Academic literature on the topic 'Sustainability Initiatives/Activities'
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Journal articles on the topic "Sustainability Initiatives/Activities"
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Hadi, Sudharto P., Bulan Prabawani, and Anis Qomariah. "Circular Initiatives for Industrial Sustainability." E3S Web of Conferences 317 (2021): 01078. http://dx.doi.org/10.1051/e3sconf/202131701078.
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The industrial sector has been treated as the engine of economic growth contributing to GDP, job opportunities and business creation. However industrial activities also cause various environmental problems such as water, air pollution, also hazardous and non-hazardous waste generation. One approach to deal with this problem is by involving industries at Proper (business performance rating on environmental management). The industries that proactively managing its environmental impacts and resulting energy efficiency, reduce of water consumption and emission, reduce of hazardous and non-hazardous waste, improve bio-diversity, are awarded as green ranking. The gold ranking is awarded for industries which are able to create self-reliance communities through corporate social responsibility (CSR). To optimize environmental performance, the industries achieving beyond compliance level are obliged to adopt life cycle assessment (LCA).
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Fischer, Anke, Kirsty Holstead, Cary Y. Hendrickson, Outi Virkkula, and Alessandra Prampolini. "Community-led initiatives’ everyday politics for sustainability – Conflicting rationalities and aspirations for change?" Environment and Planning A: Economy and Space 49, no. 9 (June 8, 2017): 1986–2006. http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/0308518x17713994.
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Community-based initiatives are widely seen to play an essential role in a societal move towards a low carbon, sustainable future. As part of this, there is often an assumption that such initiatives share expectations (i.e. a guiding vision) of large-scale change and that their activities contribute to this change. Here, we ask to what extent this assumption reflects members’ own perspectives on and interpretations of the aims and ambitions of their community initiative, and what this implies for a larger vision of sustainability transitions. In doing so, we respond to calls for a better understanding of the ‘everyday politics’ of what could be seen as processes of societal transitions in practice. We conducted qualitative interviews with members of five community initiatives in Italy, Finland and the UK. In each of these initiatives, we found a range of aspirations (i.e. outcome-related aims) and rationalities (i.e. procedural guiding principles). While some of these aims and ways of working were compatible with each other, we identified three major tensions that could be found across our study initiatives. These tensions centred on (i) the degree of politicisation of the initiative, (ii) the extent to which financial aims should take priority and (iii) questions of organisational form. We interpret these tensions as conflicting expressions of larger, societal-level discourses, and argue that this diversity and resulting conflicts need to be acknowledged – both in transition research and at the practical level – to avoid co-optation and disenfranchisement.
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Petera, Petr, Jaroslav Wagner, and Kateřina Knorová. "Perception and Interpretation of Sustainability Among the Largest Corporations Established in the Czech Republic." Acta Universitatis Agriculturae et Silviculturae Mendelianae Brunensis 64, no. 3 (2016): 1053–65. http://dx.doi.org/10.11118/actaun201664031053.
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The paper addresses perception and interpretation of sustainability among the largest corporations established in the Czech Republic. Despite the fact that the amount of literature on sustainability is substantial, there is lack of empirical investigation into understanding sustainability among corporations established in the Czech Republic. We used qualitative methodology (semi-structured interviews) to investigate how the largest corporations established in the Czech Republic understand and deal with sustainability-related issues. Key sustainability-related themes are identified and discussed in the paper. On the basis of comparison of our results with the prior literature it is possible to sum up that our findings are mostly in accordance with previous research. Majority of our respondents perceive sustainability as containing economic, environmental and social dimension and their sustainability-related initiatives are both internally and externally oriented. Reporting on sustainability is relatively new topic for respondents, but its importance is growing. The key future challenges include better integration of sustainability-related initiatives into the core business activities, implementation of sustainability accounting and standardization of sustainability reporting (probably on the basis of the Global Reporting Initiative guidelines).
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Hasanah, Zahra Nur, Wiwandari Handayani, and Nana Kariada Tri Martuti. "Initiatives of Urban Agriculture in Semarang City: Pathways for Sustainability." MATEC Web of Conferences 280 (2019): 03005. http://dx.doi.org/10.1051/matecconf/201928003005.
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Urban agriculture (UA) has become a popular concept to bridge growth of urban areas with adequate provision of agricultural land, cheap and healthy food. UA in Semarang began to be encouraged by Semarang City Government since 2015 and involves family welfare groups for its implementation. Most of the people involved in UA activities are often based on hobbies whereas some of them start reaching out to businesses. This study aims to elaborate the initiatives from government, community/individual, university, and corporation to promote UA in Semarang. The methods were conducted by using interactive analysis model which is presented by Miles, Huberman, and Saldaña. By elaborate the initiatives of urban agriculture in Semarang, the study shows that initiatives from communities/individual are more promising to promote sustainability rather than initiatives which comes from the government. The major difference among initiatives is due to community eagerness to do UA activities if it comes from their interests and desires, whereas initiatives from the government are more likely to encourage community participation and as part of social innovation.
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Mustaghis-ur-Rahman. "FFC’s Community Empowerment Initiatives towards Sustainability: A Case Study." South Asian Journal of Business and Management Cases 3, no. 2 (November 24, 2014): 109–18. http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/2277977914548342.
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The case compiles the corporate social responsibility (CSR) activities at Fauji Fertlizer Company Limited (FFC), as a part of United Nations Global Compact (UNGC). It highlights CSR activities as followed in five groups and covers both macro-level and micro-level initiatives within the principles of the UNGC. At the macro level, the company is addressing stakeholders’ concerns for underdevelopment in the country by sponsoring community development projects in its operational areas. At the micro level, FFC is carrying out interventions by spreading education, providing health care, protecting environment, alleviating poverty and responding to the challenges of disasters. The case is sponsored by the UNGC Pakistan Local Network.1
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Jelen, Jonatan. "Financial Sustainability for Social Entrepreneurship – Pragmatic Social Imperative or Impractical Financial Challenge?" International Journal of Entrepreneurship and Innovation 10, no. 3 (August 2009): 223–32. http://dx.doi.org/10.5367/000000009789067824.
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This article identifies recent forms of US enterprises that have pragmatically – if unintentionally – expanded the definition of ‘social entrepreneurship’ through an unprecedented level of social value creation without compromising the American tradition of private initiative. In capturing the dimensions of these new firms, the author proposes new theory in three respects: (a) social entrepreneurship can be reframed to incorporate a set of new activities that qualify as social value-creating activities; (b) social ventures can be designed in ways to attract private capital as intensely as traditional ventures; and (c) this originally US model can serve as a blueprint for international initiatives.
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Adamska, Agata, Tomasz Dąbrowski, Magdalena Homa, Monika Mościbrodzka, and Jacek Tomaszewski. "Demutualization, Corporatization, and Sustainability Initiatives: Evidence from the European Stock Exchange Industry." Central European Management Journal 30, no. 3 (September 15, 2022): 2–35. http://dx.doi.org/10.7206/cemj.2658-0845.80.
