Environmental Dimensions Of Sustainability Research Articles

The synthesis of logistics performance and technological innovation on environmental quality

PurposeThis study aims to examine the impact of logistics performance and technological innovation on environmental quality in Africa, focusing on carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions and renewable energy consumption as indicators of environmental quality.Design/methodology/approachThe study employs a panel data analysis of 43 African countries over the period 1990–2021. Data on logistics performance, technological innovation, CO2 emissions, and renewable energy consumption are sourced from the World Development Indicators database of the World Bank. Grounded in the Triple Bottom Line (TBL) framework, which integrates economic, social and environmental dimensions of sustainability, the analysis utilises the generalised method of moments (GMM) technique to address the issue of endogeneity.FindingsThe regression results reveal significant relationships between logistics performance, technological innovation and environmental quality indicators. Logistics performance demonstrates a negative impact on CO2 emissions, while technological innovation positively influences renewable energy consumption. The interactive effect of logistics performance and technological innovation mitigates CO2 emissions, aligning with the TBL framework’s environmental dimension by promoting sustainability. Furthermore, trade openness exhibits a significant negative effect on both CO2 emissions and renewable energy consumption. The findings highlight the potential synergies between logistics performance and technological innovation in driving environmental sustainability while offering economic benefits and addressing social well-being.Practical implicationsThe findings suggest the importance of prioritising investments in enhancing logistics performance and fostering technological innovation to achieve environmental sustainability goals in Africa.Originality/valueTo the best of the researchers’ knowledge, this study presents an initial attempt to examine the nexus between logistics performance and environmental quality in Africa using the logistics performance index. Furthermore, beyond assessing the individual effects of logistics performance and technological innovation on environmental quality, we delve into their interactive dynamics, adding novelty to the study.

Resource Efficiency and the Role of Renewable Energy in Miskolc: The City’s Journey Towards Becoming a Smart City

Miskolc, which is the focus of our investigation, is the fourth most populous city in Hungary and the center of one of the most underdeveloped NUTS2 (basic territorial category for the regional policy of the European Union) regions in the European Union. The socialist heavy industry played a decisive role in the development of the city, the decline of which also left deep traces in the city. In its current position, the city tries to manage its available resources as efficiently as possible, and the city management is open to the use of modern urban development tools. This is supported by the fact that Miskolc was the first Hungarian city to join the Green Cities for Sustainable Europe movement in 2011, and then in 2015, it joined the Triangulum project of the EU Smart Cities and Communities program as a follower city. In the process of becoming a smart city, the dimensions of environmental sustainability and energy efficiency were given a prominent role, which should not be surprising considering the traditions of the city. Within this, we must first mention the construction of the geothermal central heating system, with which the city really took significant steps in this field. The main goal of the study is to develop a new smart local concept closely linked to regional development and the key energy sector, through which the local adaptation of the defining elements of the internationally defined smart city in several forms for the city of Miskolc will be presented. In our study, we review how the results achieved by Miskolc so far and the development plans for the future fit in with the smart energy developments of smart cities. Before exploring the processes in Miskolc, we will deal in more detail with the possibilities inherent in district heating and geothermal energy utilization and Hungary’s capabilities.

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.

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.

Improving Productivity and Sustainability by Using Six Sigma Methodology: A Case Study on Indian Cement Manufacturing Industry

This article presents a detailed and thorough analysis of the Six Sigma DMAIC (Define, Measure, Analyze, Improve, Control) methodology’s application in a cement plant located in Odisha, India, concentrating on the enhancement of productivity. The initial operational context is carefully unveiled, portraying a daily productivity of 3178 tons. The systematic and strategic implementation of the Six Sigma DMAIC approach leads to a remarkable 7.7% increase, culminating in an elevated daily productivity of 3425 tons. Moving beyond the productivity paradigm, the study delves into the intricate dimensions of environmental sustainability, scrutinizing specific water consumption, specific energy consumption, specific emissions, and specific wastage. The outcomes portray positive advancements in these sustainability metrics, signifying a successful amalgamation of heightened productivity and a heightened sense of environmental responsibility. Moreover, the study underscores a substantial annual cost benefit of 10 crores, affirming the economic viability inherent in the Six Sigma initiative. The distinctiveness of this research lies in its meticulous scrutiny of productivity enhancements within the Six Sigma DMAIC framework, spotlighting its direct and advantageous influence on the industry’s sustainability performance. This comprehensive investigation is poised to provide valuable insights to organizations seeking a harmonious equilibrium between operational efficiency and environmental stewardship, encapsulating the essence of Six Sigma, DMAIC, Productivity, and environmental sustainability.

