Dissertations / Theses on the topic 'Sustainable Development Goal period'

Doctor Legum - LLD
Water is at the very core of sustainable development, critical for a thriving people, planet and prosperity. Water is regarded as a public good which is fundamental for health and life. Water is so important that it was debated as being a basic human right on many international platforms. Water access has plagued many parts of the world for a long period of time. In recent years, there have been increasingly urgent warnings of a global water crisis, as the human species consistently uses more water than is sustainably available. The international community tried to work towards overcoming these water-related issues by establishing the then Millennium Development Goals (hereafter referred to as MDGs), with MDG7.C focusing on access to safe drinking water. Even though MDG7.C was achieved in part, issues still remained regarding water access and quality. Sustainable Development Goal 6 (hereafter referred to as SDG 6) was then introduced and the scope of SDG6 is much wider than its predecessor, since the water access and scarcity problems are still prevalent today. The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development includes a dedicated goal on water and sanitation that sets out to ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all. SDG6 expands the MDG focus on drinking water to now cover the entire water cycle, including the management of water, wastewater and ecosystem resources, with water at the very core of sustainable development. The goal has, in essence, extended to include a much broader spectrum of issues that need to be solved which, in essence, unravels even more challenges along the way. As a result, it is imperative to determine whether SDG6 can allow for actual sustainable development in terms of freshwater resources. Thus, this thesis will discuss the advent of the Sustainable Development Goals (hereafter referred to as SDGs), in particular SDG6, as well as analyse how SDG6 impacts on International Environmental Law, with particular emphasis on International Freshwater Law. The main aim of this research is to determine whether the creation and implementation of SDG6 can result in overall freshwater sustainability and whether this can result in the furtherance of sustainable development.

Abstract: Given the global sustainability challenge; effective organizational Social Responsibility (SR) guidelines must set best-practices that acknowledge environmental constraints and strive for a sustainable society. SR has historically underrepresented environmental issues and needs to shift from a reactive focus on societal stakeholder demands, to a proactive whole-systems planning framework. There is a risk that unless SR guidelines consider both social and environmental issues together, they may generate negative outcomes to organizational viability. This research finds key Sustainable Development concepts that should be integrated within SR guidelines and uncovers an overall goal of SR as assisting organizations in moving towards a sustainable society. A Sustainable Society is defined in the research according to a set of scientific principles, based on environmental constraints and fundamental social needs. This clear goal enables the organization to ‘backcast’ from this success point in order to take effective strategic steps. The authors recommend the incorporation of critical concepts from Strategic Sustainable Development, a proven organizational sustainability planning framework, into SR guidelines to increase their effectiveness in strategic SR decision-making. The ISO 26000 SR Guideline is used as a case study.

Thesis (Ph.D.)--George Mason University, 2009.
Vita: p. 162. Thesis director: Sharon deMonsabert. Submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Information Technology. Title from PDF t.p. (viewed Oct. 11, 2009). Includes bibliographical references (p. 153-161). Also issued in print.

Sustainability has become highly prominent, it is an important aspect of the 21st century that is gradually becoming part of everyday life. Urbanisation has also rapidly increased since the 1950s when New York was the only urban area in the world to be considered a megacity due to its extensive population; presently megacities can be found globally with predicted to arise in the future. The growth rate of some of the largest urban areas in the world has been too rapid for some cities to keep up with; resulting in environmental, social, and economic issues growing alongside the urbanisation trend. The implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) wants to work towards reducing and eventually removing such issues at a global scale; reducing the inequalities of the world that are more than often to visible in large urban areas. This thesis aims to examine the SDGs, specifically that of SDG 11 which focuses on cities and human settlements in line with one of the largest urban areas on the planet, Tokyo. An examination of planning and policy documents composed by the Tokyo Metropolitan Government (TMG) in the form of a comparative analysis alongside key criteria taken from SDG 11 will be conducted to gain an insight and understanding of the plans and policies that are working to create a functioning society in Tokyo.

För att ett samhälle ska utvecklas på ett modernt och framgångsrikt sätt är elektricitet en grundläggande faktor. Tillgång till elektricitet förhöjer levnadsstandarden för befolkningen genom att generera positiva synergieffekter såsom att fler utbildar sig, ekonomisk tillväxt och stabilitet, förbättrad välfärd och internationella samarbeten. När den globala populationstillväxten och användningen av elektricitet ökar blir det av ännu större betydelse att andelen förnyelsebara bränslen i energimixen blir större för att inte påskynda den negativa klimatförändringen. Rwanda är ett litet, kustlöst land i Östafrika med ambitiösa planer om att förse sin befolkning, om 11.9 miljoner, med elektricitet år 2024 och att bli en ekonomi med låga koldioxidutsläpp. Idag har endast 41% av befolkningen tillgång till elektricitet, där 30% är uppkopplade till det nationella elnätet och 11% förses med elektricitet från fristående ellösningar eller mikronät. Rwanda arbetar med nationella policys såsom Vision 2020, Energy Sector Strategic Plan and National Energy policy för att uppnå sina nationella mål. Dessa strategier inkluderar också Förenta Nationernas globala mål och andra internationella åtaganden. Rwanda är också medlem i det gränsöverskridande samarbetet Eastern African Power Pool, vilket kommer förbättra deras framtida möjligheter för handel med elektricitet med sina grannländer. Denna studie syftar till att analysera den nationella elsektorn i Rwanda, både det nuvarande läget och framtida prognoser, för att bidra till landets arbete mot det Globala Målet 7 - Hållbar energi för alla. Ett övergripande mål med studien är att finna en fördelaktig energimix för Rwandas samhälle, miljö och ekonomi. Målsättningen är att samla in data om elsystemet och nationella policys genom en fältstudie i Kigali. Insamlad data sammanställs sedan och sju scenario modelleras genom att använda verktyget OSeMOSYS via gränssnittet MoManI. Scenarierna speglar Rwandas arbete med nationella policys, potentiell export samt hur energimixen påverkas när priset på fotovoltaik reduceras. Resultatet påvisar vattenkraftens betydande roll i Rwandas elsystem och hur den i majoriteten av scenarierna utgör den största andelen av energimixen. De exportscenarios som är kombinerade med nationella policys genererar en högre total systemkostnad medan de med enbart export antingen genererar motsvarande utfall som i grundscenariot eller aningen lägre total systemkostnad. I fyra av sju scenarier får befolkningen tillgång till elektricitet år 2024 och mål 7 uppnås. Baserat på denna studie behöver Rwanda begränsa sina koldioxidutsläpp, investera mer i förnyelsebara energikällor och expandera sitt nationella elnät samt förse befolkningen på landsbygden med fristående ellösningar eller mikronät för att nå mål 7.
For a society to function in a modern and prosperous way, electricity is a fundamental necessity. Access to electricity enhances the living standard of the population by generating positive synergies such as more people proceeding in education, economic growth and stability, improved welfare and collaborations with other nations. As the global population grows and the use of electricity increases, it is of great importance to increase the share of renewable energy resources in the energy mix to decelerate the climate change altered by greenhouse gas emissions. Rwanda is a small, landlocked country in East Africa with ambitious plans to electrify its full population of about 11.9 million by 2024 and to become a low-carbon economy. Today merely 41% of the population has access to basic electricity, where 30% are connected to the national grid and 11% are electrified by off-grid solutions. Rwanda is working with national strategies such as Vision 2020, Energy Sector Strategic Plan and National Energy policy to achieve their goals. These policies comprise, among others, United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals and their Intended Nationally Determined Contributions. Rwanda is also a member of the Eastern African Power Pool, which enhances their future possibilities of expanded collaboration with neighbouring countries in terms of electricity trading. This study aims to analyse the national electricity sector of Rwanda, both the current state and future outlooks, to contribute to their achievement of the Sustainable Development Goal 7 - Affordable and Clean Energy for All (SDG 7). The overall aim of the study is to find an energy mix which benefit Rwanda’s society, environment and economy. The objective of the thesis is to collect data about Rwanda’s electricity system and national policies through a field study in Kigali. The collected data is then compiled, and seven scenarios are modelled by using the tool OSeMOSYS through MoManI. The scenarios portray Rwanda’s work with national policies, potential exports and how the energy mix is affected when the price for photovoltaic decreases. The results show the importance of hydropower in Rwanda’s electrification system and how it in the majority of the scenarios constitutes for the largest share in the energy mix. The exports scenarios combined with national policies have a higher total system cost while scenarios with merely exports have either the same total system cost as the business as usual scenario or a bit lower. In four out of seven scenarios electricity access for all inhabitants is ensured by 2024 and SDG 7 is achieved. Based on this study, Rwanda needs to limit their national emissions, invest in more renewables and expand the national grid as well as providing rural areas with off-grid solutions to achieve SDG 7.

