Dimensions Of Sustainable Development Research Articles

Digital Transformation in the Agri-food Sector: A Comparative Analysis of Industry 4.0 Innovations by Italian Sustainability Leaders

The agri-food sector is a key actor in the Italian economy and plays a crucial role in rescuing and accelerating progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). However, diverse sustainability challenges including environmental conservation, economic volatility, political changes and regulatory constraints affect the agri-food company’s competitiveness and their ability to face global sustainability challenges. Exploiting digital innovation is then essential. By facilitating more efficient management of resources, reducing waste and improving supply chain transparency, digital innovations contribute to more sustainable, inclusive and resilient agri-food systems. This paper aims to understand the ongoing digital transformation of the Italian agri-food sector through a comparative analysis of innovative practices by Italian agri-food companies that are recognized as sustainability leaders. Among the Industry 4.0 (I4.0) technologies, sensors, blockchain, cyber security, and artificial intelligence appear to be the most adopted I4.0 solutions to help companies influence the social, economic and environmental dimensions of sustainable development.

Sustainable Development in Organization: A Literature Review

The current study aimed to review previous scholarly efforts to understand the concept of sustainable development, its practices, and its significance for public institutions. The study focuses on the dimensions of sustainable development—environmental, social, and economic—within public institutions. Sustainable development allows these institutions to balance environmental protection, economic growth, and social justice, ensuring the prosperity of both current and future generations. Furthermore, sustainable development is crucial for maintaining organizational performance. The review bridges knowledge gaps related to sustainable development and utilizes an analytical approach, surveying previous studies on the topic. The selected studies highlight the importance of sustainable development as it recognizes the interconnectedness between economic growth, social well-being, and environmental protection.

Observing sustainability through the mindfulness lens: a conceptual framework based on a bibliometric review analysis

AbstractTo shift human behaviour towards sustainability, a complete comprehension of the approaches that lead to it is required. This study aims to review potential connections between the mindfulness state and trait and changes in human behaviour toward sustainability. Using bibliometric analysis as an innovative approach in this field, combined with an expert-driven literature review, the research builds on previous works regarding sustainability and mindfulness and fosters the research field by exploring six thematic clusters, each containing a set of specific mediators that could bridge this connection. To illustrate the relationship between mindfulness and sustainable development, a framework was developed, illustrating how mindfulness-based skills could positively influence these mediators and which dimensions of sustainable development could be further impacted by it. Moreover, a mindfulness program focused on sustainability and planetary health may be an innovative way to develop competencies related to the variables identified as mediators.

Participation of rural women in some dimensions of sustainable development in a village in Dakahlia Governorate

Participation of rural women in some dimensions of sustainable development in a village in Dakahlia Governorate

Unleashing the Power of Civil Society: Examining the Impact of the Saudi Green Building Forum in Advancing Eco-friendly Construction in Saudi Arabia

This paper delves into the role of civil society in propelling green building practices, one key to a sustainable future. It focuses on the Saudi Green Building Forum (SGBF) “in Consultative Status with the United Nations Economic and Social Council, since 2017” as a case study that illuminates how civil society organizations contribute to environmental stewardship, social equity, and economic prosperity in the construction sector. The concept of green building is traced from its origins through its global development, explicitly emphasizing notable examples from Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries and Saudi Arabia. The paper reassures the audience by outlining the unique and robust alignment of SGBF’s initiatives and its support for the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), underscoring its commitment to global sustainability. The study presents a descriptive analysis based on desktop research, illustrating the transformative impact of civil society in promoting sustainable construction practices through the SGBF. Key aspects covered include the historical evolution of the green building movement, successful implementations of green building standards, and the activation of civil society institutions and organizations in driving sustainability. The paper showcases SGBF’s strategies and projects as exemplary models of civil society’s contribution to greening the built environment and fostering a sustainable future in Saudi Arabia and beyond. The objective is to inspire by highlighting civil society’s far-reaching impact on the construction sector’s environmental, social, and economic dimensions of sustainable development.

