Sustainable Development Activities Research Articles

Advances in Retrofitting Strategies for Energy Efficiency in Tropical Climates: A Systematic Review and Analysis

The global construction industry significantly contributes to energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions, necessitating immediate action for sustainable development. Recognizing the impact of buildings on emissions, the United Nations has set ambitious energy-related goals for 2030. Retrofitting buildings emerges as a strategic method for reducing energy consumption, offering lower environmental impact and life cycle costs. However, retrofitting is a complex process influenced by diverse factors such as policies, available resources, techniques, building-specific data, and uncertainties. Thus, this paper reviews the existing literature on retrofitting strategies for tropical and humid climates to identify effective approaches for enhancing energy efficiency, thermal comfort, and overall building performance in these regions. Through comprehensive analyses, including bibliometric analysis using VOSviewer version 1.6.18 and systematic assessments, this study investigates various retrofitting strategies. This study categorizes tropical climates into Af (Tropical Rainforest Climate) and Aw (Tropical Savanna Climate) based on the Köppen climate classification. It reveals distinct emphases, with Af climates concentrating on office buildings and Aw climates prioritizing residential structures. Passive strategies were predominantly favored in office buildings, with glazing being the most commonly implemented approach. Residential structures, on the other hand, adopted a combination of passive strategies such as phase change materials along with active methods like appliance replacement. Educational buildings tended to rely on passive strategies, including roof covers, shading, and glazing. The absence of specific cost values underscores the importance of establishing baseline metrics, revealing significant challenges in retrofit techniques. This study further highlights an opportunity to explore passive methods in educational buildings, stressing the need for comprehensive guidelines, especially in institutional settings. Moreover, it emphasizes the urgency for ambitious regulations to address carbon emissions and optimize energy efficiency in tropical climates.

Improving community resilience through distributed solar energy as critical infrastructure – a case study of South Asia

Purpose The analytical framework proposed in this study aims to link the capital portfolio approach to sustaining human well-being, 2015 sustainable development goals and development action ARC-D concepts. Nepal case study is a “tribrid” power generation system that combines distributed solar, hydro and wind power generation capacities for the resilience of a community of around 500 people in a remote village with a total installed capacity of 28 kW. The second case study is about the solarization of 900 health centres in Chhattisgarh, India, with off-grid solar PV with a cumulative capacity of 3 MW. Design/methodology/approach Critical infrastructure at the community scale needs to be resilient to maintain community-level functionality in the face of adverse impacts. The present study provides two case study sites from Nepal and India to demonstrate various elements of resilience building for critical infrastructures, especially for the energy sector. Findings Granular technology and distributed generation in Nepal and India can act as critical infrastructure in providing on-demand electricity service to enhance community-level resilience along with future opportunities of scale up. Originality/value The analytical framework for evaluating community-scale resilience through critical infrastructure design and application of the framework using evidence based on case studies are the original contributions.

Amazon Transition - Cerrado: Agricultural Frontier and Sustainability in The State of Mato Grosso, Brazil

Objective: The present study aimed to demonstrate the relevance of agribusiness and highlight sustainable development actions in the Amazon-Cerrado transition zone, in the center-north of the state of Mato Grosso, in line with the Sustainable Development Goals of the United Nations. Theoretical framework: This topic sought to contemplate the aspects of sustainable food production, in a holistic view that minimizes environmental impacts, in order to stimulate sustainable management, efficient use of resources and inputs in the various sustainable economic activities. Method: Theoretical framework on the subject, research based on Web of Science and Google scholar, tabulation of data and elaboration of a table with sustainable initiatives and a map of the location of the Amazon-Cerrado transition zone. Results and conclusion: In parallel to the large-scale agro-export production mode, several initiatives of agroecological production, natural extractivism, integration between forest, crops and livestock were identified in the research using techniques that seek environmental sustainability and sustainable local development in the region of the study. Implications of the research: In line with the environmental theme, the study presents and discusses relevant initiatives in society associating agribusiness and sustainable development. Originality/value: Preparation of an unprecedented map of the municipalities of Mato Grosso that are located in the transition zone of the Amazon - Cerrado biomes and a table with organizations, activities and sustainable actions developed in the transition area and respective associations with the Sustainable Development Goals of the United Nations, with a discussion on proactive activities aimed at developing the region in focus.

