Dimensions Of Sustainability Research Articles

Examining purchasing strategies in public food procurement: Integrating sustainability, nutrition, and health in Spanish school meals and social care centres

Sustainable Public Food Procurement (SPFP) is pivotal in advancing sustainable and healthier food systems. However, practical gaps persist in understanding how policies function at the local implementation. This study addresses these gaps by analysing 22 SPFP contracts for school meals and social care centres in Spain, focusing on implementation while contextualizing findings within the broader policy cycle. This research categorizes SPFP criteria in tenders and evaluate their potential for actionability across sustainability, nutrition, & health dimensions. It also explores how these criteria are combined into purchasing strategies to achieve simultaneous or individual goals. Key findings reveal a strong use of product quality criteria, particularly organic foods, supported by policy and ease of implementation. However, non-ambitious targets, market constraints and procurement officers’ limited knowledge hinder progress. The study highlights significant adoption of nutritional & health criteria, though non-mandatory policies and varying regional targets impede consistent implementation and reveal gaps in promoting healthy and sustainable dietary practices. Environmental criteria are widely used signalling policy priorities within the EU policy framework. In contrast, proximity and social criteria are underutilized due to regulatory constraints and insufficient guidance. Despite these challenges, innovative local procurement strategies are utilized to overcome barriers. At the strategy level, the study reveals diverse approaches to SPFP implementation, highlighting adaptability but underscoring the need for flexible frameworks that accommodate local variations while aligning with broader EU or national goals. This research advocates for a holistic approach to SPFP that addresses both the practical challenges of implementation and the systemic issues present in the earlier stages of policy development.

Differences in perspectives on sustainability attributes of dietary protein sources between reduced animal-based dieters and nondieters

The United Nations Sustainable Development Goals envision a sustainable future that includes a shift in food consumption, aiming to reduce anthropogenic environmental impacts. Protein sources are crucial in sustainable diets because of their high environmental influence. Although consumers play a pivotal role in driving the shift towards more sustainable food consumption patterns, research on the perceptions of specific dietary groups regarding protein sources is limited. In this study, the perceived sustainability attributes of eight common protein sources between reduced animal-based dieters (RABs) and nondieters (NDs) were evaluated. Using a cross-sectional survey, we measured demographic data, food consumption frequency, perceived healthiness, and environmental friendliness. We performed conjoint analysis on the importance of the protein sources’ sustainability attributes (nutritional score, ecological score, price, product category). In total, 294 RABs and 247 NDs participated. The majority of the sample consisted of highly educated, childless women aged 18–39 years with high incomes, residing in cities, and responsible for food in their households. The presence of a nutritional score had a positive effect on both consumer groups’ perceptions of product sustainability, whereas the presence of an ecological score negatively affected consumer preferences for more sustainable products. The perceptions of the sustainability of protein sources varied significantly between RABs and NDs. Overall, RABs underestimated the healthiness of animal-based products, whereas NDs underestimated the environmental impact of protein sources. Among the animal-based protein sources, eggs and fish were seen as the most sustainable, with significantly higher means for NDs (p < 0.001). Among the sustainability attributes, plant-based foods and nutritional scores had a significant positive effect on both groups’ choices. For RABs, all animal-based protein sources had a significant negative effect on food choice. These results support the assumption that nutritional scores can improve the nutritional quality of food choices, whereas ecological scores can reduce the environmental impact of food choices. These findings underscore the need for tailored communication strategies and interventions to promote sustainable food choices among diverse dietary groups.