A New Technology-Based Tool for Building Profitable Biodiversity-Conserving Offerings

Biodiversity conservation is an essential but too-frequently overlooked dimension of environmental sustainability. Most endangered species live in developing countries. In these countries, sustainable development projects need to leverage efforts to protect biodiversity rather than being at cross-purposes with them. To these ends, this article describes a business plan that has a firm market a biodiversity offering that is profitable and supports a biodiversity project. This project, in-turn, enhances biodiversity. Customers are kept abreast of the project’s biodiversity impacts by viewing an online biodiversity dashboard. This dashboard graphically portrays data on the project and the abundance of the targeted species. Remote sensing and other Internet of Things (IoT) technologies are used to pipe this data to the dashboard. For purposes of illustration, this plan is hypothetically applied to preserving the South African rhinoceros (Ceratotherium simum). A set of agent submodels dynamically portrays firms in a business network that employs would-be rhino poachers. A general purpose tool for constructing these interacting submodels is detailed. Keywords: biodiversity, sustainable business ventures, political-ecological systems, agent models, rhinoceros poaching, dashboards

Assessing the impacts of public policies towards environmental sustainability in the Centre NUTII of Portugal. The case of POSEUR (2014-2020)

The operational programme for Sustainability and Use of Resources (POSEUR 2014-2020) is the most powerful mechanism of EU Cohesion Policy to be implemented in Portugal concerning sustainable environmental development. The programme has a place-based approach that attends to the territorial characteristics of the Portuguese regions. This study focused its analysis on the POSEURS’ main impacts on the Portuguese Centre NUT II. With a mixed methodological approach, impact scores were produced for five environmental sustainability dimensions: i) low-emissions economy, ii) adaptation to climate change, iii) risk prevention and management, iv) environmental protection, and v) resource efficiency. The qualitative and quantitative data was collected through interviews, literature review, the POSEUR project database analysis and regional environmental indicators. The outcome of the analysis showed that technical and execution barriers contributed to the heterogeneity of the results obtained in the five selected dimensions. An overall balance points out the low positive impact scores promoting small regional changes in environmental sustainability. Nonetheless, elaborating spatial plans for the municipalities and regions turned the adaptation to climate change into a highly positive impact dimension.

Driving Towards Sustainable Transportation Systems: A bottom-up Traffic Modal Choices Analysis Using Responsible Management for Future Development Planning

The transportation sector wields substantial influence on society, encompassing economic, social and environmental dimensions of sustainability. Recognising environmentally conscious actions initiated by individuals, particularly at grassroots levels, fosters the development of a pro-environmental social identity. The article aims to analyse the transportation systems from a bottom-up perspective within a municipality. Consequently, three objectives are proposed for this research paper: investigate citizen behaviour regarding transportation, assess the strengths and weaknesses of communities based on citizen perspectives and generate ideas for improving transit through responsible management principles using a bottom-up approach. It has been determined that private car is the most commonly used mode of transportation. The number of cars is the only variable that influences the choice of transportation. A significant positive relationship has been identified between the number of cars and car travels, while a negative relationship has been observed between the number of cars and travels by transit, pedestrian or bicycle. In addition to this, other significant relationships were determined. Regarding the second objective, the majority of the interviewees perceive that the commune lacks any significant strengths. In terms of enhancement opportunities, respondents express a desire for improvements in pedestrian and cyclist infrastructure, transit facilities and the addition of more lanes and roads.

Good people good planet: Investigating the interconnection between social and environmental sustainability

Research investigating consumers’ responsiveness to sustainability from a corporate social responsibility perspective has traditionally focused on either the environmental or social dimensions while overlooking the possible link between the two. This manuscript explores consumers’ perception of the interconnection between these dimensions of sustainability. Four experiments demonstrate that the social and environmental dimensions of sustainability are interconnected in consumers’ minds, where a promise to be sustainable in one dimension enhances perceptions of the other dimension. Companies making social or environmental promises are evaluated differently depending on whether the company later delivers a sustainability success along the same dimension (paired success) or a separate dimension (complementary success). Positive attitudes towards the company were only heightened in the case of complementary successes. The underlying psychological mechanism of perceived ethical principles is also identified. Finally, the results are shown to not only impact consumer attitudes, but also their actual choice behavior.

