Pub Date : 2024-03-07DOI: 10.3389/frsus.2024.1300904
Rebecca K. M. Clube, Malonga Hazemba
Policy plays a significant role in accelerating or hindering a circular shift; Governments can set long-term visions and drive legislative change to create an enabling environment. Reflecting the regional picture, Zambia is experiencing increasing waste burdens due to a growing population and economic development. The current management approach is linear, characterized by low collection rates, inadequate disposal, and limited waste revalorization. From a sustainable development perspective, how waste is managed impacts pressing issues such as climate change and public health. The concept of the Circular Economy (CE) has gained global and regional interest given its potential to transform how resources are viewed and managed. Circular strategies may help to reduce waste burdens and create local socioeconomic opportunities while safeguarding the environment. This qualitative study uses document review and expert interviews to explore the current waste management regime in Zambia and understand if and how circularity is embedded into the policy approach. The findings suggest that the CE is potentially highly relevant for Zambia, but there are various policy challenges that could impede its successful integration into the national agenda. These challenges relate to ownership and coordination; gaps in implementation and enforcement; a restrictive licensing approach; obstacles to innovation and new entrants; as well as the role of informal sector actors. The challenges point to opportunities to overturn these policy shortfalls, which also presents future research avenues.
{"title":"From waste to resource: demystifying the policy challenges and identifying opportunities for a circular economy in Zambia","authors":"Rebecca K. M. Clube, Malonga Hazemba","doi":"10.3389/frsus.2024.1300904","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3389/frsus.2024.1300904","url":null,"abstract":"Policy plays a significant role in accelerating or hindering a circular shift; Governments can set long-term visions and drive legislative change to create an enabling environment. Reflecting the regional picture, Zambia is experiencing increasing waste burdens due to a growing population and economic development. The current management approach is linear, characterized by low collection rates, inadequate disposal, and limited waste revalorization. From a sustainable development perspective, how waste is managed impacts pressing issues such as climate change and public health. The concept of the Circular Economy (CE) has gained global and regional interest given its potential to transform how resources are viewed and managed. Circular strategies may help to reduce waste burdens and create local socioeconomic opportunities while safeguarding the environment. This qualitative study uses document review and expert interviews to explore the current waste management regime in Zambia and understand if and how circularity is embedded into the policy approach. The findings suggest that the CE is potentially highly relevant for Zambia, but there are various policy challenges that could impede its successful integration into the national agenda. These challenges relate to ownership and coordination; gaps in implementation and enforcement; a restrictive licensing approach; obstacles to innovation and new entrants; as well as the role of informal sector actors. The challenges point to opportunities to overturn these policy shortfalls, which also presents future research avenues.","PeriodicalId":253319,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in Sustainability","volume":"38 22","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-03-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140260686","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2024-02-20DOI: 10.3389/frsus.2024.1331323
Faith Clarke, Gretchen Gano, Robin Currey, John Alleyne
Sustainable development is a global priority. However, a lack of research exists on the programs designed to train sustainable development practitioners. This multi-case case study, possibly the first to describe the programs that trains development practitioners, utilized case study theory and semi-structured interviews with program administrators to describe sustainable development programs offered by 12 higher education institutions in eight countries with membership in the Global Association of Masters in Development Practice. The results revealed five themes or key drivers, nine advantages, and four deficiencies. Two drivers were enrollment-focused (admission of students with prior work experience in development and financial support), two were curriculum-focused (incorporation of field work and integration of specific knowledge aspects and skills training in the curricula), and one was institutional attitude (adoption of a culture of flexibility). The most common challenges were impacts from the COVID-19 pandemic. These results provide insights for continuous improvement efforts of program administrators for students in sustainable development. The practical methodology developed can be replicated and adapted for investigation of similar programs and other disciplines in higher education.
