Purpose: This study investigates the adoption of Industry 4.0 technologies in the Polish dairy industry and their impact on sustainable production management, addressing opportunities, barriers, and strategic implications. Methodology/Approach: A structured CATI survey was conducted with 68 dairy companies. Quantitative data were analysed using descriptive statistics to evaluate disparities in technology adoption and its impact on sustainability outcomes. Findings: Large companies exhibit higher levels of digitalisation, benefiting from increased efficiency, sustainability, and ecological performance. Small and SMEs face barriers such as high costs, limited infrastructure, and workforce challenges. Research limitations/implications: The study's focus on the Polish dairy sector limits generalizability. Future research should explore specific technologies, such as blockchain and AI, and expand to other sectors for broader insights. Practical implications: The findings emphasise the need for financial support, training programs, and tailored strategies to overcome barriers, particularly for SMEs. Originality/Value: Our research bridges the gap between digital transformation and sustainability in the dairy sector, offering actionable insights for managers and policymakers.
Zofia Koloszko-Chomentowska, Aiste Galnaityte, Virginia Namiotko
A farm plays the role of both a custodian of natural resources and a workplace. They are responsible for the quality of food produced and, on the other hand, for the standard of living of the farming family and the quality of the environment. The aim of the study is to examine the relationships between ecological and economic indicators at the farm level of various production types in Poland and Lithuania. The research covered farms participating in the FADN for the years 2015-2022. The results obtained from the analysis showed interdependencies between the parameters studied. Milk farms successfully implemented the economic goal, which is usually associated with a high environmental impact of production factors. In fieldcrops farms, degradation of organic matter and lack of ability to reproduce assets were observed. Differences between Lithuanian and Polish farms are visible in the economic and ecological results. Traditionally formed property rights cause Polish farmers to take measures to protect agricultural land economic goals. The situation was different in Lithuanian farms. They were mainly described by economic indicators. This can be explained by the fact that Lithuanian farms are still at the stage of organising themselves and care more about economic effects, but they have difficulties in implementing environmental requirements.
Dariusz Tłoczyński, Joanna Czerepko, Artur Mirocki
According to forecasts, the aviation market will be characterised by dynamic growth. At the same time, a reduction in GHG emissions from transport is postulated. One of the proposed solutions is sustainable aviation fuels (SAF). The aim of this article is to analyse the impact of sustainable aviation fuels on the development of the aviation market. Economic and environmental criteria will be considered. The paper uses an approach based on an analysis of foundational data, including academic articles, industry reports and sustainability reports presented by carriers. Given the dynamics of the market, it seems difficult at this point to secure the right quantities of SAF. Larger aerospace companies are seeking to secure supply by, among other things, signing memoranda and co-funding innovation activities to develop supply. The main added value of the presented research is that it highlights the need for cooperation between several stakeholders in the aviation market who are committed to the growth of air transport.
The aim of this article is to assess whether having a creditworthiness assessment from more than one credit rating agency by issuers of ESG debt instruments affects the number of issues and the average amount issued. The empirical research was carried out using the observation method and the analysis of source documents. In the analysed period, 53.38% of issuers received ratings at least from one CRAs as S&P, Moody’s, and Fitch. The results of the conducted research indicate that the number of ESG debt instruments and the average issue amount were affected by the number of ratings given to the issuer. A database collected from Refinitiv Eikon for the period between 2012 and 2021 allows us to conclude that it is enough to have two credit ratings. The conclusions of this study can be used in the process of obtaining financing for ESG projects.
The principal aim of this study was to assess the economic results and marketing effectiveness of selected companies dealing with the production and distribution of organic food. The diagnostic survey method was applied in the study. It was conducted on popular social media in 2021 with 686 respondents. The study findings show that the marketing strategy has been ineffective so far. This means that there exists an informationally excluded area, which must be filled in. Therefore, effective product marketing should be developed based on personalised advertisements on social media and online trade. The study findings can contribute to the popularisation and broadening of knowledge regarding the behaviour of organic food buyers. Determining the factors affecting the buying process and motivations will aid stakeholders in building an effective marketing strategy for organic food. This may have a beneficial effect on the development and diversification of the organic food market, whose production may contribute to an improvement of the natural environment condition and the quality of life, as well as the promotion of local food producers.
