Decarbonization at What Cost? Assessing the Agricultural Economic Impact of Mitigation Policy: Evidence From Net-Zero Targets.

Sustainability reporting guidelines developed by Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) provide a systematic approach for the companies to report their performance on social, environmental, and economic dimensions of sustainability. This study compared the sustainability reports of leading Indian public and private sector companies. Reports were analyzed based on GRI guidelines toward their reporting on sustainability. A numerical score from 0 to 3 was assigned for each of the 84 performance indicators (9, 30, and 45 indicators for economic, environment, and social dimensions, respectively) of the GRI 2011 guidelines based on inclusiveness of sustainability report. The analysis showed that reporting on economic dimension was comparatively better as compared to social and environmental dimensions. Sampled companies did not show much difference in their reporting practices on economic performances. However, considerable difference was observed in their reporting practices on environmental and social dimensions. Reporting practices of Tata Steel were better in all dimensions of sustainability and emerged as a responsible company on sustainability reporting.

Sustainable development is based on environmental, social, economic, and technical dimensions. In this study, the sustainability of wastewater treatment techniques in urban areas of Iraq was assessed using a multi-criteria decision analysis (MCDA)/the weighted sum model (WSM). The analysis was performed on 13 operating wastewater treatment plants in 10 provinces, Iraq, using a questionnaire sheet with the assistance of 52 specialists in the Ministry of Municipalities and Public Works, Iraq. Four types of wastewater treatment techniques (Conventional Treatment, Oxidation Ditches, Aeration Lagoons, and membrane bio-reactor (MBR)) were assessed. The environmental, social, economic, and technical dimensions were represented by 11, 5, 7, and 4 indicators, respectively. The main results of this study indicate that the sustainability of MBR recorded the highest total importance; the order of the total importance from the highest to the lowest was: MBR > Oxidation Ditches > Aeration Lagoons > Conventional Treatment. The environmental dimension proved its dominance in the four studied treatment techniques' sustainability as it recorded the maximum contribution to sustainability. While the technical dimension recorded the least contribution to sustainability, the order from the highest to the lowest was: Environmental Dimension > Economic Dimension > Social Dimension > Technical Dimension.

The high population of Central Java Province has become a factor triggering the dynamics of land cover change and regional development. Uncontrolled urban expansion and development threatens sustainability. This study aims to identify the types and patterns of land cover change, the level of regional development, the index of sustainable development in environmental, social, and economic dimensions, and the typology of regencies/cities based on the index of sustainable development. This research was conducted in Central Java Province from January to April 2023 using land cover data, village potential data, provincial statistics, and administrative maps. Land-cover changes were identified using overlay analysis in QGIS. The level of regional development was determined using the scalogram. The index of sustainable development was constructed using factor analysis, while the regional typology was identified using cluster analysis. The results showed a dynamic change in forest cover, with a significant decrease from approximately 1 million hectares to 550,000 ha from 2014 to 2019. Agricultural land and built-up areas increased by 312,000 ha and 164,000 ha, respectively. A scalogram analysis indicated an improvement in the regional development index. Sustainability analysis reveals that the sustainability index in the economic dimension is lower than that in the social and environmental dimensions. The cluster analysis indexes that approximately 60.31% of the areas had a low sustainability index. All urban areas have a high sustainability index in the economic and social dimensions, otherwise in the environmental dimension.

This research seeks to identify the direct effects and interactions of the economic, social, environmental and institutional dimensions or systems on sustainable development for 16 Latin American countries between 2007 and 2019. The sustainable development index (SDI) proposed by Hickel (2020) is used as the dependent variable, as are the pillars of Legatum’s prosperity index, grouped into the indicated dimensions (explanatory variables). A dynamic panel data model is estimated using the generalised method of moments. The results indicate that business conditions, economic quality, health and education have positive and significant direct effects on the SDI. It is corroborated that the interactions between institutional and economic, as well as institutional and social, and economic and social dimensions have a positive effect on the SDI, although only the first interaction is statistically significant. As for the other interactions, the results show negative signs and only the interactions between the environmental dimension and the economic dimension and social dimension, respectively, are statistically significant. For Latin America, improvements in the SDI are associated with the economic and social dimensions (weak sustainability). This is reinforced by the strengthening of the institutional framework but with higher levels of CO₂ emissions and material footprint, whose indirect effects along with the rest of the dimensions condition the possibility of achieving better results in terms of sustainability.