{"title":"The master’s degree in development practice: a case study of twelve university programs","authors":"Faith Clarke, Gretchen Gano, Robin Currey, John Alleyne","doi":"10.3389/frsus.2024.1331323","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3389/frsus.2024.1331323","url":null,"abstract":"Sustainable development is a global priority. However, a lack of research exists on the programs designed to train sustainable development practitioners. This multi-case case study, possibly the first to describe the programs that trains development practitioners, utilized case study theory and semi-structured interviews with program administrators to describe sustainable development programs offered by 12 higher education institutions in eight countries with membership in the Global Association of Masters in Development Practice. The results revealed five themes or key drivers, nine advantages, and four deficiencies. Two drivers were enrollment-focused (admission of students with prior work experience in development and financial support), two were curriculum-focused (incorporation of field work and integration of specific knowledge aspects and skills training in the curricula), and one was institutional attitude (adoption of a culture of flexibility). The most common challenges were impacts from the COVID-19 pandemic. These results provide insights for continuous improvement efforts of program administrators for students in sustainable development. The practical methodology developed can be replicated and adapted for investigation of similar programs and other disciplines in higher education.","PeriodicalId":253319,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in Sustainability","volume":"51 3","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-02-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140447377","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2024-02-20DOI: 10.3389/frsus.2024.1376817
Li Li, P. Fantke, Lei Huang
{"title":"Editorial: Sustainability assessment of chemicals in consumer products","authors":"Li Li, P. Fantke, Lei Huang","doi":"10.3389/frsus.2024.1376817","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3389/frsus.2024.1376817","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":253319,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in Sustainability","volume":"294 ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-02-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140447942","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2024-01-30DOI: 10.3389/frsus.2023.1342215
S. Pedersen, T. Benson, George A Tsalis, Rebecca Futtrup, Moira Dean, J. Aschemann‐Witzel
Changes in consumers’ decision-making relating to food play an important role in the sustainable transition of the food system. However, assessing sustainability across choice alternatives is complex. A holistic or multi-dimensional ‘summary’ sustainability label for food could help consumers make more informed choices, but it is important that such a label is developed taking consumers’ perception and understanding of sustainability into consideration. Hence, it is necessary to understand consumers’ needs and wants in a sustainability food label. The objective of this study is therefore to explore in-depth consumer perceptions and preferences for sustainability as a concept in food production as well as for a sustainability label for food.A total of six online co-creation workshops were carried out in the UK and Ireland (3 groups, n = 24) and Denmark (3 groups, n = 21) using an interactive platform, where participants over the course of two weeks discussed and engaged in creative tasks related to food and sustainability.Results show that consumers in lack information about the sustainability of food products. There were differences with regards to which of 10 pre-tested indicators of sustainability (nature preservation, climate change, animal welfare, fair wages, biodiversity, pollution, health, equality, economic growth and culture) were perceived as most important. The information participants discussed as relevant for a sustainability label included transportation, the degree of processing, and packaging, with some country differences. Consumers acknowledged the complexity of designing and understanding a sustainability food label and existing nutrition labels served as inspiration for creating a sustainability label. Consumers recommended more responsibility to be taken by retailers and food producers through public information campaigns to create awareness.Pros and cons of co-creating a sustainability label with consumers online are discussed as well as the implications for consumers, the food industry and policy makers.
