The purpose of this article is to analyse the current trends of practices implemented by companies in the context of forming responsible relations with employees for the adaptation of the idea of sustainable development. To achieve the goal, first an analysis of the literature on the subject and normative documents was carried out, and then a comparative analysis of the content of sustainability reports, ESG of selected companies for 2023 was carried out. The review of the literature on the subject showed, first of all, the timeliness and diverse nature of the study of issues related to both the topic of sustainable development, as well as the concept of corporate social responsibility and its employee aspect. In turn, a comparative analysis of practical CSR solutions directed to employees declared in sustainability reports, ESG by selected companies, showed the convergent nature of the proposed initiatives and the positive state of commitment of these organisations to sustainability goals.
Michał Soliwoda, Joanna Pawłowska-Tyszko, Agnieszka Biernat-Jarka
Environmental determinants may increase or decrease the income potential of farms, therefore, research on the income situation of farms located in areas with diversified natural farming conditions may be justified. The main aim of the article was to identify differences in the income situation, as well as to assess income inequalities between farms located in less favoured areas (LFA) and other entities (non-LFA). Changes in the scale of inequality in the years 2014-2021 in farms located in LFA areas can be divided into three main phases: a decline until 2017, a sharp increase in 2018 and another decline from 2019. Income inequality on LFA farms measured by the Gini coefficient in 2014-2021 decreased by 5.5%, while on non-LFA farms by 5.3%. This implies the need for in-depth monitoring of the economic and financial situation of farms located in LFA. An in-depth assessment of income inequalities for individual types of LFA may be important, including from the point of view of shaping new tools in the context of updating the CAP, which emphasises the imperative of improving the resilience of farms.
The study presents a methodology which can be employed by a wide array of stakeholders in the urban real estate market: policymakers, developers, investors as well as individuals. The methodology is widely applicable globally, and various economic variables can be appropriately linked to its results in order to make the economic implications of the length of permitting processes more transparent and promote affordable housing development and sustainable urban development. Across a unique primary dataset of 189 development projects in Prague, we find significant differences in the time required to obtain permits and to undertake construction work for buildings of different functional types. We attribute these differences primarily to public resistance to certain types of development. Our research also quantifies the percentage increase in construction prices that results from delays in the pre-construction process. We find that residential and mixed-use developments face significantly longer permitting processes than industrial development. This is a surprising finding, as these functions generally don’t give rise to as many externalities, necessitating stricter regulation. In addition, we also find that central locations face longer delays and greater price increases.
The study aimed to identify and explain perceived barriers to green consumption at different stages of behaviour change by integrating the Innovation Resistance Theory (IRT) and Stages of Behavioural Change (SOC) model. Through 20 in-depth interviews with consumers transitioning to green consumption at various stages, several barriers were identified. The knowledge barrier played a crucial role in shaping the adaptation process at every stage of change and was recognized as an independent construct within the IRT framework. Moreover, the research revealed that barriers such as tradition, value, usage, and risk exerted a stronger inhibitory effect in the early stages of green consumption, while knowledge and image barriers evolved and had a distinct impact as consumers progressed through the stages. The study also highlighted triggers that positively stimulated green consumption. These findings have implications for green marketing and can guide targeted interventions to promote sustainable consumption more effectively.
Izabela Kruszelnicka, Dobrochna Ginter-Kramarczyk, Michał Michałkiewicz
et al.
The aim of this study was to analyse the quality and compare the functional value of water from traditionally dug and drill wells located in west Poland. Basic physicochemical and microbiological (Escherichia coli in 100 ml, coliform bacteria in 100 ml, enterococci in 100 ml, total number of bacteria in 1 ml grown at 22 °C, total number of bacteria in 1 ml grown at 36 °C) were determination for the water samples. Additionally, some waters samples were analysed of the presence of heavy metals , TN (total nitrogen), TOC (total organic carbon) and NPOC (dissolved organic carbon). The conducted research has indicated that mineral and microbiological contamination occurs in the waters collected from the wells. This confirms that the wells were not sufficiently protected and that penetration of pollutants into the water occurs from their immediate surroundings, geological layers with which underground water resources come into contact.