Re-echoing Afro socio-environmental sustainability philosophies: the purview of Ubuntu re-imagined through Adinkra symbols

ABSTRACT This paper argues that the concept of social and environmental sustainability is not a new philosophy in African cultures and can easily be practiced among Africans based on a better appreciation of their indigenous philosophies. It attempts to explore how the Ubuntu philosophy of humanness manifests in the Adinkra symbols to give an in-depth understanding, which shows how African societies share commonality in their concepts and to establish that African indigenous philosophies mirror strongly social and environmental sustainability dimensions of the Sustainable Development Goals. It further attempts to show a purview of Ubuntu extended that illustrates that social and environmental sustainability is inseparable in African philosophies. By method, the research purposefully selected six (6) Adinkra symbols and discursively analysed how they explain the Ubuntu Philosophy and their link to socio-environmental sustainability. From the findings, Adinkra symbols reflected the Ubuntu’s common values, which are compassion, mutuality and solidarity, and metaphorically showed their connection to socio-environmental sustainability and thus creates agency and deep appreciation for acting on the Sustainable Development Goals.

Balancing environmental sustainability: Socio-economic drivers and policy pathways in oil-importing nations

This paper explores the intricate interplay of socio-economic drivers influencing environmental sustainability in oil-importing countries, examining CO2 emissions and greenhouse gas concentrations over the period from 2000 to 2021. Employing the Feasible Generalized Least Squares (FGLS) and Prais-Winsten regression method (PCSE), data from fifteen major oil-importing nations are scrutinized. The study identifies pivotal socio-economic factors, including environmental innovations, green energy adoption, and energy prices, as key drivers in mitigating emissions. Environmental innovations, catalyzing cleaner technologies, emerge as effective tools in curbing hazardous emissions and promoting green energy sources. The study underscores the trade-off between energy use and prices, advocating a strategic shift towards green energy adoption. It also highlights the adverse association between industrial and agricultural production with emissions. Policy interventions are recommended, emphasizing the need for cleaner technologies and the adoption of renewable energy practices, thus achieving a harmonious balance between economic development and environmental quality. The research offers valuable insights into the socio-economic dimensions of environmental sustainability, emphasizing the importance of well-balanced policies that align environmental innovations, environmental conservation, and energy transition in oil-importing nations within the broader context of human-environment interactions.

Multisided collaboration and double stakeholder approach coexistence in restaurants: From Corporate Social Responsibility practices to partnerships for the goals

AbstractRestaurants have been becoming increasingly aware of their responsibilities and impact; however, literature on corporate social responsibility has mainly applied quantitative methods to analyze the environmental dimension of sustainability. By drawing on the stakeholder theory approach (normative vs. instrumental) and through a qualitative narrative method based on the analysis of 41 open interviews, this study aims to evaluate which stakeholders are engaged in restaurant‐related CSR practices and the nature of the relationship that ties them together. The results show that although a normative approach is more common, both approaches coexist in many cases. The emergence of multisided collaboration and a double approach enables achieving sustainability issues outside a strictly instrumental logic. This study contributes to the scant literature on CSR in restaurants by analyzing a wider set of stakeholders engaged in sustainability practices and indicating which practices are common and why and how stakeholders are involved.

Digitalisation of Manufacturing Systems: A Literature Review of Approaches to Assess the Sustainability of Digitalisation Technologies in Production Systems

The digitalisation of production has a positive impact on manufacturing processes in terms of resource efficiency and environmental impact, particularly in the form of increased efficiency as well as cost and resource savings. However, the use of digitalisation technologies is also associated with efforts such as costs, CO2 emissions, and raw material consumption. When planning or deciding on the digitalisation of manufacturing systems, it is therefore necessary to assess whether these technologies pay off in terms of sustainability over their life cycle. This literature review (based on the PRISMA guidelines) analyses the relevance of sustainability assessment and its methods for the digitalisation of production in research. The review reveals that research focuses on the benefits of digitalisation technologies in manufacturing, while the assessment of efforts and their benefits is in its infancy. There is a need for further research on holistic assessment methods for digitalisation technologies. In particular, there is a lack of assessment methods that consistently link the economic and environmental dimensions of sustainability, and there is also a lack of guidance for the application of assessment methods in production.