{"title":"What consumers want in a sustainability food label: Results from online co-creation workshops in the United Kingdom, Ireland and Denmark","authors":"S. Pedersen, T. Benson, George A Tsalis, Rebecca Futtrup, Moira Dean, J. Aschemann‐Witzel","doi":"10.3389/frsus.2023.1342215","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3389/frsus.2023.1342215","url":null,"abstract":"Changes in consumers’ decision-making relating to food play an important role in the sustainable transition of the food system. However, assessing sustainability across choice alternatives is complex. A holistic or multi-dimensional ‘summary’ sustainability label for food could help consumers make more informed choices, but it is important that such a label is developed taking consumers’ perception and understanding of sustainability into consideration. Hence, it is necessary to understand consumers’ needs and wants in a sustainability food label. The objective of this study is therefore to explore in-depth consumer perceptions and preferences for sustainability as a concept in food production as well as for a sustainability label for food.A total of six online co-creation workshops were carried out in the UK and Ireland (3 groups, n = 24) and Denmark (3 groups, n = 21) using an interactive platform, where participants over the course of two weeks discussed and engaged in creative tasks related to food and sustainability.Results show that consumers in lack information about the sustainability of food products. There were differences with regards to which of 10 pre-tested indicators of sustainability (nature preservation, climate change, animal welfare, fair wages, biodiversity, pollution, health, equality, economic growth and culture) were perceived as most important. The information participants discussed as relevant for a sustainability label included transportation, the degree of processing, and packaging, with some country differences. Consumers acknowledged the complexity of designing and understanding a sustainability food label and existing nutrition labels served as inspiration for creating a sustainability label. Consumers recommended more responsibility to be taken by retailers and food producers through public information campaigns to create awareness.Pros and cons of co-creating a sustainability label with consumers online are discussed as well as the implications for consumers, the food industry and policy makers.","PeriodicalId":253319,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in Sustainability","volume":"367 2","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-01-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140483056","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2024-01-24DOI: 10.3389/frsus.2024.1342223
Hampus André
It is increasingly clear that reaching environmental sustainability requires not only efficiency (reduced environmental impact per functionality) but also sufficiency measures (reduced environmental impact through reduced or changed functionality). Life cycle assessment (LCA) is a widely used tool to study environmental impacts related to consumption. However, because of the LCA convention of only comparing alternative products with equal functionality, it is currently inept as a method for assessing the environmental impacts of sufficiency measures. Against this background, this short paper aims to stimulate a discussion on how sufficiency measures can be assessed with LCA methodology. By analyzing the very few LCAs of explicit sufficiency measures in terms of the components of a functional unit (what function is provided, how much, for how long, and how well) features of a potential new branch of LCA methodology are outlined, called Sufficiency LCA. In Sufficiency LCA, product alternatives need to be similar enough so that the what component of the functional unit can be equal, while the other components, how much, how long, and how well, are allowed to be non-equal. Thus, a key feature of Sufficiency LCA concerns functional non-equivalence of compared product alternatives, which is not allowed or neglected in conventional LCA, but which could be allowed, acknowledged and quantified in Sufficiency LCA. Developing Sufficiency LCA could be critical considering that sufficiency measures are expected to be required, and that LCA is expected to be serviceable as decision-making support, in the transition toward environmental sustainability.