<p><strong>Background</strong>. As a strategy to design actions aimed at sustainable development at the local level, it is necessary to carry out a thorough diagnosis of the social, economic and environmental dimensions that affect the sustainability of a community. <strong>Objective.</strong> With that in mind, this research evaluated the sustainability of the natural resource management of the productive units in the Yungañan River micro-basin in the Ecuadorian Andes in order to identify the strengths and weaknesses of their actions as well as the possible internal differences between the different management systems. <strong>Methodology.</strong> For the execution of this work, 25 indicators were developed in a participatory manner, organized into 8 attributes that respond to the social, economic and environmental dimensions, following the methodology proposed by Sarandón (2002). These indicators were evaluated in the field through interviews and the results were weighted on a scale of 0 to 4 for analysis. In order to verify similarities and differences between the different productive units, a cluster analysis was carried out and a t-test was performed to verify significant differences between the indicators evaluated. <strong>Results.</strong> If we consider each dimension analyzed, the economic dimension reached an average value of 2.14, the social dimension 1.65 and the environmental dimension 1.80. Consequently, the average of all the indicators measured through the General Sustainability Index (GSI) was 1.86, which indicates deficient sustainability in the sector, with critical values for the social and environmental dimensions. With respect to internal differences, two groups were identified that were mainly conditioned by differences in the economic dimension. <strong>Implications.</strong> <span>The main aspects to be addressed in the sector to improve its sustainability were identified and the usefulness of the methodology employed for studies of similar characteristics was highlighted.</span> <strong>Conclusions.</strong> In order to design an effective strategy for the community’s development, the strengths detected in this study must be taken into account, such as the relatively efficient management of the community’s crops, and weaknesses, such as the lack of technical training, the lack of association and the difficulties of access to the sector, as well as the internal differences detected between the different productive units.</p>

Purpose – This study analyzes the reflections of information sharing and collaborative innovation in the social responsibility, in its environmental, economic, and social dimensions, of cooperatives that form part of strategic alliances. Design/methodology/approach – A survey was conducted of managers of Brazilian agricultural cooperatives that have strategic alliances and 91 valid questionnaires were obtained. The data collected were analyzed through structural equation modeling. Findings – Information sharing had positive effects on collaborative innovation and the environmental dimension of social responsibility. No significant relationships were found between information sharing and social responsibility, in the economic and social dimensions, nor between collaborative innovation and social responsibility, in the environmental and economic dimensions. Originality/value – The main contribution of the research is to examine the links between information sharing, collaborative innovation, and social responsibility. The study provides empirical evidence that information sharing between cooperative partnerships favors the exploration of new knowledge/technologies. It also reveals that information sharing helps social responsibility in its environmental dimension by providing information that can contribute to reducing the environmental impact of the activities of cooperative alliances. However, it suggests that information sharing influences collaborative innovation and social responsibility in its environmental dimension, but not in its economic and social dimensions.

Spatial transformation management is a crucial aspect of urban development, but integrating economic, social, and environmental dimensions is often complex and poorly coordinated. This study aims to identify the factors influencing spatial transformation management at the Center Point of Indonesia (CPI) and explore the relationships between economic, social, government policy, and environmental dimensions with spatial management. Path Analysis was used to analyze data collected through questionnaires from the community around CPI in Makassar City. The findings show that economic, social, and government policy dimensions have a significant influence on spatial transformation management, while the environmental dimension does not show a significant relationship. The implications of this research highlight the need for a holistic approach in developing sustainable cities, considering economic, social, and policy aspects in an integrated manner. Practical recommendations include increasing community participation in government policy processes and further research to deepen the understanding of factors influencing spatial transformation management.

In the transformation process toward the circular economy (CE), sustainable and circular management of water resources is one of the strategic objectives. The CE requires the implementation of systematic changes in the whole value chain of water—from the collection of water from primary sources, through its use in commercial and industrial applications, to the management of the resulting waste, such as sewage or sewage sludge. To monitor the effectiveness of introducing changes during the transformation toward the CE, a monitoring framework was proposed in this paper. It contains a set of environmental, economic and social dimensions that are related to the water and wastewater sector. Those three dimensions are mutually dependent and related to each other. If a water-related company creates new green job places in a developing or emerging country, it affects positively the material standard of living (economic dimension) through knowledge and technology transfers. This also contributes to gaining better access to education and health for the local communities (social dimension). Due to this situation, income increases, and consumption also rises, so social and economic aspects are improved in the given region. The integration of analyzed three dimensions is a base of sustainability.