Tourism Development in Sri Lanka: A Case Study of Sustainable Practices in a Small Island Developing State (SIDS)

Summary This case study investigates the influence of geopolitics on sustainable tourism development in Sri Lanka, emphasizing the complexities arising from global power struggles. It explores how political factors such as competition for maritime dominance, unrest, and regional development shape economic, social, and environmental dimensions of sustainability. By analyzing stakeholder’s perspectives and integrating political factors into the Triple Bottom Line framework, the study offers insights into navigating challenges and harnessing opportunities for sustainable tourism amidst geopolitical dynamics. Information © The Authors 2024

Rainwater Harvesting Site Selection for Drought-Prone Areas in Somali and Borena Zones, Oromia Regional State, Ethiopia: A Geospatial and Multi-Criteria Decision Analysis

Rainwater collection systems play a crucial role in enhancing water availability in regions with low precipitation. This study focused on identifying potential rainwater harvesting (RWH) locations in drought-prone areas, specifically the Borena zone of Oromia and the regional states of Somali. This research leveraged geospatial techniques and a multi-criteria decision analysis (MCDA) to assess feasible RWH sites. The dataset comprises essential factors such as rainfall, drainage density, slope, soil texture type, and land use/land cover. These thematic layers serve as inputs for analysis, with each factor being weighted using the Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP) method based on its significance. Reclassifying factors into subclasses facilitates suitability analysis. The weighted linear combination (WLC) technique is applied to identify and prioritize potential rainwater harvesting (PRWH) locations based on four suitability classes: highly suitable, moderately suitable, low suitability, and unsuitable. Our findings reveal that 1% of the study area, covering approximately 3288 km2, is highly suitable for RWH. Areas with moderate suitability constitute approximately 12% (37,498 km2), while regions with low suitability, representing the majority, encompass about 75% (242,170 km2). Additionally, 13% (41,000 km2) of the study area is deemed unsuitable for RWH. The proposed technique for identifying suitable RWH sites is adaptable to other low-precipitation regions. However, before implementing RWH structures, further research is imperative. This study proposed the exploration of socioeconomic variables in future research and urged for an in-depth examination of various aspects of environmental sustainability. Our research paves the way for adapting rainwater harvesting systems to align with community needs and life cycles while also exploring the socio-economic and environmental dimensions of sustainability for future study. The insights offer promising solutions to address the urgent issues associated with water scarcity. This should include comprehensive site depictions, an exploration of social and economic activities, and the meticulous preparation of a cost-benefit analysis.

Approaching battery raw material sourcing through a material criticality lens

In recent years, several approaches have been established to enhance greater sustainability in the supply chains of raw materials. These approaches investigate various sustainability dimensions, including raw material criticality, social, and environmental compliance indicators. To contribute to the growing interest in this topic, this paper investigates how material criticality can shape and enhance the understanding of drivers, complexities, and considerations in the responsible sourcing of battery minerals. For this case study, we use ten battery minerals, nine supply regions, and the integrated method to address resource efficiency (abbreviated ESSENZ), a criticality method developed to address the socioeconomic availability, the social, and the environmental dimensions of sustainability. To measure the performance of a supply region compared to other alternatives for a selected battery mineral, results per indicator are evaluated as relative scores ranging from 0 to 100, with 0 signifying the lowest relative criticality and 100 as the highest relative criticality. These relative scores, which provide increased resolution compared to globally aggregated criticality scores, show the strengths and weaknesses of supply regions for different criticality indicators while highlighting where efforts should be directed to address and alleviate outstanding criticality issues. Additionally, the resolution of the scores in this study is employed to classify supply regions into two primary categories: reserve-dominant regions, characterised by high reserves and productive activity but overall low socioeconomic and environmental compliance, and policy & governance-dominant regions, characterised by adherence to socioeconomic and environmental compliance but overall low reserves and production activity. This study underscores the complexity of identifying ideal sourcing alternatives with relatively low scores across all indicators, highlighting potential challenges to the sustainable sourcing of battery minerals.

