Environmental projects implementation effectiveness in business structures within the corporate social responsibility

Rapid economic growth impacts our environment and consequently ecosystem services greatly. Recognizing the value and the need for conservation of ecosystem services is essential to business, the latter can reduce the risks as well as provide new opportunities for further development. It is quite possible that business can become a leading sector in environmental protection. As social corporate responsibility (CSR) in Ukraine becomes more and more popular, companies implement projects on energy efficiency, climate change, green building, and biodiversity conservation. However, the projects’ effectiveness should undergo assessment in order to prevent green-washing. This research aims at evaluating the companies’ performance in environmental projects implementation within the CSR. Its another attempt is to prove that environmental projects are a new trend that could become an effective tool for environmental protection

Accounting for local meteorological effects in the ozone time-series of Lovozero (Kola Peninsula)

International audienceThe relationship between local meteorological conditions and the surface ozone variability was studied by means of statistical modeling, using ozone and meteorological parameters measured at Lovozero (250 m a.s.l., 68.5°N, 35.0°E, Kola Peninsula) for the period of 1999-2000. The regression model of daily mean ozone concentrations on such meteorological parameters as temperature, relative humidity and wind speed explains up to 70% of day-to-day ozone variability in terms of meteorological condition changes, if the seasonal cycle is also considered. A regression model was created for separated time scales of the variables. Short-term, synoptical and seasonal components are separated by means of Kolmogorov-Zurbenko filtering. The synoptical scale variations were chosen as the most informative from the point of their mutual relation with meteorological parameters. Almost 40% of surface ozone variations in time periods of 11-60 days can be explained by the regression model on separated scales that is 30% more efficient than ozone residuals usage. Quantitative and qualitative estimations of the relations between surface ozone and meteorological predictors let us preliminarily conclude that at the Lovozero site surface ozone variability is governed mainly by dynamical processes of various time scale rather than photochemistry, especially during the cold season

Accounting for local meteorological effects in the ozone time-series of Lovozero (Kola Peninsula)

The relationship between local meteorological conditions and the surface ozone variability was studied by means of statistical modeling, using ozone and meteorological parameters measured at Lovozero (250 m a.s.l., 68.5°N, 35.0°E, Kola Peninsula) for the period of 1999-2000. The regression model of daily mean ozone concentrations on such meteorological parameters as temperature, relative humidity and wind speed explains up to 70% of day-to-day ozone variability in terms of meteorological condition changes, if the seasonal cycle is also considered. A regression model was created for separated time scales of the variables. Short-term, synoptical and seasonal components are separated by means of Kolmogorov-Zurbenko filtering. The synoptical scale variations were chosen as the most informative from the point of their mutual relation with meteorological parameters. Almost 40% of surface ozone variations in time periods of 11-60 days can be explained by the regression model on separated scales that is 30% more efficient than ozone residuals usage. Quantitative and qualitative estimations of the relations between surface ozone and meteorological predictors let us preliminarily conclude that at the Lovozero site surface ozone variability is governed mainly by dynamical processes of various time scale rather than photochemistry, especially during the cold season

Comprehensive system of financial and economic security of the enterprise

The article considers the main aspects of the formation of a comprehensive system of financial and economic security of the enterprise. It is revealed that the financial and economic security of the enterprise is its ability to ensure stability in both current and future periods, to minimize and neutralize the impact of risks, threats and dangers. It is established that the basis of a comprehensive approach is to achieve financial stability of the enterprise, its protection from the negative effects of internal and external threats. That is, the complexity of the system of financial and economic security of the enterprise is realized through the integration of a set of measures, the mechanism of their generation and provision. The article describes the method of building a system of the comprehensive evaluation of the system of financial and economic security of the enterprise, using the tree of goals and the tree of assessments. It is shown the ability to relate specifically defined values and explore the nature of their interdependence to be able to choose the best option to achieve the expected result

Features of Nickel-Cadmium Batteries Recycling

The issue of operated-off alkaline nickel-cadmium batteries recycling is currently relevant due to a number of aspects: economic, environmental and social. It is most acute across the national corporation JSC Russian Railways. The article deals with some technological features of operated-off alkaline nickel-cadmium batteries recycling with valuable components being extracted (from the example of nickel-cadmium storage batteries of JSC ”RZD” rolling equipment). The results of leaching in Trilon B synthetic oxides solution, the presence of which is possible in the raw material being processed, are presented in the study. Based on the study of leaching processes of CdO, NiO, FeO, Femet and Fe2O3 in Trilon B solution, the dependence of complexing on the pH of the solution was revealed. The experimental site of the hydrometallurgical processing of the research center (OCGP IC) in the GMO KhMC PJSC ”Uralelectromed” was selected as the testing one for the technology proposed. As a raw material for the tests, a lot of negative lamellae packed in alkaline storage batteries of two different types were used. They were obtained as a result of preliminary drying and cutting at OOO Kursk factory ”Accumulator”. The particle size is 90% - 0.1 mm. The results obtained during the research allowed the author to formulate a hypothesis about the practical use of Trilon B for the processing of operated-off alkaline nickel-cadmium batteries with the extraction of valuable components having greater economic, environmental and social benefits compared to methods based on pyro metallurgy. Keywords: nickel-cadmium batteries, recycling, Trilon B, Russian Railways, hydrometallurgica