A Decision Support Framework for Resilient and Sustainable Service Design

AbstractResilient and sustainable service design is essential for ensuring the longevity and effectiveness of service systems. However, existing literature often neglects key aspects such as articulating resilience attributes and integrating sustainability dimensions. This study proposes a decision support model for a “resilient-sustainable service design” that merges service design principles with resilient system attributes and organizational sustainability goals. The framework incorporates a multi-objective mathematical programming model and a multi-phased Quality Function Deployment (QFD) approach to derive Pareto optimal solutions using the Brute Force algorithm. Applied in the m-health service sector in Bangladesh, the study reveals significant challenges, including limited awareness of services and logistical inefficiencies. To address these issues, flexible strategies such as demand planning and service innovation are implemented. The findings have direct implications for the improvement of service delivery processes and underscore the importance of considering both resilience and sustainability. While focusing on Bangladesh’s m-health sector, the insights gained have broader relevance globally. The integration of resilience and sustainability principles into service design is crucial for addressing complex challenges across sectors and regions. Future research could involve longitudinal studies to capture evolving resilience strategies and explore resilient-sustainable service systems from a broader perspective. This entails examining various factors such as technological advancements and socio-economic dynamics shaping resilient and sustainable service ecosystems.

The Strategic Impact of Service Quality and Environmental Sustainability on Financial Performance: A Case Study of 5-Star Hotels in Athens

This study explores the impact of guest satisfaction on the financial performance of 5-star hotels, with a focus on both service quality and environmental sustainability. The purpose of the research is to understand how improvements in key satisfaction dimensions influence hotel profitability, as measured by EBITDA, ROA, and ROE. Satisfaction was measured across SERVQAUL dimensions and the dimension of environmental sustainability. The data were analyzed using the Multicriteria Satisfaction Analysis (MUSA) method and linear regression models to determine the effect of satisfaction on financial performance. Results indicate that responsiveness is the most important factor for guests, while environmental sustainability ranks high in importance but shows lower satisfaction scores. The findings suggest that investing in both service quality and sustainability can significantly enhance a hotel’s financial returns. The study concludes that hotel managers should prioritize improvements in environmental sustainability and responsiveness to optimize guest satisfaction and financial performance.

Financial performance of emerging market companies during the COVID-19 pandemic: moderating role of sustainability performance

Purpose This study aims to investigate whether sustainability performance (SP) served as a safeguard for firm profitability (FP) and enhanced corporate resilience in emerging markets during the COVID-19 pandemic. Design/methodology/approach Using a sample of 1,091 firms in 25 emerging markets from 2017 to 2021, this study analyses the moderating role of SP on the relationship between FP and COVID-19 by using hierarchical linear modelling at three levels: (a) time-level; (b) firm-level; (c) country-level. Findings The results indicate that during the years 2020–2021, emerging market firms with robust SP showed better FP in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. The findings also indicate that all dimensions of sustainability, i.e. environmental, social and governance (ESG), have significantly affected the FP in the post-COVID period. Hence, adhering to ESG principles aids in alleviating adverse financial repercussions during times of crises. Practical implications This study provides valuable insights for companies and policymakers for finding solutions that may assist them in improving SP globally and enduring crises resiliently. The findings are also relevant to institutional investors that consider SP as an investment criteria. Although the COVID-19 pandemic was temporary, the lessons learned could protect firms from future similar global crises. Originality/value This study enhances the understanding of the contingency relationship between sustainability and financial performance by offering up-to-date empirical insights within the context of emerging markets during the pandemic. It demonstrates how different institutional frameworks influenced the SP–FP association during the crisis. Thus, this paper expands the understanding of crisis management literature and bridges the research void concerning the impact of SP on FP in an emerging market context.

Analysis of Determinants of Envitonmrntal Awareness Among Beef Consumers

Objective: The objective of this study is to analyze the determinants of environmental awareness among beef consumers in Brazil, focusing on the acceptance of the Carbon Neutral Beef label. Theoretical Framework: The literature review covers the growing consumer concern for sustainability and animal welfare. The concept of Carbon Neutral Beef, developed by EMBRAPA, is discussed as a strategy to mitigate methane emissions in livestock production. Previous studies indicate that factors such as education, income, and environmental awareness influence consumers' willingness to pay more for sustainable beef. Method: The research employed a quantitative approach, applying a survey to beef consumers in Brazil. A total of 256 completed questionnaires were analyzed, and the data were processed using Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) and Structural Equation Modeling (SEM). The Tobit econometric model was employed to identify the determinants of consumers' environmental awareness. Results and Discussion: The results show that most consumers prefer beef with sustainability attributes, influenced by income, education, and concern for the environment. The Tobit model indicated that variables such as educational level and household income are significant determinants of environmental awareness. These consumers are willing to pay more for beef that respects the environment and animal welfare. Research Implications: The study provides insights for the beef industry on the importance of adopting sustainable production practices. Originality/Value: The study provides insights for the beef industry on the importance of adopting sustainable production practices.