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Purpose: The article analyzes the consequences of transformation in governance structures of stock exchanges on their CSR initiatives, in particular relations between their organizational forms and the number and nature of CSR initiatives as well as their influence on stock exchanges’ performance. Methodology: In our study covering 40 European stock exchanges, we identified 527 sustainability practices implemented between 1992 and 2019. We divided these practices into two categories: internal, applying to the stock exchange itself, and external, targeted at listed companies. Moreover, we proposed a synthetic indicator of stock exchange development to measure its economic performance. Findings: We found that publicly traded stock exchanges undertake a greater number of CSR initiatives and have a higher proportion of internal practices, than stock exchanges organized as non-public entities. Our study also indicates that a large number of implemented CSR practices positively affects the economic performance of stock exchanges, and furthermore, that internal practices have a greater impact than external ones. Research limitations: The surveyed European stock exchanges may differ from stock exchanges in other regions regarding their CSR policies. Originality: Our study proved that the corporatization of stock exchanges affect their CSR practices. It also showed that some types of sustainability activities affect performance in a more significant way than others.
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Singh, Jagdeep. "The Sustainability Potential of Upcycling." Sustainability 14, no. 10 (May 15, 2022): 5989. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/su14105989.
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The upcycling trend has received renewed attention in the past few years due to growing concerns for the environment related to increased resource consumption and waste volumes. Indeed, cities across the world are supporting resource upcycling initiatives by establishing do-it-yourself (DIY) repair cafes and makerspaces as a means to transform societies towards sustainable development. However, the sustainability potential of such upcycling initiatives is unknown due to the lack of theoretical frameworks. This research aims to explore the direct and indirect social, economic, and environmental implications of upcycling activities at DIY bicycle repair studios. The main objectives of the study were to: (1) examine the upcycling activities in these studios that contribute to slowing and closing the material cycles, (2) explore the behavioral implications of the users of these maker spaces in the context of environmental sustainability, and (3) propose ways to evaluate the broad environmental impacts of the upcycling activities at these studios. The objectives were explored in three case studies—2 in Sweden (Cykelköket in Malmö and Bagarmossens Cykelköket in Stockholm) and 1 in Switzerland (Point Vélo, Lausanne). Semi-structured interviews, user surveys, and participant observation methods are employed to collect qualitative, and quantitative data to formulate a systemic exploration of major activities and socio-economic exchanges at these repair cafes. The study identified multiple social, economic, and environmental impacts of upcycling activities and represented them in causal loop diagrams. Based on this, a framework for evaluating and governing the overall sustainability potential of upcycling activities is proposed.
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Klofsten, Magnus, Dzamila Bienkowska, Inessa Laur, and Ingela Sölvell. "Success Factors in Cluster Initiative Management." Industry and Higher Education 29, no. 1 (February 2015): 65–77. http://dx.doi.org/10.5367/ihe.2015.0237.
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Cluster development is prioritized in policy programmes as a means to facilitate regional growth and job creation. Triple Helix actors are often involved in so-called cluster initiatives – intermediary organizations having the objective of the development of a local or regional cluster. This paper maps out the ‘big five’ qualitative success factors in cluster initiative management: the idea; driving forces and commitment; activities; critical mass; and organization. The proposed framework enables the assessment of performance and sustainability over time, useful for both everyday management operations and policy programmes designed to support cluster initiatives.
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Vázquez-Maguirre, Mario, and Alfonso E. Benito. "Impact or Outputs? Exploring Multinational’s CSR Activities in Mexico ." Sustainability 14, no. 7 (March 31, 2022): 4140. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/su14074140.
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This article aims to explore how multinationals measure CSR activities in Mexico and their alignment with core business activities and Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Through a qualitative approach and an exploratory methodology, based on 15 semi-structured interviews with CSR and sustainability managers, the results suggest that multinationals in this sample focus on outputs rather than on impact. Two reasons provided by the interviewees are as follows: (1) impact measurement does not carry any punishment or social reward, so corporations do not have much interest in measuring it; and (2) some corporations do not know how to measure CSR impact, so they usually report outputs in their sustainability reports. The results also suggest a disconnection between CSR and core business activities. Finally, multinationals recognise SDGs as a paramount guide to address the world’s more urgent problems and are starting to link their CSR initiatives to particular goals. However, such efforts are still incipient and mostly mean connecting CSR initiatives and specific SDGs in their sustainability reports.
Dissertations / Theses on the topic "Sustainability Initiatives/Activities"
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Kim, Yunhee. "Regulation, Policies and Innovation Activities in Industries : approaching Methods and Implications." Phd thesis, Saint-Etienne, EMSE, 2011. http://tel.archives-ouvertes.fr/tel-00820667.
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In general, policymakers are often faced with a different choice, i.e., the choice between using regulation-based instruments and using incentive-based instruments, where the policy instruments could be based either on mandatory approach or voluntary approach with economic incentives in market. Historically, industrial economists have regarded the issue of policy design as the one focused primarily on the choice among alternative policy instruments, where those are generally viewed as falling into two broad categories: regulation-based instruments and incentive-based instruments. Through the theoretical and empirical analysis, this study identifies some key features that are likely to increase both the effectiveness and efficiency of industrial policies with voluntary and mandatory approaches. One key feature is the existence of a strong relationship between innovation and industrial policies. The explorative innovation increases the incentives for participation in long-term but also reduces the financial incentives in short-term. Considering firms' characteristics and industry sector also increases the synergy effect of policies and regulations. In sum, when based on the understanding and consideration on the nature of innovation and other impact factors, industrial policy can provide a mechanism for meeting industrial quality goals both effectively and efficiently. This understanding also can help policy makers to decide whether or not use of such policy approach is advisable and to design the policy ensuring that it is as effective and efficient as possible. Consequently, the current study investigates the difference and tendency of industrial policy approaches and the type of innovation carrying out three analyses according to the mandatory and voluntary approaches. With the assumption that the mandatory approach has short-run impact to prompt new technology or grow a specific industry, we firstly assess the impact of regulation, such as privatization of nature monopoly. Using the firms' data of 20 OECD countries between 1994 and 2008, we can claim that considering interaction among liberalization policies and allowing the industry characteristics are critical to determine for the Profitability effect and Operational efficiency effect and level of investments. Secondly, this study analyzes the relationship between 'Corporate Environmentalism' and composition of innovation using the Carbon Discloser Project (CDP) and (Dow Jones Sustainability Index) DJSI index data. The result shows the significant variation of firms' investment activities according to the industry sector, firm characteristics, sustainable and environmental behaviors of firms. Finally, this study identifies the relationship between 'Business-led Initiatives (CSR)' and innovation activities of firms. Using the Vigeo rating and financial data in 2009, this study shows the relationship between CSR and innovation activities of firms. Consequently, when the firm builds their short- and long-run business strategies, the consideration of the relationship between types of investment and CSR practice will lead to more synergic effect on the outcome of investments. The findings of this study could provide a comprehensive understanding on the effect of sustainable management strategies on the innovation and sustainability of firms.