The Role of Human Resource Management in Sustainable Development

This paper discusses the role of human resource management (HRM) in sustainable development. With the increasing global attention to environmental, social and economic sustainability issues, human resource management (HRM), as one of the core functions within organisations, plays a crucial role in driving organisations to achieve the goal of sustainable development. The article firstly describes the core functions and concepts of HRM and analyses the needs of HRM for sustainable development strategies. Then, the role of HRM in sustainable development is explored in detail from the three dimensions of environmental sustainability, social sustainability and economic sustainability. Through case studies and discussion of challenges and strategies, this paper aims to provide theoretical support and practical guidance for the practice of HRM in sustainable development.

Perceptions of Sustainability among Children and Teachers: Problems Revealed via the Lenses of Science Communication and Transformative Learning

Scholars and policymakers see sustainability as depending on the inter-relationships between the three pillars of the environment, society, and the economy. However, it remains less clear how key stakeholders with a responsibility for educating the next generation perceive the concept of sustainability and act accordingly. In order to gain new insights, this research scrutinises participant perceptions of sustainability and climate change in two eco-schools in England for primary children (aged 5–11 years). Our case study involved individual interviews with classroom teachers and headteachers, group interviews with fourth- and fifth-year students (ages 10–12 years), and in-class observations. We also analysed data from student exercise books and photographs of school grounds to understand participants’ self-reported knowledge and perceptions of sustainability and climate change. Within a framework drawing on theories of science communication and transformative learning (a learning approach based on having challenging experiences), the results show that the integration of sustainability into the curriculum was limited and problematic. That is despite the fact that all students and teachers were aware of the environmental dimensions of sustainability, such as climate change and the overuse of natural sources. These findings suggest that schools are no different to other institutional settings when it comes to dealing with the challenges of integrating sustainability into daily practice. We conclude that there is a need for in-service teacher education programmes to enable and motivate teachers to provide richer teaching-learning environments so as to enable effective learning in schools about sustainability and climate change.

Corporate Information System and Environmental Sustainability Dimension – The Associated Link Evaluation

Abstract The assessment of the link between the information system or the informational system, as some authors call it, refers to the information system, and the environmental dimension within the organization or, better said, environmental sustainability, which answers, through excellence, the question of how we propose to study this connection or interdependence between the information system and the environmental sustainability dimension. To proceed to an in-depth study of the link between the information system and a dimension of sustainability, we proposed to expand the search parameters to the following fields of reference in terms of sustainability: environmental sustainability along its component dimensions and information system along its component dimensions. By its purpose, the article tests a methodological framework developed to evaluate informational systems and environmental sustainability Соnsidеring thе novelty оf thе еnvirоnmеntal issuе, thе aсtiоn rеsеarсh apprоaсh соuld bе transfоrmеd intо a tооl tо hеlp prоvidе pоssiblе thеоrеtiсal and praсtiсal sоlutiоns fоr thе businеss еnvirоnmеnt in tеrms оf thе infоrmatiоn systеm.

Measuring Sustainability: A Validation Study of a Triple Bottom Line (TBL) Scale in Portugal

Studies on sustainability using the Triple Bottom Line (TBL) approach are increasing. However, there is no consensus on how to measure the economic, social, and environmental dimensions of sustainability based on TBL theory. Despite numerous proposals, there is a lack of integrated measures covering all three dimensions simultaneously and having a human-centered approach. This gap is particularly pronounced in Portugal, where no existing scale adequately meets the needs of academics and practitioners. To address this challenge, and based on existing measures that encompass the nature of each TBL dimension, we present and validate a 15-item TBL scale, with 5 items per dimension: economic, social, and environmental. To test convergent validity and contribute to the discussion regarding the links between TBL and Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), we also analyzed the association between each TBL dimension and each CSR dimension. Using a sample of 635 participants, divided into two independent sub-samples, we conducted comprehensive statistical analyses, including exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis, reliability testing, and convergent and discriminant analysis, followed by invariance testing of the TBL scale. The results suggest that the proposed measure fits the Portuguese sample, and all psychometric results are robust. We also establish the links between the three dimensions of TBL—economic, social, and environmental—and the CSR dimensions, as convergent validity is verified between social TBL and employees' CSR practices. We discuss theoretical and practical implications, as well as limitations and suggestions for future research. Doi: 10.28991/ESJ-2024-08-03-06 Full Text: PDF