Enabling and inhibiting factors of sustainability of Farmer's Producers Organisations in India

Farmer Producer Organisations (FPOs) are farmers' collectives or farmer-led business entities seeking to empower small and marginal farmers in India. Some farmer's collectives successfully achieve their goals and some often fail to meet the increasing demands in the agribusiness ecosystem. However, the academic literature glorifies the success studies of farmers' collectives. There are mentions of sustainability issues of farmers' collectives. However, not enough studies point to the factors that influence the organisational sustainability of farmers' collectives. Therefore, in this paper, the researchers aim to explore both the enabling and inhibiting factors of sustainability of farmer's collectives. A thematic synthesis process was applied to compile information from published literature. The study compiles enabling and inhibiting sustainability factors from 22 studies of FPOs. A qualitative approach using focused group discussion with farmers in FPO was completed to validate the findings from secondary data sources and collect empirical evidence directly from the farmers. The methodology guarantees inclusivity by collecting the voices of farmers through focused group discussion. Key enabling and inhibiting factors of sustainability of FPOs were categorized into economic, social, and environmental dimensions of organisational sustainability. In the economic dimension, improved agricultural income of farmers was reported as an enabling factor for sustainability, while some FPOs report capital shortage as a main hindrance for organisational sustainability in FPOs. The social dimension claims the collective bargaining power of members and effective capacity-building and collaboration opportunities as enabling factors. However, farmers highlight without good leadership strategies, and upskilling of farmers attaining sustainability is a mirage. Effective organisational activities like branding, marketing of products, access and awareness about capacity building were derived as the enabling factors in the environmental dimension of organisational sustainability, whereas, poor infrastructure lack of robust organisational structure, and climate change were termed as inhibiting factors. Understanding these sustainability factors can help policymakers to develop farmer-friendly collectives which enhance agriculture and food systems that will help achieve Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 1—Zero Poverty and SDG 2—End hunger.

Scoping review of sustainable diets research reveals a thematic and disciplinary emphasis on nutrition and environment

Abstract Sustainable diets have been identified as an important component of a food systems transformation that is urgently needed to meet global sustainability and development goals. This study addresses the lack of a comprehensive synthesis and overview of the sustainable diets literature, including its evolution over time and across disciplines, and sheds light on whether and how this body of work addresses dimensions of sustainability as defined by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nation’s (FAO) sustainable diets framework. Topic modeling, a type of natural language processing, was used to perform a thematic scoping review of 855 articles published between 2000-2022 to identify trends and themes in a way that was rapid, transparent, reliable, and reproducible. This research finds demonstrated growth in the field of sustainable diets research, with the majority (66%) of sustainable diets articles considered in this study published in the last three years of the study period. Sixty-three percent of the sustainable diets research articles can be characterized by two topics, “sustainability impacts of dietary patterns” and “sustainable diets and food system policy.” FAO components of sustainable diets related to local and seasonal foods, culture, and equity receive relatively little research attention, whereas components of health, environment, and food security each align with approximately a third of the research literature. This is also reflected in the subject classification analysis, in which nearly half of the research (44%) was classified as Nutrition and Dietetics and/or Environmental Studies. This research highlights the need for more transdisciplinary research that addresses areas of equity, culture, social processes, and context as well as the intersections of sustainability dimensions to better understand the need for, implications, and directions of sustainable diets to support a sustainable food systems transformation.