How Financial Development Is Driving the Growth and Environmental Dimensions of Sustainable Development in Africa: Heterogeneous Analyses

Globally, we face a policy dilemma between desiring more economic growth and safeguarding the deteriorating ecosystem, which have an apparent trade-off. Consequently, financing growth often comes with strong concerns for the ecological implications, which is yet to be empirically resolved. Hence, the current study examined the growth and environmental effects of financial development from three angles, each with a robust indicator, comprising financial development index, financial institution index, and financial market index. The scope of this study was financial development in 30 selected African countries from 1996 to 2021. This study extends the frontier of knowledge by estimating the moderating roles of regulatory quality and digitalization coupled with other control variables: renewable and nonrenewable energy, government expenditure, trade openness, and foreign direct investment. The empirical evidence relies on estimators such as common correlated effects (mean group), the system-generalized method of moment, and method of moment quantile regression. The findings from this study reveal that financial development propels economic growth but to the detriment of the ecosystem. However, when the interactive effects of regulatory quality and digitalization are considered, the negative externalities of growth-induced financial development are reduced. Furthermore, control variables such as renewable energy and foreign direct investment promote growth without escalating ecological damage. This is in contrast to nonrenewable energy, government expenditure, and trade openness, which propel economic growth at the expense of the ecological system. Policy recommendations that balance the trade-off between the two measures are put forward based on the research outcomes.

Contribution of Green Supply Chain Management Practices towards a Sustainable Development—Applied Study in the Food Industry in Lebanon

This paper explores the effect of Green Supply Chain Management (GSCM) practices on the dimensions of Sustainable Development (SD) in the context of the Lebanese food industry. It aimed to examine to what extent GSCM practices and SD schemes are perceived in the food industry. As there is a growing concern and raising awareness of traceability among consumers in the food supply, researches can have a contribution to develop sustainability in food industry. As such, six GSCM practices, namely Eco-design (ED), Internal Environmental Management (IEM), Investment Recovery (IR), Green Purchasing (GP), Environmental Cooperation (EC) and Reverse Logistics (RL) were employed. These six GSCM variables were used to analyze structural relationships with the three dimensions of the SD, that is to say economic, environmental and social performances. The proposed model was tested using a questionnaire based survey via two modes of face to face and emails using a plant survey, senior managers of 88 food companies in Lebanon. The data were analyzed in SPSS and AMOS statistical programs. An Exploratory (Unrestricted) Factor Analysis (EFA), Confirmatory (Restricted) Factor Analysis (CFA) and multiple regressions were applied. The Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) revealed that the GSCM practices IR, GP, ED and IEM had significant relationships with one or more of the SD dimensions.On the basis of the findings, implications that may ameliorate the effect of GSCM practices on the SD dimensions can be taken into consideration. For instance, the enhance of the environmental cooperation with the suppliers and customers, improving the image of the company in the mind of their customers, reinforcing the commitment of GSCM from managers, utilization of cleaner technology, activation of internal performance evaluation system, enhancing the labor conditions and performing special training for workers on environmental issues.

THEORETICAL ASPECTS OF GREEN FINANCING FOR PROVIDING SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT

This article explores the theoretical foundations of green finance as a crucial tool for achieving sustainable development goals. Green finance supports environmentally friendly initiatives and projects that align with sustainability principles, particularly by providing funding for low-carbon projects and environmentally sound technologies. The article delves into the conceptual frameworks that underpin green finance and examines its connections with the economic, social, and environmental dimensions of sustainable development. It emphasizes the role that green finance plays in balancing economic growth with environmental stewardship and social well-being, thus contributing to a more sustainable global economy. The key instruments of green finance, including green bonds, sustainability-focused investment funds, and responsible financing mechanisms, are thoroughly analyzed to understand their significance in promoting sustainable economic growth. These tools not only facilitate the funding of eco-friendly projects but also help shift financial markets toward more responsible practices. In this context, the article emphasizes the pivotal role played by international financial institutions, governments, and the private sector in driving green investments and fostering an economy that is conscious of its environmental impact. Particular attention is given to policy frameworks and regulatory measures that can create favorable conditions for the expansion of green finance, such as tax incentives, subsidies, and environmental regulations that encourage sustainable investment. Moreover, the article addresses the challenges impeding the development of green finance. These challenges include scalability issues, market regulation difficulties, and the need for increased international cooperation. Overcoming these obstacles is essential to unlock the full potential of green finance and ensure that it can contribute effectively to global efforts in combating climate change. The article also explores the future prospects of green finance within the broader context of transitioning toward more sustainable economic models and identifies opportunities for innovation and growth in this sector. Finally, the article highlights international strategies and showcases successful examples of green projects from different countries around the world. These case studies provide insight into the positive impacts of green finance on economic stability and the reduction of carbon emissions, offering a clearer understanding of how green finance can play a central role in fostering long-term sustainability on a global scale.

