Sustainable Future Research Articles

Adopting Zero-waste Pattern-making Techniques for Apparel Product Development

Every year, the fashion industry churns out millions of clothing items with fresh styles, resulting in significant fabric waste during production. This fabric waste contributes to environmental pollution. Embracing zero-waste pattern-making techniques for clothing production offers a viable solution to curbing this issue. By utilising the entire fabric yardage, these techniques aim to minimise or eliminate fabric waste after garment production. Zero-waste design is a holistic approach that integrates designing, production and sourcing processes. This article aims to propose solutions for controlling fabric waste through innovative zero-waste pattern-design techniques, thereby fostering a sustainable future. Traditionally, the apparel production process utilises 85% of fabrics, leaving behind 15% as wastage. The challenge lies in reducing this 15% wastage to zero (Abernathy et al., 1999). However, it is acknowledged that not everyone can readily adopt zero-waste pattern techniques. It requires creativity to develop optimal design solutions for apparel production. Collaboration among designers, pattern makers, academics and production professionals is essential for researching and identifying the best creative practices and solutions for integrating zero-waste pattern-making techniques into the apparel production process. Developing approaches for zero-waste pattern-making involves researching basic pattern design principles, understanding associated challenges and analysing outcomes. This research and development process in zero-waste pattern-making can pave the way for better sustainable practices, ultimately contributing to the reduction of fabric waste pollution and fostering a more sustainable future.

An approach to demarcate prospective areas for groundwater recharge a case study of Upper Thurinjalar Tamil Nadu, India

India, as the world's largest consumer of groundwater, faces an alarming water crisis, particularly in southern regions like Upper Thurinjalar, Tamil Nadu. The relentless extraction of groundwater has severely depleted reserves, making it increasingly difficult to meet the water demands of households, agriculture, and industry. This unsustainable usage endangers the region's water security, emphasizing the urgent need for sustainable management practices. Immediate action is essential to safeguard these vital resources and secure a sustainable water future for the region. The present study addresses the critical need to identify optimal groundwater recharge areas to mitigate the adverse effects of groundwater depletion. Utilizing Remote Sensing (RS) and Geographic Information Systems (GIS), this research focuses on delineating suitable recharge zones in Upper Thurinjalar, Tamil Nadu, to promote sustainable water resource management. Through geospatial analysis, thematic maps were generated, incorporating variables such as geomorphology, geology, subsurface lithology, lineaments, land use, drainage density, soil types, and slope. Utilizing satellite data within the GIS framework, groundwater recharge zones were classified into three categories: highly suitable (61.06 km2), moderately suitable (214.18 km2), and least suitable (48.07 km2). Additionally, prioritized interventions for 18 rural reservoirs within the same catchment area included sediment removal, depth enhancement, and infrastructure upgrades. The application of artificial groundwater recharge in these targeted areas is anticipated to significantly alleviate irrigation water deficits, thereby advancing sustainable development and rehabilitating degraded land. The use of a weighted overlay technique within Geographic Information Systems (GIS) has proven to be a highly effective method for optimizing water resource management, facilitating the sustainable development of groundwater resources. The results emphasize the importance of promptly undertaking focused interventions, such as prioritizing tank improvements and deploying artificial recharge procedures, in order to guarantee the long-term availability of water. Implementing these proactive measures is essential for reducing water scarcity and promoting the development of unused land in the designated recharge areas.

Integrating Natural Photosynthesis, Artificial Photosynthesis, and Biohydrogen Production for a Sustainable Energy Future

The interrelated topics of artificial photosynthesis, natural photosynthesis, and biohydrogen production are examined in this thorough analysis as viable avenues for achieving sustainable energy solutions. This piece offers a comprehensive assessment of the present situation and prospective future applications of these technologies by looking at the underlying dynamics of these processes, recent technological developments, and enduring difficulties. Combining knowledge from natural photosynthetic pathways with the latest findings in artificial photosynthesis and developing techniques for producing biohydrogen offers a multifaceted strategy to meet the world's energy needs while reducing the effects of climate change. By clarifying the potential of these technologies to transform the production of renewable energy, lessen reliance on fossil fuels, and offer creative solutions for waste management and carbon sequestration, this analysis benefits society. This article intends to stimulate more interdisciplinary research and development towards a sustainable energy future by highlighting the synergies between various sectors.