Going circular with what we wear and how we build: parallelisms between the Dutch and French catwalks of fashion and construction

Responding to the call for circular transition, the Dutch and French governments aspire to achieve a fully circular economy by developing a transitional agenda in various sectors, including fashion and construction. The two countries are among the top 10 waste generators in the European Union (EU), while the two sectors—fashion and construction—are the largest polluters in the EU. The aim of this study, and its main contribution, is to harmonize circular design principles, which vary by sector into common types, and identify the circular design principle that balances the sustainability dimensions the most. This responds to research gaps that merely describe these design principles applicable to different sectors but which are also silent on which achieves sustainability balance. Using multicriteria decision analysis, selected case studies of companies in the two sectors and countries were scored and ranked according to environmental, economic, and social sustainability indicators. The case projects were selected based on the circular design principle that the enterprises were applying. These principles were standardized for the two sectors to come up with five distinct types, namely, design for (i) biobased materials, (ii) service/adaptability, (iii) disassembly, (iv) waste and material recovery, and (v) longevity. Three forms of triangulation were used to achieve reliability, validity, and equivalence of the findings: (i) data—by doubling the size of the sample cases to 40 establishments from 20, (ii) investigator—by having the authors score the projects separately, and (iii) method—by using two objective weighting methods in scoring the criteria. These techniques resulted in similar rankings of the cases in terms of triple bottom-line scores per design principle. Designing for biobased materials turned out to achieve the most balance. The case projects were also compared regarding performance in achieving the UN Sustainability Development Goals (SDGs), which companies use to integrate sustainability with business. Circularity in fashion and construction primarily targets responsible consumption, production, and climate action. A tertiary SDG was life on water and access to clean water for fashion and life on land and sustainable cities for construction.

How does market competition affect the reporting of sustainability practices? Insights from the UK and Germany

PurposeThis study tests the proprietary cost of reporting sustainability practices. It explores how market competition impacts the reporting of corporate sustainability information. Further, it examines whether the influence of market competition on sustainability reporting is affected by firm size.Design/methodology/approachIt uses two samples of the UK FTSE 350 and German Frankfurt CDAX nonfinancial firms from 2010 to 2023. The sustainability reporting scores for UK and German firms are their Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) disclosure scores based on the Bloomberg disclosure index. The Herfindahl–Hirschman index has been utilized to measure a firm’s degree of market competition.FindingsThe results reveal that reporting sustainability practices is a negative function of the degree of market competition. Specifically, companies in highly competitive industries disclose less information about their sustainability practices, suggesting that firms view sustainability reporting as a potential source of competitive disadvantage and, therefore, choose to limit such disclosures to maintain a strategic advantage over rivals. Further, the findings reveal a negative impact of market competition on sustainability reporting among small firms. However, this effect is weak or absent among medium and large firms. The results are more observable in the liberal market economy (i.e. the UK) than in the coordinated market economy (i.e. Germany).Practical implicationsIt provides implications for policymakers and market participants to advocate for more significant policies that promote transparency and encourage companies to report their sustainability practices and performance, especially companies in highly competitive industries.Originality/valueIt provides the first evidence of how market competition influences corporate sustainability reporting, adding a deeper insight into another non-financial dimension of sustainability reporting. Likewise, it reflects the varying priorities of companies of different sizes in managing both competition and sustainability reporting. Besides, it is the first to explore this nexus in two distinct jurisdictions: the UK and Germany.

Sustainability in street food: Elaboration likelihood model (ELM) and image theory perspective

Street food has become an essential sector that attracts tourists' attention daily. Despite its positive impact on local development, the street food sector does not receive sufficient attention from policymakers. The contributions of the local street food industry are linked to the social, economic and environmental dimensions of sustainability. This research examined the relationship between tourists' cognitive and affective evaluations of street food in the context of sustainability. In addition, it investigated the role of tourists’ attitudes towards organic food and their pursuit of health and naturalness in this relationship. Data were collected online using a survey technique, with 343 volunteer tourists participating in the study. A convenience sampling technique was used, and the research model was analysed using the PLS-SEM technique. The findings supported that cognitive evaluations of sustainability in the context of street food influence the construction of the meaning of sustainability. In addition, the mediating effect of attitudes towards organic food and the pursuit of health and naturalness in this relationship was identified. The results provide theoretical and practical implications for the relationships explored.

