This study investigates the relationship between capital structure and financial performance at Robin Corporation Ltd, a leading beverage manufacturer in Zimbabwe. A quantitative research methodology was employed, with data collected from 31 employees through structured questionnaires. The study focuses on external and internal financing sources—debt, equity, retained earnings, and reserves—and their impact on the company’s financial outcomes. The analysis reveals a positive correlation between capital structure and financial performance, suggesting that both debt and equity financing play significant roles in shaping financial results. However, it was also observed that factors such as managerial efficiency, inflation, and broader economic conditions exert substantial influence on performance. While capital structure is a critical determinant, the results indicate that effective management of these other variables is equally essential for optimizing financial outcomes. The findings underscore the importance of strategic capital management in the Zimbabwean beverage sector, emphasizing that an appropriate balance between external and internal financing is pivotal for enhancing financial performance. The study contributes to the broader understanding of capital structure in emerging markets and provides valuable insights for companies seeking to navigate the complexities of financial decision-making in volatile economic environments.
The complex challenges of addressing climate change at the local level necessitate a nuanced understanding of the policy networks that shape climate governance. This study investigates the policy network surrounding the Climate Village Program (CVP) in Pekanbaru City, Riau, examining the roles of various stakeholders and the collective dynamics that underpin local climate resilience efforts. A mixed-methods approach was employed, integrating both qualitative and quantitative data, and utilising Social Network Analysis (SNA) with UCINET 6 software to map and analyse the relationships between key actors in the network. The results reveal that the Department of Environment and Hygiene (DLHK) of Pekanbaru City occupies the most central and influential position in the policy network, acting as the primary leader. The Pekanbaru City Government plays a pivotal intermediary role, coordinating interactions between stakeholders. Despite the use of a multistakeholder approach in policy development, the process is predominantly driven by government institutions, with limited participation from businesses and non-governmental organisations (NGOs). This study highlights the potential for expanding the role of the private sector and NGOs in local climate governance, while also advocating for the increased involvement of universities in the development and implementation of climate policy. The findings offer a model for enhancing multistakeholder collaboration in local climate policy networks, with implications for broader application in other regions. The insights gained could contribute to more inclusive, participatory, and successful climate action initiatives, potentially transferable and scalable across various contexts to improve local climate governance globally.
The growing demand for energy, driven by urbanization and environmental concerns, has highlighted the need for innovative solutions in power management, particularly within residential and small business settings. This study presents a comprehensive smart home automation system, which is based on Internet of Things (IoT), designed to address these challenges. By integrating a smartphone application with Arduino-based hardware, the proposed system enables real-time remote operation, scheduling, and monitoring of electrical appliances. Bluetooth connectivity, coupled with advanced coding techniques, was employed to accurately measure power consumption and compute associated costs. The system's user interface was evaluated for its ease of use, responsiveness, and high accuracy, providing users with the ability to track energy usage trends, optimize appliance operation, and make informed decisions regarding energy consumption and cost management. Furthermore, the solution promotes sustainable energy practices by facilitating the reduction of unnecessary energy consumption. This scalable, cost-effective approach is poised to support the broader adoption of energy-efficient technologies. Future enhancements, such as integration with voice assistants and the addition of Wi-Fi connectivity, are expected to further expand the system's capabilities. The findings demonstrate the significant potential of IoT technologies to transform energy management and foster environmentally conscious behavior in smart homes.
The implementation of certain European Union (EU) directives into Italian national legislation through several legislative decrees has catalyzed the establishment of energy communities in Italy. In this context, Energy and Sustainable Economic Development (ENEA), in its capacity as a public research body, has developed a model of support aimed at facilitating the involvement of national stakeholders in the formation of energy communities. Smart Energy Communities (SECs), representing the evolution of both energy and smart communities, are seen as a convergence of these paradigms and as an enhancement of their proactive components. This study examines several technological solutions proposed by the ENEA model, which are instrumental in supporting the advancement of SECs. It also provides an overview of the key tools—either operational or under development—designed to fulfill the objectives of the model. The ENEA model places particular emphasis on fostering citizen engagement in energy-related matters, as well as on evaluating the progress of energy communities through both energy-specific metrics and broader social and environmental considerations. Through these innovations, the role of SECs as drivers of local energy transitions is reinforced, ensuring that the socio-economic and environmental benefits extend beyond the mere technical infrastructure of energy systems.