Rewriting the Future

This food-for-thought paper challenges traditional paradigms and proposes a metamodern framework for redefining the optics on the role of education in society, advocating for a new social contract rooted in shared values, inclusivity, and interdisciplinary collaboration. How can we democratize higher education and empower individuals to navigate the uncertainties of the 21st century? Is moving beyond fragmented knowledge and fostering skills-based education truly beneficial? Moving beyond postmodern fragmentation, metamodernism emphasizes cooperation and holistic development, presenting a blueprint for transforming society by bridging individual agency and collective progress. The Inner Development Goals (IDG) promotes skills-based and humanity-focused leadership that addresses the inner and outer dimensions of sustainable development. This transformative skills-based approach to leadership encourages educators and institutions to embrace complexity and ambiguity, preparing future leaders to leverage inherited chaos for meaningful change. This approach challenges traditional paradigms and calls for a dynamic interplay that aligns with the metamodern ethos.

The Drivers of Sustainable Development in South African Economy: The Role of Female Advancement

Contemporary societies have challenges in achieving sustainable development, while African economies remain quite distant from this ideal course for sustainable growth. Likewise, official statistics in South Africa show a wide gap between male and female involvement in economic activities. Given this, the study investigates the connection between three dimensions of sustainable development and female advancement in South Africa using auto-regressive disturbed lags (ARDL), Structural Vector autoregressive (SVAR) and Ganger non-causality approach. The three dimensions of sustainable development considered in this study are economic, environmental and social, proxies by adjusted net national savings, carbon emissions and adjusted net national income per capita, respectively. The female advancement indicators are proxies by employment, wages and salaries, and secondary school enrolment. The result from the ARDL shows that female advancement indicators promote short (SR) and long-run (LR) economic sustainability. Also, female wages and salaries have a positive relationship with carbon emissions in the SR but not significantly in the LR. At the same time, female employment and secondary school enrolment have a positive relationship with carbon emissions in the SR but are negative in the LR. The primary causes affecting long-term environmental sustainability are GDP per capita, financial development, population density, trade openness and urbanisation. Also, female advancement indicators promote social sustainability, especially employment, wages and salaries. More so, the SVAR results show that the forecasting error shock of GDP has minimal effect on carbon emission with notable variation in the population density. The causality result shows a unidirectional relationship between economic sustainability and female secondary school enrolment, environmental sustainability and female secondary school enrolment, and social sustainability and female secondary school enrolment, all flowing to female secondary school enrolment. Based on the findings, the study recommended improving female educational standards and increasing involvement in economic participation.

THE EFFECTS OF ECOTOURISM ON SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT IN IRAQ

Tourism is one of the most essential elements of the modern service sector and contributes significantly to countries' economies, including Iraq. It also plays a vital role in increasing national income and improving the balance of payments in foreign exchange. It aims to provide job opportunities for the workforce and implement development programs. The research problem is identifying Ecotourism's effects on sustainable development in Iraq. The main objectives of the research are: What is the meaning and concept of Ecotourism and sustainable development, and what are the requirements for its application? What is the importance of Ecotourism as the most critical type of modern tourism? How do ecotourism dimensions impact sustainable development in Iraq? The most crucial search results: 1- The dimensions of sustainable development were represented in the environmental dimensions, social and political dimensions, economic dimensions 2- The research results showed that ecotourism principles take into account nature - ecological sustainability - environmental culture - and tourism satisfaction. 3- The environmental impact of Ecotourism on development was represented in (Ecotourism efforts lead to the continued reduction of energy and natural resource consumption) - The state should be able to reduce the problem of pollution as long as it has the financial and technical, and human resources to ensure the use of cleaner technologies and fewer resources - An ethical and ethical approach to Ecotourism.