Books on the topic "Sustainability Initiatives/Activities"
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Fischer, Frank. Urban Sustainability, Eco-Cities, and Transition Towns: Resilience Planning as Apolitical Politics. Oxford University Press, 2017. http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/oso/9780199594917.003.0010.
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After having explored various locally oriented projects in participatory governance that present practical alternatives to the theory of deliberative democracy, this chapter examines the democratic participatory potentials and realities of other local initiatives. It looks at the participatory activities of cities, including large cities, with a particular focus on the role for citizens in programs designed for adaptive responses to the consequences of climate change. Sponsored by city officials, these participatory initiatives are seen to be largely top-down in nature and not generally democratic per se. We then turn to the Transition Town movement, often cited by environmentalists as a progressive ecological alternative founded on citizen engagement. The participatory activities of this movement, while ecologically credible, are shown not to be geared to the furtherance of democratic practices. One main reason has to do with its emphasis on the theory of resilience, which ignores the political questions raised by ecological transition.
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Buscio Olivera, Valentina, and Lluc Canals Casals. 2nd International Congress on Water and Sustainability. Edited by Beatriz Amante García and Francisco Belzagui Elder. OmniaScience, 2021. http://dx.doi.org/10.3926/icws2021.
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This Conference is the consequence of the conjunction of the results and progress of the ongoing research on the water treatment ENMA group at the University and the particular social and political moment that water management is facing in Catalonia and, particularly in the city of Terrassa, that locates the INTEXTER (Institute for Textile Research and Industrial Cooperation of Terrassa), venue of the Conference. This congress aims to give space for a scientific debate and reflection on water and its importance with regard to the environment and wider society. We hope that this initiative will consolidate the entire educational, scientific and professional community to respond to the prospective challenges that the development and implementation of new technologies brings together with their impacts in relation to water. Please, enjoy the presentations, posters, sessions and the whole event activities.
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Sivarasu, Sudesh. Medical Devices Innovation for Africa: enabling industrialisation. University of Cape Town Libraries, 2022. http://dx.doi.org/10.15641/uctlib40.
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It is with great pleasure to recognise all our partners in the merSETA Viro-Vent Innovation Skills Challenge who contributed to this publication: University of Cape Town, Cape Peninsula University of Technology, University KwaZulu Natal, University of Witwatersrand and National Technologies Implementation Platform. Thank you, Professor Sivarasu, for your leadership of the University of Cape Town for supporting these efforts to find new forms of collaboration that focus on “Skills for localisation” and “Skills for re-industrialisation”. This publication comes at a time when South Africa and the world are still recovering from the devastating effects of the covid-19 pandemic complicated by an emerging war in Ukraine. This is expected to continue disrupting social and economic activities, including education, training, and work. The merSETA and its stakeholders are working tirelessly to ensure that training and other skills development activities continue despite these challenges. This innovation project, among others at the merSETA, utilises existing research and Higher Education Institution (HEI) Infrastructure to stimulate rapid response technology innovation aimed at the development, design and prototype production of a medical device in response not only to the COVID-19 pandemic, but also to an economic sector dominated by imports. To serve the skills development mandate of the merSETA, the project investigates the technology management capabilities or future skills required to accelerate South Africa’s post-covid recovery. The concept of innovation, as vested in this program, is aligned to the merSETA’s strategic intentions, that include: i. Supporting skills for Economic Reconstruction, Recovery and Growth, ii. Supporting skills for the changing world of work, iii. Supporting skills for the growth and sustainability of the green and circular economies and iv. Exploring and supporting the role of the mer-sector in the digital economy, as well as v. Continuing to strengthen the role of the SETA as an intermediary body Making informed sector skills planning decisions is the objective of this program. – that is, to understand those future jobs that would drive the localisation of components in a model that could stimulate expanded manufacturing opportunities through relevant skills supply. The merSETA’s Viro-Vent Innovation Skills Challenge anticipates a contribution towards closing the skills gap through a job generation model. The merSETA remains committed and is looking forward to engaging on how this initiative sees a pipeline of new product innovations expanding the manufacturing sector. We owe it to the citizens of South Africa to find innovative ways of harnessing our young talent into industrial expansion.
Book chapters on the topic "Sustainability Initiatives/Activities"
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Norazah, Mohd Suki, and Mohd Suki Norbayah. "Campus Sustainability: Does Student Engagement with Eco-Campus Environmental Activities and Green Initiatives Really Matter?" In Engaging Stakeholders in Education for Sustainable Development at University Level, 45–59. Cham: Springer International Publishing, 2016. http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-26734-0_4.
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Happonen, Ari, Annika Wolff, and Victoria Palacin. "From Data Literacy to Co-design Environmental Monitoring Innovations and Civic Action." In Proceeding of 2021 International Conference on Wireless Communications, Networking and Applications, 408–18. Singapore: Springer Nature Singapore, 2022. http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/978-981-19-2456-9_42.
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AbstractSENSEI is an environmental monitoring initiative run by Lappeenranta University of Technology (LUT University) and the municipality of Lappeenranta in south-east Finland. The aim was to collaboratively innovate and co-design, develop and deploy civic technologies with local civics to monitor positive and negative issues. These are planned to improve local’s participation to social governance issues in hand. These issues can be e.g. waste related matters like illegal dumping of waste, small vandalism into city properties, alien plant species, but on the other hand nice places to visits too. This publication presents initiatives data literacy facet overview, which is aimed at creating equitable access to information from open data, which in turn is hoped for to increase participants motivation and entrepreneurship like attitude to work with the municipals and the system. This is done by curating environmental datasets to allow participatory sensemaking via exploration, games and reflection, allowing citizens to combine their collective knowledge about the town with the often-complex data. The ultimate aim of this data literacy process is to enhance collective civic actions for the good of the environment, to reduce the resource burden in the municipality level and help citizens to be part of sustainability and environmental monitoring innovation activities. For further research, we suggest follow up studies to consider on similar activities e.g. in specific age groups and to do comparisons on working with different stage holders to pin point most appropriate methods for any specific focus group towards collaborative innovation and co-design of civic technologies deployment.
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Donnan, David. "Innovation and the Quest to Feed the World." In The Innovation Revolution in Agriculture, 179–205. Cham: Springer International Publishing, 2020. http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-50991-0_7.
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Abstract While global levels of hunger and malnutrition have dropped significantly in the last few decades, there are concerns that agricultural advancements and R&D spending are not enough to unlock the true agricultural innovation needed to feed the burgeoning 10 billion people. Government spending on agricultural R&D has decreased in the last decade and many of the large-scale NGO activities are now focusing on environmental and sustainability issues. With the evolution of corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiatives, coupled with the growth of agricultural startups and venture funds, the role of agriculture and hunger relief has dramatically changed in the last several decades. A new focus on sustainable growth, capabilities development, and innovative approaches for smallholder farmers has created an environment of continuous innovation that has replaced many of the donation-based hunger relief initiatives of the past. Large corporations are working with local NGOs and support groups to tackle global hunger on a local basis. In the next decade, we should see more socially minded entrepreneurs that will work with NGOs and private businesses to solve the issues of smallholder farming and provide the opportunity to introduce both digital and agricultural innovations at the local level to further the quest to feed the world.
