The purpose of the article is to present the current situation in the rail freight transport in Thailand and the direction of changes in this area. Firstly, Thailand statistics in volume of freight transport by rail and modal share of freight transport have been presented. Afterwards, problems and obstacles in railway operational practices and in using rail transport services have been identified to improve railway system in Thailand and the outcome was assessed in terms of railway capacity and utilization. The findings were used to outline the direction of changes in rail freight transport. The results show that the rail transport capacity in double-track would increase by 48% (at present by 15.5% and as plan by 30%) and the ratio by rail transport to total freight transport would increase from at present by 1.87% to 10% in 2037.
This article presents a comparative analysis and characteristics of the pension insurance systems of foreign countries, namely Germany, Sweden, Estonia, Poland, France with the aim of implementing their effective and noteworthy experience in Ukraine. The key indicators of the characteristics of the pension systems of these countries and Ukraine (amount of insurance contributions to the public pension fund; retirement age; insurance period; the ratio of the average pension to the average wage) have been studied and analyzed. Having examined these indicators, the authors came to the conclusion that the general trend in most countries of the world is that they guarantee only a minimum pension, which is caused by the increase in the share of pensioners in society. To solve the demographic problems affecting pension provision, the most countries increase the retirement age and provide financial incentives to stimulate citizens to work after the retirement age. To increase the pension, there are pension accumulation tools at the expense of the employer or at the expense of one’s own funds. Following the example of foreign countries, the directions for improving the pension insurance system of Ukraine were allocated.
This research aims to determine and analyze the extent of the influence of community empowerment and sustainability-oriented innovation on sustainable performance through coworking spaces in the city of Bandung. To achieve the research objectives, a deductive approach is employed, intending to test a hypothesis to strengthen or reject existing hypotheses. Therefore, this research is also categorized as explanatory research. The research method used is the survey research method. The research sample is determined based on proportional stratified random sampling. This study focuses on business groups in coworking spaces in the 28 districts of Bandung City, with a total of 408 business operators. The sample selected consists of 208 business operators. Based on the research results, several conclusions are drawn, as follows: (1) Community empowerment has a significantly positive influence on sustainability performance, with a contribution of 84.5%; (2) Sustainability-oriented innovation has a significantly positive influence on sustainability performance, with a contribution of 69.2%; (3) Community empowerment has a significantly positive influence on Coworking Space, with a contribution of 93.6%; (4) Sustainability-oriented innovation has a significantly positive influence on Coworking Space, with a contribution of 36%; (5) Community empowerment has a significantly positive influence on sustainability-oriented innovation, with a contribution of 90.6%; (6) Coworking Space has a significantly positive influence on sustainability performance, with a contribution of 34%; (7) Community empowerment has a significantly positive influence on sustainability performance through Coworking Space, with a contribution of 20.7%; and (8) Sustainability oriented innovation has a significantly positive influence on sustainability performance through Coworking Space, with a contribution of 12.2%.
This research aimed to assess the results of two vendors used by the company in the shipping process of export goods. Two leading suppliers for one similar activity had caused more difficulties in the monitoring and controlling activities of DHL Global Forwarding Indonesia. This research used qualitative and quantitative methods, with the Analytic Hierarchy Process decision-making method using 36 internal staff members as the sample. Through a qualitative calculation method by distributing questionnaires to the existing suppliers, namely Monang Sianipar Kargo and Andima Transportindo, it was found that the weighted score for Monang Sianipar Kargo was 22.84 and for Andima Transportindo was 10.66. Subcriteria and indicators should be prioritized in the criteria of Price and service, significantly to improve the performance of problematic suppliers. This research recommended using the Analytic Hierarchy Process for assessment since it facilitated the research development by the opinion of the company’s experts. Such a finding implied that a policy from the management was needed in the assessment of suppliers. As an implication, it was necessary to assess all suppliers cooperating with DHL Global Forwarding Indonesia by using actual data from the current month.