Geographical indication of coffee in Brazil: identification and effects of the critical success factors towards sustainability

The Geographical Indication (GI) is more than just a mechanism for protecting farmers. This mechanism, materialized by a sign of geographical identity, determines differentiation and added value in a complex process that requires an intense effort of governance and cooperativism. The aim of this study was to analyze the critical success factors for increasing competitiveness and sustainability in the process of geographical identification for certified coffee producers in the Espírito Santo do Pinhal region of Brazil. Factors such as market arrangements, production techniques, quality differentiation, price formation, cost structure, organization and articulation around the construction and maintenance of the market by producers in this region were analyzed. The proposed methodology used an analytical framework of the certification of origin market that correlates market practices with production arrangements in a longitudinal process, considering their challenges and impacts. The results indicate that critical success factors (CSFs) identified in the certification of GIs for coffee producers are related to strong cooperative and associative actions and the presence of entities that coordinate the acquisition process and establish the rules and obligations of those involved, always aiming to encourage investment in technology and technification in pursuit of efficiency and the quality of the final product. In addition, strict control of the production method, avoiding the use of production techniques that harm the environment with good coffee-growing practices, contributes to obtaining and maintaining the GI as well as to develop appropriate attributes of sustainability.

Spirituality in social entrepreneurship: an ethical approach to sustainability

Purpose This study aims to present a sustainability framework that advances the conceptual understanding of the role of spirituality in the context of social entrepreneurship. Design/methodology/approach Through a systematic literature review of spirituality at both the individual and organisational levels, the triple bottom line framework of sustainability, and business ethics, this study offers a sustainability framework for social entrepreneurship. It explains how spirituality at these levels influences various dimensions of social entrepreneurship and helps achieve social, economic, environmental and ethical outcomes. Findings The study proposed that individuals with spiritual practices are more likely to engage in entrepreneurial, social, ethical and environmental orientations, while organisations with spiritual practices are more likely to engage in employee, market and ethical orientations. Spiritual capability can serve as a strategic advantage and contribute to the sustainable development of social enterprises. Originality/value This study makes three significant contributions. First, it presents an emergent framework for integrating spirituality (at both individual and organisational levels) and sustainability within the social entrepreneurship literature, offering implications for both social entrepreneurs and social enterprises. Second, this study proposes incorporating ethics as the fourth dimension of sustainability and argues that spirituality can act as a catalyst for achieving sustainability in social entrepreneurship. Third, this study identifies seven critical dimensions of social entrepreneurship: spiritual capabilities, entrepreneurial orientation, social orientation, environmental orientation, market orientation, ethical orientation and employee orientation, all of which contribute to ethical and sustainable development.

Sustainable Sip: Learning Concepts Of Business Sustainability Through A Hybrid Game

We present Sustainable Sip, a hybrid multiplayer round-based game designed to provide an experiential learning environment for university-level students at the University of Queensland, Australia. It aims to facilitate literacy around the fundamental concepts of business sustainability, specifically the tensions and interplay between economics and sustainability, and systems thinking. This paper represents stage 1 of this project (design, development, testing). Impact assessment will be covered by stage 2 (application), which is outside the scope of this paper. Each player manages a coffee shop in a competitive market, seeking to maximise their customer base, whilst minimising the production of waste (unsold coffee tokens). Each round, players must decide how much coffee (inventory) to buy from the wholesaler, and the price to sell coffee to customers. Players aim to balance the dimensions of economic performance, environmental sustainability, and customer loyalty; the player that best achieves this wins the ‘Sustainable Sipper’ award. ‘Customer loyalty’ is a central concept, calculated in the app for each player and is influenced by the shop’s coffee price, quantity of waste the shop produces, and a player’s ability to meet customer demand. The game design explicitly draws from system thinking, user-centred and hybrid design, and from self-determination theory (motivation). Sustainable Sip has undergone early testing with preliminary feedback highlighting that the gameplay is simple, intuitive and interactive, aspects that are attributable in part to the game design and the hybrid approach.