The sustainability of agriculture in social, economic and environmental dimensions is important in terms of development policies. In this study, agricultural sustainability has been evaluated in social, economic and environmental dimensions. Twenty-one indicators were used and each dimension had 7 indicators. The research was carried out in Sarıkum Lake Basin of Sinop province in Turkey. The information obtained by face-to-face surveys with the farmers and the related statistics were used as data. The index method was used in the evaluation of these data. As a result, agricultural sustainability in the basin was found 13.95% in the environmental dimension, 9.64% in the economic dimension and 16.62% in the social dimension. The agricultural sustainability in Sarikum Lake Basin was determined as 40.21%. As a result of the study, in order to achieve economic sustainability it is necessary to increase the agricultural income, the ratio of irrigated land and the number of agricultural holdings with sufficient income. In order to ensure social sustainability, it is necessary to establish conditions to prevent migration and to ensure that farmers are satisfied with farming. In order to achieve environmental sustainability, it is necessary to increase the amount of protected area and to reduce wild animal damage.

Objective: This study aims to build, with the opinion of experts, a weighting of the economic, social and environmental dimensions of the Sustainable Development model that should prevail in Small and Medium Enterprises, SMEs, when prioritizing their sustainable objectives. Theoretical Framework: The Triple Bottom Line, TBL, considers economic, environmental and social aspects equally in companies, and in the case of SMEs this research considers that the three aspects should have an equivalent value in any attempt at sustainability assessment. Method: The Delphi method was applied to a semi-random sample of 9 experts in economic, environmental and social areas, who assigned importance weights to different sustainability indicators based on the Global Reporting Initiative Standards, GRI, for the economic, social and environmental dimensions. Results and Discussion: The findings reveal a positive inclination towards equity in the TBL dimensions, with approximate weightings relative to each other, 32% in the economic dimension, 36% in the environmental dimension, and 32% in the social dimension. Research Implications: Expert perspectives are discussed from an interdisciplinary approach, providing insight into academic opinions regarding sustainability assessment. Originality/Value: This study contributes to the literature by proposing a weighting of the values ​​of each indicator of the GRI Standard through a consultation with experts using a Delphi Method, with an interdisciplinary approach to address the problem of sustainability.

The Vision of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia 2030 AD encompasses the Arab and Islamic depth through a vibrant society, a prosperous economy, and an ambitious nation, which emphasized the concepts of sustainable development as its goals in several sections, such as ensuring environmental sustainability, reducing pollution of all kinds, enabling a healthy life, and enhancing identity. Nationalism, the values of justice and transparency, improving equal access to education, developing the digital economy, and other goals were consistent with the concepts of sustainable development, and in response to global trends and recommendations of previous conferences and studies, and given the pivotal role of colleges of education, the current study aimed to reveal the role of colleges of education in Achieving sustainable development goals from an educational perspective (Prince Sattam bin Abdulaziz University as a model), where the study relied on the descriptive analytical approach, data was collected through a questionnaire consisting of (36) statements, divided into three dimensions (the social dimension - the economic dimension - the environmental dimension), it was distributed to a sample of students (501) from the College of Education. The results of the study revealed to achieving the sustainable development goals from an educational perspective to a high degree in all their social, economic, and environmental dimensions. It is expected that the results of the study will contribute to developing the programs of colleges of education to achieve the goals of sustainable development from an educational perspective. The study developed a set of recommendations for faculty members and those in charge of the educational process at the university to prepare a generation of teacher graduates capable of competing at all levels, drawing their energy from the cultural and Islamic depth of the Kingdom.