The need for forest products, agricultural expansion, and dependency on biomass for the household energy source has largely influenced Ethiopia’s forest resources. Consequently, the country lost its forest resources to less than 6% until the millennium. In this study, quantitative and qualitative historical data analysis was employed to understand the socioeconomic benefits of large dam construction to Ethiopia and downstream countries. Moreover, remotely sensed data was also used to analyze the trends of vegetation cover change in the Nile catchment since the commencement of the dam; focusing on areas where there are high settlement and urban areas. It was identified that Ethiopia has one of the lowest electricity consumption per capita in Africa; about 91% of the source of household energy supply depends on fuelwood today and more than 55.7% of the population does not have access to electricity. The normalized difference vegetation index result shows an increment of vegetation area in the Nile catchment and a reduction of no vegetation area from 2011–2021 by 37.1%; which is directly related to the protection of the dam catchment for its sustainability in the last decade. The hydroelectric dam construction has prospects of multi-benefit to Ethiopia and downstream countries either through the direct benefit of hydropower energy production, related socioeconomic values, and reducing risks of destructive flood from Ethiopian highlands. Generally, it explains the reason why to not say ‘No’ to the reservoir as it is an ever more vital tool for fulfilling growing energy demand and supporting ecological stability.
Sustainability in road construction projects is hindered by the extensive use of non-renewable materials, high greenhouse gas emissions, risk cost, and significant disruption to the local community. Sustainability involves economic, environmental, and social aspects (triple bottom line). However, establishing metrics to evaluate economic, environmental, and social impacts is challenging because of the different nature of these dimensions and the shortage of accepted indicators. This paper developed a comprehensive method considering all three dimensions of sustainable development: economic, environmental, and social burdens. Initially, the economic, environmental, and social impact category indicators were assessed using the Life cycle approach. After that, the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) method and Technique for Order of Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution (TOPSIS) were utilized to prioritize the alternatives according to the acquired weightings and sustainable indicators. The steps of the AHP method involve forming a hierarchy, determining priorities, calculating weighting factors, examining the consistency of these assessments, and then determining global priorities/weightings. The TOPSIS method is conducted by building a normalized decision matrix, constructing the weighted normalized decision matrix, evaluating the positive and negative solutions, determining the separation measures, and calculating the relative closeness to the ideal solution. The selected alternative performs the highest Relative Closeness to the Ideal Solution. Lastly, a case study was undertaken to validate the proposed method. In three alternatives in the case study (Cement Concrete, Dense-Graded Polymer Asphalt Concrete, and Dense-Graded Asphalt Concrete), option 3 showed the most sustainable performance due to its highest Relative Closeness to the Ideal Solution. Integrating AHP and TOPSIS methods combines both strengths, including AHP’s structured approach for determining criteria weights through pairwise comparisons and TOPSIS’s ability to rank choices based on their proximity to an ideal solution.
Sustainable development is a foundational element in European Union (EU) policies, yet there remains a lack of coherence among member states regarding the perception and response to environmental challenges, resulting in regional inequalities. The “Fit for 55” initiative by the EU is an ambitious strategy aiming to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 55% by 2030, as part of its broader goal of achieving climate neutrality by 2050. This study investigates the economic impact and intergovernmental dynamics of the “Fit for 55” plan, analyzing its potential to not only meet environmental targets but also to foster economic resilience and social equity across the EU. The purpose of this study is to assess the effectiveness of the “Fit for 55” initiative in harmonizing environmental goals with economic and social policies among diverse EU member states. The study reveals that while the initiative offers significant potential benefits, such as stimulating innovation and creating jobs in green industries, it also faces considerable challenges, including economic disparities among member states and the social impacts of rapid decarbonization. These findings highlight the need for integrated approaches that address both environmental sustainability and socio-economic equity.
Copyright © by EnPress Publisher. All rights reserved.