Accelerating and expanding nature to address its greatest challenges

Deforestation of rainforests requires active use of UN's Sustainable Development Goals

This study dwells on xenophobia and the realities of actualizing the United Nations (UN) Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) eight in South Africa. It argues that since the emergence of Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) in 2000, which transited to Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in 2015, there has been a proliferation of literature from scholars of diverse disciplinary orientations. However, none of these studies deal with the phenomenon of xenophobia as a milestone for the attainment of the SDGs in South Africa. This paper, therefore, serves as an intervention to discuss how xenophobia affects the realization/ actualization of the UN’s SDG eight in the area under consideration. Using extant literature and the rational choice theory, it affirms that without peace and partnership with other countries, it would be very difficult for South Africa to attain the UN SDGs it envisages to achieve. To be focused and in-depth in the analysis of the phenomena under consideration the study centers exclusively on the UN SDG eight (even though there are seventeen SDGs of the UN) which hinges on decent work and economic growth. The evidence thrown up led to the major conclusion that the persistent xenophobic attacks and the resultant massive destruction of lives and businesses of foreigners, South Africa’s quest for the full-fledged realization of United Nations (UN) Sustainable Development Goal eight would remain mere paperwork. Given the increasing prevalence of xenophobic attacks in the study area, the paper suggests, among others, the building of meaningful, lasting, and effective partnerships. This entails that xenophobia in the country will be nipped in the bud.

Assessing the contribution of water and energy efficiency in green buildings to achieve United Nations Sustainable Development Goals in Jordan

ABSTRACTJordan faces stringent energy challenges mainly in the form of import dependence and escalating demand. The building sector accounts for 58% of total national electricity consumption and therefore plays an important role in addressing these challenges. This article investigates how energy efficiency in green buildings certified by the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) rating system contribute towards achieving United Nations (UN) Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in Jordan. Furthermore, this paper proposes a new Comprehensive Contribution to Sustainable Development Index (CCSDI) to assess the contributions of implementation of the LEED 2009 prerequisites and credits in the Energy and Atmosphere (EA) category to achieve UN SDGs in Jordan. Questionnaire surveys were conducted to obtain data. Relative Importance Index (RII) method was used to evaluate the contributions of LEED 2009 prerequisites and credits in the EA category. Results indicate a positive relationship between the LEED 2009 prerequisites and credits in category and UN SDGs 7−9 and 12−13. We conclude that our proposed CCSDI is a robust tool for assessing the contribution of energy efficiency in LEED 2009 certified green buildings towards achieving UN SDGs in Jordan.

Since the launch of the United Nations (UN) Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in 2015, the SDGs have been widely adopted by governments and corporations in an effort to improve their sustainability. There are 17 SDGs, comprising 169 targets, which are measurable against 247 unique indicators. Despite pervasive global pollution from (micro)plastics, there is only one indicator (14.1.1b) under Goal 14, specifically related to reducing impacts from (micro)plastics. Reliable reporting and monitoring of 247 SDG indicators present unique challenges for governments and organizations to implement, which may be further exacerbated by the pervasive nature of (micro)plastic pollution if not properly monitored across these indicators. This review focused on recent literature to provide a critical overview of the key challenges specifically related to (micro)plastics as they may undermine the implementation of sustainable strategies and action plans required to achieve the UN SDGs. • (Micro)plastics threaten global social, environmental, and economic sustainability. • The UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) developed to address global threats. • Only Goal 14 specifically addresses impacts of (micro)plastic pollution. • (Micro)plastic pollution directly or indirectly impacts at least 12 UN SDGs. • (Micro)plastic pollution may undermine the implementation of the UN SDGs.

PurposeDespite the growing interest in the field, the literature overlooks how supply chains influence or interact with the United Nations (UN) Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). To fill this gap, this study aims to assess the influences of Sustainable Supply Chain Management (SSCM) on the implementation of the UN SDGs.Design/methodology/approachA systematic literature review of 97 publications was carried out by using the Web of Science database and the support of ATLAS.ti software. In addition, this research also explored how the top 20 Forbes companies are aligned with the SDGs by analysing their sustainability reports.FindingsThe findings suggest that the literature and the analysed companies primarily concentrate on certain SDGs while neglecting others, revealing potential areas of interest for future research. Based on the findings, the study provides valuable insights into the connections between SSCM and the UN SDGs, highlighting the potential benefits of SSCM in reducing environmental, social and economic pressures and contributing to sustainable development. It also identifies areas where further research and policy development are needed to maximise the potential benefits of SSCM.Originality/valueTo the best of the authors' knowledge, no other studies have conducted a comprehensive exploration of the literature linking SSCM and the SDGs framework. Moreover, the study differs from others since it combines research data with practical information from company reports, to identify specific issues related to supply chain management.