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Mahendra Dev, S., and Vijay Laxmi Pandey. "Dietary Diversity, Nutrition and Food Safety." In India Studies in Business and Economics, 39–82. Singapore: Springer Singapore, 2022. http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/978-981-19-0763-0_3.
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AbstractThere is a coexistence of undernutrition, over-nutrition, and micronutrient deficiencies in India. A structural shift in the dietary pattern and nutrition transition is observed. The contribution of cereals to calorie and protein intake is high, and an increased share of non-cereals items in calories and protein intake is reflected. The consumption of unhealthy foods has increased. Widespread adoption of healthy diets may lead to some adverse environmental impacts. Multi-pronged strategies with increased coverage, better targeting, change in the design, higher allocations of funds, and coordination between different policies and programmes to achieve SDG 2 targets are required. Pathways for nutritional security consist of improving dietary diversity, kitchen gardens, reducing postharvest losses, bio-fortification of staples with its inclusion in safety net programmes, women’s empowerment, enforcement of standards and regulations, improving WASH, nutrition education, and effective use of digital technology. Food and nutrition security initiatives will require tuning it with changing demographics, livelihood patterns, environmental sustainability, health-specific needs, and overall development activities.
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Lausselet, Nadia, and Ismaël Zosso. "Bonding with the World: A Pedagogical Approach." In High-Quality Outdoor Learning, 269–85. Cham: Springer International Publishing, 2022. http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-04108-2_15.
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AbstractOutdoor Education activities are rapidly developing in school practice in Switzerland, still mainly based on personal initiatives from teachers. Teacher training universities have a role to play to reinforce and facilitate professional development of these teachers, guarantee a coherent approach to quality outdoor education, and promote its implementation at a larger scale. In order to do this, universities have to develop programmes both for initial and in-service training, in which they support a progression with various levels of expertise. They also have to develop a scientific discourse around outdoor teacher education, and contribute to a better recognition of the field at a political level. At the moment, in Switzerland, few teacher training institutions have organised any specific arrangements in this direction. The Haute Ecole Pédagogique Vaud has set up a Competence Centre for Outdoor Education, made possible by the priority recently given to sustainability education at state level. The approach promoted within this centre is nourished by ongoing discussions around the Anthropocene and its implications for schools. It therefore fosters a quality outdoor education that builds up environmental literacy and agency by cultivating a sense of bonding with the world. This article presents this approach, focusing on its theoretical and didactical framework before tackling a possible curricular progression at the level of both pupils and teachers. It highlights training and research issues and aims, looking at possibilities and complexities when combining transformative sustainability education, place-based outdoor education and teacher education, while making the link to schools and their structural and curricular realities.
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Duxbury, Nancy, Cláudia Pato Carvalho, and Sara Albino. "An introduction to creative tourism development: articulating local culture and travel." In Creative tourism: activating cultural resources and engaging creative travellers, 1–11. Wallingford: CABI, 2021. http://dx.doi.org/10.1079/9781789243536.0001.
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Abstract Creative tourism is a dynamic tourism niche that has emerged both as a development of cultural tourism and in opposition to the emergence of 'mass cultural tourism'. On the one hand, creative tourism demand is driven by travellers seeking more active and participative cultural experiences in which they can use and develop their own creativity. On the other hand, creative tourism provides avenues for communities' desire to accentuate their distinctive elements and develop new value-added initiatives for local benefit. The book is intended for entrepreneurs and public agencies interested in developing creative tourism activities and programmes, with a complementary interest expected from students and researchers in creative tourism, cultural tourism, and community-based tourism fields. The book aims to offer theoretical approaches as well as to inform practical implementation, presenting a wide range of examples, experience-based insights, and advice. It offers guidance for practitioners in planning, operationalizing, and iteratively improving their creative tourism projects and adapting them to changing local situations. The book also aims to situate creative tourism within local development, and to show how it can contribute to local economic benefit, community engagement, social inclusion, empowerment, cultural vitality and sustainability, cross-cultural exchange, and responsible travel.
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Wu, Chen-Fa, Chen Yang Lee, Chen-Chuan Huang, Hao-Yun Chuang, Chih-Cheng Weng, Ming Cheng Chen, Choa-Hung Chang, Szu-Hung Chen, Yi-Ting Zhang, and Kuan Chuan Lu. "Sustainable Rural Development and Water Resources Management on a Hilly Landscape: A Case Study of Gonglaoping Community, Taichung, ROC (Chinese Taipei)." In Fostering Transformative Change for Sustainability in the Context of Socio-Ecological Production Landscapes and Seascapes (SEPLS), 115–31. Singapore: Springer Singapore, 2021. http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/978-981-33-6761-6_7.
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AbstractThe Gonglaoping community is located in Central Western Taiwan, with approximately 700 residents. The hilly landscape contains farmlands and sloping areas with abundant natural resources. Locals rely on the Han River system and seasonal rainfall for water supply for domestic use and irrigation. Uneven rainfall patterns and high demand for water has led to the overuse of groundwater and conflicts among the people. The surrounding natural forests provide important ecosystem services, including wildlife habitats and water conservation, among others; however, overlap with human activities has brought threats to biodiversity conservation. Considering these challenges, locals were determined to transform their community towards sustainability. The Gonglaoping Industrial Development Association (GIDA) and the Soil and Water Conservation Bureau (SWCB) joined hands to initiate the promotion of the Satoyama Initiative, playing catalytic roles in several implementations, such as establishing water management strategies based on mutual trust, rebuilding the masonry landscape, and economic development, forming partnerships with other stakeholders. This multi-stakeholder and co-management platform allowed the community to achieve transformative change, particularly in resolving conflicts of water use, restoring the SEPL, enhancing biodiversity conservation, and developing a self-sustaining economy.Achieving sustainability in a SEPL requires the application of a holistic approach and a multi-sector collaborating (community-government-university) platform. This case demonstrates a practical, effective framework for government authorities, policymakers and other stakeholders in terms of maintaining the integrity of ecosystems. With the final outcome of promoting a vision of co-prosperity, it is a solid example showing a win-win strategy for both the human population and the farmland ecosystem in a hilly landscape.
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Gualandi, Guido, and D. Williams-Gualandi. "Transformative Change Through Ecological Consumption and Production of Ancient Wheat Varieties in Tuscany, Italy." In Fostering Transformative Change for Sustainability in the Context of Socio-Ecological Production Landscapes and Seascapes (SEPLS), 95–114. Singapore: Springer Singapore, 2021. http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/978-981-33-6761-6_6.