Sustainable logistics can be defined as all logistics activities carried out by preserving and maintaining the present and the future for generations in environmental, economic, and social dimensions. In the study, the impact levels and sub-components of the main components in environmental, economic, and social dimensions, which are important for sustainable logistics, are examined. When the environmental dimension is examined, it is seen that its sub-components are use of resource (energy, water, material, etc.), water/soil pollution, greenhouse gas emissions, noise pollution, and waste management. When the sub-components of the economic dimension are examined, it includes the components of product and service quality, cost minimization, recycling, market share/growth, and goods transport intensity. When the sub-components of the social dimension are examined, it is seen that the components of occupational health and safety, education and training, working conditions, and public health are covered. The impact levels of the main components of sustainable logistics are evaluated with the DEMATEL method, which is one of the MCDM methods. According to the DEMATEL method, while economic and environmental dimensions are in the affecting group, social dimension is in the affected group.

Indonesia holds significant potential in sustainable organic agriculture. However, prevalent consumptive behavior leads to high food waste, causing multidimensional impacts on environmental, social, and economic aspects. To address these challenges, this study aims to describe the application of permaculture ethics and its impact on sustainability at Kebun Hanif, concurrently analyzing the permaculture sustainability status across its social, environmental, and economic dimensions. This research employed a qualitative approach, focusing on in-depth interviews. Data obtained were analyzed using the MDS-RAPS method, complemented by Leverage analysis and Monte Carlo simulation to assess the sustainability status across the three dimensions. Analysis results indicate that permaculture at Kebun Hanif is highly sustainable in both economic and environmental dimensions. Meanwhile, in the social dimension, its sustainability level is classified as moderately sustainable. The permaculture implemented at Kebun Hanif provides valuable guidance to encourage broader permaculture adoption and support optimal sustainability enhancement.

The Constitutional Financing Fund of the North (FNO), created through the Constitutional Funds, has the objective of promoting the development of the North Region, constituting the main financial instrument of the National Policy for Regional Development (PNDR) for the reduction of regional disparities. With the growth and development of the region, new questions, and concerns regarding sustainability in the business environment were generated. In this sense, the Sustainability Tripod and its extension, the Multiple Bottom Line, were proposed to analyze the economic, social, environmental, ethical and governance dimensions. In this sense, the present work sought to identify the reality of the dimensions of sustainability in the environment of micro and small companies of the Portal da Amazônia that used the resource of the Constitutional Fund for Financing of the North (FNO) for business development. To capture the data, a field survey was carried out with 111 companies that used FNO resources in the period from 2018 to 2022. After the survey, Excel was used for data processing and subsequent analysis. As a result, in the economic dimension, the ability of micro and small companies to expand their revenues was identified, with the responsibility of expanding the use of facilities and an integrated corporate composition to guarantee the economic life of the entity. In the environmental dimension, business actions involving the issuance of environmental licenses and their practices in the operation of the business were observed, while in the social dimension, the expansion of the supply of job openings and an organization dedicated to serving people could be seen. In the Governance dimension, actions of administrative responsibility, control and good practices by the companies interviewed were observed. Closing the context of the dimensions, ethics guides the business of micro and small companies surveyed. Responsibility with the business, both internally and externally, signals an important emphasis on this dimension. The outputs obtained provided the opportunity for theoretical generalizations regarding the confrontation of the reality described in the dimensions of sustainability in the business environment of micro and small companies of the Amazon portal and the theoretical framework that involves the theme.

In the context of increasing environmental and social responsibility concerns, organizations are looking for innovative methods to assess and improve sustainability performance. This study explores the role of artificial intelligence (AI) – neural networks, in developing a probability-based evaluation system for organizational sustainability score. Traditional evaluation methods frequently rely on pre-established performance indicators, which can introduce subjectivity and inaccuracies. To overcome these limitations, the research proposes a neural network model that integrates economic, social, and environmental dimensions into a structured evaluation framework. The study uses data collected from 30 companies listed on the Bucharest Stock Exchange. The neural network was developed in MATLAB, with a feed-forward structure with two hidden layers and a Levenberg-Marquardt training algorithm. The results – probabilistic organizational sustainability score reflects an intermediate position associated to the analyzed companies, indicating therefore an acceptable compliance level, but also the existence of improvement opportunities; likewise environmental and social dimensions have a stronger influence on organizational sustainability, while the economic dimension, although relevant, has a lower impact. The findings demonstrate that AI-based models offer a more dynamic and objective approach to sustainability assessment, reducing human error and improving the accuracy of predictions. The research contributes to the literature by introducing a structured, data-driven methodology, providing valuable insights for organizational managers and researchers interested in AI-assisted decision-making.