Sustainable and resilient development actions

Studies report that 85% of the Brazilian population lives in large urban centers, so cities must prepare to deal with this reality and possible adversities. This article describes the experience of the Municipality of Veranópolis in the State of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil, with the Project “Garbage is your responsibility”, foreseen in the Veranópolis Resilient City Program. The research method is applied in nature, with a descriptive objective and a qualitative approach. The technical procedure used was field study. The Project aimed to improve knowledge about the separation and correct disposal of solid waste and promote a culture of environmental preservation. To this end, we invited six Municipal Schools and two Private Schools, professionals from the public and private sectors and non-governmental organization, totaling more than 3,000 participants, for a period of five months. The results show that the implementation of the Project achieved the participation and collaboration of all those involved. In addition to the engagement of students, teachers, families and the community in the delivery and receipt of teaching materials and the correct disposal of waste.

Assessing the performance of hydro-solar hybrid (HSH) grid integration: A case study of Bui Generating Station, Ghana

Renewable energy sources (RES) are rapidly expanding as a result of energy security and environmental concerns. Despite their numerous benefits, they pose significant challenges to power grid operation. Ghana is dedicated to reaching a 10 % renewable energy mix target by 2030 to promote low-emission development. Ghana has the first hybrid power plant made up of 400MW hydropower plant and 50 MW solar PV plant supplying power to the national grid. The study designs a hydro-solar hybrid system configuration for Ghana's Bui generation unit, using data from the 50 MW ground-mounted solar PV and 133.33 MW hydropower units to assess the performance and challenges of the hydro-solar hybrid system at the Bui Generating Station. Methodology involves modeling and simulation in the DIgSILENT power factory software environment. Utilizing quasi-dynamic simulations, the study investigates variations in active power generation, voltage fluctuations, grid losses, and reactive power generation. Results highlight technical challenges such as voltage fluctuations and power loss, and propose mitigation measures. Comparisons between simulated and field data reveal discrepancies attributed to factors such as temperature effects, dust accumulation, and conductor resistance. Mitigation strategies are proposed, including energy storage expansion, smart grid implementation, advanced control techniques, FACTS device deployment and grid monitoring improvements. Despite limitations in data availability and simulation accuracy, the study underscores the system's reliability and provides insights for enhancing renewable energy integration in the region. Generally, the study contributes to advancing renewable energy integration efforts, with implications for sustainable development and climate action in Ghana and West Africa at large.

A comparative analysis of Chinese green building policies from the central and local perspectives using LDA and SNA

ABSTRACT China’s construction, energy consumption, and emissions are the world’s largest, making green building (GB) crucial for sustainable development and climate action. GB policies play a crucial role in promoting sustainable development and mitigating environmental impacts. This paper presents a comprehensive analysis of China’s GB policies at both central and local levels using natural language processing (NLP), Latent Dirichlet Allocation (LDA), and semantic network analysis (SNA). It also integrates three theoretical frameworks: Policy Implementation Theory, Sustainable Development Theory, and Innovation Diffusion Theory. The study aims to: (1) compare the characteristics of central and local GB policies; (2) identify problems and propose solutions to improve policy effects and impacts. The results show that both levels of policies cover various sustainability aspects but with different focuses. The SNA reveals the semantic relationships and differences within the policy documents. The study suggests several strategies to enhance GB policy effectiveness and sustainability, based on the three theoretical frameworks. These strategies include providing more specific guidance, enhancing financial support and incentives, promoting technological advancements, strengthening monitoring and evaluation, adopting a more systematic approach, democratizing policy formulation, identifying key stakeholders and influencers, and considering innovation characteristics. This study contributes to the GB policy research and practice in China. It is also the first study to use NLP, LDA, and SNA to comprehensively analyze China’s GB policies, and the first study to apply the three theoretical frameworks to GB policy analysis.

