which can lead to the degradation of aquatic ecosystems and negatively affect human health. As a result, new methods and materials are being sought that can help remove contaminants from water in an efficient and environmentally friendly manner. In recent years, there has been increasing interest in composite materials made from used cooking oil. This paper presents attempts to obtain composite materials with the addition of nano-sized zinc oxide and titanium oxide. The characterization of the composite materials was performed using FTIR, XRD, and SEM-EDS; their sorption and photocatalytic abilities were studied using batch mode experiments. The materials obtained exhibited sorption and photocatalytic properties. The highest value of photodegradation efficiency of more than 70% was recorded for the oil composite containing 20% zinc oxide. Composites containing 10% zinc oxide and titanium oxide had comparable sorption efficiencies of about 45% but different photodegradation efficiencies of 0.52% and 15.42%, respectively.

The aim of the article is to elucidate pro-environmental solutions and activities, consonant with the tenets of sustainability and enduring developmental paradigms, implemented within the infrastructural purview of the cultural institutions situated in Poznan—a municipality located in western Poland. A diagnostic scrutiny was executed encompassing the entirety of municipal cultural entities, constituting a cumulative assemblage of 15 establishments, all of which were extended invitations to participate in this investigation. Interrogations were directed towards ascertaining their strategic, environmentally conscientious determinations vis à vis the construction, renovation, or modernization of edifices during the temporal expanse of 2021 and 2022. Ultimately, responses germane to the posed inquiries were proffered by 7 institutions, as the remaining entities refrained from financial investments during the stipulated timeframe. The discerned outcomes illuminate the manifold pro-environmental measures and endeavors embraced by these institutions within the domain of infrastructural initiatives. These initiatives pertain to ecological considerations, safeguarding the natural milieu, and fortifying sustainability, encompassing facets such as energy and water conservation, the abatement of water and air contaminants, recycling endeavors, the utilization of renewable materials, the afforestation of vicinities, and the mitigation of the ostensibly designated “heat island effect”, among sundry others. These initiatives are not only significant for the current ecological situation worldwide, but they also appear to be crucial for the better future of the next generations.

The content of this article relates to the widely considered issue of ESG investing, which has both theoretical and practical dimensions. The objective of this article is to verify whether there is a correlation between the implementation of ESG strategies and financial data and indicators. The first part of the discussion highlights the essence of a socially responsible investment—a concept that postulates the consideration of social responsibility in the functioning of companies. At a further stage, an attempt is made to systematize the concepts of ESG investing, where three key aspects are highlighted, i.e., environmental, social, and corporate governance. The article also refers to the reporting non-financial data, which are indicated by SASB standards. An empirical study is conducted on the UNIMOT Group. In this respect, the adjustment of ESG strategy directions with disclosure topics defined within the oil and gas midstream sector is analyzed. Then, using the GRETL econometric package, the relationship between the selected financial data is verified for the periods analyzed, with particular emphasis on the year of implementation of the ESG strategy, i.e., 2021. The conclusions and directions for further research are presented in the final section of the article.