Sustainability assessment of urban water public‐private partnership projects with environmental, social, and governance (ESG) criteria

AbstractWith the acceleration of urbanization, the sustainability of urban water infrastructure projects has become pivotal to social development. This research aims to construct a comprehensive sustainability assessment model for urban water public‐private partnership (PPP) projects based on the environmental, social, and governance criteria. First, a multi‐level assessment indicator system is established considering the economic, social, ecological, and governance sustainability dimensions. Then, the extended analytic hierarchy process is utilized to determine the weights of indicators based on expert scoring. To address the ambiguity of qualitative linguistic variables, the interval‐valued intuitionistic fuzzy set method is applied to aggregate expert assessments. An empirical case study of an urban water project verifies the feasibility of the proposed approach. Results demonstrate that experts emphasize economic sustainability, while social sustainability is an overlooked dimension that requires improvement. The research contributes to the field by developing an applied, industry‐specific sustainability evaluation model for urban water PPP projects using advanced decision‐making techniques. This model provides practical tools for stakeholders to enhance the sustainable performance of urban water infrastructure projects.

An economic analysis of tidal energy to support sustainable development

Decarbonization of the energy sector, requires a strong expansion of renewable energy, which combined with effective and efficient use of resources, enables the development of models based on the green economy. Tidal energy, which is currently underutilized, can contribute to this change by providing affordable and clean energy, thus contributing to sustainable development. This work evaluates the economic dimension of sustainability and provides a profitability analysis related to a 1 MW plant located in central Italy. The methodology consists of a technical framework, geared toward quantifying the energy potential from that plant, and economic models based on indicators such as Net Present Value (NPV), Levelized Cost of Energy (LCOE) and Discounted Payback Time (DPBT).The results show that the plant turns out to be profitable in the base case (NPV = 573 k€ and DPBT = 21 years) and policy interventions, which see the use of capital grants and subsidies, change the results to NPV ranging between 338 and 1287 k€ and DPBT between 11 and 15 years. However, alternative scenarios indicate that the variables that most impact economic outcomes are changes related to energy selling price and capacity factor. The LCOE in the different scenarios varies between 49.4–89.8 €/MWh. The implications of this work define that tidal energy supports the energy transition to sustainable development and that the mix of technical, market, and political factors must be considered in policy decision making.

Sustainable Diamond Burnishing of Chromium–Nickel Austenitic Stainless Steels: Effects on Surface Integrity and Fatigue Limit

This study aims to evaluate the influence of lubrication and cooling conditions in the diamond burnishing (DB) process on the surface integrity and fatigue limit of chromium–nickel austenitic stainless steels (CNASSs) and, on this basis, identify a cost-effective and sustainable DB process. Evidence was presented that DB of CNASS performed without lubricating cooling liquid satisfies the requirements for a sustainable process: the three key sustainability dimensions (environmental, economic, and social) are satisfied, and the cost/quality ratio is favorable. DB was implemented with the same values of the main governing factors; however, four different lubrication and cooling conditions were applied: (1) flood lubrication (process F); (2) dry without cooling (process D); (3) dry with air cooling at a temperature of −19 °C (process A); and (4) dry with nitrogen cooling at a temperature of −31 °C (process N). Conditions A and N were realized via a device based on the principle of vortex tubes. All four DB processes provide mirror-finished surfaces with Ra roughness parameter values from 0.041 to 0.049 μm, zones with residual compressive stresses deeper than 0.5 mm, and increases in the specimens’ fatigue limit (as determined by the accelerated Locati’s method) compared to turning and polishing. Processes F and D produce the highest microhardness on the surface and at depth. The process D introduces maximum compressive residual axial and hoop stresses in the surface layer. The dry DB processes (D, A, and N) form a submicrocrystalline structure with high atomic density, which is most strongly developed under process D. When high fatigue strength is required, DB with air cooling should be chosen, as it provides a more favorable cost/quality ratio, whereas dry DB without cooling is the most suitable choice for applications that require increased wear resistance.