The Impact of LEADER Funding in Romania

Established in 1991 as a European initiative to enhance innovation in rural areas, the LEADER programme became an important tool for the spread of sustainable local development actions in almost all regions of the EU. In Romania, although the programme has generated the implementation of many successful local projects since 2007, quantitative evaluations of its socio-economic impact are extremely limited. The aim of this paper is to evaluate whether LEADER funding has had any effect on the eligible territory of Romania, using multiple linear regression analysis with the evolution of demographic and socio-economic indicators for the 2017–2023 period. The results show that, over a certain amount of euros/capita absorbed from LEADER at the administrative level (UAT), the positive dynamics of the statistical indicators is confirmed. This analysis represents quantitative proof of the LEADER programme’s added value, maintaining or increasing its European role in the future as a sustainable policy directed towards communities.

Sustainable education on improving the quality of peer assessment: design and implementation of an online deep learning-based peer assessment system

PurposeAs global issues such as climate change, economic growth, social equality and the wealth gap are widely discussed, education for sustainable development (ESD) allows every human being to acquire the knowledge, skills, attitudes and values necessary to shape a sustainable future. It also requires participatory teaching and learning methods that motivate and empower learners to change their behavior and take action for sustainable development. Teachers have begun rating pupils based on peer assessment for open evaluation. Peer assessment enables students to transition from passive to active feedback recipients. The assessors improve critical thinking and encourage introspection, resulting in more significant recommendations. However, the quality of peer assessment is variable, resulting in reviewers not recognizing the remarks of other reviewers, therefore the benefits of peer assessment cannot be fulfilled. In the past, researchers frequently employed post-event questionnaires to examine the effects of peer assessment on learning effectiveness, which did not accurately reflect the quality of peer assessment in real time.Design/methodology/approachThis study employs a multi-label model and develops a self-feedback system in order to use the AIOLPA system in the classroom to enhance students' learning efficacy and the validity of peer assessment.FindingsThe research findings indicate that the better peer assessment through the rapid feedback system, for the evaluator, encourages more self-reflection and attempts to provide more ideas, so bringing the peer rating closer to the instructor rating and assisting the evaluator. Improve self-evaluation and critical thinking for the evaluator, peers make suggestions and comments to help improve the work and support the growth of students' learning effectiveness, which can lead to more suggestions and an increase in the work’s quality.Originality/value ESD consequently promotes competencies like critical thinking, imagining future scenarios and making decisions in a collaborative way. This study builds an online peer assessment system with a self-feedback mechanism capable of classifying peer comments, comparing them with scores in a consistent manner and providing prompt feedback to critics.

Comprehensive Analysis of Land Use and Land Cover Shifts from A Redd Perspective: A Case Study of Banepa Municipality, Nepal

This paper examines the dynamic changes in land use and cover in Banepa Municipality over three decades, from 1991 to 2021, using the remote sensing method within the REDD perspective. It uncovers an 11% surge in built-up areas and a 5% decline in forest cover, with minimal agricultural fluctuations (1%) and a substantial 7% decrease in barren land. Urgent concerns about ecological balance prompt a call for immediate REDD implementation.
 To address these issues, the study advocates for employing monitoring methods, including remote sensing, to evaluate forest and land resources. This data can inform comprehensive studies on the drivers of deforestation and forest degradation, alongside feasibility and sectorial analyses, including cost-benefit assessments for effective land-use planning. The conclusion stresses the imperative need for planned urban development in Banepa to preserve open spaces, forests, and agriculture. This study provides vital insights into the intricate relationship between land-use changes and climate impact, emphasizing the urgency of sustainable development actions.