{"title":"“If less is more, how you keeping score?” Outlines of a life cycle assessment method to assess sufficiency","authors":"Hampus André","doi":"10.3389/frsus.2024.1342223","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3389/frsus.2024.1342223","url":null,"abstract":"It is increasingly clear that reaching environmental sustainability requires not only efficiency (reduced environmental impact per functionality) but also sufficiency measures (reduced environmental impact through reduced or changed functionality). Life cycle assessment (LCA) is a widely used tool to study environmental impacts related to consumption. However, because of the LCA convention of only comparing alternative products with equal functionality, it is currently inept as a method for assessing the environmental impacts of sufficiency measures. Against this background, this short paper aims to stimulate a discussion on how sufficiency measures can be assessed with LCA methodology. By analyzing the very few LCAs of explicit sufficiency measures in terms of the components of a functional unit (what function is provided, how much, for how long, and how well) features of a potential new branch of LCA methodology are outlined, called Sufficiency LCA. In Sufficiency LCA, product alternatives need to be similar enough so that the what component of the functional unit can be equal, while the other components, how much, how long, and how well, are allowed to be non-equal. Thus, a key feature of Sufficiency LCA concerns functional non-equivalence of compared product alternatives, which is not allowed or neglected in conventional LCA, but which could be allowed, acknowledged and quantified in Sufficiency LCA. Developing Sufficiency LCA could be critical considering that sufficiency measures are expected to be required, and that LCA is expected to be serviceable as decision-making support, in the transition toward environmental sustainability.","PeriodicalId":253319,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in Sustainability","volume":"31 6","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-01-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139601135","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2024-01-22DOI: 10.3389/frsus.2024.1287543
N. Tripathi, Colin D. Hills, Raj S. Singh, Stephen Kyeremeh, Andrew Hurt
This study extends our exploration of the potential of biomass ashes for their CO2-reactivity and self-cementing properties. The ability of three hardwood-based biomass ashes to mineralise CO2 gas and partially replace CEM I in mortars was investigated. The three hardwoods were English oak (Quercus rober), English lime (Tilia x europaea), and beech (Fagus sylvatica). The woody biomass wastes were incinerated at 800°C to extract their key mineral phases, which are known to be reactive to CO2 gas to form carbonates. The selected biomass ashes were analysed for their CO2-reactivity, which was in the range of 32–43% (w/w). The ashes were used to replace CEM I at 7 and 15% w/w and this “binder” was mixed with sand and water to produce cylindrical monolithic samples. These monoliths were then carbonated and sealed cured over 28 days. The compressive strength, density and microstructure of the carbonate-hardened monoliths were examined. The ash-containing monoliths displayed mature strengths comparable to the cement-only reference samples. The CO2 uptake of oak containing monoliths was 7.37 and 8.29% w/w, for 7 and 15% ash substitutions, respectively. For beech and English lime they were 4.96 and 6.22% w/w and 6.43 and 7.15% w/w, respectively. The 28 day unconfined compressive strengths for the oak and beech ashes were within the range of ~80–94% of the control, whereas lime ash was 107% of the latter. A microstructural examination showed carbonate cemented sand grains together highlighting that biomass ash-derived minerals can be very CO2 reactive and have potential to be used as a binder to produce carbonated construction materials. The use of biomass to energy ash-derived minerals as a cement replacement may have significant potential benefits, including direct and indirect CO2 emission savings in addition to the avoidance of landfilling of these combustion residues.