Prediction of the potential distribution of a raspberry (Rubus idaeus) in China based on MaxEnt model

Rubus idaeus is a pivotal cultivated species of raspberry known for its attractive color, distinct flavor, and numerous health benefits. It can be used in pharmaceutical, cosmetics, agriculture and food industries not only as fresh but also as a processed product. Nowadays due to climatic changes, genetic diversity of cultivars has decreased dramatically. However, until now, the status of wild R. idaeus resources in China have not been exploited. In this study, we investigated the resources of wild R. idaeus in China to secure its future potential and sustainability. The MaxEnt model was used to predict R. idaeus suitable habitats and spatial distribution patterns for current and future climate scenarios, based on wild domestic geographic distribution data, current and future climate variables, and topographic variables. The results showed that, mean temperature of the coldest quarter (bio11), precipitation of the coldest quarter (bio19), precipitation of the warmest quarter (bio18), and temperature seasonality (bio4) were crucial factors affecting the distribution of R. idaeus. Presently, the suitable habitats were mainly distributed in the north of China including Xinjiang, Inner Mongolia, Gansu, Ningxia, Shaanxi, Shanxi, Hebei, Beijing, Liaoning, Jilin, Heilongjiang. According to our results, in 2050s, the total suitable habitat area of R. idaeus will increase under SSP1-2.6 and then will be decreased with climate change, while in the 2090s, the total suitable habitat area will continue to decrease. From the present to the 2090s, the centroid distribution of R. idaeus in China will shift towards the east and the species will always be present in Inner Mongolia. Our results provide wild resource information and theoretical reference for the protection and rational utilization of R. idaeus.

The AI-assisted Traditional Design Methods for the Construction Sustainability: A Case Study of the Lisu Ethnic Minority Village

In recent decades, economic and technical advancements have surged tremendously, accompanied by non-regulatory and unsustainable use of non-renewable assets. The ecological field of toxicology has garnered considerable focus on elucidating the impact of harmful substances on people's wellness. Environmental hazardous chemicals induce many illnesses, posing a heightened danger to youngsters, pregnant women, the elderly, and anyone with preexisting health conditions. Air pollution adversely impacts human health, leading to heightened morbidity and death, necessitating intensified toxicological investigations on industrial air pollution affecting the general populace. It is necessary to develop a computerized Ecological Toxicology-based Air Pollution Management System. Constructive social development is driven by cultural education. It can guarantee a sustainable future, protect national history, and unleash community potential. This study examines Chinese architects' perspectives and understanding of sustainability in village revitalization and conservation. It incorporates traditional Lisu building techniques and materials in Hunan, China. To close research gaps, this study looks at the contributions made by architects to traditional practice integration and environmentally conscious architectural design. This study proposes an IoT-enabled Environmental Toxicology platform for air pollution surveillance, utilizing artificial intelligence (AI) techniques to mitigate the limits of standard monitoring systems and lower total costs, enhancing human wellness. The research examined the intricate interaction between architects' understanding of sustainability, Lisu building techniques and materials, and sustainable architectural designs in village preservation and revitalization programs using path analysis on data from 326 architects in Hunan Province. Lisu building practices and materials strongly correlate with architects' awareness of and attitudes toward sustainability. According to the research, these characteristics are necessary for sustainable architectural solutions that support village revival and preservation. This study has significant theoretical and practical ramifications for academics, lawmakers, and architects. To evaluate the air quality monitoring efficacy of the suggested approach, a comprehensive series of simulation analyses is conducted, and the results are assessed at durations of 5, 15, 30, and 60 minutes. The experimental results demonstrate the superior efficacy of the suggested model compared to current methodologies. These findings could lead to the creation of sustainable design solutions that advance rural development. A thorough overview of upcoming studies on sustainable design approaches in Chinese contexts rounds out this talk.

Comparative thermal model analysis and experimental validation for predicting performance of a pyramidal solar still with integrated pulsating heat pipe

Developing nations face a dire situation as water scarcity and pollution significantly impact various aspects of life. It's crucial to take action now to address these pressing issues and ensure a sustainable future for all. Solar desalination processes emerge as a promising solution to these pressing problems in water purification technologies.This paper reports the thermal modeling and experimental results of two solar still designs, namely (i) Pyramidal solar still with pulsating heat pipe (PHP), Modified pyramidal solar still (MPSS), and (ii) conventional pyramidal solar still (CPSS). This study uses energy balance equations to focus on MPSS and CPSS thermal modeling. In the MPSS, a PHP, in conjunction with a solar collector, provides external heat to basin water. Several models, including Dunkel, Kumar and Tiwari, Chen, and Zheng Hongfei, are utilized to estimate the performance of both MPSS and CPSS. Extensive experiments have been conducted for validation purposes. Key parameters considered for prediction and comparison include evaporative heat transfer coefficient, convective heat transfer coefficient, total heat transfer coefficient, and hourly yield. It is noted that the Kumar and Tiwari model demonstrates a superior ability to predict cumulative yield, with a percentage error of 5.81 % and 5.9 % for MPSS and CPSS, respectively, compared to the experimental cumulative yield. The theoretical average basin water temperature observed in MPSS is 64.56 °C, and CPSS is 58.8 °C. The enhancement in temperature is attributed to the supplementary heat provided by the PHP.