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AbstractIn the 2016 Volume 2 of the Satoyama Initiative Thematic Review (SITR), a summary of the activities of the Grani Antichi Association in Montespertoli, Tuscany, was introduced with a roll out plan for transformative change of the supply chain and possible replication of the project in other regions. The main goal of the project has been to restore and preserve ancient varieties of wheat, cultivate them sustainably and include a form of payment for the least compensated members of the production chain. The aims of the Association are to reduce the carbon footprint of modern agricultural practices and the landslides and soil erosion caused by them, to preserve biodiversity and most importantly, to improve farmers’ revenue, enabling them to safeguard the environment and improve health by cultivating healthy food. The preservation of social ties and local knowledge is an additional result. Markers of the project’s success include benefits that are equally distributed across the production chain, farmers who are motivated to cultivate ancient wheat varieties and the conversion of 500 ha of abandoned or conventionally cultivated land to a more sustainable and biodiverse system. The market economy system in place was dismantled, and farmers now have access to more economic benefits, which must be distributed fairly. Because the project provides a transformative model of production and consumption outside the traditional market economy system, it appears to function with a complete multi-sectoral chain, where producers, food processors and consumers agree on a set price for a defined product. This chapter provides a preliminary analysis of the successes and challenges related to the main project and to upscaling in different areas.
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Nulkar, Gurudas. "Environmental Sustainability Practices for SMEs." In Green Initiatives for Business Sustainability and Value Creation, 1–20. IGI Global, 2018. http://dx.doi.org/10.4018/978-1-5225-2662-9.ch001.
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The rate and scale of environmental degradation, through economic activities, has triggered widespread awakening among businesses, governments and civil society. The world over, corporations have responded by adopting sustainability practices and reporting. However, much of these happen within the premises of the corporations. As larger organizations outsource their manufacturing and service operations to small and medium enterprises (SMEs), they effectively shift their environmental burden on their vendors. In most developing countries, poor regulations and weak enforcement of environment laws leave the SMEs on their own, to improve their environmental practices. However, their limited resources and managerial capabilities are often inadequate to undertake sustainability practices. This chapter presents the findings of a research conducted among engineering SMEs in India. It proposes a lifecycle approach towards environmental practices and discusses potential business benefits and value creation from this. The chapter gives a roadmap for green business strategies, which SMEs can implement within their organization.
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Manikas, Ioannis, Petros Ieromonachou, and Dionysis Bochtis. "Environmental Sustainability Initiatives in the Agrifood Supply Chain." In E-Innovation for Sustainable Development of Rural Resources During Global Economic Crisis, 221–32. IGI Global, 2014. http://dx.doi.org/10.4018/978-1-4666-4550-9.ch016.
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The aim of this study is to identify a wide range of environmentally sustainable initiatives in food supply chain operations and activities. Data for this pilot study were collected through a questionnaire survey. The questionnaire consisted of nine questions. The survey was distributed through email, both as an online link as well as an electronic document that could be returned via email or in hardcopy. A total of 214 UK-based companies involved in the Agrifood products distribution sector were contacted. A correlation analysis shows that company perceptions about factors affecting decisions for the implementation of sustainable practices shares a relationship with the company’s expectations when applying sustainable initiatives. Further research built on this preliminary study will lead to the development of a model that will enable adoption of sustainable measures based on a needs and strengths analysis of the companies.
Conference papers on the topic "Sustainability Initiatives/Activities"
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Tamer, Gülay. "Sustainability in Healthcare." In International Conference on Eurasian Economies. Eurasian Economists Association, 2018. http://dx.doi.org/10.36880/c10.02062.
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Sustainability, which is a multi-dimensional and popular concept today, has three dimensions that almost everyone agrees: environmental, economic and social dimensions. Due to the complex nature of the healthcare industry and the wide range of facilities, operations and activities of a typical healthcare provider, the overall social, economic and environmental impact created by the healthcare industry is enormous and closely related to the sustainable development. As in all other industries, it is also inevitable for the healthcare sector to take sustainability initiatives to the forefront. In this study, how sustainability and sustainable development can be adapted to the healthcare sector is described after definition of the concept is given. Some examples of sustainability understanding and initiatives that healthcare facilities may adopt are addressed and how quality dimensions can be used in this context is explained. And to this end, a research conducted in a hospital to contribute to improve healthcare infrastructure to create socially sustainable healthcare facilities is given as a case study at the end of this study. In the said case study, the researches suggest that evidence based design presents an adequate tool for analyzing existing and future design of healthcare facilities.
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Gunathilake, S., T. Ramachandra, and U. G. D. Madushika. "CARBON FOOTPRINT ANALYSIS OF CONSTRUCTION ACTIVITIES IN SRI LANKA: AN INPUT-OUTPUT TABLE." In Beyond sustainability reflections across spaces. Faculty of Architecture Research Unit, 2021. http://dx.doi.org/10.31705/faru.2021.29.
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The construction industry is one of the major contributors that emits carbon into the environment. When considering the carbon emission in the local context, even though there are Input-Output Tables (IOTs) that applies to all types of industries in Sri Lanka, there seems to be limited focuses on IOTs specifically relating to the construction activities which is vital for the need due to its outstanding contribution to the carbon footprint of Sri Lanka. Hence, this study aims to calculate the carbon footprint construction activities in Sri Lanka using IOT with a bottom-up approach. The required data were extracted from published documents of Survey of Construction Industry by Census and Statistics, and The Inventory of Carbon and Energy (ICE) database of UK. Carbon footprint of construction activities were calculated using IOT with a bottom-up approach. The analysis revealed that the road and railway sector have the highest contribution of 48% to the monetary value of the construction industry meanwhile it accounts for 44% of the highest carbon emission to the atmosphere in the year 2020. Subsequently, activities related to non-residential residential, and utilities contribute to 20%, 15%, and 12% of total carbon emission respectively. In terms of construction materials, cement-based activities (59%) were the highest contributor while rubble and metal-based (23%), and iron and steel-based activities (17%) were next level contributors to the carbon emission due to construction. The analysis concluded that the as the initiatives, public sector projects including road and railway sector and utilities should integrate more sustainable construction practices as they are responsible for more than 50% of carbon emission.
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Roháčiková, Oľga, Peter Moritz, Michal Hrivnák, and Katarína Melichová. "Význam komunít pre činnosť miestnych rozvojových iniciatív: prípadová štúdia top down a bottom-up aktérov v meste Nitra." In XXIV. mezinárodního kolokvia o regionálních vědách. Brno: Masaryk University Press, 2021. http://dx.doi.org/10.5817/cz.muni.p210-9896-2021-77.
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Various spatial actors can reduce costs, raise efficiency of activities and contribute to the social development of the territory also through the own community. A community is a fellowship of citizens or other spatial actors who are united by a common interest in relation to a space in which they want to contribute to a certain socio-economic change. Community initiatives are, in essence, found mainly on the bottom-up principle, from the initiative of local actors who are interested in meeting their needs together with other individuals or entities. Similarly, in some cases also top-down institutions in local development utilize membership base, or partnership to achieve its goals. The aim of this paper is to shed a light on the importance of community development, to demonstrate the importance of active communities for the development of local society and economy through case studies of model examples of good practice. In this paper, we compare a selected community initiative in local development established according to law (top-down), and due the activity and enthusiasm of local people (bottom-up). The results hypothesize that bottom-up community initiatives may grow faster and provide wider benefits to the institution's activities, but are less stable and do not provide a strong basis for the long-term sustainability of community initiative funding.