Integrated cost accounting for quality and environmental protection in the context of sustainable development

ObjectivesPresentation of a modern approach to managing quality costs and environmental protection costs in the context of sustainable development requirements and actions taken in this area in the Polish economy.Material and methodsThe method of critical analysis of scientific literature in the field of quality cost management, environmental protection costs, and accounting was used. Induction and deduction methods were used. In the empirical part, research was conducted - interviews on the comprehensibility and usefulness of the integrated cost accounting for quality and environmental protection.ResultsThe article indicates that because traditional cost measurement accounts are characterized by low accuracy and low cost of measuring quality costs and environmental costs, it is reasonable to implement and use an integrated quality and environmental protection account, especially in the era of sustainable development requirements.ConclusionsThe added value of the article is an example of an integrated model of quality costing and environmental protection costs developed by the authors to be used in enterprises and the resulting conclusions from the conducted research, which can be a recommendation for practice.

Elaborating ESG Of TESLA Based on Information

Sustainable development is now a hot topic in the world. In view of the serious problems in environment, society, financial market and other aspects, international organization, countries and even enterprises around the world have put forward ESG and other sustainable development action plans, so that human beings can develop sustainably. Therefore, the research theme of this paper is Tesla's ESG performance in 2022 The research method of this paper is as follows: Firstly, massive data about Tesla's ESG in 2022 and ESG of other three companies are collected, and then the ESG of Tesla company is analyzed and the ESG form of Tesla company is compared with that of other three typical companies. This paper draws a conclusion on the defects and advantages of Tesla's 2022 ESG and their differences between other companies ESG, which provides valuable reference materials for future scholars studying Tesla ESG and the whole situation of world range companies ESG.

Thin film Si solar cell and solid oxide fuel cell technologies for a low cost, environmentally friendly and sustainable source of energy

Thin-film solar cell technology based on hydrogenated amorphous silicon has matured over the last two decades and is capable to deliver commercial modules with almost 10 % stabilized efficiency. Moreover attention on hydrogen fuel cells is increasing as the range of potential commercial applications expands, with more than 3800 fuel cell systems being installed and operated worldwide. These systems attain high theoretical efficiencies in the range of 43.7-70.4 %, with an additional 20% as heat recovery, and operating at carbon-free conditions between 50 °C and 900 °C. In this paper the status of thin-film silicon solar cell technology is reviewed by comparing it to other major solar cell technologies. A discussion is also made upon the benefits obtained from the few potential applications, as long-term potential actions for sustainable development, and the future of Solid Oxide Fuel Cells (SOFCs). Applications of thin-film silicon modules and SOFCs are presented. EPIA (European Photovoltaic Industry Association) estimates that half of the growth in the next two years will come from thin-film technology.

ТЕХНОЛОГИИ ЭФФЕКТИВНОГО УПРАВЛЕНИЯ БИЗНЕС-РИСКАМИ С ПРИОРИТЕТОМ НА СТРАТЕГИЮ УСТОЙЧИВОГО РАЗВИТИЯ

The article discusses the industry aspects of modifying the balanced scorecard technology as one of the flexible, easily customizable and effective tools for controlling business risks with a priority on the strategy for the sustainable development of the industry using the example of the electronics industry. The possibilities of decomposing the strategic goals of the organization in the form of additional components for the implementation of sustainable development goals, responsible departments and action plans that ensure the achievement of key indicators of the strategy are presented.