Due to the current high levels of urbanisation and the lingering effects of Apartheid, South African municipalities have experienced difficulties in planning for sustainability and more specifically sustainable community development. Sustainable community development is needed in order to achieve more integrated and sustainable towns and cities with an improved urban environment and a higher quality of life. Due to this sustainable community development is of particular relevance to South Africa. Although policies and legislation exist at international, national and local level, there is a lack of suitable planning instruments to guide sustainable community development. Tlokwe Local Municipality is researched as study area to test and develop planning instruments for sustainable community development. An assessment matrix of sustainability indicators is linked to Multi-criteria analysis (MCA) and applied to identify the themes and sub-themes applicable to sustainability in which intervention is required to improve the sustainability rating of the municipality. A Goal Assessment Matrix (GAM) approach is used to score and prioritise municipal projects, plans and strategies according to sustainable community development fundamentals. The top scoring projects are indicative of the achievement of sustainable community development goals and objectives. The result of the sustainability assessment is that the Tlokwe Local Municipality is considered to be relatively sustainable, performing overall better than the three spheres of government against which it was measured. Subsequent to the GAM assessment a lack of alignment between the sectoral plans was identified as well as the duplication of projects. The projects, plans and strategies of the municipality are found to not have been formulated with sustainable community development framework as a guiding goal. It is recommended that municipalities use the assessment matrix methods to determine its level of sustainability when developing respective sectoral plans (SDFs, ITPs, EMFs and IDPs). Areas in which there is a lack of sustainability are highlighted and can consequently be addressed through intervention strategies. Prioritising municipal projects, plans and strategies through the use of GAM identifies crucial projects that need special attention to ensure their successful implementation as this will largely aid sustainable community development. Both the assessment matrix method and the GAM approach are valuable planning instruments with which to achieve sustainable community development.
Thesis (MArt et Scien (Urban and Regional Planning))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2013

In a fast moving world where maritime transport corridors play a major role in the movement of people and goods, there are significant sustainability issues with these operations. This paper considers the sustainability of these corridors and the contribution of security and safety measures to achieve sustainability. The research commences with a literature review and practitioner survey on sustainability, security and safety of maritime transport, then develops the analysis using the Framework for Strategic Sustainable Development (FSSD) and causal loop diagrams to analyze and evaluate measures and actions that could lead towards a sustainable maritime transport corridor - education and training, energy alternatives, waste management, dematerialization, efficient land and sea use, standardized operations between ports and community engagement. The Baltic Transport Corridor is used for analysis. Further recommendations are made in order to facilitate the path for future research and study.

This thesis is a theory consuming case study that aims to examine how the Council of the European Union voted in matters regarding the environment between 2015 and 2019 in order to begin the implementation of the 2030 Agenda’s Sustainable Development Goal number 13. Moreover, the thesis further examines the impact of the Council’s voting results on the European integration process by using rational choice institutionalism and three explanatory factors; ideology, institutional factors and economical position in the EU. The findings of the thesis show that the member states in the EU voted diversely and that only four member states constantly voted yes throughout 2015 to 2019. Despite the diversity in voting, the factors and the theory utilised here helped explain why it is unlikely that disintegration would occur. As a result, it is clear that the European integration process will continue even though the voting results of the Council could impact further integration or even disintegration due to the member states’ various preferences. The future of European integration thus continues to be uncertain.

The study examines the role of the Forest Act 1927 in promoting sustainable forest governance in Bangladesh. By applying a doctrinal method, this thesis has evaluated the contribution of the Act for protection, restoration, sustainable use, and sustainable management of forests in Bangladesh. These are the standards set by Goal 15 of the SDGs, which create governance priorities for the states to sustainably manage their forests. Though the Forest Act 1927 has several provisions regulating the protection, restoration, sustainable use, and sustainable management of forests, this study argues that its deficiencies can impact sustainable forest governance in Bangladesh.

