Electrobiofuels for a sustainable future

The world faces unprecedented pressure to develop appropriate tools and policies for a sustainable energy future. Though science suffers from a burden of proof, it has thus far proved true to different predictions on human-induced climate change impacts. The call to transition from sole dependence on fossil fuels to drive human civilization is alarming. Science, technology, and international climate policies provide some promising steps toward a practical net-zero economy path. Policies, innovations, and technologies play a critical role in supporting the energy transition agenda toward a sustainable future. The recent innovations in technology and business models that embrace the adoption of alternative energy sources are impressive, where the use of renewable and alternative energy sources such as solar and wind are gaining traction. Awareness of the importance of adopting a suitable energy future is on the rise, with private investors beginning to push companies to change; countries worldwide are adopting various measures to a just transition, essentially adopting policies to embrace a low-carbon economy. Amid all the positive indications of the global community to embrace a sustainable energy future, the challenge of replacing fossil fuels, which are thus far the cheap, versatile, and dependable energy source, is prevalent. Appropriate policies will need to be adopted so that there will be a just transition embracing the principle of leaving no one behind. To keep up with the pace of the global social economic dynamics, countries will have to embrace strategies that mix different options tailored in local conditions while keeping abreast with the global dynamics. This paper reviews the roles of appropriate policies and technological advancement to support a sustainable energy future.

Transition Design is a new area of transdisciplinary design focus aimed at addressing complex wicked problems and catalysing transitions toward sustainable, equitable and desirable long-term futures. Terry will discuss how change happens within our complex socio-technical systems and how addressing wicked problems can be a strategy for changing the trajectory of these transitions. Transition Design is a transdisciplinary approach aimed at addressing the many ‘wicked’ problems confronting 21st-century societies: climate change, forced migration, political and social polarization, global pandemics, lack of access to affordable housing/healthcare/education and countless others. These problems are considered systems problems because of their many challenging characteristics such as: every wicked problem is connected to other wicked problems; they are comprised of multiple stakeholder groups with conflicting agendas and no clear shared understanding of the problem; they are constantly changing and evolving; and wicked problems always manifest in place and culture-specific ways. Because of their high level of complexity, wicked problems cannot be solved by a single group of people or discipline. Addressing such problems requires radical collaboration among many fields and disciplines, but even more importantly it requires leveraging the knowledge and perspectives of the stakeholder groups connected to and affected by the problem. Transition Design argues that new transdisciplinary knowledge and skill-sets are required to address these problems, and that wicked problem resolution is a strategy for igniting positive, systems-level change and societal transitions toward more sustainable, equitable and desirable long-term futures. The Transition Design approach emphasises:• The need to frame problems within radically large, spatio-temporal contexts that include the past (how the problem evolved over long periods of time), present (how the problem manifests at different levels of scale) and future (visions of the long-term future in which the problem has been resolved).• The need for the stakeholders connected to and affected by the problem to be involved throughout the problem framing, visioning and solutioning process. This challenges many dominant processes in which professional or disciplinary experts from outside the system solve/design “for” the communities affected by the problem(s). Transition Design aspires to continually leverage the knowledge and wisdom from inside the system and build community capacity to self-organise, advocate and problem solve.• The need for stakeholders to co-create long-term visions of desirable futures, as a way to transcend their differences in the present and focus on a future space in which they are more likely to agree.• The need to develop “ecologies of synergistic interventions” (solutions) that are connected to each other and the long-term vision as a strategy for transitioning entire societies toward a desirable,equitable, long-term futures.• The need to think and work for long horizons of time. Resolving wicked problems and transitioning entire societies toward sustainable long-term futures will unfold over many years or even decades and will require patience, tenacity and an ongoing process of visioning and solutioning to remain on course during the transition. Transition Design is essentially an approach for appropriately framing these complex problems within more appropriate contexts. Many existing problem solving methodologies and process can be used increating the “ecologies of interventions” needed to address them.

Shaping a sustainable energy future for India: Management challenges

This introductory chapter sets out the emerging challenges for environmental law in the Anthropocene. It highlights the importance of developing strategies to deal with a range of plausible futures. The chapter identifies the role of environmental law in shaping sustainable and equitable futures. It also highlights the shortcomings of and obstacles for contemporary legal and institutional frameworks which might limit the potential of legal instruments to address the challenges of the Anthropocene. The chapter concludes by introducing each of the subsequent chapters and demonstrating how the multifaceted issues explored in the book address the role for law in shaping sustainable and equitable futures amidst significant uncertainty.