The European Union has introduced Renewable Energy Communities as a key component of its strategy to transform the energy sector, aiming to achieve climate neutrality by 2050. This study presents case studies of Renewable Energy Communities based on numerical and experimental investigations across various application fields in Italy, highlighting different types of stakeholders and energy configurations. The implementation of RECs is subject to a range of challenges, including diverse procedural requirements, stakeholder roles, and legal and technical constraints, which must be addressed to secure approval from national authorities. The first case study examines a photovoltaic-based energy community in Southern Italy, designed to mitigate energy poverty by supporting families unable to meet their essential energy needs. A second case study explores the benefits of a Renewable Energy Community in the industrial area of Benevento (South of Italy), which integrates a mixed-use building with an industrial wastewater treatment plant, focusing on energy sharing and environmental sustainability. The final case study investigates a Renewable Energy Community that incorporates electric vehicle charging stations, demonstrating its potential to enhance their diffusion on the territory and increase the community's self-consumption rate. Overall, the establishment of a Renewable Energy Community provides superior outcomes compared to conventional configurations of end-users regardless of the application field or the typology of members, from an energy, environmental and economic viewpoint, with additional positive outcomes possible depending on local circumstances.
This study assesses the long-term impacts of anthropogenic activities on Morocco's Ecological Footprint (EF), employing a dataset from 1980 to 2022 within the framework of the STIRPAT model and utilizing a model (VAR/VECM) approach. Results indicate that Demographic Growth (DG) and Economic Growth (EG) have contributed to an increase of EF by 13.76% and 119.13% per unit output, respectively. Conversely, Higher Educational (HE) attainment scores is shown to alleviate EF, reducing its output by 50.59%. This analysis underscores the urgent need for policy pathways in Morocco that prioritize ecosystem preservation, foster green growth, and promote Human Capital (HC). Recommendations include enhancing the valorization and expansion of the natural ecosystem, aligning economic and demographic trajectories with the region's Bio-Capacity (BC) regeneration limits, and optimizing EF management through sustainable consumption and production practices.
What if the main data protection vulnerability is risk management? Data Protection merges three disciplines: data protection law, information security, and risk management. Nonetheless, very little research has been made in the field of data protection risk management, where subjectivity and superficiality are the dominant state of the art. Since the GDPR tells you what to do, but not how to do it, the solution for approaching GDPR compliance is still a grey zone, where the trend is using the rule of thumb. Considering that the most important goal of risk management is to reduce uncertainty in order to take informed decisions, risk management for the protection of the rights and freedoms of the data subjects cannot be disconnected from the impact materialization that data controllers and processors need to assess. This paper proposes a quantitative approach to data protection risk-based compliance from a data controller’s and processor’s perspective, with the aim of proposing a mindset change, where data protection impact assessments can be improved by using data protection analytics, quantitative risk analysis, and calibrating experts’ opinions.
This study investigates the long-term relationship between human development and environmental sustainability in Azerbaijan, with a particular focus on carbon dioxide (CO₂) emissions as a key indicator of environmental impact. Using data spanning from 1997 to 2022, sourced primarily from World Bank and United Nations databases, the analysis applies the Autoregressive Distributed Lag (ARDL) model to examine how human development—measured by the Human Development Index (HDI), which integrates Gross National Income (GNI), life expectancy, and educational attainment—affects CO₂ emissions. Developing economies, such as Azerbaijan, often face the challenge of balancing economic growth and industrialization with environmental sustainability, as the former can exacerbate environmental pressures, particularly the increase in CO₂ emissions. A long-run equilibrium relationship between HDI and CO₂ emissions is identified, with a one-unit increase in HDI associated with a 2.793-unit reduction in CO₂ emissions. This negative relationship suggests that improvements in human development, reflected in better educational outcomes, higher income levels, and improved healthcare, can foster more sustainable environmental practices. Enhanced energy efficiency, greater adoption of green technologies, and increased environmental awareness are among the mechanisms through which human development may contribute to reducing CO₂ emissions. The findings underscore the need for a synergistic approach to human development and environmental sustainability, advocating for policies that integrate socio-economic growth with environmental stewardship. By aligning human development strategies with sustainability goals, countries like Azerbaijan can mitigate ecological degradation while fostering long-term economic and social well-being. These insights provide important implications for policymakers seeking to achieve sustainable development in Azerbaijan and beyond, contributing to global efforts to reconcile growth with environmental preservation.