We live in a complexand interconnected world which permeates ditterent scales. sectors or decision problems. This fact is acknowledged by the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, which underscores current global challenges, recognizes their interconnectivity and calls for international action. lt is recognized that the connected nature of the issues we currently face have been tackled by "silo" approaches, separating the complexities ofthe real-world into specialized disciplines. fields of research, institutions and ministries, each one focused on a fraction of the overall truth. Similarly, it is widely recognized the need of a major shift in decision-making processes towards more holistic and integrated approaches. Evidence-based decrsion-making involves complexprocesses ofconsidering a wide range of information of different nature. Nowadays, available data can support these processes, but methodologies to effectively integrate these data are lacking. With the aim to contribute in this direction, this thesis focuses on the increasing use of Bayesian Networks (BNs) modelling as an approach to accom m odate com plex problem s and to support decis ion-making. Com mon practica em ploys separately expert knowledge and empirical data to build and apply associated models. Des pite of the demonstrated utility of this practica, in an era where the data are bigger, faster and more detailed than even before, there is still room for further exploration. Thus, this dissertation proposes a data-driven Bayesian Networks approach to combine expert opinion and quantitative data to support informad decision-making. We propose two systematic methods to this end. First. we use our approach to replicate composite indicators (Cl)-based conceptual frameworks, which represent expert knowledge. through the use of structure learning algorithms, which characterizes this data-driven Bayesian Networks approach. Second, we use our approach to identify interlinkages associated with a complex context, coupled with a statistical technique (i.e. bootstrapping) to reduce results uncertainty and with a comprehensive result robustness analysis (i.e. expert knowledge). For testing and validating the proposed approach, this thesis takes the Sustainable Development Goal 6 embedded on the 2030 Agenda as a reference point, with particular attention to the water, sanitation and hygier:ie sector. Our results emphasize the likely utility of the data-driven Bayesian Networks approach adopted. First. it allows the integration of both expert knowledge and data availability when dealing with BNs modelling, and it accurately replicates (Cl)-based conceptual frameworks. As added values, this combination improves model inference capacity, it reduces and quantifies the key variables that explµin a pre-defined objective variable (implying important advantages in data updating), and it identifies the interlinkages among the variables considerad (which might enhance more integrated actions). Second, the approach adopted is useful to accommodate a thorough analysis and interpretation of the complexities and interdependencias of any context at hand. As added values, interlinkages identification is spurred on by the available data and this identification makes the approach more suitable than the use of composite indicators. Third, the systematic nature of the methodological contributions associated with the proposed approach can be adapted to different complexproblems. Thus, it might expand and deepen the knowledge about the validity, reliability and accuracy of using BNs modelling.
Vivimos en un mundo complejo e interconectado que impregna diferentes escalas. sectores o problemas de decisi ón. Esta visión es destacada por la Agenda 2030 para el Desarrollo Sostenible de las Naciones Unidas, que además pone de manifiesto los desafíos globales actuales. reconoce su interconexión y hace una llamada a la acción internacional. Por otro lado. es ampliamente reconocido que la naturaleza conectada de los problemas a los que nos enfrentamos actualmente se ha abordado mediante enfoques "estancos". separando las complejidades del mundo real en disciplinas especializadas. campos de investigación, instituciones y ministerios. cada uno centrado en una parte de la verdad. De igual manera. es reconocida la necesidad de un cambio de paradigma en los procesos de toma de decisiones hacia enfoques m ás holísticos e integrados. La toma de decisiones basada en evidencias lleva implícita procesos complejos en los que se integran una amplia gama de información de diferente naturaleza. Hoy en día, los datos cuantitativos disponibles pueden respaldar estos procesos. pero faltan metodologías para integrar estos datos de manera efectiva. Con el objetivo de contribuir en esta dirección, esta tesis se centra en el uso de modelos de Redes Bayesianas (BNs), como un enfoque válido para abordar problemas complejos y, en última instancia, para apoyar la toma de decisiones. En la práctica, se emplea comúnmente por separado el conocimiento de expertos y los datos empíricos para construir y aplicar estos modelos. A pesar de la utilidad de esta práctica, en una era en la que los datos son má¿ numerosos, más rápidos y más detallados que antes, hay espacio para explorar hasta dónde pueden llegar estos datos. En este sentido, esta tesis propone un enfoque de Redes Bayesianas basadas en los datos que permite combinar el conocimiento experto y la información cuantitativa existente para, en última instancia, apoyar la toma de decisiones. Se proponen dos métodos sistemáticos para tal fin. En primer lugar, se emplea dicho enfoque para replicar marcos conceptuales basados en indicadores compuestos (IC), que representan el conocimiento experto, mediante el uso de algoritmos de aprendizaje de estructuras, que caracteriza este enfoque de Redes Bayesianas basado en datos. En segundo lugar, se utiliza el enfoque propuesto para identificar las interrelaciones existentes dentro de un contexto complejo, junto con una técnica estadística (bootstrapping) para reducir la incertidumbre de los resultados y con un análisis bibliográfico exhaustivo (conocimiento experto) para demostrar la robustez de los resultados obtenidos. Para testear y validar el enfoque propuesto, esta tesis toma como punto de referencia el Objetivo de Desarrollo Sostenible 6 que forma parte de la Agenda 2030, con especial atención al sector del agua, saneamiento e higiene. Nuestros resultados ponen de manifiesto la potencial utilidad del enfoque adoptado. Primero, este enfoque permite la integración de conocimiento experto y de información cuantitativa a la hora de construir las RBs, y replica con precisión los marcos conceptuales basados en IC. Como valor añadido, esta combinación mejora la capacidad de inferencia del modelo, y reduce y cuantifica las variables clave que explican una variable objetivo predefinida. En segundo lugar, el enfoque adoptado es útil para dar cabida a un análisis e interpretación exhaustivos de las complejidades e interdependencias de cualquier contexto en cuestión. Como valor añadido, la identificación de las interconexiones se realiza exclusivamente en base a los datos disponibles. Considerar dichas interconexiones hace que este enfoque sea más adecuado que el uso de IC. En tercer lugar. la naturaleza sistemática dé las contribuciones metodológicas asociadas al enfoque propuesto puede adaptarse a diferentes problemas complejos. En este sentido, se considera que se contribuye a ampliar el conocimiento sobre la validez, fiabilidad y precisión del uso de modelos de Redes Bayesianas.
Enginyeria ambiental

Environmental goals are commonly set to guide work towards ecological sustainability. The aim of this thesis is to develop a precise terminology for the description of goals in terms of properties that are important in their practical use as decision-guides and to illustrate how it can be used in evaluations of environmental policy.

Essay I (written together with Sven Ove Hansson) identifies a set of rationality criteria for individual goals and discusses them in relation to the typical function of goals. For a goal to perform its typical function, i.e., to guide and induce action, it must be precise, evaluable, approachable (attainable), and motivating.

Essay II argues that for a goal system to be rational it must not only satisfy the criteria identified in Essay I but should also be coherent. The coherence of a goal system is made up of the relations that hold among the goals, most notably relations of support and conflict, but possibly also relations of operationalization. A major part of the essay consists in a conceptual analysis of the three relations.

Essay III contains an investigation into the rationality of five Swedish environmental objectives through an application of the rationality criteria identified in Essays I-II. The paper draws the conclusion that the objectives are not sufficiently rational according to the suggested criteria. It also briefly points at some of the difficulties that are associated with the use of goals in environmental policy and managemen

The overall aim of this thesis is to present a model for rational goal-setting and to illustrate how it can be applied in evaluations of public policies, in particular policies concerning sustainable development and environmental quality. The contents of the thesis are divided into two sections: a theoretical section (Papers I-IV) and an empirical section (Papers V-VII). Paper I identifies a set of rationality criteria for single goals and discusses them in relation to the typical function of goals. It is argued that goals are typically set to enhance goal achievement. A goal that successfully furthers its achievement is “achievement-inducing”. It holds for each of the identified criteria that, ceteris paribus, improved satisfaction of a criterion makes a goal better in the achievement-inducing sense.Paper II contains an analysis of the notion of goal system coherence. It is argued that the coherence of a goal system is determined by the relations that hold among the goals in the system, in particular the relations of operationalization, means and ends, support, and conflict. Paper III investigates the rationality of utopian goals. The paper analyzes four arguments that support the normative criterion of attainability: that utopian goals are (1) too imprecise and (2) too far-reaching to guide action effectively, (3) counterproductive, and (4) morally objectionable. A tentative defence of utopian goal-setting is built on counter-arguments that can be put forward to weaken each of the four objections. Paper IV investigates the nature of self-defeating goals. The paper identifies three types of situations in which self-defeating mechanisms obstruct goal achievement: (1) situations in which the goal itself carries the seeds of its own non-fulfilment (self-defeating goals), (2) situations in which the activity of goal-setting contributes to goal failure (self-defeating goal-setting), and (3) situations in which disclosure of the goal interferes with progress (self-defeating goal disclosure). Paper V provides a brief description of the Swedish system of environmental objectives and a preliminary inventory of the management difficulties that attach to this goal system.Paper VI contains an investigation into the rationality of five Swedish environmental objectives through an application of the rationality criteria identified in Papers I-II. The paper identifies and discusses some difficulties that are associated with management by objectives and the use of goals in environmental policy. Paper VII analyses the rationality of the Swedish environmental quality objective A good built environment. Among the conclusions drawn in the paper are that some of the sub-goals to the objective are formulated in terms that are unnecessarily vague from an action-guiding standpoint and that others are problematic from the viewpoint of evaluability.
QC 20100715