这项研究拓展了我们对生物质灰烬二氧化碳活性和自固结特性潜力的探索。研究了三种硬木类生物质灰烬矿化二氧化碳气体和部分替代灰泥中 CEM I 的能力。这三种硬木分别是英国橡木（Quercus rober）、英国椴（Tilia x europaea）和山毛榉（Fagus sylvatica）。木质生物质废物在 800°C 下焚烧，以提取其主要矿物相，众所周知，这些矿物相会与二氧化碳气体反应生成碳酸盐。对选定的生物质灰烬进行了二氧化碳活性分析，其二氧化碳活性在 32-43%（重量/重量）之间。这些灰烬被用来替代 7%和 15%（重量比）的 CEM I，这种 "粘合剂 "与沙子和水混合，制成圆柱形的整体样品。然后对这些整体石材进行碳化和密封固化，固化时间为 28 天。对碳酸盐硬化整体石块的抗压强度、密度和微观结构进行了检测。含灰单体的成熟强度与纯水泥参考样本相当。在灰分替代率为 7% 和 15% 的情况下，橡木单体的二氧化碳吸收率分别为 7.37% 和 8.29%（重量百分比）。而山毛榉和英国石灰的二氧化碳吸收率分别为 4.96% 和 6.22% w/w，以及 6.43% 和 7.15% w/w。橡木灰和榉木灰的 28 天无压抗压强度在对照组的 ~80-94% 之间，而石灰灰则是对照组的 107%。微观结构检查显示，碳酸盐胶结砂粒在一起，这突出表明生物质灰烬衍生矿物具有很强的二氧化碳反应性，有潜力用作粘合剂来生产碳化建筑材料。使用生物质能源灰渣衍生矿物作为水泥替代品可能会带来巨大的潜在效益，除了避免填埋这些燃烧残留物之外，还可直接和间接地减少二氧化碳排放。
{"title":"Mineralisation of CO2 in wood biomass ash for cement substitution in construction products","authors":"N. Tripathi, Colin D. Hills, Raj S. Singh, Stephen Kyeremeh, Andrew Hurt","doi":"10.3389/frsus.2024.1287543","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3389/frsus.2024.1287543","url":null,"abstract":"This study extends our exploration of the potential of biomass ashes for their CO2-reactivity and self-cementing properties. The ability of three hardwood-based biomass ashes to mineralise CO2 gas and partially replace CEM I in mortars was investigated. The three hardwoods were English oak (Quercus rober), English lime (Tilia x europaea), and beech (Fagus sylvatica). The woody biomass wastes were incinerated at 800°C to extract their key mineral phases, which are known to be reactive to CO2 gas to form carbonates. The selected biomass ashes were analysed for their CO2-reactivity, which was in the range of 32–43% (w/w). The ashes were used to replace CEM I at 7 and 15% w/w and this “binder” was mixed with sand and water to produce cylindrical monolithic samples. These monoliths were then carbonated and sealed cured over 28 days. The compressive strength, density and microstructure of the carbonate-hardened monoliths were examined. The ash-containing monoliths displayed mature strengths comparable to the cement-only reference samples. The CO2 uptake of oak containing monoliths was 7.37 and 8.29% w/w, for 7 and 15% ash substitutions, respectively. For beech and English lime they were 4.96 and 6.22% w/w and 6.43 and 7.15% w/w, respectively. The 28 day unconfined compressive strengths for the oak and beech ashes were within the range of ~80–94% of the control, whereas lime ash was 107% of the latter. A microstructural examination showed carbonate cemented sand grains together highlighting that biomass ash-derived minerals can be very CO2 reactive and have potential to be used as a binder to produce carbonated construction materials. The use of biomass to energy ash-derived minerals as a cement replacement may have significant potential benefits, including direct and indirect CO2 emission savings in addition to the avoidance of landfilling of these combustion residues.","PeriodicalId":253319,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in Sustainability","volume":"38 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-01-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139608919","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2024-01-12DOI: 10.3389/frsus.2023.1323304
Xiang Gao, K. Koedijk, Sunghan Ryu, Stan Wetzels, Zhenfei Zhou
This paper presents a literature review with the aim of facilitating investment funds to understand the practical question of whether investing responsibly can make a fund's portfolios more sustainable without compromising their return/risk profiles. The study contains most of the leading ESG research from the past two decades. We conclude from this research that the relationship between ESG and return/risk profile is predominantly neutral or even positive. Many scholars have found evidence on the performance of stocks, bonds, and real estate. The findings apply to Environmental, Social, and Governance criteria separately and in different regions. We contribute to the body of knowledge accessible to ESG-asset-seeking funds by complementing the impact investment theory and by linking ESG investment to portfolio-level characteristics and investor preferences. Looking into the future, we identify recent trends and developments in this niche field of ESG at the end of the paper.