Bursting into the Public Eye: Analyzing the Development of Renewable Energy Research Interests

Renewable energies (RE) are rapidly reforming the power sector because they have become more economically competitive, thereby enabling nations to overcome high dependence on energy imports (i.e. reducing energy security concerns), as well as reducing their negative environmental footprints. Therefore, both the public and private sectors need to uncover the future technological trajectory of renewable energy. As part of an entity-linking approach, this paper examines REs developments from 2000 to 2021 and explores high-potential topics by analyzing hot topics during the period to identify evolutionary trends of relevant research interests (using published research papers). The results are analyzed and classified to determine how and when RE development issues “burst” into the public eye. The article tells the story of RE development from the past, the present, and the likely future hot topics for research. We analyze the results and cluster them into five categories: (1) energy sources, (2) sustainable development, (3) technological developments, (4) supply chains, and (5) energy management systems.se Findings reveal signals about the potential future energy market shifts and how REs evolve and contribute to the market. Signals are converted to policies and future market interpretations using an expert-based process. Analysis and methodology outcomes reveal that digital technologies have become an important factor in market changes. The findings of the study highlight how sustainable development actions and digital technologies will likely transform RE supply and management.

Bleak prospects and targeted actions for achieving the Sustainable Development Goals

At the mid-point to 2030, progress towards achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) varies significantly across countries. While the classification of countries can lay the foundation for improving policy efficiency and promoting joint action, bottom-up, SDG data-driven country classifications have largely remained unexplored. Here, we classified 166 countries based on their performances in the 17 SDGs and further used the classification to analyze SDG interactions and compare development aid distributions. The countries were classified into five groups, ranging from “lowest development with good environment” to “high development needing climate action”. None of them scored highly in all SDGs, and due to trade-offs related to environment and climate SDGs, none of them can achieve all SDGs eventually. To maximize the potential for achieving the SDGs, all countries need to undergo a sustainable transformation, and prioritizing certain SDGs, such as SDG 9 (industry, innovation and infrastructure), can help countries with lower sustainable development levels achieve more with less. Furthermore, global development aid should be better aligned with country needs, particularly in areas of education, energy, environment, and water supply and sanitation. By better characterizing different countries, this study reveals the bleak prospects of achieving all SDGs and provides valuable insights into more targeted actions for national sustainable development and global collaboration.

Identifying the Main Factors Influencing Significant Global Vegetation Changes

Understanding the dynamics of vegetation change is crucial for comprehending ecosystem functioning and its response to anthropogenic activities and climate change. This study investigates significant vegetation changes worldwide and aims to identify the dominant factors responsible for these changes. By analyzing long-term data on vegetation dynamics and climatic factors, this research identifies regions with significant global vegetation changes and determines the main factors leading to such changes at the grid scale. The results reveal important insights into the drivers of vegetation change. Firstly, the study finds that the area experiencing significant browning from April to July is larger than the area exhibiting significant greening. Secondly, on an annual scale, anthropogenic activity emerges as the main factor driving significant vegetation greening, while climate change becomes the primary factor causing vegetation browning from July to September. Thirdly, in regions dominated by climate change, temperature is identified as the primary climatic factor contributing to significant vegetation greening. Additionally, the study reveals that the primary climatic factors causing significant vegetation browning are temperature followed by soil moisture, with temperature being the main factor in most months. These findings contribute to a deeper understanding of the mechanisms driving global vegetation changes and have implications for sustainable development and climate action.

Understanding the social dimensions of resilience: The role of the Social Sciences in Disaster Risk Reduction, Climate Action, and Sustainable Development

AbstractThis special issue contributes to building an integrated social science perspective on resilience and resilience‐building. The articles in this issue provide theoretical reflections and empirical insights on two dimensions that characterize resilience in society. The first (local community dimension) comprises the set of community resources, services, adaptive, transformative and coping capacities, processes, actions and behaviors that enable communities to learn from crises, disasters and past failures and transform toward sustainability in localities (community resilience). The second (governance dimension) comprises the set of adaptive and transformative governance strategies and assessment frameworks that enable social learning and sustainability transformation to be strengthened in localities and scaled up across multiple governance levels (social resilience). This special issue provides a theoretical common‐ground and practical pathways to define resilience and to support recovery and development planning to enhance resilience in society in order to achieve effective disaster risk reduction and climate action for sustainable development.

Synthesizing the role of technological innovation on sustainable development and climate action: Does governance play a role in sub-Saharan Africa?