The thesis seeks to provide a deeper understanding of the dynamics of interaction between the environmental and labour movements, and the conditions under which they can cooperate and form alliances in pursuit of a sustainable development agenda which simultaneously promotes ecological and social justice goals. After developing an explanatory model of the labour-environmentalist relationship (LER) on the basis of a survey of theoretical and case-study literature, the thesis applies this model to three significant cases of labour-environmental interaction in Australia, each representing a different point on the spectrum from LER conflict to LER cooperation, during the period from 1983 to 1996. Commonly held views that there are inevitable tendencies to LER conflict, whether due to an irreconcilable "jobs versus environment" contradiction or due to the different class bases of the respective movements, are analysed and rejected. A model of the LER implicit in Siegmann (1985) is interrogated against more recent LER studies from six countries, and reworked into a new model (the Siegmann-Norton model) which explains tendencies to conflict and cooperation in the LER in terms of the respective ideologies of labour and environmentalism, their organisational forms and cultures, the national political-institutional framework and the respective places of labour and environmentalism therein, the political economy of specific sectors and regions in which LER interaction occurs, and sui generis sociological and demographic characteristics of labour and environmental actors. The thesis then discusses the major changes in the ideologies, organisational forms and political-institutional roles of the Australian labour movement which occurred during the period of the study, and their likely influence on the LER. The two processes of most importance in driving such changes were the corporatist Accord relationship between the trade union movement and Labor Party government from 1983 to 1996, and the strategic reorganisation of the trade union movement between 1988 and 1996 in response to challenges and opportunities in the wider political-economic environment. The research hypothesis is that the net effect of these changes would have been to foster tendencies towards LER conflict. The hypothesis is tested in three significant case studies, namely: (a) the interaction, often conflictual, between the Australian Council of Trade Unions (ACTU) and the environmental movement in debates around macroeconomic policy, economic restructuring and sustainable development from the mid-1980s onwards; (b) the complex interaction, involving elements of cooperation, disagreement and dialogue, between the environmental movement and the unions representing coal mining and energy workers in the formulation of Australia's climate change policies; and (c) the environmental policy and campaign initiatives of the Australian Manufacturing Workers Union to improve workplace environmental performance and promote worker environmental education. The case studies confirmed the research hypothesis in the sense that, whilst the LER tended overall towards greater cooperation in the period of the study, the Accord relationship and union restructuring process worked to slow the growth of cooperative tendencies and sustain conflict over particular issues beyond what might otherwise have been the case. The Accord relationship served to maintain conflict tendencies due to the dominance of productivist ideologies within the ACTU, and the union movement's perseverance with this relationship after the vitiation of its progressive potential by neo-liberal trends in public policy. The tripartite Accord processes institutionalised a "growth coalition" of labour, business and the state in opposition to excluded constituencies such as the environmental movement. This was partially overcome during the period of the Ecologically Sustainable Development (ESD) process, which temporarily included the environmental movement as an insider in the political-institutional framework. The long-run effects of union reorganisation on the LER are difficult to determine as the new organisational forms of unions were not in place until almost the end of the period of the study. However, in the short term the disruptive effects of the amalgamations process restricted unions' capacity to engage with environmental issues. Pro-environment initiatives by the AMWU, and cooperative aspects of the coal industry unions' relationship with environmentalists, reflected the social unionist ideology and internal democratic practices of those unions, and the influence of the ESD Working Group process, whilst LER conflict over greenhouse reflected the adverse political economy of the coal industry, but also the relevant unions' less developed capacity for independent research and membership education compared to the AMWU. The LER in all three cases can be satisfactorily explained, and important insights derived, through application of the Siegmann-Norton model. Conclusions drawn include suggestions for further research and proposals for steps to be taken by labour and environmental actors to improve cooperation.

Between 2000 and 2015 the Millennium Development Goals were the focus of much global attention and activity. They were selected in light of astounding poverty, with over 1 billion people at the time living on less than $1 per day. In a sense the MDGs were morally undeniable. The focus of this study is MDG2, universal primary education. It sets out to establish how and why MDG2 came to be selected. Whilst its selection seems obvious, for years developing countries complained about the short-sightedness of prioritising primary over secondary and tertiary education (Klees 2008). A task force commissioned by the World Bank and UNESCO at the time showed that the Bank’s rate of return analysis on primary education was flawed. It argued that developing countries need highly educated people to be economic and social entrepreneurs, develop good governance, strong institutions and infrastructure. In this way MDG2’s selection is problematic. Using case study method, first the literature is examined. Three hypotheses are generated: one based on a rational synoptic theory, one on critical theory and one on world society theory. A range of data are used to establish findings and test hypotheses. The study then considers implications of the findings for theory and the policy process. The findings show that priorities promoting more equal opportunities, such as MDG2, were gradually preferred. Whereas priorities promoting more equal outcomes, such as elimination of trade barriers, were gradually excluded. The study finds no evidence that the General Assembly ever voted on the list of 8 MDGs. Rather, the MDGs were selected by elite policy actors, addressing multiple interests. The study considers the assertion that marginalization of the poor does not happen because people harbor ill will toward them, rather because “The poor have no friends among the global elite” (Pogge 2011, p. 62).

Background The Sustainable Development Goals provides targets that foster greater mobilization of global resources and efforts. SDG Goal 3 Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages, sets targets for the reduction of maternal mortality rates and mortality rates for children under-five. Health insurance coverage is thought to provide access to needed primary services to accomplish these goals. West Africa is the region of the world with the highest burden of disease and it is unclear if insurance coverage does provide needed access to services. The articles within this thesis examine whether or not health insurance provides greater access to primary services for mothers and children, while determining other factors to be considered. Method For the systematic review, we carried out a search on four databases. Eligible studies included mother’s under-five and children in West Africa. The primary outcome was insurance impacting the rate of utilization of services. Data was extracted using standardized form, and methodology was assessed using the Joanna Briggs Institute forms. Our cross-sectional study used DHS data from 10 West African countries. Data was cleaned, weighed and analyzed using Stata. The independent variable was health insurance, and the variable of outcome was making a minimum of four antenatal care visits. Data was analyzed using binary logistic regression and we presented results using crude and adjusted odds ratio at 95% confidence interval. Results The narrative synthesis was chosen for the review. We found that in most study settings, insurance increased access to services. The cross-sectional study found that women with insurance were more likely to make the recommended number of ANC visits than their uninsured counterparts (aOR [95% CI] =1.55 [1.37-1.73]). Socio-economic status also impact access to services. Conclusion Health insurance does increase access to services and should be pursued as a viable long-term policy, but access is still dependent on socio-economic status. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, burden of disease of the region and systems challenges, other solutions should be pursued in the near-term. Future investigation should consider the role of equity as a guiding principle.