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Alfano, Anita, Paola Sarti, Ludovico Bernasconi, Elisabetta Rurale, Michela Sala, Luigia Sironi, Mario Zannoni, Andrea Bernagozzi, and Luca Montani. "Spazio allo Spazio." In Symposium on Space Educational Activities (SSAE). Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya, 2022. http://dx.doi.org/10.5821/conference-9788419184405.030.
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“Spazio allo Spazio", active since 2010, involves students aged 5 to 20. This educational project was launched by a group of Italian teachers from the Lower Secondary School Fermi in Villasanta who believed Space exploration could be an efficient way to convey the idea that the extraordinary experience of the astronaut, who on the International Space Station must acquire new skills and be able to dominate a challenging and unpredictable context, similar to a disabled person's routine in daily life. This was a winning choice because gradually international institutions promoted similar initiatives. The central theme of space exploration is used to promote values of sustainability, equity and diversity, allowing students to become acquainted with the world of astronauts while facing subjects related to integration and disability. Several national and international universities and institutions, at the forefront of scientific research, have contributed to this project. The main topics of the project are: 1) Space exploration: the astronaut's experience is the starting point for lessons, cultural exchanges, lectures and interdisciplinary strategies to raise awareness about humans in space, the international cooperation for the International Space Station, physical training, technical, scientific and cultural preparation. 2) Career orientation: meetings with experts in different fields, from Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics to Arts and Physical Education, help students achieve better knowledge of themselves, their potential and limits acquiring skills in scientific research methodology in a multilingual environment. 3) Inclusion: as astronauts experience the limits of gravity and disability in Space, students can face their limits, through experiences of adapted physical activity, addressing issues related to the integration and insertion of people with different skills in school and society. 4) Team building: starting from the example of collaboration which takes place in space missions and scientific research, students are encouraged to experience teamwork. This is true for the teachers too, thanks to the strengthening of cooperative teaching, in the sharing of resources and good practices as well as in the implementation of innovative forms of communication and multimedia documentation. The project aims at making students able to face new and more advanced educational challenges and cognitive objectives, developing work strategies by transferring already tested approaches and processes to new situations. This is noticeable in the more self-conscious choices that former students have made about their future. An example is illustrated by an ex-student who directed his training path in the Science and Engineering field
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Valiante, Caterina, and Annunziata Maria Oteri. "The Role of Heritage Communities in Local Development Processes through the reuse of Architectural Heritage. Some Examples in Italian Rural Areas." In HERITAGE2022 International Conference on Vernacular Heritage: Culture, People and Sustainability. Valencia: Universitat Politècnica de València, 2022. http://dx.doi.org/10.4995/heritage2022.2022.14304.
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Over the last three decades, various initiatives promoted by the European Union concerning the involvement and empowerment of communities in recognising and creating cultural values have flourished. They include, for instance, the Faro Convention, programs for ecomuseums and community mapping, and have contributed to giving voice to bottom-up initiatives for enhancing not only so-called monumental architecture but also "ordinary" architecture and built and vernacular cultural heritage. In general, this approach has also contributed to focusing attention on the importance of local communities in local development processes. In Italy, the so-called inner areas are often characterised by ordinary and vernacular heritage related to rural or manufacturing activities. In these small villages, some local communities, also thanks to the Italian National Strategy for Inner Areas, recognised reuse of part of the vernacular local built heritage as a strength for the community itself and the broader context. Some cases have demonstrated that valorisation of architectural heritage is possible without creating tourism-related facilities only (hotels, museums, etc.) but also creating services needed by "local" users that facilitate the everyday life of the place. In this perspective, attention should also be focused on heritage education and the intergenerational transmission of knowledge, which should involve the entire community at different levels, starting from experiences already in place in similar contexts. In this sense, a community can be intended as a broad concept, a constantly evolving process that includes the resident citizens and a broader network related to a specific territory. Through analyses of case studies, this contribution aims to propose reflections on the role of heritage community experiences in empowering vernacular architectural heritage and its wider context.
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Alatli, H. Ilke, and Demet Ulusoy Binan. "The Role of University in Local Cultural Development Through Vernacular Architectural Conservation Education: The Case of Havran, Turkey." In HERITAGE2022 International Conference on Vernacular Heritage: Culture, People and Sustainability. Valencia: Universitat Politècnica de València, 2022. http://dx.doi.org/10.4995/heritage2022.2022.15615.
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Since the beginning of 20th century, vernacular settlements are under severe threats of losing authen-ticity and ruin due to changes in human lifestyles, forms of production and worldwide economic devel-opments. Especially in small rural towns, lack of care and abandonment related to loss of young popu-lation is causing rapid deterioration of the vernacular heritage. In such towns, safeguarding is possible through initiatives of local authorities. However, as visionary as the authorities may be, knowledge on sustainable conservation of vernacular architecture is a very specific topic of expertise. At this point, the academic knowledge and experience of universities take on a new significance. Furthermore, col-laboration between academia and local authorities carry great potential for each party. A similar cooperation between Mimar Sinan Fine Arts University and the Local Municipality of Havran, which was inscribed as an urban protected area in the national register in 1995, started with a protocol signed in November 2011. Between 2012 and 2019, extensive surveys were carried out in urban protect-ed area and restoration projects of over 30 traditional buildings were completed by the graduate stu-dents. Some of these buildings are approved by the local council for the conservation of cultural prop-erty and one of which was restored to be used as a town and memory museum. The aim of this study is to discuss the outcome of experiences acquired from the collaboration between universities and local authorities in the past 10 years. Moreover, mutual benefit of interaction between academia, local community, and the municipality will be emphasized. The cultural heritage preserva-tion activities in Havran have an impact on local cultural development in terms of safeguarding the architectural heritage and creating awareness in the community, as well as making a significant contri-bution to the vernacular heritage conservation education.
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Casiraghi, Daniela, and Bianca Santolini. "Enhancing the practice of feedback through arts: an integrated open strategy." In Sixth International Conference on Higher Education Advances. Valencia: Universitat Politècnica de València, 2020. http://dx.doi.org/10.4995/head20.2020.11008.
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This paper presents the experience conducted in the framework of the Erasmus+ FeedBack Project, which aims at developing the practice of feedback through arts. The article introduces the practice of feedback as essential tool to enhance teaching and learning activities in the different level of education, with a specific focus on higher education. The FeedBack project has developed an Art-Based Feedback Model, which has been firstly defined in terms of actors, who give and receive feedback through different channels. Furthermore, the model has been integrated with the concept of Art-Based Initiatives, directly related to processes of Sustainability, Inspiration and Transformation implemented in teaching and learning contexts. Through an open and integrated virtual and face-to face strategy, that includes a digital toolkit, webinars, Massive Open Online Courses, events and workshops, the Arts-based FeedBack Model has been disseminated in several countries, stimulating the discussion and innovating the teaching and learning practices. This strategy lead to positive outcomes in terms of raising awareness of the topic, supporting the design and personalisation of the feedback process itself and, thus, enhancing the teaching and learning experience, especially in higher education contexts.
