• Energy Research

The Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) is far lag behind the sustainable targets that set out in the United Nation's Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which is highly needed to embark the priorities by their member countries to devise sustainable policies for accessing clean technologies, energy demand, finance, and food production to mitigate high-mass carbon emissions and conserve environmental agenda in the national policy agenda. The study evaluated United Nation's SDGs for environmental conservation and emission reduction in the panel of 35 selected SSA countries, during a period of 1995-2016. The study further analyzed the variable's relationship in inter-temporal forecasting framework for the next 10 years' time period, i.e., 2017-2026. The parameter estimates for the two models, i.e., CO2 model and PM2.5 models are analyzed by Generalized Method of Moment (GMM) estimator that handle possible endogeneity issue from the given models. The results rejected the inverted U-shaped Environmental Kuznets Curve (EKC) for CO2 emissions, while it supported for PM2.5 emissions with a turning point of US$5540 GDP per capita in constant 2010 US$. The results supported the "pollution haven hypothesis" for CO2 emissions, while this hypothesis is not verified for PM2.5 emissions. The major detrimental factors are technologies, FDI inflows, and food deficit that largely increase carbon emissions in a panel of SSA countries. The IPAT hypothesis is not verified in both the emissions; however, population density will largely influenced CO2 emissions in the next 10 years' time period. The PM2.5 emissions will largely be influenced by high per capita income, followed by trade openness, and technologies, over a time horizon. Thus, the United Nation's sustainable development agenda is highly influenced by socio-economic and environmental factors that need sound action plans by their member countries to coordinate and collaborate with each other and work for Africa's green growth agenda.

The Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) is far lag behind the sustainable targets that set out in the United Nation's Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which is highly needed to embark the priorities by their member countries to devise sustainable policies for accessing clean technologies, energy demand, finance, and food production to mitigate high-mass carbon emissions and conserve environmental agenda in the national policy agenda. The study evaluated United Nation's SDGs for environmental conservation and emission reduction in the panel of 35 selected SSA countries, during a period of 1995-2016. The study further analyzed the variable's relationship in inter-temporal forecasting framework for the next 10 years' time period, i.e., 2017-2026. The parameter estimates for the two models, i.e., CO2 model and PM2.5 models are analyzed by Generalized Method of Moment (GMM) estimator that handle possible endogeneity issue from the given models. The results rejected the inverted U-shaped Environmental Kuznets Curve (EKC) for CO2 emissions, while it supported for PM2.5 emissions with a turning point of US$5540 GDP per capita in constant 2010 US$. The results supported the "pollution haven hypothesis" for CO2 emissions, while this hypothesis is not verified for PM2.5 emissions. The major detrimental factors are technologies, FDI inflows, and food deficit that largely increase carbon emissions in a panel of SSA countries. The IPAT hypothesis is not verified in both the emissions; however, population density will largely influenced CO2 emissions in the next 10 years' time period. The PM2.5 emissions will largely be influenced by high per capita income, followed by trade openness, and technologies, over a time horizon. Thus, the United Nation's sustainable development agenda is highly influenced by socio-economic and environmental factors that need sound action plans by their member countries to coordinate and collaborate with each other and work for Africa's green growth agenda.

Rapid economic developments have led to the excessive consumption of environmental resources. Consumption patterns play a crucial role in deteriorating environmental conditions and influencing consumers to seek sustainability features while purchasing different products. The purpose of this paper was to analyze the sustainability factors that have prompted consumers in Malaysia to buy green products. The primary elements of this research focused on environmental concern, green product awareness, government support, perceived ecological value, community green practice, purchase intention, and green product purchase behavior. Additionally, to explain the relationship between the independent and dependent variables, this research employed the theory of planned behavior as a theoretical framework. A total of 300 questionnaires were collected and examined using smart PLS-SEM. The findings of the research suggest that all factors, including environmental concern, green product awareness, government support, perceived ecological value, community green practice, and purchase intention, influence consumers in Malaysia to purchase green products. Finally, this research discusses the contribution, limitations, and suggestions for future studies related to purchasing behavior towards green products.

Rapid economic developments have led to the excessive consumption of environmental resources. Consumption patterns play a crucial role in deteriorating environmental conditions and influencing consumers to seek sustainability features while purchasing different products. The purpose of this paper was to analyze the sustainability factors that have prompted consumers in Malaysia to buy green products. The primary elements of this research focused on environmental concern, green product awareness, government support, perceived ecological value, community green practice, purchase intention, and green product purchase behavior. Additionally, to explain the relationship between the independent and dependent variables, this research employed the theory of planned behavior as a theoretical framework. A total of 300 questionnaires were collected and examined using smart PLS-SEM. The findings of the research suggest that all factors, including environmental concern, green product awareness, government support, perceived ecological value, community green practice, and purchase intention, influence consumers in Malaysia to purchase green products. Finally, this research discusses the contribution, limitations, and suggestions for future studies related to purchasing behavior towards green products.