The following article is an attempt to assess Poland's energy independence in the years 1993-2020. The main aim of the paper is to present Poland's dependence on raw materials from foreign partners - in the field of imports of electricity, natural gas, crude oil, non-renewable energy resources, i.e., hard coal and lignite, and the country's dynamics in the amount of imports. In addition, the aim of the work is to answer research questions pertaining to the level of Poland's energy dependence on foreign sources, countries from which Poland imported energy or energy resources, the structure of imports, as well as the country's energy balance in the period under study. The research methods used in the paper include a descriptive research method, an analysis of Eurostat data as well as the literature review in the field of the subject study. The main results posit that, in the analyzed period, Poland was highly dependent on foreign energy sources, especially in the field of gas and crude oil. What is more, between 1993-2020, a growing diversification of energy resources sources was noted.
The article aimed to analyze the concept of modernisation of sludge management prepared for an exemplary sewage sludge treatment plant. Four variants of solutions, based on different processes, aerobic (oxygenic), anaerobic or – aerobic – anaerobic, were discussed. The article presents the characteristics of essential elements of the proposed solutions. The technical and technological parameters of each of the variants are exposed. The expected capital expenditure and basic operating costs are presented. A cost-effectiveness analysis of the options has also been carried out. The analysed technological processes ensure obtaining hygienically and sanitary safe end products. They contribute significantly to minimising the amount of sewage sludge. The most economically efficient, with the lowest average annual costs, is the variant with the application of anaerobic thermo-philic-mesophilic sludge stabilisation. The highest average annual costs were obtained for the variant
with drying and incineration of sludge.
The aim of this paper is to present and elaborate relations between the understanding and main indicators of socio-economic welfare, including indicators of sustainable development, and the measurement methods of sustainable transport. The focus is on the role that transport basically plays for nearly all dimensions of living conditions and the quality of life. First, the defi nition of socio-economic welfare and different views on measuring welfare are presented. Then, the meaning of transport for improving socio-economic aspects of life, as well as the need for sustainable transport are underlined. In the last part of the article developed indicators of sustainable transport are discussed in terms of the complex and multi-faceted influence of transport activities on building welfare and sustainable development.
The article aims to show the level of involvement of Polish enterprises from the construction industry in the implementation of CSR programmes, with particular emphasis on environmental protection tasks. The survey, carried out with the use of a questionnaire technique, covered 177 enterprises, including their division into large, medium, and small ones. The survey was carried out using
CAVI and PAPI techniques with the use of a proprietary questionnaire form. The results of the research indicate that environmental protection is not a priority CSR area for construction enterprises. The activities undertaken in the field of environmental protection are dominated by those which are directly related to the construction activities conducted. For them, activities going beyond that scope, such as supporting initiatives or promoting pro-ecological behaviour, are much less important. There is a visible difference between large enterprises and entities belonging to the two remaining groups. Large enterprises are more inclined to take universal measures which go beyond their construction site. This indicates their important role as potential creators of good practice, setting behaviour patterns throughout the construction sector.
The aim of the article is to review EU policy towards renewable energy sources (RES) and their assessment, taking into account the principles of sustainable development. The presented development is of a theoretical nature. Therefore, the basic research method is the analysis of available sources, such as statistical data, EU legal acquis and reports. Many aspects are touched upon in implementing the principles of sustainable development in energy policy. For this reason, the following have been selected for analysis: the share of RES in the overall energy balance, the energy mix of renewable energy sources and the use of soft instruments supporting RES. As a result of the analysis, it has been found that despite undoubted progress regarding the increase in share of RES in the energy balance, many problems remained unresolved. These include the sustainable use of biomass (especially wood resources) and insufficient use (despite the progress made in this area) of soft instruments.
