Integrated Waste Biorefineries: Achieving Sustainable Development Goals, 2nd edition

The <scp>SDGs</scp>: A change agenda shaping the future of business and humanity at large

Role of refuse-derived fuel in circular economy and sustainable development goals

Bioengineering textiles across scales for a sustainable circular economy

Achieving the Sustainable Development Goals Requires Transdisciplinary Innovation at the Local Scale

Objective: This study analyzed whether Brazil's National Solid Waste Policy (PNRS) emphasizes and incorporates global sustainability concepts, circular economy, and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Theoretical Framework: The study's theoretical framework was the consonance between the principles of sustainability, circular economy methodologies, and the parameters established to achieve the United Nations' sustainable development goals. Method and Material: A qualitative methodology was used, including a literature review to develop the theoretical framework for analysis; document analysis to assess the content of Brazilian legislation related to the PNRS; a comparative study between the theoretical framework and the content of the PNRS; case studies of the PNRS's application; and correlation analysis of the PNRS with the SDGs. Results and Conclusion: The results of the study were as follows: a) the PNRS promotes the more effective and sustainable management of solid waste in Brazil, highlighting its principles, objectives, and instruments; b) there is a correlation between the principles of the PNRS and those of the circular economy, through the synchronization of common objectives of waste minimization, shared responsibility and economic valorization of waste; and c) the relationship between the objectives of the PNRS and the SDGs contributes to the achievement of global sustainability goals, especially by promoting public health protection, waste reduction, integration of collectors and sustainable consumption. The conclusion shows that Law 12.305/2010, which instituted the PNRS in Brazil, represents an essential milestone in the search for and establishment of sustainable and effective practices in solid waste management by incorporating the global concepts of sustainability, circular economy, and sustainable development goals. Implications of the research: The results ensure the validity of the PNRS in force, asserting the need for its continuity and expansion to all types of Brazilian production and service systems. Originality / Value: The study represents an assessment of the intended and achieved results of the creation and implementation of the PNRS so that one can have a clear idea of ​​its effectiveness.

Industry 4.0 based sustainable circular economy approach for smart waste management system to achieve sustainable development goals: A case study of Indonesia

To Achieve a Sustainable Blue Future, Progress Assessments Must Include Interdependencies between the Sustainable Development Goals

A simplified framework for assessing waste prevention and minimisation in developing countries within the context of CE, SDGs and ESG principles

This bibliometric study analyzes 1433 former reviews on Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and Sustainability, providing a comprehensive overview of the evolving research landscape in this domain. Notably, we observe a substantial annual growth rate of 74% in publications and a remarkable 171% increase in total citations from 2016 to 2022, reflecting a growing interest in this area. We identify the leading countries and institutions contributing to quantitative reviews on SDGs and Sustainability. SDG 12 (Sustainable Consumption and Production) emerges as the most extensively studied and is highly represented in influential journals like Sustainability and the Journal of Cleaner Production. Across various research fields, SDGs 12 and 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities) stand out, with SDGs 4 (Quality Education), 5 (Gender Equality), and 15 (Life on Land) showing significance in specific domains. Thematic analysis reveals key topics like environmental protection, circular economy, life cycle assessment, and supply chain management, with strong connections to SDG 12. Further clusters highlight environmental management, renewable energy, and energy policy linked to SDG 7 (Affordable and Clean Energy), along with a smaller cluster focusing on urbanization driven by SDG 11. Network analysis emphasizes the critical roles of SDGs 12 and 9 (Industry Innovation and Infrastructure) in achieving a sustainable future. However, alternative social network indicators highlight the potential influence of SDGs 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth), 16 (Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions), and 17 (Partnerships for the Goals) on other goals. Intriguingly, mainstream SDG research predominantly focuses on SDGs 3 and 7, presenting challenges due to the volume and complexity of related publications. While SDG 7 could find suitable outlets in leading journals, addressing SDG 3’s (Good Health and Well Being) complexity remains a formidable task. Nevertheless, conducting bibliometric studies on SDGs 3, 7, and 13 (Climate Action) offers promising opportunities in future if the associated challenges are addressed effectively.

The world is currently striving to achieve the globally adopted sustainable development goals (SDGs). Exploring the role of technology in achieving the SDGs is critical for the decision-makers and will allow them to overcome any possible trade-off. In this work, the role of wastewater management in achieving the SDGs has been indicated. The analysis shows that wastewater treatment could contribute to achieving 11 out of 17 SDGs. The major contribution came from its ability to increase water availability (SDG 2: zero hunger and SDG 6: clean water and sanitation), enhance human health worldwide (SDG 3: Good health and wellbeing), providing a new source of income for smallholder (SDG 1: no poverty and SDG 8: decent work and economic growth), converting waste to energy (SDG 7: affordable and clean energy, and SDG 9: industry, innovation and infrastructure) and reducing the environmental impact of wastewater (SDG 11: sustainable cities and communities, SDG 12: responsible consumption and production, SDG 13: climate action, and SDG 14: life below water). The challenges related to implementing and assessing these targets were discussed as well. A set of indicators (guideline) were proposed to improve the contribution of the wastewater treatment facility to the SDGs. This study emphasizes on the significant influence of wastewater treatment on the United Nations' SDGs and targets worldwide.