{"title":"Environmental, social, and governance tools and investment fund portfolio characteristics: a practical-question-oriented review","authors":"Xiang Gao, K. Koedijk, Sunghan Ryu, Stan Wetzels, Zhenfei Zhou","doi":"10.3389/frsus.2023.1323304","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3389/frsus.2023.1323304","url":null,"abstract":"This paper presents a literature review with the aim of facilitating investment funds to understand the practical question of whether investing responsibly can make a fund's portfolios more sustainable without compromising their return/risk profiles. The study contains most of the leading ESG research from the past two decades. We conclude from this research that the relationship between ESG and return/risk profile is predominantly neutral or even positive. Many scholars have found evidence on the performance of stocks, bonds, and real estate. The findings apply to Environmental, Social, and Governance criteria separately and in different regions. We contribute to the body of knowledge accessible to ESG-asset-seeking funds by complementing the impact investment theory and by linking ESG investment to portfolio-level characteristics and investor preferences. Looking into the future, we identify recent trends and developments in this niche field of ESG at the end of the paper.","PeriodicalId":253319,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in Sustainability","volume":"56 14","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-01-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139533111","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2023-09-07DOI: 10.3389/frsus.2023.1214615
Mingxi Zhao, Zixiang Meng, Boda Xu, Dian Yu, Shu Wu, Rende Li
For 2030, the Agenda for Sustainable Development sets out 17 goals for sustaining ecological and social growth, known as the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which have mobilized countries around the world to integrate these goals into their national development strategies. However, the Agenda does not explain how these goals are interlinked, which limits their implementation. This paper therefore selects indicator data for 17 SDGs from the World Bank website for four groups of countries to estimate the network structure of the SDGs and the synergies and trade-offs between them, based on the Spearman coefficient. Based on this, the paper further uses a VAR model to identify priority targets among the SDGs and to predict the impact of achieving these targets 2 years earlier on other SDGs. It is found that the SDGs interact with each other in different historical periods, showing both synergies and trade-offs. And as the highest priority goal, the predictions in this paper suggest that SDG 6 has a strong positive impact on SDG 4 and SDG 8. This paper can help policy makers to allocate resources more effectively, maximize benefits, coordinate actions, adapt to future challenges and achieve global sustainable development goals.
{"title":"Prior goal setting of SDGs based on the interaction correlation","authors":"Mingxi Zhao, Zixiang Meng, Boda Xu, Dian Yu, Shu Wu, Rende Li","doi":"10.3389/frsus.2023.1214615","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3389/frsus.2023.1214615","url":null,"abstract":"For 2030, the Agenda for Sustainable Development sets out 17 goals for sustaining ecological and social growth, known as the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which have mobilized countries around the world to integrate these goals into their national development strategies. However, the Agenda does not explain how these goals are interlinked, which limits their implementation. This paper therefore selects indicator data for 17 SDGs from the World Bank website for four groups of countries to estimate the network structure of the SDGs and the synergies and trade-offs between them, based on the Spearman coefficient. Based on this, the paper further uses a VAR model to identify priority targets among the SDGs and to predict the impact of achieving these targets 2 years earlier on other SDGs. It is found that the SDGs interact with each other in different historical periods, showing both synergies and trade-offs. And as the highest priority goal, the predictions in this paper suggest that SDG 6 has a strong positive impact on SDG 4 and SDG 8. This paper can help policy makers to allocate resources more effectively, maximize benefits, coordinate actions, adapt to future challenges and achieve global sustainable development goals.","PeriodicalId":253319,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in Sustainability","volume":"27 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-09-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"134230390","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2023-09-04DOI: 10.3389/frsus.2023.1218985
Milan van Wyk, Gideon Els
Sustainability reporting has become increasingly important to stakeholders, and therefore, there is a growing need for a global set of standards for sustainability reporting. The International Sustainability Standards Board (ISSB) has recently published new sustainability standards under the International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) Foundation. The consolidation of integrated reporting into the IFRS Foundation creates the problem of whether there is still a need for principles in the future of sustainability reporting and how these principles will be applied in the standard setting of the ISSB in future. This study provides insights into the similarities and differences between the Framework and the ISSB's draft IFRS S1 standard and clarifies the role that could play in the future of sustainability reporting within the context of the newly issued IFRS S1 standard.The study uses thematic content analysis on the two frameworks and comment letters submitted to the ISSB as part of the standard-setting process to understand the relevance of integrated reporting in sustainability reporting and to identify important principles contained within that can contribute to the ISSB standard-setting process in future.The study identified that there is a largely positive sentiment toward in developing sustainability standards within the IFRS Foundation. The study also identified important aspects where can play a significant role in standard development, such as the connectivity of information, integrated thinking, and the six capitals that can assist organizations in understanding the significant sustainability-related risks and opportunities.The research points out pertinent sustainability principles that could be useful for the ISSB in future standard settings. Furthermore, the research adds to the existing literature on and can act as an impetus for further research on the use of principles in the standard-setting processes of the ISSB.