The aim of this article is to present and analyze differences in the interpretation of the closed circulation of matter in the natural environment and in the economy. Circulation of matter in the biosphere shaped in a very long period of development of life on Earth creates the impression of a very stable and durable mechanism. It is a mechanism that, thanks to the constant inflow of solar energy, sustained and evolutionally multiplied forms of life on Earth. Observing nature and assessing the damage done as a result of its economic exploitation prompts scientists and entrepreneurs to seek solutions that rely on the imitation of this circulation phenomenon that seems to ensure the existence of safe and sustainable nature. Repeatable use of the same matter in the biosphere has become an incentive for political and economic actions aimed at re-using the matter contained in goods produced
by man. The analysis of natural cycles and those programmed by man leads in this article to the conclusion that we can not expect miracles from the concept of circular economy. Obvious limitations are built into laws governing nature and functioning of the economy itself. Moreover, we should carefully and rather suspiciously analyze the interdependencies of recently designed closed cycles with all these rules and hopes which are combined with the idea of sustainable development.
There are various methods of generating electric power. This article analyzes electricity generation in the Wronki wind farm in Poland. Wind farm specifications and turbine parameters were presented. The correlations between the wind farm’s performance and wind speeds in 2014-2016 were analyzed. Turbine availability was estimated. The economic performance of the wind farm was analyzed by calculating the proceeds from the sale of generated electricity. The wind farm’s environmental impact was determined by calculating the volume of CO2, SO2, NOx, CO and dust emissions associated with the generation of equivalent amounts of electricity in a conventional power plant.
Dynamic economic growth of EU countries, including Poland, forces to reduce the use conventional energy sources and to replace them with renewable energy sources (RES). Biogas produced in agricultural bio-gas plants becomes one of the most important source of that energy. The most advanced technologies of biogas and electricity from biogas production are found in Germany.
In Poland, biogas energy accounts for 2.5% of RES. Basic substrates for agricultural biogas plants are: maize, slurry, manure and other agricultural waste. The emerging biogas plants require stable and reliable cultivation of energy crops, mainly maize silage. In the Podlasie province, 9 agricultural biogas plants with a total capacity of 67.6 MWe were installed in 2014-2016. In order to provide the raw material base for a biogas plant, the area of maize cultivation is estimated at around 3,500 ha. Intensive cultivation of maize (high mineral fertilization, pesticides) in the long term may reduce the utility and biological values of light soils. When locating a biogas plant in the Podlasie province, one should take into account the great landscape values of rural areas and significant areas of protected landscape.
Mitigating climate change ultimately contributes to reducing the costs of adaptation. Expenditures on adaptation are diverse in terms of geographical distribution and they are usually incurred to adapt to climate change or prevent their negative effects, such as natural disasters. These expenditures must be distinguished from expenses to cover disasters’ losses. From the social justice point of view, it is important who bears the costs, who contributes to the additional costs and who benefi ts from climate change. The paper analyses and compares sources of fi nancing of the costs of climate change adaptation and mitigation, to determine the share of individual actors in their performance. The conducted literature review helped in identifying the sources of fi nancing of these costs. The possibilities of growth of adaptation fi nancing need in the face of climate change predictions, and the ability to fi nance the rising costs, including new ways of fi nancing, were also analysed.
The ongoing fi nancial and economic crisis proves the great instability and points that contemporary neo-liberal doctrine has failed. Free-market fundamentalism on the one hand assumes freedom of choice and meeting the needs using the mechanism of supply and demand, on the other hand, it commits the failure of market for local communities. The elaboration is focused on regular economy development cycles. Also the imbalance between the real economy and the fi nancial sector, which in turn led to the crisis was analysed. What is more, the man has lost awareness of being an integral part of the environment. The present ecological crisis is the price we have to pay for the development of civilisation. It is caused mainly by greed, empowered by the market economy
model. Only money counts and the pursuit of profi t, and care for the common good – the natural environment is neglected or even fully ignored. Therefore, it is reasonable and necessary to manufacture a public awareness that each person creates a microenvironment and has both, positive and the negative impact on the entire planet.
The aim of this study was to determine the feasibility and extent of the impact of local government on shaping pro-ecological culture in the offi ces of the communes located in environmentally valuable areas of the Lublin voivodeship. This area has shown a low level of sophistication and lack of comprehensiveness and coherence of the actions of local authorities at all levels of management.