The UIA World Congress of Architects 2023, held in Copenhagen, marked a pivotal moment in architectural history. Themed “Sustainable Futures – Leave No One Behind,” it attracted over 6,000 delegates from 135 countries. The event showcased innovative approaches to sustainable architecture, aligning with the United Nations’ 17 Sustainable Development Goals. A highlight was “The Copenhagen Lessons,” ten principles for sustainable development, emphasizing inclusivity, environmental responsibility, and resource efficiency. The congress fostered global collaboration among architects, researchers, and policymakers, highlighting the importance of stakeholder engagement, impact monitoring, and legacy building. It set a new standard for future architectural practices, emphasizing sustainable, equitable, and regenerative development. This congress is a crucial step towards a more sustainable architectural future, with its influence expected to resonate until the next congress in Barcelona in 2026 and beyond.

Introduction: Why We Need Visions of a Sustainable and Desirable World (Robert Costanza and Ida Kubiszewski) Envisioning a Sustainable World (Donella Meadows) Why Everyone Should Be a Futurist? (William S Becker) Think Like an Ecosystem, See Solutions (Frances Moore Lappe) Future Histories: Descriptions of a Sustainable and Desirable Future and How We Got There: What Would a Sustainable and Desirable Economy-in-Society-in-Nature Look Like? (Robert Costanza, Gar Alperovitz, Herman Daly, Joshua Farley, Carol Franco, Tim Jackson, Ida Kubiszewski, Juliet Schor, and Peter Victor) Vision Statement for the Planet in 2050 (Ajay Bhave, Silvia Ceausu, Anand Deshmukh, Jessica Jewell, Wayne Pan, and Jana Timm) Scenes from the Great Transition (Paul D Raskin) Environmental History Exam 2052: The Last Half-Century (Les W Kuzyk) A Virtual Visit to a Sustainable 2050 (Robert Costanza) Reflections on a Life Lived Well and Wisely (Joshua Farley) The Great Turnaround: How Natural Capital Entered the Economy? (Ronald Colman) How New Zealand Became a Green Leader? (John Peet) The New New York: 2050 (Barbara Elizabeth Stewart) Pieces of the Puzzle: Elements of the World We Want: Sustainability and Happiness: A Development Philosophy for Bhutan and the World (Jigmi Y Thinley) Flourishing as a Goal of International Policy (Martin Seligman) What Else? (Wendell Berry) Let Us Envision Gender Equality: Nothing Else is Working (Jane Roberts) Another World: Finally Her(e) (Kavita N Ramdas and Jamie Querubin) Policy Reform to 350 (Bill McKibben) The Great Transition to 350 (Dylan Walsh and Tess Croner) On Baselines That Need Shifting (Daniel Pauly) The Future of Roads: No Driving, No Emissions, Nature Reconnected (Richard T T Forman and Daniel Sperling) The New Security (Gary Hart) Green Accounting: Balancing Environment and Economy (Peter Bartelmus) A Vision of America the Possible (James Gustave Speth) Getting There: The Way Forward: Survival 2100 (William E Rees) An Integrating Story for a Sustainable Future (Mary Evelyn Tucker and Brian Thomas Swimme) It Is Time to Fight the Status Quo (Bill McKibben) Can We Avoid the Perfect Storm? (David W Orr) Sustainable Shrinkage: Envisioning a Smaller, Stronger Economy (Ernest Callenbach) How to Apply Resilience Thinking: In Australia and Beyond? (Brian Walker) Endangered Elements: Conserving the Building Blocks of Life (Penny D Sackett) Well-Being, Sufficiency, and Work-Time Reduction (Anders Hayden) Millennium Consumption Goals (MCGs) at Rio+20: A Practical Step Toward Global Sustainability (Mohan Munasinghe) Happiness and Psychological Well-Being: Building Human Capital to Benefit Individuals and Society (George W Burns) Time for a Bold Vision: A New, Green Economy (Van Jones) A World That Works for All (L Hunter Lovins) Fighting Poverty by Healing the Environment (Christine Loh) Re-Engineering the Planet: Three Steps to a Sustainable Free-Market Economy (Eckart Wintzen) Raising Gross National Happiness through Agroforestry (Pahuna Sharma-Laden and Croix Thompson) Building Bridges between Science and Policy to Achieve Sustainability (Katherine Richardson and Ole Waever) Bringing Mozart to the Masses: Venezuela's Music Revolution (Maria Paez Victor) Creating the Schools of the Future: Education for a Sustainable Society (Peter M Senge) A Values-Based Set of Solutions for the Next Generation (Tim Kasser) Teaching a University Course in Sustainable Happiness (Catherine O'Brien) The Time Has Come to Catalyze a Sustainable Consumerism Movement (Peggy Liu)