The Relationship between Sustainable Development and Organizational Performance of SMEs in Guangdong Province, China

This study investigates the impact of sustainable development on the organizational performance of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in Guangdong Province, China, focusing on three dimensions: economic, social, and environmental sustainability. A quantitative research approach was adopted, utilizing Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) with data collected from 371 SMEs in Guangdong Province. The analysis was conducted using SmartPLS 4.0 to test the proposed hypotheses. The results indicate that all three dimensions of sustainable development positively influence organizational performance. Economic sustainability enhances financial performance and competitiveness, social sustainability improves employee engagement and stakeholder relationships, and environmental sustainability reduces operational costs and enhances market reputation. The cross-sectional nature of the study limits the ability to infer causality. Future research should consider longitudinal studies and explore the impact of sustainable development across different regions and industries. SME managers should integrate sustainable practices into their business strategies to improve organizational performance. Policymakers are encouraged to create supportive environments and incentives for SMEs to adopt sustainability practices. This study contributes to the literature by providing empirical evidence on the positive impact of sustainable development on SME performance in the context of a rapidly developing region. It also extends the application of Dynamic Capability Theory to sustainability practices within SMEs.

Driving human development through ecological impact for emerging economies: the role of trade openness.

The present study attempts to examine the link between trade openness and sustainable human development (SHD) in 19 emerging economies. The study used the data for the period from 1996 to 2019. The study employed fixed-effect regression with Driscoll-Kraay standard error techniques robust to cross-section dependence. The study found the favorable impact of trade openness on sustainable development through sustainable human development. Trade openness affects sustainable human growth in many ways. It is a critical component that should not be ignored in sustainable development policies. Moreover, foreign direct investment, economic growth, and renewable energy consumption positively impact the sustainable human development. In contrast, innovations and institutional quality have an adverse impact on SHD. The study also provides policy suggestions for the emerging economies that will promote all the dimensions of sustainable development: economic, social, and environmental.

The role of green finance to achieve sustainability through green supply chain management and innovative technologies

AbstractThis study investigates the impact of green finance (GF) on sustainable development and green supply chains, particularly in the context of the COVID‐19 pandemic. It explores how GF influences firms' economic, environmental, and social sustainability, with a focus on the moderating effects of modern technologies like big data analytics (BDA) and blockchain. The research is based on data collected from 562 managers in Egypt's industrial and manufacturing sectors through a survey conducted between November 18th, 2023, and January 12th, 2024. The survey, which used a five‐point Likert scale, was distributed via both traditional and electronic methods, and its reliability was ensured through a pilot phase involving seven academics and five SC practitioners. The data was analyzed using partial least squares structural equation modeling, chosen for its effectiveness with non‐normal data distributions. The Bootstrapping method with 5000 iterations was employed to validate the model. The findings reveal that GF significantly enhances green supply chain management (GSCM), particularly when moderated by BDA, though blockchain technology does not have a significant moderating effect. Additionally, GSCM is found to positively influence the environmental and social dimensions of sustainable development, mediating the relationship between GF and these sustainability outcomes. This study provides valuable insights for practitioners and policymakers, emphasizing the critical role of GF and BDA in fostering sustainable development, especially within the Egyptian industrial and manufacturing sectors.

The Impact of the Islamic Financial Wills System on Achieving Sustainable Social Development

Wills within the legislative+ system for donation contracts are considered highly beneficial and have a great impact on both testators and legatees. They hold financial and value dimensions aimed at linking today’s generation with future generations, perpetuating humanitarian work, and extending it beyond death. Consequently, wills, along with other charitable resources such as endowments, constitute significant channels that can contribute to achieving sustainable development in societies. This study aims to illustrate the impact of the relationship between wills and sustainable development. It highlights the importance of wills for societal advancement, noting that they are no less important than endowment systems. This study concludes that the legislation of wills is among systems that encompass intergenerational ties; strengthen social cohesion; elevate societies by maintaining ties of kinship; improve the conditions of financially and socially disadvantaged people; provide education and healthcare for the underprivileged; and foster intergenerational bonds in the forms of compassion, empathy, and integration. Moreover, wills grant individuals participation in shaping a better future for forthcoming generations, in addition to alleviating the suffering caused by poverty and striving for self-sufficiency, social care, and education, thereby embodying the economic and social dimensions of sustainable development.

Study on the cost composition and control of coal power in China under the perspective of policy evolution

The direction of China's power supply side to cleaner transformation has become a foregone conclusion, the future will mainly rely on new energy and renewable energy, coal-powered units will gradually from the main power supply to the regulating power supply, standby power change. However, due to China's special policy background and the annual rise in coal costs, China's coal power prices have long been subject to high-cost squeeze, cost-price linkage failure one after another, the survival and development of coal power has brought great risks and challenges. Research shows that the policy changes experienced by China's coal power is the primary reason for its cost system composition and price formation. Therefore, this paper takes the evolution of China's coal power reform policy as the entry point for research, reanalyze the cost composition system of coal-fired power and summarize its impact on the cost of coal-fired power, and puts forward suggestions on cost control in the dimension of sustainable development of coal power, which provides an effective reference to the planning and deployment of solving the predicament of transitioning coal power and narrowing down the profit loss.