Layered and hexagonal perovskites as novel classes of proton-conducting solid electrolytes. A focus review

Solid oxide electrolytes have attracted significant attention due to their possible applications in energy conversion devices, including solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs) and electrolysis cells (SOECs). Although a large amount of data has been accumulated to date, the design of new representatives of ionic electrolytes is of unquenchable interest. In this paper, a review of the new classes of proton-conducting solid electrolytes is provided. The physicochemical and transport properties of layered perovskites (BaNdInO4, BaNdScO4, SrLaInO4, BaLaInO4) and hexagonal perovskites (Ba7Nb4MoO20, Ba5Er2Al2ZrO13 and Ba5In2Al2ZrO13) were analyzed and summarized. Based on the performed analysis, the most promising compositions among the considered phases were identified and the effective approaches aimed at improving their functional characteristics were provided.keywords: layered perovskite, Ruddlesden-Popper structure, hexagonal perovskite, proton conductivity, SOFCs, SOECsDOI: https://doi.org/10.15726/elmattech.2022.1.00

On discrete boundary-value problems and their approximation properties

Discrete analogs of pseudo-differential operators and equations in discrete Sobolev-Slobodetsky spaces are considered. Using suitable discrete boundary conditions, we prove the unique solvability of the discrete boundary-value proble

A climatology of surface ozone in the extra tropics: cluster analysis of observations and model results

Important aspects of the seasonal variations of surface ozone are discussed. The underlying analysis is based on the long-term (1990–2004) ozone records of the Co-operative Programme for Monitoring and Evaluation of the Long-range Transmission of Air Pollutants in Europe (EMEP) and the World Data Centre of Greenhouse Gases, which provide data mostly for the Northern Hemisphere. Seasonal variations are pronounced at most of the 114 locations at all times of the day. A seasonal-diurnal variations classification using hierarchical agglomeration clustering reveals 6 distinct clusters: clean background, rural, semi-polluted non-elevated, semi-polluted semi-elevated, elevated and polar/remote marine. For the "clean background" cluster the seasonal maximum is observed in March-April, both for night and day. For those sites with a double maximum or a wide spring-summer maximum, the spring maximum appears both for day and night, while the summer maximum is more pronounced for daytime and hence can be attributed to photochemical processes. The spring maximum is more likely caused by dynamical/transport processes than by photochemistry as it is observed in spring for all times of the day. We compare the identified clusters with corresponding data from the 3-D atmospheric chemistry general circulation model ECHAM5/MESSy1 covering the period of 1998–2005. For the model output as for the measurements 6 clusters are considered. The simulation shows at most of the sites a spring seasonal maximum or a broad spring-summer maximum (with higher summer mixing ratios). For southern hemispheric and polar remote locations the seasonal maximum in the simulation is shifted to spring, while the absolute mixing ratios are in good agreement with the measurements. The seasonality in the model cluster covering background locations is characterized by a pronounced spring (April–May) maximum. For the model clusters which cover rural and semi-polluted sites the role of the photochemical production/destruction seems to be overestimated. Taking into consideration the differences in the data sampling procedure, the comparison demonstrates the ability of the model to reproduce the main regimes of surface ozone variations quite well

Structural and transport characteristics of substituted bismuth niobates

The results of studying solid solutions with the composition of Bi 3Nb1 - y Zr y O7 ± δ, Bi2.95Y0.05Nb1 - y Zr y O 7 ± δ (y = 0-0.5; Δy = 0.1), and Bi 6.95Y0.05Nb2 - y Zr y O 15.5 (y = 0.1-1; Δy = 0.1) are presented. XRD and electron microscopy with X-ray microanalysis are used to determine the homogeneity regions of solid solutions; crystallochemical parameters are calculated. It is shown that irrespective of the ratio of Bi: Nb, two cubic phases are formed at an increase in the dopant amount. One of these represents a solid solution based on Bi3NbO7 (δ-phase) and the second one is a solid solution based on δ-Bi2O3 (δ′-phase). Conductivity of sintered samples is studied using the impedance spectroscopy technique. Introduction of yttrium into the bismuth sublattice results in no increase in conductivity of solid solutions, while in the case of the ratio of Bi: Nb = 3: 1, overall conductivity of solid solutions is somewhat higher at similar dopant concentrations. © 2013 Pleiades Publishing, Ltd