The aim of this paper is to assess the significance of organic food purchases by consumers in Poland – motivated by supporting the local economy – against the background of other factors shaping consumer behaviour. The empirical material consists of the results of a survey among 850 consumers of organic food in Poland. The empirical material was analysed using Pearson’s chi-squared test of independence and the non-parametric Mann–Whitney U test. The study shows that for a large group of organic food consumers, supporting the local economy appears to be an important motive for its purchase. The only factor significantly differentiating the two groups of consumers (motivated or not motivated by supporting the local economy) was the level of family income. The study allowed us to conclude that among consumers motivated by supporting the local economy, attitudes described as reflexive localism (the motive of supporting the local economy associated with concern for the natural environment) predominate.
The main objective of the paper was to visualize and analyze the relationships between selected economic and environmental indicators in the waste management system of Slovakia, i.e., the amount of fees for municipal waste in individual districts of Slovakia in 2019 and the amount of average monthly wage and unemployment in Slovakia in the same year. Data were visualized and analyzed on a thematic map and in a boxplot, and subsequently, they were subjected to statistical testing. Based on the performed analysis, we can confirm the statistical relationship between the average wage and the amount of fees for municipal waste collection and the statistical relation between the municipal waste fee and the unemployment rate in individual districts of Slovakia.
Les col·leccions del Museu Marítim de Barcelona han estat enriquides en els darrers mesos amb la incorporació de diferents objectes, documents i fotografies, alguns procedents de donacions i d’altres, de compra. El seu valor és sempre ben gran, ja que permeten recuperar petits trossets de la nostra història marítima.
Karol Dawid Mrozik, Konrad Podawca, Daria Drożyńska
This paper aimed to access the changes that appeared between 2009 and 2018 in the context of progress in the spatial planning process at the local planning level. The study also attempts to classify communes in the metropolitan area due to the diversification of the degree of implementation in the spatial planning process. The research was conducted on the example of Poznań Metropolitan Area (PMA), which covers 45 communes. The analysis was based on data from the Local Data Bank of Statistics, Poland. The communes in PMA were classified into 12 groups. The most numerous group (almost half of the analysed units) are communes with small coverage of local spatial development plans and very low dynamics of issuing of decisions on building conditions. These are communes where the urbanisation pressure, due to the distance from Poznań, is lower than in the administrative units located near or in the immediate vicinity of Poznań.
El Museu Marítim de Barcelona ha tingut sempre un gran interès per la nàutica esportiva, tot i que en alguns moments hi ha hagut un distanciament entre el museu i el món de la nàutica, dels clubs i dels practicants, una separació que s'ha intentat reparar els darrers anys.
Zdenka Kovacova, Stefan Demcak, Magdalena Balintova
The water pollution by toxic elements is one of the major problems threatening human health as well as the quality of the environment. Sorption is considered a cost-effective method that is able to effectively remove heavy metals. During past few years, researches have been researching usage of low-cost adsorbents like bark, lignin, chitosan peat moss and sawdust. This paper deals with the study of copper, zinc and iron adsorption by adsorption of spruce sawdust obtained as a by-product from locally used wood. Raw spruce sawdust was used to remove heavy metal ions from the model solutions with ion concentration of 10 mg/L during 24 hours or 5, 10, 15, 30, 45, 60, 120 min, respectively. Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy was applied to determine functional groups of sawdust. Sorption effi ciency was higher than 67% in short-time experiments and higher than 75% for one
day experiments in all tested cations.
The article proposes the use of one of the methods of multi-criteria decision analysis (AHP method) to determine the urgency of consolidation works in the area of the Moniecki county. To this end, an appropriate set of criteria was adopted for the mutual comparison of precincts in the considered area. The calculations include a non-typical for AHP method, a large number of considered
ranges. The analysis covered 201 precincts, and as a result, the areas with the greatest urgency of merging works were indicated.