This special issue was supported by an Australian National University GrandChallenges grant (Social Cohesion, Diversity and Inclusion) to Israr Qureshi.

This paper investigates how and whether circular economy (CE) business models affect the implementation of sustainable development goals (SDGs) in the waste management sector. A case study is used to determine the relationship between CE business models and SDGs. It shows that CE business models, potentially, can contribute directly to achieving a significant number of SDGs. The strongest relationships are between the CE business model and the targets of SDG4 (Quality education); SDG 5 (Gender equality); SDG 7 (Affordable and Clean Energy), SDG 8 (Decent working and economic growth); SDG 9 (Industry, innovation and infrastructure), SDG 11 (Sustainable cities and communities) SDG 12 (Responsible consumption and production). After a narrative literature review on the intersection between CE and SDGs, the paper performed a case study on Contarina SpA, a firm that developed a business model to recycle wastes into recyclable materials under a CE approach. The case findings could stimulate further research into how this and similar types of business models will help societies to change from the ‘use‐it‐once‐and‐throw‐it away’ mentality of linear business models to the integrated, holistic, CE model that seeks to emulate nature's cyclical systems, and achieve the implementation of sustainable development goals (SDGs).

Ocean pollution, plastic pollution, loss of biodiversity and climate change is global problems that receive increasing attention and need to be addressed urgently. Policies such as the United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goals or the EU’s ‘Strategy for Plastics in a Circular Economy’ show the increasing need for a more responsible handling of materials, products, wastes and residues. Innovative companies react and seek practical solutions that contribute to the development of the bio-based and circular economy. International Sustainability and Carbon Certification (ISCC) support the circular and bio-based economy by offering a certification that promotes an environmentally, socially and economically sustainable production. The ISCC certification system is used globally for the chemical industry, packaging, industrial applications as well as in the food, feed and bioenergy markets. It provides credible sustainability certification for all types of agricultural and forestry raw materials, waste and residues, non-bio renewables, recycled carbon materials and the respective supply chains and is a leading global certification scheme for the biobased and circular economy. The presentation will offer a deepen overview of the solutions provided by ISCC for credible certification for a sustainable bioeconomy and circular economy. ISCC certification ensures sustainability, certification, feedstock identity and correct on-product claims. Different options for the certification of the supply chains will be presented: physical segregation and mass balance. The applied methods to guarantee that supply chains are deforestation-free will be explained in detail.

The circular economy (CE) and bioeconomy (BE) are recognized as potential solutions for achieving sustainable development, yet little research has examined their potential contribution to the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). In this study, we conducted a bibliometric analysis of 649 articles published between 2007 and 2022, as well as a systematic literature review of 81 articles, to assess the extent to which the CE and BE communities have addressed the SDGs. Our analysis identified 10 research gaps including the limited number of empirical quantitative papers, particularly in the context of BE, and the underrepresentation of developing regions such as Latin America and Africa in the literature. Our main finding reveals that the CE community primarily focuses on SDG 12, Responsible Consumption and Production, followed by SDG 9, Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure; SDG 7, Affordable and Clean Energy; and SDG 6, Clean Water and Sanitation. The BE community, on the other hand, focuses primarily on SDG 7, followed by SDG 9 and SDG 12. However, both communities lack attention to social SDGs such as quality education, poverty, and gender equality. We propose that a combination of CE and BE, known as circular bioeconomy, could help countries achieve all SDGs. Further research is needed to develop and implement circular bioeconomy policies that address these gaps and promote sustainable development. In this sense, our study identified an important research gap that needs more attention in the future.

• Explores CE’s alignment with SDGs across micro, meso , and macro levels. • Investigates the role of CE in achieving sustainability through its three dimensions. • Reveals macro-level CE practices show 57.9 % alignment with SDGs, especially SDG8. • Identifies SDG8, SDG11, and SDG17 as most aligned with Circular Economy levels. • Utilizes NLP techniques to analyze semantic alignment between SDGs and CE levels. Nearly a decade after the establishment of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the Circular Economy (CE) action plan, the extent to which CE effectively drives sustainable development across its social, economic, and environmental dimensions remains unclear. This article explores the dynamic interaction between CE's micro, meso , and macro levels and the SDGs. It presents a visual framework to align traditional linear sustainability models with circularity while clarifying CE objectives and their connection to the 17 SDGs. The study employs a Systematic Literature Review (SLR) and Natural Language Processing (NLP) to analyze the semantic similarity between SDGs and CE levels. This approach systematically determines their alignment degree and the probability distribution of SDG coverage within each strategic CE level, highlighting the multi-faceted nature of SDGs. The results reveal the macro level demonstrates a more profound alignment, with an almost 57.9 % coverage of the SDGs, while the meso level has a high discursively relate with 49.5 %. Additionally, SDG8, SDG11 and SDG17 are recognized as the most aligned goals with CE levels, and SDG4 is classed as the least. This finding underscores the significant conversancy of macro-level initiatives, particularly in social dimension, towards SD, maps the most circular SDGs and clarifies the links between the dimensions of sustainability and CE and discursively relate of them. If offers insights for stakeholders, highlighting the need for a cohesive, multi-tiered CE strategy to support the SDGs. The study also calls for further research to develop metrics assessing CE’s impact on SDGs across different contexts.