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Urban ecology examines the intricate interactions within socio-ecological urban systems, with green infrastructure (GI) emerging as a vital tool for sustainable development by enhancing ecosystem services and promoting human well-being. This study aimed to provide a comparative assessment of moss-based GI, focusing on its capacity to reduce particulate matter (PM10) and absorb rainwater. To evaluate PM10 absorption, laboratory experiments were conducted in a controlled pollution chamber using a vertical barrier de...

Governments worldwide, the EU, and the UN are proposing new initiatives to manage digital technologies. One of these initiatives is termed the пїЅtwin transition,пїЅ which refers to aligning digitalisation and sustainability (circular economy) goals and processes to create a synergy in which both initiatives mutually reinforce and complement one another, enabling the achievement of maximum positive impact on social, economic, and environmental balance. There is no single definition of the пїЅtwin transitionпїЅ in ...

The transition to paperless management in municipalities is an essential step in achieving the goals of environmental economics and sustainability. To assess the benefits of such a transition and find weaknesses, the municipality of Liepaja (Latvia), in cooperation with the municipalities of Vila Nova de Poiares (Portugal) and Mielec (Poland), implemented a joint project. The present research evaluated the financial benefits of switching to paperless management as well as the benefits of training municipal employe...

Dematerialization of local governments and environmental economics go hand in hand in pursuing sustainable development and environmental protection. Dematerialization, a concept in environmental economics, refers to reducing material consumption enabling economic growth without a commensurate increase in content consumption and associated environmental impacts [2]. This tendency to do more with less is essential to the municipalities' environmental economy. Advances in technology and the digital skills of municipa...

The research examines creativity as an important factor in the production of ecological products and the promotion of sustainable development in the regional economy. The research aims to examine how to promote creativity in the regional economy, what tools should be implemented to develop creativity in individuals, and how creativity is associated with overall prosperity and economic growth in the country. Nowadays, the problems of exploiting natural resources and management of constrained natural resources in th...

In 2019, the Green Cities submitted the first proposal for the Green Norm. The Green Norm is a set of practical recommendations mainly for politicians, officials and urban development officials. Green cities introduce this norm as a critical strategy for competitiveness. More and more people are moving to big cities, so we must consider climate-neutral solutions as the municipalities set an example. The number of green and climate-neutral towns in Europe and Latvia has constantly been increasing over the last deca...

Statistical data, as well as public reports and comments from industry experts, show that the transition of local governments to the digitisation of internal processes has several challenges, mainly related to ensuring sustainability, reducing the impact on the environment, data security, and technical maintenance [2,3]. Therefore, it is essential to assess the situation in local governments and choose the most appropriate support system for Latvia's situation, which would not only be financial support. In public ...

Pursuing sustainability in a rapidly changing global landscape has necessitated a paradigm shift in economic models. At the forefront of this transformation is the Circular Economy, characterized by the continuous reuse, recycling, and remanufacturing of products and materials, which has gained prominence as a means to address pressing environmental challenges while fostering economic growth. This research explores the interplay between the circular economy, innovation, investment, and social responsibility. These...

The construction sector generates more than a quarter of all carbon dioxide emissions, which contributes to the deterioration of the environmental situation in the world. This article describes one of the ways to reduce carbon dioxide emissions from construction by changing the type of concrete components. In this research, a comparison analysis of various criteria of Portland cement and Ground granulated blast-furnace slag (GGBS) was carried out. The main method for solving the problem of this study is the Multic...

Over the last 10 years, the amount of packaging waste in Latvia has increased by almost 40%. The statistical report on the types of packaging waste generated and recovery rates in the Republic of Latvia in 2018, in accordance with European Commission Decision 2005/270/EC, shows that the total amount of packaging waste was 257 350 tonnes in 2018, and plastic packaging made up 17%. Plastics are relatively light (comparing with wood or glass materials), it means that the volume of such waste is large and increasing e...

Reconstruction of ports, including dredging, is intensifying all over the world. Dredging is used to dredge ports - a type of excavation that is carried out underwater or partially underwater. Dredging helps to maintain waterways and ports navigable. It is a complex process consisting of stirring, lifting, transporting and disposing of the dredged material. The material obtained by dredging may be disposed of in the vicinity of the port or transported to another location by barge or by pipes in the form of liquid ...

Reducing the use of paper is, first and foremost, an essential factor for environmental economics and sustainability. Digital transformation is also one of the tools supporting the environmental economy, improving business efficiency and reducing costs in the following ways: reducing errors and processing times and increasing security and confidentiality. In the document on Digital Transformation Guidelines 2021-2027 (Cabinet of Ministers Order No 490 of 7 July 2021 on Digital Transformation Guidelines 2021-2027. ...

The European Union (EU) is hurrying towards a climate-neutral economy, which includes increasing the use of renewable resources, including wood for heating. This direction means that the use of wood is increasing every year in the EU and beyond. The by-product of this activity, biofuel ash, is correspondingly increasing, so its further use should be considered a long-term issue. Energy producers face the challenge of making the best use of ash and often landfill it, thus moving countries further away from the EU D...

Innovations audit in this paper is analysed as an assessment of the existing innovativeness level of Industrial clusters production and production-related processes to determine whether specific technologies and the totality of production processes correlate with technological developments in the relevant field. It should be noted that there is no commonly encountered economic approach to analyse the innovations and technologies in industry clusters. By using Analytical hierarchy process modelling, paper covers de...