The Intersectionality Between Amazon and Commodities Production: A Close Look at Sustainability

Food production’s environmental, economic, and social challenges should be demystified through quantitative data. Therefore, the objective of this paper was to investigate the ecoregional sustainability of the Amazon biome from the perspective of the environmental life cycle, economic feasibility, and social life cycle analysis, emphasizing the pillars of sustainability in the production of three commodities: soybean, beef cattle, and Brazil nuts. Carbon footprint, net present value, and worker endpoint were the metrics evaluated. According to the results found in this study, the livestock presented greater environmental burdens in terms of carbon balance when compared to the production of Brazil nuts and soybean production with carbon balances in the order of 4.75 tCO2eq/ha, −0.02 tCO2eq/ha, and −1.20 tCO2eq/ha, respectively. From an economic viewpoint, the extractive production of Brazil nuts presented the highest net profit per hectare/year (USD 559.21), followed by the agricultural system (USD 533.94) and livestock (USD 146.19). Finally, in relation to the social aspect of the production systems analyzed, the negative impacts linked to beef cattle production are related to the subcategories of forced labor and equal opportunities, and the positive impacts linked to soybean production are related to the subcategories of salary and benefits. The results highlight a genuine and sustainable balance in Brazil nuts extraction, presenting it as an investment for a sustainable future while demystifying the multifaceted information related to food production as a whole, in order to assist in decision-making and the formulation of public policies.

A survey of intelligent multimedia forensics for internet of things communications: Approaches, strategies, perspectives, and challenges for a sustainable future

Digital forensics is a proven method for collecting, preserving, reporting, analyzing, identifying, and presenting digital evidence from the original data, and it helps find evidence of cybercrimes. Intelligent multimedia forensics is a type of digital forensics and is essential because it is used to identify fake multimedia, including images, videos, audio, and text. This paper conducted a comprehensive survey for intelligent multimedia forensics, categorized into 3 classes: deep learning forensics, multimedia forensics, and network and Internet of Things forensics. In the first class, we provided a survey of the multiple attacks breaking the DL models, such as attacks in the training step, and the testing step, and crafted. In the craft attacks, we survey the three attacks: white box, gray box, and black box. We also provided some defense methods against DL attacks, training step attacks, and testing step attacks. In the second class, we offered a survey of multimedia forensics, including passive and active manipulation. In the third class, we provide a survey of network/IoT forensics, including the attacks in five layers: physical, data link, transport, application, and network. We also provided network/IoT attack detection in the third class using deep learning models. We applied AI models in various datasets and obtained higher accuracy and performance on the datasets from various used models. Finally, we offered the challenges and future direction for the researcher in this scope.

European agrifood and forestry education for a sustainable future - Gap analysis from an informatics approach

Background The NextFood Project (www.nextfood-project.eu) started work in 2018 to identify ‘Categories of Skills’ that students should be equipped with to address the upcoming global challenges within agrifood and forestry disciplines, and involved concepts such as sustainability, technological adaptation and networking. This study is based on the initial skills and competencies mapping, but takes a different methodological approach. Instead of investigating what the research literature and professionals think are important skills for the future, this study asks how existing education programmes include or exclude these skills in the description of their programs. Methods Python-based web-scraping scripts were used to collect texts from a selection of European Masters program websites, which were then analysed using statistical tools. A total of 14 countries, 27 universities, 1303 European Masters programs, 3305 web-pages and almost two million words were studied using this approach. Results While agrifood and forestry Masters programs were aligned with the NextFood Project ‘Categories of Skills’ equal to or more often than unrelated Masters programs, we found evidence for the relative underuse of words associated with networking skills, such as 舖collaboration舗, 舖communication舗 and 舖teamwork舗. Agriculture-related programs used these words the least among the agrifood Masters programs. In contrast, agrifood programs used words associated with sustainability and system thinking more than the non-agrifood Masters programs. Conclusions The informatics approach provides evidence that many European agrifood and forestry Masters programs are following the educational paths for meeting future challenges as outlined by the NextFood Project, with the possible exception of networking skills. This approach allows a complementary and time-efficient overview of the current state of education in the agrifood system in Europe.