The present study draws motivation from United Nation Sustainable Development Goals (UN-SDGs) and its impact by 2030. To this end, the current study explored the nexus between energy consumption (SDG-7), climate action (SDG-13), and economic growth (SDG-8) while controlling for role of government apparatus such as like voice of accountability, rule of law, control of corruption and technology innovation in a balanced panel of 46 Sub-Saharan African (SSA) economies from 1996 to 2020. For a robust study, the present study leverages on second-generation estimator such as cross-sectional SUR, two-stage least square (2SLS), 2SLS is referred to as the superior estimators to traditional pool OLS due to its capabilities of including endogenous regressors and efficiency. Empirical findings show that all the coefficients associated with mobile subscription (lnTI) are negative and statistically significant at 1% level of significance (P-value <0.01). This indicates that higher (lower) mobile cellular subscriptions results in the reduction (rise) of renewable energy consumption, implying that technological innovation in terms of the expansion of mobile cellular subscription hinders access to clean energy in SSA. Conclusively, the present study presents interesting outcomes concerning technology innovation, Governance, and SDGs goal 7 (clean energy) and 13 (climate action) in Sub-Saharan African blocs. Policy strategies are outlined in the concluding section.

Sosyal Bilgiler Öğretmen Adaylarının Küresel Yetkinlik Düzeylerinin Belirlenmesi

Many positive or negative changes occurring in the global era force countries to take the necessary steps to sustain social life and create healthier and more harmonious societies. In this context, especially under the leadership of the United Nations, Sustainable Development Goals were adopted with the participation of 193 countries in 2015. One of the competences related to the individual accepted within the scope of these goals is global competences that reveal the need to be a global citizen. Global competence is defined as the ability to examine local and global problems, to understand, respect and appreciate different perspectives, to communicate and interact openly and effectively with individuals from different places and cultures, and to take action for sustainable development as a common vision. The purpose of this study is to determine the global competence levels of pre-service social studies teachers in terms of variables such as gender, grade level, level of interest in global issues, frequency of following global issues and level of knowledge about global issues. Descriptive survey model, one of the quantitative research methods, was used in the study. The population of the study consisted of a total of 216 pre-service social studies teachers studying at Anadolu University Faculty of Education, Social Studies Teacher Education Undergraduate Programme in the autumn term of the 2022-2023 academic year, including 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th grades. The Global Competence Scale developed by Brantley-Todd (2017) and adapted into Turkish by Karaca-Akarsu and Özdemir (2021) was used as a data collection tool in the study. SPSS 24 programme was used for the analysis of the scale items. As a result of the research, according to the descriptive analyses of demographic variables, it was found that the level of interest of pre-service social studies teachers in global issues, their level of knowledge about global issues and their frequency of following global issues were at medium and high levels; however, the global competence levels of pre-service social studies teachers did not differ significantly in terms of variables such as gender, grade level, level of interest, frequency of following and level of knowledge.

Past and future land-use/land-cover change trends and its potential drivers in Koore’s agricultural landscape, Southern Ethiopia

Wise-use of land resources determines sustainability of environment and human welfare. But, the ongoing land-use change constrains environmental sustainability. Thus, this study aims to quantify past and future land-use change trend with its associated drivers in Koore’s agricultural landscape of Southern Ethiopia. To quantify the change trends, geospatial tools were applied. A CA–Markov model was used to predict land-use changes. Relative Importance Index was used to identify major drivers of the change. The result of the study showed agroforestry, built-up and cultivation rise by 192%, 152% and 18% at the expense of natural environment. Population growth and agricultural expansion are among the leading land-use change drivers. CA–Markov model revealed a continued increment of anthropogenically modified land-use classes which adversely affect the sustainability of the landscape. Information on spatiotemporal dynamics has been confirmed as effectual measure for nature conservation, agriculture, urban planners, and policymakers to plan sustainable development actions.