In this paper, the author theoretically analyses piracy drivers rooted on land which may form main obstacles for the resolution of problems at sea. Discussing the claim of Murphy that piracy is a land-based crime, this article expands the focus and examines the main drivers to understand causes of piracy exististence. Furthermore, it questions the credibiity of statistical data for the researchers to make reliable conclusions in this area. And, finally, the author examines weaknesses in understanding piracy which might help to reduce piracy as a maritime crime.
The article presents an analysis of statistical data on expenditure on resource management in the European Union countries over the period of 2006-2017. In analysis, only the countries for which the full range of information was obtained were taken into account. The trend of changes in the amount of expenditure was analyzed and the amount of expenditure in individual countries was compared. Attention was also drawn to the structure of expenditure by areas of natural resources management.
The research was undertaken to analyze selected physicochemical and biological properties of soils from the buffer zones of a small watercourse located in the agricultural catchment area of North-Eastern Poland. Research points were located in the buffer zone. Samples were taken from the surface soil level. In samples were measured the pH, organic carbon, total nitrogen, nitrates as well as
the emission of carbon dioxide and nitrous oxide. The quantitative and qualitative composition of the microscopic fungi (micromycetes) communities that inhabit the analyzed soils was also determined. It was found that the soil in the buffer zone, which is formed by shrubs and which separates arable land from the river, is more abundant in selected solutes, has a higher carbon dioxide emission, also has a richer quantitative and qualitative structure of fungi. It was found that soils from buffer zones are the place of dynamic processes that affect biological and chemical properties.
The article presents the concept of using construction waste as an alternative to natural aggregates in sustainable construction. Due to the fact that the quantity of concrete produced per year is very large, its complete processing would make it possible to produce large quantities of secondary aggregate. Reuse of recovered debris involves the need to recycle it. Therefore, technologies should be implemented to allow the use of raw materials Recovered and waste treatment should ensure that the highest quality raw material is obtained. Contemporary technologies and knowledge allow for the development of a method that will allow for complete debris remediation as well as the cost reduction of the entire technological process. It is extremely important from the point of view of environmental protection and economic account.
Seas and oceans constitute two thirds of the surface of the Earth. However, in spite of this geophysical dominance, they have only recently begun to attract the attention of geographers. In physical geography, seas and oceans have been explored from the coast to the deep sea using a range of techniques from traditional sampling to remote sensing to understanding geomorphic processes, sediment mobilization, earth science, and sea level rise. In human geography, seas and oceans have been recognized as places where human and physical interests meet. For example, human geographers are exploring the more‐than‐human dimensions of seas and oceans alongside investigating geopolitical questions that arise in international waters, the historical geographies of colonialism and imperialism that can be thought anew, and the embodied sensations of engaging with the “hydro” world.
Social development is defined as a process of social changes occurring one after another in conjunction with progress understood as direction of socio-economic development. The aim of the paper is to analyze and evaluate the development of the EU societies, and to assess social progress of the EU-28 member states. The author performed an analysis of the Sustainable Society Index (SSI) and the Social Progress Index (SPI). The findings reveal that the EU-28 countries have attained high level of sustainability in terms of Human Well being and there is an evident convergence between them in this dimension. As it comes to the other two dimensions, that is Environmental Wellbeing and Economic Wellbeing, variation within the EU-28 is much wider (ca. 40%), and points to cross-country divergence. Basic Human Needs that are best addressed across the EU-28, whereas the Foundations of Wellbeing and Opportunity score slightly lower and show a bigger variation.
Robert Czerniawski, Łukasz Sługocki, Katarzyna Dziewulska
et al.
The analysis of ecosystem services in the Drawa River drainage with regard to canoeing and angling indicated that anglers found lake areas most attractive whereas canoeists preferred river sections. The use of the Drawa River only by the two branches (only the basic range) of economy and region development generates profi t of at least 1.5 million PLN within one year. The aforementioned analysis excludes indirect costs which may be equal to or exceed the value obtained directly from the sale of angling licenses and canoe rentals.