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Ma, Zhegang, Carlo Parisi, Cliff Davis, Sai Zhang, and Hongbin Zhang. "Risk-Informed Analysis for Accident Tolerant Fuel in Pressurized Water Reactors." In 2020 International Conference on Nuclear Engineering collocated with the ASME 2020 Power Conference. American Society of Mechanical Engineers, 2020. http://dx.doi.org/10.1115/icone2020-16761.
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Abstract This paper presents the research activities performed by Idaho National Laboratory (INL) for the Department of Energy (DOE) Light Water Reactor Sustainability (LWRS) Program, Risk-Informed System Analysis (RISA) Pathway, Enhanced Resilient Plant (ERP) Systems research, using the probabilistic risk assessment (PRA) tool SAPHIRE and the deterministic best estimate tool RELAP5-3D for risk-informed analysis. The ERP research supports DOE and industry initiatives by developing Accident Tolerant Fuel (ATF), the Diverse and Flexible Coping Strategy (FLEX), and passive cooling system designs to enhance existing reactors’ safety features (both active and passive) and to substantially reduce operating costs of nuclear power plants (NPPs) through risk-informed approaches to analyze the plant enhancements and their characterization. The risk-informed analysis used SAPHIRE and RELAP5-3D to evaluate the risk impacts from near-term ATF (FeCrAl and Chromium-coated clads) on a generic Westinghouse three-loop pressurized water reactor (PWR) under the following accident scenarios: station blackout (SBO), loss of feedwater (LOFW), steam generator tube rupture (SGTR), loss-of-coolant accidents (LOCAs), locked rotor transient, turbine trip transient, anticipated transient without scram (ATWS), and main steam line break (MSLB). The RELAP5-3D simulations included the time to core damage, time to 0.5 kilograms hydrogen generation, and total hydrogen generation. The simulation results show there are modest gains of coping time (delay of time to core damage) due to efficacy of the near-term ATF designs in various accident scenarios. The risk benefits on behalf of the core damage frequency (CDF) brought by the ATF designs would be small for most of the scenarios. However, results revealing much less hydrogen being produced at the time of core damage show a clear benefit in adopting ATFs.
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Nita, Maria Alexandra, Adrian Dumitrescu, Rares Bisag, Serban Anghel, and Raluca Stefanescu. "A story about how the novel ROSPIN Academy programme is bringing space education to the Romanian youth in the pandemic context." In Symposium on Space Educational Activities (SSAE). Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya, 2022. http://dx.doi.org/10.5821/conference-9788419184405.082.
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Continuous education is the foundation of a sustainable society and ecosystem, and this paper relates the story of one of the most ambitious educational programmes for University students from Romania. The country acceded to the European Space Agency’s Convention in 2011,
but does not have a dedicated undergraduate programme for space education, although the local space industry is growing and is demanding more skilled professionals. In this context, the Romanian Space Initiative has been organizing the ROSPIN Academy educational programme since the spring of 2021. Currently, each Edition of the Academy has 3 Levels, coordinated with the least busy University periods: Level 1 is an introduction to the space sector (autumn 2021), Level 2 consists of a technical overview of the lifecycle of space missions (spring 2022), and Level 3 offers hands-on experience with industry (summer 2022). Although the curriculum’s core is spacecraft engineering, it aims to reflect the sector’s interdisciplinarity, so topics such as astronomy, space sustainability and policy are also covered. The Lessons are delivered in English by national and international speakers from industry and academia, ranging from young graduates to experienced professionals. Participants can interact directly with them, in a context that promotes the idea that space is not only for rocket scientists. The participants’ interpersonal skills are also trained through exercises and games about space topics, which require them to work together in teams. The accepted participants of the Academy are selected based on their motivation and thinking, relevant knowledge and compatibility with the Academy learning concept. Currently, more than 400 applicants have been accepted in the past or current Editions of ROSPIN Academy. Last but not least, the national outreach achieved through this programme is a key defining value. ROSPIN Academy is present at national level, across industries, and mixes undergraduates and graduates, with focus on the former. This is demonstrated by the evolution of the distribution of the accepted participants, in terms of city, year and field of studies. Due to the organisation’s efforts to promote the second Edition nationwide with the support of professors
from the biggest STEM Universities, this distribution has clearly evolved. Edition 2 shows a more diversified pool of participants compared to Edition 1, which mostly had active participants with aerospace background from Bucharest. As a result, ROSPIN Academy is uniting the local space communities while educating the next generation of space engineers.
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Almentheri, Ibtihaj Jaber, Mariam Mubarak Alsulaimani, Ahlam Mohamed Almarzooqi, Sherooq Saleh Alteneiji, Fatima Saleh Alhammadi, Shafir Mohamed Kutty, and Marwan Abdulwahab Alawadhi. "Break Down the limiting Walls - Rise Initiative." In ADIPEC. SPE, 2022. http://dx.doi.org/10.2118/210818-ms.
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Abstract Communication is considered to be one of the major challenges that affects the individuals' and organization's development. The challenge has amplified with the sudden outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic worldwide and the stringent directions put in place. Ultimately, "Rise" initiative strategy was formed to focus on People improvement through establishing sub-teams that enhance employee satisfaction, instill knowledge sharing, promote people development, enhance current processes and advance our division to Excellence. "Rise" is based on ‘Zero-cost ideas’ budgeting method and tangible contribution to Core Pillars of our company (People, Profitability and Sustainability). It consists of five cross-departmental teams named: Connect, Career Development, Process Optimization, Communities and Excellence. Each team has clear roles and responsibilities which led by young and self-driven engineers. "Rise" teams generated more than 30 activities that support our company diversified Operation as well as its employees. Diversification in this context includes skills, experiences and techniques to perform tasks. All "Rise" activities have shaped the way we communicate and strengthen connection within division employees, company units, and other stakeholders. It enhanced the concept of collaborative work and knowledge sharing that led to people development in technical and non-technical aspects, boast confidence among themselves and with their peers and superiors. Also, it provided them with opportunities on both personal and professional profile persistently. It is clear by all the activities taking place as part of Rise that people are being treated as the first priority. By creating a respectful, inclusive and engaging work environment the employees will seek to enhance and perform effectively
Reports on the topic "Sustainability Initiatives/Activities"
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Guppy, Lisa, Paula Uyttendaele, Karen Villholth, and Vladimir Smakhtin. Groundwater and Sustainable Development Goals: Analysis of Interlinkages. United Nations University Institute for Water, Environment and Health, December 2018. http://dx.doi.org/10.53328/jrlh1810.