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Pub Date : 2023-09-04DOI: 10.3389/frsus.2023.1128620
Rehema M. White, U. Kockel, Betsy King, Kirsten Leask, Peter Higgins, Andrew Samuel
If sustainability is about imagining and pursuing desired futures, our past history, heritage, and culture will influence the kind of futures we seek and our chosen routes towards them. In Scotland, there is a strong connection between culture, land, and identity; a sense of community; and a perception of work ethic that derive from our biogeography and socio-political journey. Concepts and practises of education have been influenced by the ideas of key thinkers such as the Scot Sir Patrick Geddes, who introduced approaches to education and community through concepts such as “heart, hand, and head”, “think global, act local,” and “place, work, and folk”. This background influenced us in establishing Scotland's United Nations University-recognised Regional Centre of Expertise (RCE) in Education for Sustainable Development (ESD), known locally as “Learning for Sustainability Scotland”. Its initial development ten years ago and subsequent evolution have been built on engaging collaboratively across Scotland and linking formal, non-formal, and informal modes of learning for sustainability. In this paper, we explore how culture and context have influenced the emergence, governance, and activities of RCE Scotland over the past decade.We developed an analytical framework of possible cultural and contextual influences on Scottish education. We used a Delphi approach to develop a novel and locally relevant definition of ESD when the RCE was established.Analysis of purposively selected RCE Scotland activities against our cultural framework illustrated how they had been influenced by culture or context. We propose that democratic intellect, local and global, and nature-culture connections have informed our initiative.We conclude that connection to people, place, and nature influences engagement and action on sustainability, and we suggest that additional sustainability competencies should include physical, emotional, and spiritual aspects of nature connection.
{"title":"The future starts in the past: embedding learning for sustainability through culture and community in Scotland","authors":"Rehema M. White, U. Kockel, Betsy King, Kirsten Leask, Peter Higgins, Andrew Samuel","doi":"10.3389/frsus.2023.1128620","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3389/frsus.2023.1128620","url":null,"abstract":"If sustainability is about imagining and pursuing desired futures, our past history, heritage, and culture will influence the kind of futures we seek and our chosen routes towards them. In Scotland, there is a strong connection between culture, land, and identity; a sense of community; and a perception of work ethic that derive from our biogeography and socio-political journey. Concepts and practises of education have been influenced by the ideas of key thinkers such as the Scot Sir Patrick Geddes, who introduced approaches to education and community through concepts such as “heart, hand, and head”, “think global, act local,” and “place, work, and folk”. This background influenced us in establishing Scotland's United Nations University-recognised Regional Centre of Expertise (RCE) in Education for Sustainable Development (ESD), known locally as “Learning for Sustainability Scotland”. Its initial development ten years ago and subsequent evolution have been built on engaging collaboratively across Scotland and linking formal, non-formal, and informal modes of learning for sustainability. In this paper, we explore how culture and context have influenced the emergence, governance, and activities of RCE Scotland over the past decade.We developed an analytical framework of possible cultural and contextual influences on Scottish education. We used a Delphi approach to develop a novel and locally relevant definition of ESD when the RCE was established.Analysis of purposively selected RCE Scotland activities against our cultural framework illustrated how they had been influenced by culture or context. We propose that democratic intellect, local and global, and nature-culture connections have informed our initiative.We conclude that connection to people, place, and nature influences engagement and action on sustainability, and we suggest that additional sustainability competencies should include physical, emotional, and spiritual aspects of nature connection.","PeriodicalId":253319,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in Sustainability","volume":"1 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-09-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"131126955","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
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