Background and objective India contributes the highest global share of deaths among the under-fives. Continuous monitoring of the reduction in the under-five mortality rate (U5MR) at local level is thus essential to set priorities for policy-makers and health professionals. In this study, we aimed to provide an update on district-level disparities in the neonatal mortality rate (NMR) and the U5MR with special reference to Sustainable Development Goal 3 (SDG3) on preventable deaths among new-borns and children under five. Data and methods We used recently released population-based cross-sectional data from the National Family Health Survey (NFHS) conducted in 2015-2016. We used the synthetic cohort probability approach to analyze the full birth history information of women aged 15-49 to estimate the NMR and U5MR for the ten years preceding the survey. Results Both the NMR and U5MR vary enormously across Indian districts. With respect to the SDG3 target for 2030 for the NMR and the U5MR, the estimated NMR for India for the period studied is about 2.4 times higher, while the estimated U5MR is about double. At district level, while 9% of the districts have already reached the NMR targeted in SDG3, nearly half (315 districts) are not likely to achieve the 2030 target even if they realize the NMR reductions achieved by their own states between the last two rounds of National Family Health Survey of India. Similarly, less than one-third of the districts (177) of India are unlikely to achieve the SDG3 target on the U5MR by 2030. While the majority of high-risk districts for the NMR and U5MR are located in the poorer states of north-central and eastern India, a few high-risk districts for NMR also fall in the rich and advanced states. About 97% of districts from Chhattisgarh and Uttar Pradesh, for example, are unlikely to meet the SDG3 target for preventable deaths among new-borns and children under age five, irrespective of gender. Conclusions To achieve the SDG3 target on preventable deaths by 2030, the majority of Indian districts clearly need to make a giant leap to reduce their NMR and U5MR.

There is need for increased production of electricity from renewable energy technologies. The transition to a low-carbon economy, whilst achieving energy security and meeting the Sustainable Development Goal 7 (SDG7) is an ongoing challenge for many countries. Local communities instituting an energy co-operative model may be instrumental to reducing greenhouse gas emissions to attain the 2030 goal. Renewable energy co-operatives (RECs) are one approach that can contribute to environmentally and socially equitable energy transitions in order to meet the SDG7. This thesis examines the factors that affect the success of RECs within Ontario to better discern how RECs are set up and how government policy affects their development. The main research question of this study is “How can Ontario’s renewable energy co-ops grow, experience long-term viability, be updated or expanded?” This thesis argues that the quest towards energy transition, a low-carbon economy and to achieve both the federal and provincial targets by 2030 should take on a multi-stakeholders approach. In theory, this should reflect community desires, goals and energy equity since a community should have its own supported role in energy generation towards the whole of Ontario. With the absence of provincial support from the removal of the Feed-In Tariff (FIT) program in 2017, it is now imperative that municipal governments become involved in REC developments within their community. The methodological approach of this thesis uses a combination of the Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats (SWOT) and sustainability analyses in order to interpret the data collected from semi-structured interviews with co-ops and policymakers as well as their websites and reports. This study examines the support structures and barriers for the growth of RECs in Ontario and how their growth can contribute to the SDG7. Through document review and interviews with representatives from the co-ops, I discovered that barriers include unstable government policy, inadequate funding, and a lack of support from financial institutions due to the smaller size of the projects developed by power co-ops. Comparisons with REC policy and progress in European countries show Ontario can do more to support RECs. This thesis concludes that one of the many available options for Ontario to contribute substantially to the transition to a low-carbon-economy is through applying the Pan-Canadian Framework on Clean Growth and Climate Change and the SDG7 by supporting citizen-led initiatives like RECs and to encourage large financial institutions to invest in their communities.

Unlimited demands of development and non-stopped destruction of surrounding environments cause many environmental problems. In this paper, Climate Change as one important issue has been studied against an Asian background. For the purpose of showing a clear trend of communicated corporate awareness in global Climate Change issues, in this report, seventy Asian companies have been studied. The results show a relatively low-level growth curve of communicated corporate Climate Change awareness by dissecting companies’ CEO Letters during years 2000 to 2009, followed by a comparison study with European results and five possible explanations in the discussion part. As the conclusion of this paper, an increased interest among Asian governments and companies during year 2000-2009 has been observed. However, there is still lack of knowledge on a general level compared with the European results. According to the five possible explanations, several possible future studies have also been recommended in the paper: 1) Comparison study under the same scope within Asia or other continents; 2) Case-study on specific interested companies; 3) On-going study on the future curve trend with the same target group.

Climate change and its impacts are currently affecting countries all around the world. Sweden is facing an increased risk of landslides, floods and a rising sea level that will cause major damage to infrastructure in the future. Sustainable Development Goal number 13 aims to mitigate these risks and others by strengthening different climate adaptation systems and reducing human impact on the environment. The overall purpose of this study was to investigate Sweden’s commitment to goal 13 and review the progress so far. In addition, it aimed to identify what national climate initiatives are in place and how integrated the goal is at the local level. Through official documents from the Swedish government and the United Nations, scientific research articles, and interviews with involved actors at the local level, a detailed overview of Sweden’s work on sustainable development goal 13 was produced. The research showed that Agenda 2030 and Sustainable Development Goal 13 are well integrated in the different levels of governance, and recent initiatives are leading Sweden in the right direction to reaching the different targets set by the goal. However, certain areas within Sweden’s climate work seem to still lack proper guidance and will require changes in the near future if more progress is to be made. Consumption-based emissions produced outside of Sweden’s borders remain high, a specific national climate scenario has not been elaborated and municipalities sometimes appear to lack the necessary resources and support to effectively plan for climate change. In addition, it became apparent that the sub targets for goal number 13 in some cases did not have clear indicators. This ultimately limited to what extent Sweden’s progress could be identified and measured with respect to these targets.
Klimatförändringen påverkar för närvarande länder runt om hela världen. Sverige står inför en ökad risk för jordskred, översvämningar och en stigande havsnivå som kommer att orsaka stora skador på infrastrukturen i framtiden. Mål 13 för hållbar utveckling siktar på att mildra konsekvenserna genom att stärka olika klimatanpassningssystem och minska människors påverkan på miljön. Det övergripande syftet med denna studie var att undersöka Sveriges engagemang för mål 13 och framstegen hittills. Dessutom skulle studien identifiera vilka nationella klimatinitiativ som fanns och hur integrerat mål 13 var på lokal nivå. Genom officiella dokument från den svenska regeringen och FN, vetenskapliga forskningsartiklar, och intervjuer med involverade aktörer på lokal nivå, producerades en detaljerad översikt av Sveriges arbete med hållbarhetsmål 13. Forskningen visade att Agenda 2030 och mål 13 är väl integrerade i de olika nivåerna. Med de initiativ som nyligen genomförts verkar Sverige vara på väg i rätt riktning för att uppnå de olika delmålen under hållbarhetsmål 13. Vissa områden inom Sveriges klimatarbete förefaller dock fortfarande sakna lämplig vägledning och kan komma att kräva förändringar inom en snar framtid om mer framsteg ska kunna uppnås. Konsumtionsbaserade utsläpp producerade utanför Sveriges gränser är fortfarande höga, ett specifikt nationellt klimatscenario har inte utarbetats och kommuner anser sig ibland sakna nödvändiga resurser och stöd för att effektivt planera för klimatförändringar. Dessutom försvårades arbetet på lokal nivå av att delmålen för mål nummer 13 i vissa fall inte hade tydliga indikatorer. Detta begränsade i slutändan i vilken utsträckning Sveriges framsteg kunde identifieras och mätas med avseende på dessa mål.