How can knowledge of traditional water practices in India help build more sustainable futures? Launched in 2017, the Living Waters Museum addresses the rich and diverse traditions of water heritage and practices in India. It is building a digital repository of visual knowledge that celebrates the past, inspires the present and is a source of learning to prepare for the future. Through the use of storytelling, digital media and the creative arts, the team behind the Living Waters Museum works in collaboration with young water professionals, conservation architects, urban planners and artists to raise awareness of our water challenges and the need to foster more inclusive and sustainable water futures. As a digital and virtual museum, the Living Waters Museum uses its digital platform to promote capacity building, outreach to youth, and equality in water access. It works toward sustainable development in a number of ways, particularly SDG 5 on gender equality (Living Waters Museum 2019) and SDG 6 on clean water. We are using our content to develop interdisciplinary, innovative and engaging water classrooms for children and youth (SDG 4 on quality education) and to build partnerships (SDG 17).

This research proposes sustainability-oriented foresight education as a transformative intervention for societies genuinely seeking to create economic and ecological well being for future generations. Taiwan has started to enter a critical stage in developing a more environmentally-minded and futures-oriented worldview. While related prior research mostly emphasizes macro-level institutional change, this study focuses on evaluating the possibilities for encouraging sustainability-consciousness among young citizens through higher education. Students of the course ＂Environmental Changes and Sustainable Futures＂ were the participants in a quasi-experimental research design with pre- and post-measurements, and using participatory learning, reflective journals, and scenario workshops as the tools of pedagogical intervention. The results suggest that through a process of integrative learning, a culture of forward-thinking and visioning for sustainable alternative futures is emerging. Most importantly, student participants show promise as potential change agents for creating alternative environmental values and sustainable behaviors.

Micro-mobility is promising to contribute to sustainable cities with its efficiency and low cost. To better design such a sustainable future, it is necessary to understand the trends and challenges. Thus, we examined people's opinions on micro-mobility in the US and the EU using Tweets. We used topic modelling based on advanced natural language processing techniques and categorised the data into seven topics: promotion and service, mobility, technical features, acceptance, recreation, infrastructure and regulations. Furthermore, using sentiment analysis, we investigated people's positive and negative attitudes towards specific aspects of these topics and compared the patterns of the trends and challenges in the US and the EU. We found that (1) promotion and service included the majority of Twitter discussions in the both regions, (2) the EU had more positive opinions than the US, (3) micro-mobility devices were more widely used for utilitarian mobility and recreational purposes in the EU than in the US and (4) compared to the EU, people in the US had many more concerns related to infrastructure and regulation issues. These findings help us design and prioritise micro-mobility to improve their safety and experience across the two areas for designing a more sustainable micro-mobility future.

The imperative to address climate change has never been more urgent. As the world grapples with increasing temperatures, rising sea levels, and extreme weather events, the role of legal scholarship in shaping policies for a sustainable future is increasingly critical. This letter aims to address the vital contribution of legal scholarship to climate change policy, emphasizing its unique position to bridge theory and practice, advocate for environmental justice, and facilitate the transition towards sustainable futures. By analyzing and proposing legal frameworks that prioritize adaptive capacity and social equity, legal scholars ensure that climate policies do not merely respond to environmental challenges but also contribute to building stronger, more just communities. In conclusion, the critical role of legal scholarship in shaping climate change policy cannot be overstated. As we navigate the complexities of global environmental challenges, the insights, analysis, and advocacy provided by legal scholars are indispensable in guiding our collective efforts towards a sustainable and equitable future. It is imperative that the legal community continues to engage with and contribute to the climate change discourse, ensuring that laws and policies not only address current environmental issues but also anticipate and mitigate future challenges. Let this letter serve as a call to action for legal scholars, policymakers, and society at large to recognize and leverage the unique contributions of legal scholarship in our global fight against climate change.