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Groundwater represents 97% of the world’s available freshwater resources and is extensively abstracted throughout the world. While abundant in a global context, it can only de developed to a certain extent without causing environmental impacts. Also, it is highly variable across the globe, and where it is heavily relied on, it is less renewable. Hence, it is critically important that this resource is managed sustainably. However, the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of the 2030 Development Agenda do not, as a rule, account explicitly for the significant role that groundwater plays and will continue to play in sustainable development. This report aims to unpack and highlight this role through consistent analysis of the interlinkages between groundwater and the targets of the SDGs. The key features of groundwater relevant to the SDGs are its use, management and sustainability. The methodology used to analyse groundwater interlinkages with SDG targets includes, first, identification of ‘evidence-based’ and ‘logical’ interlinkages. The first type of interlinkages is supported by existing data, while the second is by information and logic that needs to be drawn from existing bodies of relevant research. While only a few interlinkages may be seen at present as “evidence-based”, more data are continuously emerging to make more interlinkages supported by hard-core evidence. Subsequently, the interlinkages are classified into either ‘reinforcing’, ‘conflicting’ or ‘mixed’ – depending on whether achievement of a target will have predominantly positive, negative, or mixed impact on groundwater. The interlinkages are also classified into ‘primary’ and ‘secondary’, depending on how strong and direct the impacts on groundwater from achieving the targets may be. The report presents a summary of key interlinkages, and subsequently provides the narrative of all ‘primary’ ones. The analysis suggests that more than half of interlinkages are ‘reinforcing’, while only a few are ‘conflicting’. From a policy perspective i) conflicting interlinkages are the most critical and difficult ones to manage, and ii) it is important to draw synergies between SDG initiatives and groundwater to allow reinforcing interlinkages to materialise. Nearly a third of all identified interlinkages were classified as ‘mixed’. This means that when target activities are planned, careful consideration must be given to possible impacts on groundwater to avoid unintended negative outcomes that may not be evident at first. Primary interlinkages that constitute 43% of all may be the easiest to understand and the most important to plan for. However, there are even more secondary interlinkages. This means that groundwater experts need to be able to share knowledge to a range of actors involved in addressing the targets with secondary interlinkages to groundwater, and vice versa. It is also shown that i) the importance of groundwater to sustainable development is poorly recognised and captured at the SDG target level; ii) there is a lack of globally useful, up-to-date and SDG-relevant groundwater data available, which makes it difficult to make globally, and even locally, relevant recommendations for groundwater use, management and sustainability in the SDG era, and iii) there are often poor links between targets and their indicators. This may signal that all groundwater-related and groundwater-relevant aspirations may not be translated into real, let alone, measurable action. This report is not a comprehensive analysis and involves an element of subjectivity, associated primarily with the data and information paucity on one hand, and with the imperfection of the SDG target and indicator system itself – on another. However, even with these limitations, the report shows how significant groundwater is in sustainable development, even if the current SDG framework is implicit about this. Furthermore, it suggests a structured way to improve the visibility of groundwater in the SDG framework as it continues to develop.
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Olsson, Olle. Industrial decarbonization done right: identifying success factors for well-functioning permitting processes. Stockholm Environment Institute, November 2021. http://dx.doi.org/10.51414/sei2021.034.
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1 Introduction 1.1 The urgency of industrial decarbonization The last few years have seen several of the world’s largest carbon dioxide-emitting countries and leading heavy industry companies committing to mid-century net-zero targets (Buckley 2021; Denyer and Kashiwagi 2020; McCurry 2020; Myers 2020). Consequently, the discussion on economy-wide transition to net-zero is accelerating, with focus shifting from “if” to “when” and “how”, even for heavy industry sectors like steel, cement and chemicals. This makes it increasingly urgent to analyse not just whether it is technologically feasible to decarbonize heavy industry, but also investigate issues more directly related to practical implementation. This includes site-specific planning, infrastructure availability, and consultation with local authorities and other stakeholders. Many of the latter considerations are formalized as part of the permitting processes that are an essential vehicle to ensure that industrial interests are balanced against interests of society at large. However, doing this balancing act can turn out to be very complicated and associated with uncertainties as to their outcome, as well as being demanding in resources and time. At the same time, to ensure broad buy-in and support from society, the investments needed must be implemented in a way that takes a broad spectrum of sustainability concerns into account, not just climate change mitigation. A key question is if and how permitting processes can run more smoothly and efficiently while still ensuring inclusive consultations, fair procedures and adherence to legal certainty. This policy brief discusses this question from the starting point of Swedish conditions, but many of the points raised will be relevant for a broader international discussion on taking industrial decarbonization to implementation. 1.2 Industrial transition and permitting processes in Sweden Decarbonization of the industrial sector in Sweden essentially entails a relatively small number of investment projects in the cement, steel, petrochemical and refinery sectors, where the vast majority of carbon emissions are concentrated (Karltorp et al. 2019; Nykvist et al. 2020). However, while few in number, the size of these investments means that their implementation will by necessity become relevant to many other parts of society. In connection with the increasing focus on how to implement industrial decarbonization in Sweden, discussions about permitting processes have been brought higher up on the agenda. While there has been an active discussion on permitting processes in Sweden for quite some time, it has primarily been focused on aspects related to mining and wind power (Larsen et al. 2017; Raitio et al. 2020). The last few years have, however, focused increasingly on industrial projects, in particular related to a proposed – though eventually cancelled – expansion of an oil refinery in the southwestern part of the country (Blad 2020). In terms of political discussions, both the governmental initiative Fossil-free Sweden (2020) and the Swedish Climate Policy Council (2020) emphasize that permitting processes need to become faster in order for Sweden’s industrial transition to be implemented in line with the time plan set by the 2017 Swedish Climate Act. Business representatives and organizations are also voicing concerns about the slow speed of permitting (Balanskommissionen 2019; Jacke 2018). At the same time, criticism has been raised that much of the environmental damage done in Sweden comes from activities conducted within limits set by environmental permits, which could be a flaw in the system (Malmaeus and Lindblom 2019). Finally, recent public inquiries have also discussed permitting processes.
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Community participation in health, family planning and development activities: A review of international experiences. Population Council, 1996. http://dx.doi.org/10.31899/rh1996.1010.
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The family planning (FP)/maternal and child health (MCH) program in Bangladesh has achieved success in the recent past, mostly through a large-scale government service-delivery system with support and cooperation from donors and nongovernmental organizations. There is concern about the financial and social sustainability of the program. Other issues include achievement of replacement-level fertility within a stipulated period and improvement of MCH-FP service quality. It is widely believed that most of the concerns will be taken care of with effective community participation. Before activating community initiatives, it is worth carrying out action research. A literature review was completed from July to October 1996 to identify a range of models used for increasing community participation and experiences in terms of implementation, management, financing, monitoring and evaluation, and sustainability in both rural and urban areas. Attempts were also made to identify a set of indicators to assess the level of community participation in these programs. This report documents the results of the review.