Bakgrund Undervisningen i skolan möjliggörs bland annat av de ramfaktorer som finns. Här lyfts speciellt ämnets tilldelade timmar i timplanen, läroplanens centrala innehåll och kunskapskrav samt dess övergripande fostringssträvan att få kommande generationer att anamma hållbar utveckling. Hem- och konsumentkunskapslärarnas situation är svår då kursplanens ambition överskrider dess tilldelade timmar. En möjlig lösning på problemet skulle kunna vara att ämnesintegrera undervisning. Syfte Undersökningens syfte var att studera hem- och konsumentlärares erfarenhet av och syn på ämnesintegrerad undervisning och hållbar utveckling. Metod Studien var en kvantitativ undersökning i form av en elektronisk enkät som skickades ut till alla yrkesaktiva HKK-lärare i Sverige, höstterminen 2016. Resultat Enkäten besvarades av 5 % av Sveriges HKK-lärare och visade att de allra flesta (91 %) av deltagarna hade prövat att ämnesintegrera och att samarbetsparterna fanns bland alla andra skolans ämnen. Fördelarna med ämnesintegrering ansågs överväga nackdelarna. Arbetssättet hindrades allra mest av brist på tid, främst planeringstid. Studien visade också att HKK-lärarna ansåg att ämnesintegrering ökade tidseffektiviteten med ökad måluppfyllelse och arbetsglädje som resultat. Det framkom också att lärarna behövde öka sina kunskaper i hållbar utveckling. Slutsats Skolledningen skulle kunna bidra till ökad ämnesintegrering genom att påverka lokala ramfaktorer och då främst genom att få till schematekniskt gynnsamma lösningar samt att tillgodose fortbildningsbehoven. Detta skulle kunna förbättra HKK-lärarnas arbetsbörda, öka professionalismen och höja ämnets status.
Background The teaching at School is, among other things, dependent on frame factors. This study is specifically looking at the allocated teaching hours, the subject content and the indicators for grading that the curriculum dictates as well as the overall aim of the Swedish school system to generate future generations of sustainability minded citizens. The Home and Consumer Studies (HCS) teachers’ situation is difficult with an overambitious curriculum compared to its allocated hours. One possible solution to that problem could be an integrated curriculum. Objective The aim for this study was to study the Swedish HCS teachers’ experience of and attitudes towards integrated curriculum and sustainable development. Method The study had a quantitative approach and a digital questionnaire was sent out to all active HCS teacher in Sweden, at the beginning of the autumn term of 2016. Results The questionnaire was answered by 5 % of the Swedish HCS teachers and showed that a large majority (91 %) of the teachers had experienced integrated curriculum and that teamwork including all other school subjects had been done. The advantages of integrated curriculum outweighed the disadvantages. Lack of time, mainly lack of allocated planning time, was the greatest hindrance to integrated curriculum. The study showed that the HCS teachers saw that integrated curriculum has the potential to contribute to improved time efficiency with increased goal completion and job satisfaction as a result. The study also showed that the teachers need to improve their knowledge of sustainability. Conclusion The head of schools could contribute to increased integrated curriculum activities by influencing the local frame factors, for most by enforcing satisfactory timetable solutions that ensures the possibilities of cooperation and ensuring adequate in-service programs for educators. This could contribute to better work situation for the teachers, increased professionalism and improved status of the subject.

The intention of the study was to assess the supply chain management policy at the King William’s Town District Municipality. It became apparent from the Literature review that any municipality to play a meaningful role in ensuring that South Africa achieves the goal of becoming a developmental state, capable of confronting service delivery challenges, there needs to be a proper implementation of the supply management system policy. The study was also aimed at identifying the factors that support or hinder the implementation of the supply chain management within the King William’s Town District Municipality. In order to achieve this objective, interviews and self-administered questionnaires were conducted with various respondents in the municipality. The respondents insured the councillors from the five political parties comprising the municipality, municipal manager and section 57 managers, supply chain practitioners. It would therefore be critical important for the management of the King William’s Town District municipality to take into account the results of this study and its recommendations so as to ensure that there is a proper implementation of the supply chain management system within the municipality.

In the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, the environmental protection of the marine environment was first addressed in a comprehensive manner on an international level. However, the Convention distinguishes between four different sorts of pollution depending on which source the pollution originates from. Still, one of these sources play a more crucial role in the protection of the marine environment than the other since that source is estimated to stand for 80 percent of all the marine pollution; namely marine pollution from land-based sources. As the throw-away culture has led to products being disposed of at a faster rate than ever before, in particular plastic products, the amount of land-based debris has also substantially increased over the last decades. This increased disposal rate of products in combination with poor waste treatment has consequently led to many kinds of wastes ending up in the ocean and causing severe harm, not only to the marine environment and its living species, but also to humans that eat the fish and use the many other ecosystem services of the Sea. In this thesis, some prominent international conventions on marine pollution from land-based sources are examined; namely the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, the Basel Convention on the Control of Transboundary Movements of Hazardous Wastes and their Disposal, as well as the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants. To achieve United Nations Sustainable Development Goal number 14.1 to significantly reduce marine pollution from land-based sources by 2025, this thesis claims that international laws addressing this sort of pollution need to be implemented. Moreover, this thesis rests on the belief that regional implementation is a crucial component in making states align with international law. However, while regional implementation has been ambitious in the European Union Law, many regions still lack enforceable frameworks that aim to reduce and prevent marine pollution from land-based sources.