The added value of partnerships in implementing the UN sustainable development goals

This paper highlights the extent of the relationships between circular economy (CE) practices and the implementation of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Specifically, the paper takes part in academic debates regarding CE and SDGs. It qualitatively investigates national governments’ policy response and practices, with a focus on Bangladesh. The study finds varying degrees of momentum in the national policy response to SDGs and thus, it answers two research questions: (i) what is the relevance of CE practices to the United Nations (UN) SDGs? (ii) What are the responses from the Bangladeshi government to fulfil the UN SDGs regarding sustainable consumption and production with CE? As CE is a global trend, the research suggests that broad, conscientious connection and collaboration at the national level are essential. The findings implicate national governments in developing countries and UN SDGs for their policies and programme reassessment, considering the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on sustainable development.

The World Health Organization recognizes that physical activity (PA) during childhood is crucial for healthy development, aligning well with the achievement of several United Nations (UN) Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). This study aimed to explore the associations between 10 key indicators of PA for children and adolescents assessed in the Global Matrix 4.0 project, and the UN SDGs. Data from 57 countries/jurisdictions of the Global Matrix 4.0 project were used. The UN SDG indicators were sourced from the SDG Transformation Center, which publishes each country's performance on each of the 17 SDGs. Given the robust evidence supporting plausible links between PA and SDGs 3 (good health and well-being), 9 (industry, innovation, and infrastructure), 11 (sustainable cities and communities), 13 (climate action), and 16 (peace, justice, and strong institutions), these SDGs were investigated. Countries/jurisdictions with good and moderate performance in achieving SDG 3, SDG 9, SDG 11, and SDG 16 had higher grades than countries/jurisdictions with fair performance in achieving these SDGs for the following indicators: Organized Sports and PA, Community and Environment, and Government Investments and Strategies. However, countries/jurisdictions with good performance in achieving SDG 13 had lower grades than countries/jurisdictions with fair performance in achieving SDG 13 for the following indicators: Organized Sports and PA, Community and Environment, and Government Investments and Strategies. Organized Sports and PA, Community and Environment, and Government Investments and Strategies were the indicators that demonstrated differences between countries/jurisdictions with good and poor performance in achieving the SDGs.

This study aimed to fill a gap in the sustainable management of the reverse supply chain of Guaiamum and Uçá crab waste in Brazil, an endangered species. The study focused on the circular economy, governance, and recent developments, and identified circular economy practices in the utilization of solid waste from the fishing and collection of these species in extractive regions, in line with the United Nations (UN) Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). A systematic literature review was conducted in major scientific databases. The selection of the 20 research publications followed pre-established criteria, including relevance to the SDGs and systematic review methodology. The results highlighted key variables related to the characteristics of by-products and the factors that influence the adoption of circular economy practices, in line with relevant SDGs. The most mentioned by-products include animal feed, organic fertilizer, biofuels, crab shell chitin biocomposite derivatives, as well as Chitosan-based composites for food packaging applications due to their non-toxicity, antimicrobial, and antifungal properties. The study also identified future research opportunities covering education, policy, and management, in line with the UN SDGs. This study emphasizes the importance of the circular economy for solid crab waste in Brazil, a country with 12% of the world’s mangroves, which are essential both as a nursery for crabs and for ocean nutrition. It also analyzes current trends and initiatives in the reverse management of Guaiamum and Uçá crab waste, in the context of Supply Chain and Sustainable Management.

The role and importance of sustainability are increasing multi-fold, and responsible organizations across the globe are aligning with the United Nations (UN) Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Integrating the UN SDGs into marketing education, especially curriculum, has received scant attention in the marketing education literature, even though 880 business schools have become Principles for Responsible Management Education (PRME) signatories. This exploratory study attempts to address the gap. It describes an instructor’s attempt to integrate two SDGs, 8 and 12, into a marketing elective course, BoP & Rural Markets, using an experiential rural market project. The students were asked to use the lens of SDG 8 and 12 to understand the rural marketplace and its stakeholders during their field visit. This article describes the rural market project, spread across four experiential learning stages, and assesses its impact on sensitizing the students about SDGs. The whole experience, with its challenges and potential areas for improvement, is shared, and some lessons for marketing educators are identified. Finally, this article highlights some limitations of the approach and pinpoints directions for future work. In sum, this experiential project, a unique pedagogical intervention, helped increase the participants’ awareness and encouraged them to come up with possible recommendations for the issues around the two SDGs.