This study investigates the relationship between rapid urbanization and poverty levels in Somalia, employing annual data spanning from 1990 to 2022. The analysis focused on critical variables, including urbanization rates, CO2 emissions as a measure of climate change, and unemployment rates, with poverty quantified by real GDP per capita. A Johansen cointegration approach is utilized to ascertain long-term equilibrium relationships, while a Vector Error Correction Model (VECM) captures short-term dynamics. Results indicate that urbanization exerts a significant positive influence on poverty in the long term; specifically, a 1% increase in urbanization correlates with a 1.73% rise in poverty levels. Additionally, unemployment demonstrates a substantial and statistically significant positive effect, whereby a 1% increase in unemployment results in a 9.64% increase in poverty. In contrast, CO2 emissions were found to be statistically insignificant. The long-run equilibrium adjustment rate is approximately 12.66% per period, suggesting a moderate pace of return to equilibrium. In the short run, the unemployment rate negatively influences poverty, with a coefficient of -2.369508. Furthermore, CO2 emissions exhibit a delayed yet significant positive effect on poverty, indicated by a coefficient of 0.681835. Granger causality tests reveal strong causal relationships between past unemployment rates and future poverty levels, as well as between past urbanization trends and subsequent poverty levels. The findings underscore the necessity for integrated policies that address urbanization, enhance climate resilience, and promote employment, aiming to alleviate poverty in Somalia.
Open Access
emilio sessa 
, lorenza di pilla , roberta rincione , alberto brunetti , francesco guarino , maurizio cellura , sonia longo , eleonora riva sanseverino |
Available online: 12-29-2024
Positive Energy Districts (PEDs) represent a crucial component of the energy transition and the development of climate-neutral urban environments. Given their significance, ongoing refinement in the definition and implementation of PEDs is essential. An in-depth analysis of the key characteristics of PEDs and the central role of stakeholders in their planning and modelling was presented in this study. The analysis encompasses five primary technological domains: energy efficiency, energy flexibility, e-mobility, soft mobility, and low-carbon generation. Both the enablers and barriers within a holistic framework, which integrates sustainability, as well as both tangible and intangible quality attributes, were identified. Key enabling factors, such as financial, social, innovation, and governance aspects, were examined to illustrate their impact on the successful implementation of PEDs. A co-creation process, highlighted as an essential outcome, contributes to a more refined understanding of the state of the art in PED design and implementation. In addition to the technical dimensions, the social, ecological, and cultural factors were shown to play a significant role, underscoring the importance of stakeholder engagement in achieving urban decarbonization. It can be concluded that a multidimensional approach, which incorporates not only technological innovations but also socio-ecological considerations, is necessary to effectively address the challenges inherent in the deployment of PEDs.
The development and implementation of a national geoportal designed to optimize the planning and management of integrated Renewable Energy Communities (RECs) is presented in this study. This innovative tool facilitates the identification of optimal energy system configurations by selecting available renewable resources and technologies and determining community membership based on assigned input parameters. These parameters include electrical load profiles, energy prices, renewable resource availability, technological characteristics, socio-economic conditions, and territorial constraints. A multi-objective optimization framework was employed to address energy, economic, environmental, and social priorities simultaneously. The methodology adopts a place-based approach, enabling the application of energy management and optimization models tailored to the specific characteristics of each case study and the corresponding input data. The proposed geoportal incorporates features such as flexibility, scalability, and applicability to real-world territorial contexts, while providing decision support to regional planners and stakeholders. Scalability was achieved through the integration and management of spatial and temporal datasets across varying scales. The study evaluates five scenarios, including the maximum renewable energy potential utilizing solar, wind, and biomass renewable energy sources (RES) technologies, and two REC scenarios emphasizing photovoltaic (PV) energy sharing between sectors, residential prosumers, and consumers. Performance metrics and indexes were employed to assess the energy, economic, environmental, and social benefits of RES generation, distribution, and sharing. The findings indicate that REC scenarios featuring energy sharing achieve higher levels of self-consumption and self-sufficiency compared to isolated configurations. Future iterations of the geoportal aim to extend its application to additional territories, thereby enhancing the self-sufficiency of Territorial Energy Communities (TECs) and advancing sustainable energy practices on a broader scale.