With the approval of the International Geoscience and Geoparks Programme (IGGP) by UNESCO, in November 2015, the new designation ‘UNESCO Global Geoparks’ (UGGps) was created. Based on a holistic approach, and in a sense of territorial ownership of its inhabitants, where the creation of local companies and innovative local products is added, these territories aim at a true sustainable regional development. In this context, this research was developed in the framework of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development (SD) seeking to understand whether and how the UGGps contribute to this universal endeavor. To this end, this study was based on a selection of 33 UGGps, located in 22 European countries, and based on four sources: the Progress Reports (PRs) presented during the biennium 2015-2016, the abstracts presented in two Geoparks conferences (Rokua, 2015, and English Riviera, 2016), a questionnaire fulfilled by the managers of the selected UGGps (2017), and interviews to elements of the staff and local inhabitants and stakeholders of the Marble Arch Caves UGGp (2019). This methodology allowed obtaining data from 91 ‘PRs’, 95 abstracts, 22 questionnaires, and five interviews. Taking into account the UGGp concept, the five pillars of the 2030 Agenda – People, Planet, Prosperity, Peace, and Partnership –, together with the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), and the ‘Top Ten Focus Areas’ defined by the IGGP, this study was focused on trying to answer three research questions: 1) How do the European UGGps effectively contribute to the achievement of the 17 SDGs of the 2030 Agenda? And if so, do they contribute far more than the ‘Eight SDGs’ selected by the IGGP?; 2) How can these contributions be accounted for, in a qualitative approach? ; 3) How can some of these contributions be used as examples of good practices, demonstrating the real impact in the achievement of some of the 17 SDGs, within the scope of UNESCO’s strategies, in this field?. From the analysis of the obtained data, it was possible to achieve the main objectives of this study and to arrive at a positive answer to the posed research questions. Consequently, it was possible to demonstrate that the UGGps, directly or indirectly in their activities, contribute to the 17 SDGs. It was also feasible to prove that UGGps contribute effectively far more than the selected ‘Eight SDGs’. With the applied methodology, it was possible to identify the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats that UGGps currently face, concerning the SDGs and, in this context, a proposal for a new model of an 'Annual Progress Report’ was prepared for the UGGps, contemplating this reality. This study also sheds new light on the effective involvement of local communities in these territories and the need to adapt to new challenges, (e.g. pandemic COVID-19). Therefore, it is expected that this research may open new paths and generate innovative ideas for scientific projects related to the contribution of the UGGps to the achievement of the 17 SDGs of the 2030 Agenda, allowing to contribute to future actions and strategic plans developed by the management structures of the UGGps.
Com a aprovação do Programa Internacional de Geociências e Geoparques (IGGP) pela UNESCO, em novembro de 2015, foi criada a nova designação ‘Geoparques Mundiais da UNESCO (UGGps). Assentes numa abordagem holística, e num sentido de pertença territorial dos seus habitantes, onde se acrescenta a criação de empresas locais e de produtos locais inovadores, estes territórios visam um verdadeiro desenvolvimento regional sustentável. Neste contexto, esta investigação foi centrada nos propósitos da Agenda 2030 para o Desenvolvimento Sustentável, procurando compreender se e como os UGGps contribuem para esse esforço universal. Para tal, este estudo baseou-se numa seleção de 33 UGGps, localizados em 22 países europeus, e com base em quatro fontes: os Relatórios de Atividades (PRs) relativos ao biénio 2015-2016, os resumos apresentados em duas conferências de Geoparques (Rokua, 2015 e English Riviera, 2016), um questionário preenchido pelos gestores dos UGGps selecionados (2017) e um conjunto de entrevistas realizadas a elementos da equipa, habitantes locais e parceiros do Marble Arch Caves UGGp (2019). Esta metodologia permitiu obter dados de 91 ‘PRs’, 95 resumos, 22 questionários e cinco entrevistas. Tendo em consideração o conceito de ‘Geoparque’, os cinco pilares da Agenda 2030 - Pessoas, Planeta, Prosperidade, Paz e Parcerias -, conjuntamente com os 17 Objetivos de Desenvolvimento Sustentável (ODS) e as 'Dez Principais Áreas de Foco' definidas pelo IGGP, este estudo focou-se em procurar responder a três questões de investigação: 1) Como é que os UGGps europeus contribuem efetivamente para a concretização dos 17 ODS da Agenda 2030? Em caso afirmativo, se estes contribuem para mais do que os 'Oito ODS' selecionados pelo IGGP?; 2) Como é que algumas dessas contribuições podem ser contabilizadas, tendo por base uma abordagem qualitativa?; 3) Como é que algumas dessas contribuições podem ser usadas como exemplos de boas práticas, demonstrando o real impacto na concretização de alguns dos 17 ODS, no âmbito das estratégias definidas pela UNESCO neste domínio?. A partir da análise dos dados obtidos foi possível atingir os principais objetivos deste estudo, e chegar a uma resposta positiva às questões de investigação colocadas. Consequentemente, foi exequível demonstrar que os UGGps, direta ou indiretamente nas suas atividades, contribuem para os 17 ODS. Foi também viável provar que os UGGps contribuem efetivamente para mais do que os 'Oito ODS'. Com a metodologia aplicada, foi possível identificar os pontos fortes, os pontos fracos, as oportunidades e as ameaças que os UGGps enfrentam atualmente, no que se refere aos ODS e, neste contexto, foi elaborada uma proposta para um novo modelo de ‘Relatório Anual de Atividades’ para os UGGps, contemplando esta realidade. Este estudo traz ainda uma nova luz sobre o efetivo envolvimento das comunidades locais nesses territórios e a necessidade de adaptação a novos desafios, (e.g. pandemia COVID-19). Espera-se que esta investigação possa abrir novos caminhos e gerar ideias inovadoras para projetos científicos relacionados com a contribuição dos UGGps para a consecução dos 17 ODS da Agenda 2030, permitindo contribuir para ações futuras e planos estratégicos desenvolvidos pelas estruturas de gestão dos UGGps.

碩士
國立中山大學
海洋環境及工程學系研究所
96
As the climate change and global warming getting worse, the sustainable development has become the most important issue around the world. There are multiple and interrelated aspects of the sustainable development, including society, economy, and environment. The development of Kaohsiung’s economy was based on heavy industry. However, the high economic growth has severely degraded the environment, such as the environmental capacities have been over the limits due to human pollution. Fortunately, Kaohsiung city government has strived hard to make progress toward sustainable development. For example, the environmental quality has been improved by conducting river renovations and air pollution monitoring. In order to achieve the goal of sustainability in Kaohsiung, the current study has developed the goal programming model which is based on the performances of some key indicators. Such indicator set was carefully selected by referring many domestic and foreign literatures. Meanwhile, the unique natural environment and society of Kaohsiung and statistic data were also considered when selecting the indicator set. Once the indicator set was ready, the regression analysis has been conducted to describe the future trends of each aspect in relation to the indicators. Finally the goal programming model was formulated and the scenario analyses were performed to explore the outcomes under various policies. The results echo the spirit of sustainable development, that is, the administrative policies have to take into account of all aspects, such that the sustainability is achievable.

碩士
國立臺北大學
自然資源與環境管理研究所
107
The United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) is a representative which is a complicated and interwoven issue about climate change. Among them, the urbanization of population surge and the planning and financing of local governments are the indispensable core of urban geography and economy. In 2015, Taiwan promote “Greenhouse Gas Reduction and Management Act” contribute to Green Economy without nuclear energy in the future; In 2017 issued “Taiwan Sustainable Development Goals draft”, refers to Taiwan again does in accordance to the SDG-11 subject and present situation remodels constructs the overall target. Although our country follows the international situation positively, but still not yet had climate change sustainable development about the resources government, also related urban financial system, the society and the industry. Therefore, this research attempt discusses the different between SDGs and “Taiwan Sustainable Development Goals draft”, analysis the feasibility based on the SDG-11 how to executes in Taiwan. The author thought literature review comparing the sustainable development goals in Taiwan and SDGs, describe the difficulties and solutions to urban management in strategies. Based on the concept of climate resilience initiative, this paper analyzes the planning content and characteristics of Taiwan's climate governance, and summarizes the current regulations and adjustment examples of urban climate change in Taiwan, and then makes recommendations.