Abstract: In Sustainable Futures: Green Engineering, Renewable Energy, and Carbon Solutions this chapter excavated into the transformative potential of integrating green engineering principles, renewable energy advancements, and carbon management strategies to address the global climate crisis. This chapter explores the multifaceted approaches necessary to transition towards a sustainable and resilient future, emphasizing the critical role of innovative technologies, policy frameworks, and societal engagement in mitigating environmental impacts. By examining the current landscape of green engineering and renewable energy solutions alongside the challenges and opportunities presented by carbon capture technologies, the narrative underscores the importance of a holistic approach that balances technological advancements with ethical considerations and equitable access. Through a comprehensive analysis, the chapter highlights the necessity of cross-sectoral collaboration and international cooperation to ensure the successful implementation of sustainable practices that can lead to a significantly reduced carbon footprint and a healthier planet for future generations. This discourse not only illuminates the path forward in harnessing the power of sustainability but also calls for urgent action to reframe our relationship with the environment through responsible stewardship and proactive innovation. Keywords/Index Terms: Green Engineering,Renewable Energy,Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS),Solar Radiation Management (SRM),Sustainability,Climate Change Mitigation,Technological Innovation,Ethical Considerations,Policy Frameworks,Societal Engagement,Cross-Sectoral Collaboration,International Cooperation,Environmental Impact,Equitable Access and Future Generations.

Urban road networks play a crucial role in transport and urban planning and have the potential to contribute to more sustainable futures if their hierarchy is properly understood. However, the concept of the urban road network hierarchy, which refers to street classification and prioritization, is not well defined within the domain of transport engineering management, leaving many questions unanswered. Is it simply a planning tool, or does it extend to defining the essence of cities? Is it a qualitative or quantitative concept? Does it emerge organically or require proactive planning? Given the lack of comprehensive answers to these questions, this research aims to provide a contextual understanding of the urban road network hierarchy through the lens of sustainable transport futures. To this purpose, we conducted a systematic literature review, which is an effective method for consolidating knowledge on a specific topic. A total of 42 articles were analyzed using both quantitative bibliometric analysis and qualitative content analysis. Our work demonstrates that the road network hierarchy consists of 16 sub-concepts. Four main research trends were identified and discussed: a) road morphology and structure, b) advanced algorithms for street classification, c) integrated street classification planning, and d) the social dimension of street classification. Recent literature indicates a shift toward alternative road network hierarchy approaches that prioritize sustainable mobility over car-centric models. In conclusion, our analysis reveals that the urban road network hierarchy is a multifaceted yet under researched “vehicle for change,” which, if utilized effectively, offers opportunities to reimagine urban road environments.

Purpose The purpose of this study is to understand what a sustainable future would look like and the nature of the changes needed to achieve it. Continued reliance on economic growth to meet the demands of a growing population is unsustainable and comes at an unacceptable social and environmental cost. Given these increasing demands, radical changes to present practices of production and consumption are needed to enable a sustainable future. Design/methodology/approach To address this the projective technique of backcasting was used in a pilot study to explore student visions of a sustainable future. An integrative framework comprising housing, clothing, travel, leisure and food provided the structure for six focus group discussions. Findings Thematic analysis identified three key characteristics of a sustainable consumption future, namely, efficiency, sharing and community and three critical elements, namely, the role of government, education and technology, necessary for its achievement. Research limitations/implications Demonstrating the usefulness of backcasting will encourage its application in a wider range of consumption contexts with a broader range of participants. The vision of a sustainable future provides a blueprint that identifies its nature, and the basis upon which decisions to achieve it can be made. Originality/value The research introduces the technique of backcasting and demonstrates its usefulness when dealing with complex problems, where there is a need for radical change and when the status quo is not sustainable. Unexpectedly, results suggest a commitment to prosocial values, collaborative experience, collective action and the importance of community. Research and social implications demonstrating the usefulness of backcasting will encourage its application in a wider range of consumption contexts with a broader range of participants. The vision of a sustainable future provides a blueprint that identifies its nature, and the basis upon which decisions to achieve it can be made.

This paper begins to build a conceptual framework that acknowledges the multiplicity of pathways towards different sustainable futures that often co-exist within a single city. There are three stages to the argument: the shift from the concept of a singular towards multiple models of what the sustainable city might become; the rejection of the simplistic use of models and the development of competing pathways to sustainable cities; and the recognition that a wide diversity of sustainable urban futures are likely to coexist within a single city. The analytical framework of social constructivist theory developed here usefully demonstrates the contingent and contextual nature of technological innovation and building design.

Evolutionary economic theory expands the horizon of economics by including in its field of analysis not only the socio–economic system, but also the relevant interactions with the natural environment. The theory aims to identify all the factors which make qualitative and quantitative development in the economy possible. Answers obtained from game–theory, systems–theory and driving force analysis are summarized. It is shown that the real source of wealth is human knowledge, which is making increasing amounts of converted solar energy available for doing work at diminishing costs and leads to further development of knowledge for using human time in superior ways. The theory also shows a way to an ecologically sustainable long range future.