Development Pathways and the Political Economy of Maladaptation: The Case of Bioenergy as a Climate Strategy in Brazil

AbstractAlthough it is well known that large-scale bioenergy expansion erodes different environmental, social, and economic dimensions of sustainable development, in countries like Brazil, bioenergy is institutionalized as a flagship climate strategy aimed to cut down CO2 emissions in transport. These trade-offs have serious implications for climate change governance and sustainable development; however, conventional approaches have not yet properly explained this seeming paradox. This article addresses this gap from a critical development pathways approach to bioenergy as a maladaptive strategy in Brazil. I propose an analytical framework to observe how different ideas, interests, and institutions interplay in the historical institutionalization of bioenergy as a climate strategy. The analysis shows that bioenergy institutionalization has been driven by the endemic economic crisis in the sugar sector and governmental interests associated with security and developmental imperatives. The unsustainable co-evolution of development pathways and bioenergy, marked by deforestation, land colonization, and agricultural expansion, has narrowed the adaptation space in agriculture, gearing current climate policy towards path-dependent maladaptive strategies like bioenergy. Paradoxically, framing bioenergy as a climate strategy has been useful to justify more expansive policies in favor of the sugarcane industry, and to greenwash the Brazilian climate policy in the international arena of climate governance.

Press Discourse on the SDGs and the 2030 Agenda in Spain: Analysis of the Digital Newspapers with the Highest Readership (2015-2022)

In September 2015, all UN member states enacted the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) as part of the 2030Agenda. It is a universal call to action to end poverty, protect the planet and improve the lives and prospects of peoplearound the world. This paper aims to determine the most relevant characteristics of the discourse around this plan,which has been offered by the seven digital newspapers with the highest readership in Spain during the eight yearsfollowing the enactment of the initiative. On the one hand, a statistical analysis has been carried out of the number ofpieces of information disseminated, as well as of the entities, industries, regions, themes and people or public agentsmost mentioned. On the other hand, a computerised linguistic corpus analysis was carried out, showing the main wordassociations made by each newspaper masthead and the length of the respective journalistic pieces. The main resultsreveal a generalised increase in the number of news items, especially from 2020 onwards. Furthermore, there is a clearprominence of the social dimension of sustainability and sustainable development, in contrast to the scarce relevanceof the ecological and environmental aspect in most of the digital newspapers. It is concluded that the Spanish pressdiscourse on the SDGs and the 2030 Agenda is heterogeneous and, furthermore, that there is currently no example thatfully complies with the values of sustainable journalism. Also, that the coverage of this roadmap does not have longformat journalistic pieces that allow the desirable depth for an adequate explanation of the plan.

The Impact of Local Community Attitudes Towards Sustainable Tourism Development on Tourism Development Support

This study aims to examine the impact of local residents' attitudes toward sustainable tourism on supporting tourism development. Conducted in Mersin, a significant destination for Turkish tourism, the study collected survey data from 415 local residents. Various dimensions of sustainable tourism development were considered through a structural model constructed using structural equation modeling. The analysis results indicate that perceived social costs negatively influence tourism development. Additionally, factors positively affecting local residents' support for tourism development include perceived economic benefits, environmental sustainability, maximizing community participation, long-term planning, a community-centered economy , and visitor satisfaction. These findings underscore the importance of local residents' attitudes for the sustainable development of tourism destinations.

Circular Economy within the Organization: Challenges and Opportunities

Over the last decade, the circular economy has emerged as a promising alternative model aimed at reducing CO2 emissions, waste, and resource depletion through a series of practices focused on resource and energy efficiency (Almeida-Guzmán & Díaz-Guevara, 2020). This model optimizes linear production and consumption systems to establish processes in which material flows are used cyclically along with renewable energy sources, thereby creating new business models. Moreover, circular models limit material flows to sustainable levels, respecting ecosystem cycles and natural reproduction rates, while integrating environmentally responsible economic processes (Korhonen et al., 2018). Consequently, the circular economy has a direct impact on the three dimensions of sustainable development: economic, social, and environmental.