Across many irreversible damages, sourcing and production of food are highlighted as the major contributors to the ecological footprint outrage. These have been topics of action by modern environmental movements across the globe. Subsequently, organisations have been highly encouraged to take action and engage in a strategic framework that protects both society and business’s needs through Purpose-driven initiatives. Despite some brands being built upon sustainability like Starbucks, others like Nestlé embrace purpose-driven orientation at a later maturity stage. In fact, the latter has been under scrutiny of several media backlashes due to alleged cases of misconduct, disappointing consumers, and affecting their trust, loyalty, perceived quality, ethicality, and paying behaviour towards the brand. The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) provide an opportunity for brands to act together for a better future. Particularly, SDG #17 aims at encouraging cooperation between brands. A study was conducted to analyse the impact of media backlash over well-established (mainstream vs. sustainability-rooted) brands on consumers’ valuations, and the performance of information about SDG #17 - Partnership for the Goals between brands as a moderator on this relationship. Results show that media backlash has significant negative impact on consumers’ brand valuations. However, SDG #17 as an informative tool assurance of social and environmentally-friendly practices is still not enough to fully mitigate such negative impacts. Overall, the communication effect of SDGs can be a powerful tool to inform and guide brands through purpose-driven actions. Yet, organizations and brands still need to better communicate their embracement of social and environmental causes.
Entre muitos danos irreversíveis, o sourcing e a produção de alimentos são os principais contribuintes para a indignação da pegada ecológica e têm sido tema pelos movimentos ambientais modernos. Com isto, as organizações foram encorajadas a agir e adaptar uma estratégia que proteja as necessidades da sociedade e das empresas, por meio de iniciativas voltadas para o propósito corporativo. Apesar de algumas marcas serem construídas sobre sustentabilidade, como a Starbucks, outras adotam o propósito num estágio de maturidade tardio, como a Nestlé. Esta última tem estado sob escrutínio de backlash dos media, devido a alegados casos de má conduta, dececionando os seus consumidores e afetando as suas avaliações perante a marca. Os Objetivos de Desenvolvimento Sustentável (ODSs), particularmente o ODS #17, oferecem uma oportunidade para as marcas atuarem juntas por um futuro melhor. Assim, um estudo foi conduzido para analisar o impacto do backlash dos media sobre marcas bem estabelecidas (mainstream vs. sustentáveis) nas avaliações dos consumidores e o desempenho da informação sobre ODS #17 - Parceria para os Objetivos como moderador da relação. Os resultados mostram que o backlash dos media tem impacto significativo nas avaliações. No entanto, o ODS #17 como ferramenta informativa de garantia de práticas sociais e ambientais ainda não é suficiente para mitigar totalmente esses efeitos negativos – pode, sim, ser uma ferramenta poderosa para informar e orientar as marcas por meio de ações com propósito. No entanto, as marcas e organizações ainda precisam de comunicar melhor acerca do seu contributo para causas sociais e ambientais.

Studien undersöker hur design kan främja positiva beteendeförändringar för vuxna gamers, med fokus på hållbarhet. Gaming är den snabbast växande nöjesindustrin och med det ökar omsättningen av tillbehören gamers använder. Elektroniskt avfall är ett snabbt växande problem där användarna inte ser hur sin roll som konsumenter kan göra skillnad, samtidigt som de pressar tillverkarna till att agera mer hållbart. En designprocess påvisar hur motivation från normativ och social press kan facilitera interaktioner till att forma användarens beteenden positivt. Genom en identifierad ovilja om att förändras från både nuvarande tillverkare och konsumenter av gamingrelaterade tillbehör, påvisar studiens resultat att det inte räcker med att fokusera på hållbara alternativ för att facilitera ett hållbart beteende. Ur designprocessen framställs ett designbidrag, Kolla klockan, som exemplifierar hur en designer kan arbeta med användarbeteenden som verktyg för hållbar utveckling, istället för mer traditionella metoder som vanligtvis föreslås i en sådan process.
This study examines how design can promote positive behavioral change for adult gamers, focusing on sustainable behaviors. Gaming is the fastest growing segment within the entertainment industry and the growth is contributing to a raised number of accessories gamers consume. Electronic waste is a growing concern where the user doesn’t see themselves as a part of the problem, but at the same time pressure the manufacturers to act sustainable. A design process shows how motivation from norms and social pressure can facilitate interactions that shapes the user behavior in a positive way. By identifying an unwillingness to change from both the manufacturers and consumers of gaming accessories, the study shows that it is not enough to develop sustainable alternatives if one aims to facilitate a sustainable behavior. From the design process the study creates a design proposal, Kolla klockan, that exemplifies how a designer can work with sustainable development from the use of behavioral change as a tool to do so, instead of the more traditional methods more commonly promoted within the field of design.

Stadsplaneringen utgör en viktig roll i arbetet för att främja en hållbar utveckling. Enligt Miljöbalken ska en behovsbedömning göras för varje upprättad detaljplan i syftet att utreda huruvida den leder till en betydande miljöpåverkan eller ej. Den bedömningen baseras dock ofta på bristfällig kunskap om de specifika miljöindikatorer som utvärderas. Det ges heller inget utrymme för förändringar i själva planen för att eliminera identifierad miljöpåverkan. En förbättrad strategi för behovsbedömning som innefattar ett anpassningsfokus och tidigt minimerar miljökonsekvenserna är därför önskvärd. En studie gjordes av arbetsprocessen för behovsbedömning i samband med detaljplanering på Örebro kommun i syfte att upprätta ett nytt, mer holistiskt arbetssätt för behovsbedömningsprocessen inom detaljplanering för att underlätta och förbättra arbetet för en hållbar stadsutveckling. Djupgående intervjuer utfördes på kommunen och teorier om hållbar utveckling samt lagar studerades. Mål som relaterade till hållbarhet ur kommunens policydokument sammanfattades. Målet var att undersöka hur det kunde skapas en förändrad strategi med tillhörande processverktyg för behovsbedömning inom detaljplanering, på Örebro kommun, som är praktiskt tillämpbar samt följer rådande lagar och policyer. Arbetet resulterade i ett strategidokument med en förändrad arbetsprocess och två olika tillhörande checklistor. Slutsatsen är att en ny strategi ska innehålla ett iterativt och tvärvetenskapligt arbetssätt samt en alternering mellan checklistorna beroende på detaljplanens omfattning. Det sistnämnda för att strategin ska kunna tillämpas inom kommunorganisationens strikta tidsramar, utan att kompromissa med kvaliteten på miljöarbetet vid omfattande detaljplaner som potentiellt ger stor miljöpåverkan.
Urban planning plays an important role when working for achieving sustainable development. According to the Swedish Environmental Code, a screening has to be executed for every local plan to investigate whether or not the plan generates significant environmental impact. The screening process is however often based on poor knowledge about the environmental aspects that are evaluated, and neither is there room for adaptation of the plan to eliminate identified environmental impact. An improved strategy for the screening process is needed, which has emphasis on the adaptation and a reduction of the environmental impact early in the process. In this master thesis, the screening process for local planning was studied at the municipality in Örebro, a medium sized city in Sweden. The purpose of the study was to establish a new more holistic working process for screening within local planning, to facilitate and enhance sustainable urban planning. Interviews were carried out at the planning department of the municipality, and sustainable development theories and the law were studied. Municipality targets that related to sustainability were extracted from their policy documents and summarized. The objective was to investigate whether an alternative strategy with suitable process tools could be created for screening within local planning at the municipality that is also applicable in practice and in line with prevailing laws and policies. The thesis resulted in a strategy document and two accompanying checklists, and the conclusion is that a new strategy should include an iterative and multidisciplinary working process, along with an alternation between checklists, depending on scope of the local plan. This strategy should be applicable within the municipality organization without compromising the environmental assessment quality when carrying out an extensive local plan that entails a potentially big environmental impact.

This thesis focuses on the question whether it is economically viable to operate a system for household electricity production and if so, what are the necessary conditions to do so. In the text of this thesis a brief summary of environmental protection and sustainable development is presented, followed by the description and current state of technologies needed to construct systems for electricity production in the scale of family houses with focus on photovoltaic systems, and a description of the current legislation and administrative barriers related to this subject. Economic view (costs and return of investment) is examined in relation to multiple conditions, focus of this examination being on the geographical conditions, legislation and administrative conditions, state subsidies, electricity production and consumption profiles in the household and electricity price development scenarios. Technologies for household electricity production are therefore put into the context relevant to the citizens of the Czech Republic. The results of this work show, that the systems for photovoltaic electricity production in family houses in the conditions of the Czech Republic are economically viable with the premise that the surpluses of electricity produced are effectively consumed, for example for water...