While biogas production offers promising solutions for waste management, energy diversification, and sustainable development, effective project implementation requires comprehensive evaluation criteria that encompass diverse aspects, such as the problem to be addressed, biodigester technology selection, business model development, investment considerations, and final product utilization. A preliminary study involving an integrative review of 58 articles yielded 499 unique criteria. These criteria were categorized into four groups: economic, environmental, social, and technical, encompassing a total of 39 subcriteria. Six stages of the biogas production cycle were considered in the analysis: project, initiation, biodigester type selection, location determination, operational cycle definition, and final product utilization. The analysis revealed that existing decision-making models often prioritize technical and economic considerations while neglecting broader social and environmental perspectives. This paper addresses this gap by proposing, for the first time, stage-specific, multicriteria decision-making (MDCA) models tailored to each phase of a biogas production cycle. These models empower project managers and policymakers to optimize resource allocation, minimize the environmental impact, maximize social benefits, and ensure project viability and profitability. The models’ adaptability allows for tailored prioritization based on specific project requirements and contexts. This groundbreaking research fills a critical void in biogas decision making by bridging the gap between existing technical and economic model limitations and the growing need for truly sustainable project development.

The decision to implement a biogas production project involves the evaluation of multiple variables, such as the problem to be solved, the biodigester, business model, investment, and final products. An integrative literature review was conducted, in which 58 articles were obtained and relevant criteria for decision-making in biogas production projects from organic waste were identified. Three stages were considered in the analysis of the biogas production cycle: initial, plant, and final, as well as the economic, environmental, and social aspects that influence the decision. In general, the publications are dispersed over 30 different journals. The methodology used in most studies is empirical, quantitative, and descriptive, with data collected mainly from secondary sources. From the studies, 499 original criteria were identified, which were classified into one of four categories: economic, environmental, social, and technical, which cover a total of 39 sub-criteria. Economic and technical criteria were the most frequent in publications, while environmental and social criteria were less common and less prioritized. This suggests that there is a tendency to prioritize economic and technical dimensions over environmental and social dimensions in the analysis of the articles found. Finally, a preliminary decision-making model based on the findings is proposed.

Private equity (PE) stands out significantly in the world as one of the main development tools of the capital market in emerging economies and alternative sources of finance for companies. Particularly, the increase in fund value and continuous returns are objects of intense study in Brazil. The paper aims to find determinants to Brazilian private equity returns, regarding three relevant variables funds characteristics and GDP to a macroeconomic view. A sample of 1,112 PE funds registered at the Brazilian Securities and Exchange Commission (CVM) was used and analyzed by three main variables: period of establishment, equity size, and exclusivity as possible determinants of funds’ performance using multiple regression model and fourth variable GDP is applied as a descriptive variable. The results indicate that older funds had a return premium of 1.5% monthly over young funds, smaller funds had a return premium of 1.4% over larger funds, and exclusivity does not influence the funds’ performance. Thus, the paper provides a basis for the relevant factors that an investor should verify in Brazil’s private equity fund before allocating the resources.

Biogas and biofuels have emerged as viable alternatives to meet the targets established by the Paris Agreement. Considering the numerous variables involved in biogas production and the need to understand growth opportunities, technological improvements, and policies aimed at stabilizing the sector, a bibliographic review was conducted, analyzing 145 scientific articles. This analysis revealed a research gap related to biogas, energy generation, and the application of multicriteria decision-making methods. This study aims to contribute to filling this gap through the application of a multicriteria model designed to assist public decision-makers in selecting among three conversion pathways for biogas and biofuel production: pyrolysis, covered lagoon biodigester, and continuous stirred-tank reactor (CSTR) biodigester. These alternatives were evaluated based on environmental, social, economic, and technical criteria, applying the AHP (Analytic Hierarchy Process) and TOPSIS (Technique for Order of Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution) methods. The AHP method was used to rank the criteria and their respective sub-criteria, while the TOPSIS method helped select the alternative closest to the “ideal positive solution” among the conversion routes analyzed. The ranking results showed that environmental and social criteria received the highest scores compared to technical and economic criteria.

Purpose: This study proposes a method for analyzing the sustainability of companies according to the Corporate Sustainability Index (ISE B3) while considering environmental, social and governance (ESG) dimensions. Design/methodology/approach: As a quantitative and descriptive work, our study is based on analyses of responses to ISE B3 questionnaires. We consider 12 scenarios involving the allocation of different weights to important ESG dimensions and use the TOPSIS multicriteria decision-making method to evaluate companies in Brazil. Findings: The results provide empirical evidence on the importance of balanced approach among the ESG dimensions and reflect the need for regulations and incentives to promote balanced ESG practices. We also identify companies with consistently good sustainability practices, such as Natura, those that deliver poor performance, such as Iochpe-Maxion S.A. and Azul S.A. Research limitations/implications: We contribute to the literature by integrating a multicriteria methodology into the assessment of corporate sustainability, demonstrating the effectiveness of TOPSIS in different scenarios. We emphasize the importance of balancing the ESG dimensions, and in doing so provide novel perspectives in research. Practical implications: Our findings offer a practical framework for managers to evaluate and refine their ESG strategies by using benchmarks from industry leaders. Policymakers can use them to formulate regulations and incentives that promote balanced ESG practices. Originality/value: Our work clarifies the application of TOPSIS to several ESG-based scenarios and presents a comprehensive strategy for evaluating corporate sustainability. Our model can be reproduced and customized in diverse settings and contributes to the literature on corporate sustainability.

O presente artigo objetiva analisar o papel da inteligência artificial observando os mecanismos alternativos para resolução de conflitos, como dado por práticas como typosquatting e de cybersquatting. Por meio do estudo de casos, este artigo demonstra os argumentos utilizados durante uma disputa entre nomes de domínios, bem como elenca os principais meios de resolução desses. São considerados atos de concorrência desleal, onde piratas cibernéticos se utilizam dos registros de domínios com nome similar ou idêntico ao de uma marca renomada, para a obtenção de vantagem ilícita. Nesse contexto, no qual o nome de domínio pode atingir elevado valor patrimonial, foram apresentadas as particularidades deste instituto. Sendo a modalidade administrativa aderida para a solução de conflitos relativos ao nome de domínio uma condicionante para seu registro, observou-se que as respostas trazidas nesse âmbito, podem ser mais céleres, econômicas e eficientes do que se submetidas ao Judiciário. O procedimento metodológico adota uma revisão bibliográfica de autores, com análise da legislação e artigos científicos.