In the present study, the air pollution dynamics of the metropolitan cities of Balıkesir, Bursa, Istanbul, Kocaeli, Sakarya and Tekirdağ in the Marmara Region, which is the geographical region with the highest urban and industrial activity in Turkey, were examined for the time period between 2016 and 2019. Annual changes in the cities in terms of air pollution, which was examined with a focus on the PM2.5 parameter as indicated by United Nations (UN) Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs); differences in the cities by years; and the seasonal changes in air pollution in the cities were investigated. Additionally, mortality rates attributed to air pollution were calculated with the AirQ + software based on integrated exposure–response function recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the UN using city-scale statistics of fatal disease cases that can be attributed to air pollution. It was determined that all cities in the Marmara Region study area exceeded the limit PM2.5 values specified by the European Union (EU) in the years 2016, 2017 and 2018 while only Kocaeli and Tekirdağ were below the limit values in 2019. The limit values specified by the WHO were exceeded in all cities in each year. A total of 46,920 premature deaths attributed to the exceedance of WHO limit values were calculated for the years 2016, 2017, 2018 and 2019 with 11,895, 13,853, 11,748 and 9,429, respectively. Determining national limit values for the PM2.5 parameter, which is among the most important factors of air pollution, and monitoring it in a sustainable manner using a sufficient number of well-equipped stations is of great importance. This way, national, regional and urban action plans regarding the impact of air pollution on human health, as indicated by UN SDGs, can be prepared.

PurposeThis study contributes to answering the question, can critical success factors of small businesses in emerging markets advance United Nation (UN) Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)? Specifically, this study aims to explore the critical factors contributing to the success of small businesses and ultimately the UN SDGs in the emerging market of Nigeria.Design/methodology/approachThe design is survey research testing the Lussier success vs failure prediction model for small businesses in Nigeria. The methodology includes a logistic regression model to better understand and predict the factors that contribute to success or failure using a data set of 201 small businesses in Nigeria.FindingsThe findings support the validity of the Lussier model (p = 0.000) in Nigeria as the model accurately predicted 84.4% of the small businesses as successful or failed with a high R-square value (R = 0.540). The most significant factors (t-values < 0.05) that predict the success or failure of businesses support the findings that business owners that start with adequate capital, keep records and financial controls, use professional advice, have better product/service timing, and have parents who own businesses can increase the probability of success.Practical implicationsThe study provides a list of critical success factors contributing to the growth of small business in Nigeria, the largest economy in Africa. The findings can help entrepreneurs avoid failure and advance UN SDGs 1, 2, 8 and 10. Implications for current and future entrepreneurs, public agencies, consultants, educators, policymakers, suppliers and investors are discussed.Originality/valueThis is the first study to determine the factors that contribute to the success or failure of small businesses in Nigeria using the Lussier model. It also discusses how to advance four of the UN sustainability goals. Results support the Lussier model's global validity that can be used in both emerging and developed markets, and it contributes to the development of theory.

Established in 2015 the United Nations (UN) sustainable development goals (SDGs) were agreed with the aim to balance the need to address social and ethical obligations such as ending poverty and other deprivations, while tackling climate change and the other planetary boundaries. In 2018 the International Commission on Radiological Protection (ICRP) initiated a review and revision of the System of Radiological Protection which will lay the foundation for Radiation Protection standards, regulations, guidance and practice worldwide for the next 40 years. Recognising the importance of the UN SDG's the ICRP has started to consider what the role of the revised system of protection should be in enabling delivery. On the 15 May 2024 the Society for Radiological Protection and World Nuclear Association ran a workshop exploring the intersection of the System of Radiological Protection and the SDG's. The outputs of the workshop are summarised in this paper showing the views from a variety of practitioners working across the radiation protection sectors on the key factors to be considered in the revision of the system of radiological protection to enable delivery of the UN SDG's.

The United Nations (UN) Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) represent an important set of global priorities, addressing the most urgent environmental, economic, and social challenges facing humankind. The American Society for Microbiology (ASM) signed the UN SDG Publishers Compact in March 2024, to lend its voice to this vital initiative, as indeed not only do the SDGs align with ASM's mission but microbes themselves can play significant roles in, for example, sustainable agriculture, clean energy, and human health. In its first year as a signatory, ASM has pursued, published, and highlighted sustainability-focused work in its journals, has raised awareness through internal efforts and joint efforts with other scientific organizations, and has prioritized the SDGs in its conferences and other programs. We commemorate our achievements in this first year and look forward to future initiatives, innovations, and collaborations toward a sustainable future.