Although the Internet of Things (IoT), advanced manufacturing technologies, and cloud manufacturing contribute to developing a digital manufacturing ecosystem that enhances energy efficiency and resource utilization, manufacturing processes are vulnerable to timely production and delivery. The digital manufacturing systems in Industrial Revolution 4.0 (IR 4.0) minimized the human-technology interactions to foster productivity and material flow. However, there is scarce research to gauge the efficiency of these digital technologies in the entire manufacturing process; also, little is known about the collaborative efforts among countries to achieve sustainable manufacturing performance through the digitalization of the production process. Thus, this systematic review aimed to highlight the effectiveness of the digital manufacturing systems for sustainable product development and the collaborative research on the subject. We selected 52 research articles for this review by following the 2015 Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis Protocols (PRISMA) statement. The literature classifications were developed using text frequency algorithms in VOSviewer (Centre for Science and Technology Studies, Leiden University, The Netherlands) Results exposed literature from 2005 to 2020 can be categorized into four major research streams: digital transformation, digital manufacturing ecosystem, performance management, and sustainability. The study’s findings revealed that the manufacturing processes are moving towards the IoT, digital devices, and smart factories that are entirely dependent on digital technologies. The digital manufacturing ecosystem is dependent on the availability of digital technologies to all stakeholders. The study concluded that digital technologies are improving manufacturing efficiency and process effectiveness. However, this requires infrastructure that primarily available in developed countries; thus, the digital transformation in underdeveloped regions is deliberate and requires more collaborative research.

Although the Internet of Things (IoT), advanced manufacturing technologies, and cloud manufacturing contribute to developing a digital manufacturing ecosystem that enhances energy efficiency and resource utilization, manufacturing processes are vulnerable to timely production and delivery. The digital manufacturing systems in Industrial Revolution 4.0 (IR 4.0) minimized the human-technology interactions to foster productivity and material flow. However, there is scarce research to gauge the efficiency of these digital technologies in the entire manufacturing process; also, little is known about the collaborative efforts among countries to achieve sustainable manufacturing performance through the digitalization of the production process. Thus, this systematic review aimed to highlight the effectiveness of the digital manufacturing systems for sustainable product development and the collaborative research on the subject. We selected 52 research articles for this review by following the 2015 Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis Protocols (PRISMA) statement. The literature classifications were developed using text frequency algorithms in VOSviewer (Centre for Science and Technology Studies, Leiden University, The Netherlands) Results exposed literature from 2005 to 2020 can be categorized into four major research streams: digital transformation, digital manufacturing ecosystem, performance management, and sustainability. The study’s findings revealed that the manufacturing processes are moving towards the IoT, digital devices, and smart factories that are entirely dependent on digital technologies. The digital manufacturing ecosystem is dependent on the availability of digital technologies to all stakeholders. The study concluded that digital technologies are improving manufacturing efficiency and process effectiveness. However, this requires infrastructure that primarily available in developed countries; thus, the digital transformation in underdeveloped regions is deliberate and requires more collaborative research.

CSR has been studied widely both in the developed and the developing countries. However the dynamic nature of CSR has resulted in different types of research studies. The present study involved a systematic literature review on the concept of CSR. The study used the qualitative method using the content analysis approach to review the article. The study used the simple descriptive statistics to analyse the data collected from the reviewed article. A total of 100 articles were selected for this study using the keyword Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) in the Google scholars’ database. The findings show that only 72% of the CSR studies were conceptual research papers where the researcher focused on the definition and conceptualisation of CSR. About 17% of the research articles were on CSR performance and the remaining 11% was on CSR communication. The present study attempts to initiate the literature review research on the concept of CSR.

CSR has been studied widely both in the developed and the developing countries. However the dynamic nature of CSR has resulted in different types of research studies. The present study involved a systematic literature review on the concept of CSR. The study used the qualitative method using the content analysis approach to review the article. The study used the simple descriptive statistics to analyse the data collected from the reviewed article. A total of 100 articles were selected for this study using the keyword Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) in the Google scholars’ database. The findings show that only 72% of the CSR studies were conceptual research papers where the researcher focused on the definition and conceptualisation of CSR. About 17% of the research articles were on CSR performance and the remaining 11% was on CSR communication. The present study attempts to initiate the literature review research on the concept of CSR.