The social impacts of circular economy: disclosing epistemological stances and methodological practices

AbstractThe essence of circular economy is about closing the loop of material flows by reducing, reusing, recovering and recycling, ensuring the economic prosperity without any detriment for the environment. However, few information is available about the contribution of circular systems to the social dimension of sustainability (such as well-being, quality of life), how these aspects are evaluated and why they are deemed as important. The purpose of this study is to review those scientific studies that dealt with the social sustainability evaluations of circular systems to highlight new aspects: not only which are the most applied methodologies, which impact categories and indicators are mostly taken into account, but, above all, which is the most diffused epistemological position underlying the evaluation of social aspects of circularity. This last aspect is often disregarded but of utmost importance because it shapes the approaches and procedures choice, and legitimate and justify the insights provided: indeed, they can be the most diverse when dealing with social sciences, which are multiparadigmatic sciences. To the best of our knowledge, no studies have so far emerged that directly investigate the epistemological basis of social impacts within the circular economy. A systematic and hermeneutic review of the scientific literature has been led through a two steps method. The first step, dedicated to search and acquisition, consisted in a standardized replicable process called Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA). In a second phase, a hermeneutic review has been conducted on the selected publications. Among the 42 studies reviewed, 7 papers were framed within the post-positivism paradigms, while 83,3% were based on interpretivist paradigms, showing how it is difficult to find consensus on standardized quantification methods for social impacts in circular economy studies. The most recurring qualitative methods relied on personal interpretations, perceptions or observations.

Consumers’ Willingness to Pay for Attributes of Sustainability, Origin and Production Process in Raicilla

In recent years, consumer concern about the origin, process and environmental impact of food and beverages has increased significantly, due to sustainability and food safety issues. However, studies of consumers’ willingness to pay for these types of attributes in traditional agave distillates are scarce. In this article, a discrete choice experiment was carried out on a sample of Mexican Raicilla consumers (n = 300) to estimate their willingness to pay for attributes such as ecolabels, protections of origin and the production process; the analysis was performed using a mixed logit model. The results showed that consumers are willing to pay a higher price for a Raicilla that contains on the label the region of origin, the production process (ancestral or artisanal), that has some legal-economic protection, such as geographical indication or designation of origin, and certifications in water management and organic production. The methodology of discrete choice experiments made it possible to jointly evaluate the extrinsic attributes in the willingness to pay for a traditional agave distillate, allowing its influence on the decision to purchase to be determined.

The role of battery electric vehicles in off-peak hour deliveries: Sustainability assessment of a case study in Stockholm

City logistics faces critical challenges in optimising resource management, utilising time effectively, and reducing costs, particularly in the context of growing environmental concerns. Battery Electric Vehicles (BEVs) and Off-Peak Hour Deliveries (OPHD) have emerged as promising solutions. Despite considerable research efforts, more research is needed to evaluate the impacts of using BEVs during OPHD. To address this need, this paper describes how data from a case study in Stockholm were used to develop a comprehensive overview of the sustainability impacts of OPHD carried out with BEV. A multi-method approach was applied, including an indicator framework, Life Cycle Costing, and a Social Life Cycle Assessment to consider all sustainability dimensions holistically. Our findings reveal that, while BEVs are not yet cost-competitive with Internal Combustion Engine vehicles for daytime operations, OPHD can mitigate these costs by increasing the vehicle utilisation and distances travelled. Furthermore, OPHD with BEV can offer substantial benefits by increasing accessibility and reducing emissions. However, challenges such as increased employee-related transport costs and infrastructure needs must be addressed. The main contributions of this paper are practical, as we add knowledge about the impacts of OPHD using BEV, and methodological, as we used a multi-method approach to holistically assess sustainability impacts. Future research should focus on long-term impacts and refine assessment methods to support the sustainable development of urban logistics. This study highlights the importance of using holistic sustainability assessment to inform and enable stakeholders and decision-makers to leverage the full potential of OPHD when shifting to more sustainable transport.