CRISPRi-mediated metabolic switch enables concurrent aerobic and synthetic anaerobic fermentations in engineered consortium

Replacing petrochemicals with compounds from bio-based manufacturing processes remains an important part of the global effort to move towards a sustainable future. However, achieving economic viability requires both optimized cell factories and innovative processes. Here, we address this challenge by developing a fermentation platform, which enables two concurrent fermentations in one bioreactor. We first construct a xylitol producing Escherichia coli strain in which CRISPRi-mediated gene silencing is used to switch the metabolism from aerobic to anaerobic, even when the bacteria are under oxic conditions. The switch also decouples growth from production, which further increases the yield. The strain produces acetate as a byproduct, which is subsequently metabolized under oxic conditions by a secondary E. coli strain. Through constraint-based metabolic modelling this strain is designed to co-valorize glucose and the excreted acetate to a secondary product. This unique syntrophic consortium concept facilitates the implementation of “two fermentations in one go”, where the concurrent fermentation displays similar titers and productivities as compared to two separate single strain fermentations.

Sustainable Energy Solutions in Sub-Saharan Africa: Integrating Indigenous Knowledge and Climate Resilience for Lower Carbon Emissions

Promoting sustainable energy solutions in sub-Saharan countries is crucial for addressing energy poverty, reducing carbon emissions, and fostering long-term environmental and economic sustainability. This study explored using indigenous knowledge and emerging technologies to reduce carbon footprints and GHG emissions in Africa's climate hotspots in sub-Saharan countries. The study revealed that operating institutions utilize various applications to ensure that energy management resources can mitigate the effects of carbon emissions. The study revealed that the most efficient use of natural resources for energy production requires collaboration among governments, private sectors, NGOs, and local communities. By adopting a holistic and inclusive approach, one can work toward a more sustainable and low-carbon energy future. This paper focuses on carbon footprint analysis and proposes solutions to address environmental issues in implementing sustainable energy solutions in sub-Saharan countries. A multifaceted approach involving effective strategies is needed to lower the carbon footprint. The contribution of this study is to improve energy consumption in communities in Africa by integrating climate resilience considerations into sustainable energy projects to ensure long-term viability. This will involve planning for changing climate conditions, such as extreme weather events, and designing infrastructure that can withstand and adapt to these challenges. It has been concluded that carbon footprint analysis is useful for determining the impacts of carbon particles in the world’s atmosphere. The role of energy management operations seeks to improve the assessment and analysis of carbon footprints by allowing atmospheric measurements of carbon.

Europe’s policy transition toward green steel development: Prospective and challenges

ABSTRACT Despite the increasing use of steel in the contemporary world, the iron and steel industry is one of the emitters of global carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions. The research indicates that the primary ironmaking method is responsible for about 80% of emissions and generates air pollutants linked to 4.2 million deaths yearly. Implementing advanced technologies in steel manufacturing could reduce CO2 emissions in Europe, where energy-intensive industries account for roughly 8% of the EU’s total emissions. The Steel Action Plan, introduced by the European Commission (EC), presents an exquisite and compelling solution to address the intricate challenges of surplus manufacturing capacity, formidable carbon emissions, and a scarcity of cutting-edge steel products. The European Green Deal (EGD) outlines cutting greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 50% from 1990 and increasing the use of renewable electricity by 32% by 2030, necessitating a shift away from fossil fuels in the EU’s steel industry. Even though these ambitious goals are to safeguard our planet and ensure a sustainable future for mankind, implementing various policies raises questions about their applicability. Thus, this paper delves into the pivotal role of Europe in the transformative journey toward sustainable steel production through policy implementation.

Green strategies for the valorization of industrial medicinal residues of Serenoa repens small (saw palmetto) as source of bioactive compounds

Serenoa repens is a medicinal plant well-known for its therapeutic potential in treating various urological disorders and prevention of prostatic cancer. However, the extraction process in the pharmaceutical industry leads to the generation of plant residues, typically discarded, wasting valuable resources. In this study, we aimed to explore a series of green extraction strategies to effectively valorize the residues of Serenoa repens fruits. Initially, we employed supercritical CO2 (1.2% yield on dry biomass) on the discarded biomass to identify and quantify residual fatty acids and polyprenols (1.6% of the extract dry weight), a class of unsaturated isoprenoid alcohols with promising biomedical applications. Subsequently, subcritical water extraction was utilized on the exhausted biomass to extract polar compounds. An increase in the extraction yield was observed with the rise in processing temperature up to 180 °C (yields were found higher than 26%). Phenolic compounds and carbohydrate macromolecules profiles were affected by the increased hydrolytic conditions. Polar extracts exhibited robust bioactivities, demonstrating significant antioxidant activity and antimicrobial efficacy against Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria strains. Extracts obtained at 180 °C demonstrated the highest efficacy. Furthermore, in vitro assessment of mannans-rich fraction provided a new perspective of potential applications in the cosmeceuticals field. Results underscore the potential of the sustainable extraction biorefinery for the residue of this medicinal plant and demonstrate that, harnessing these bioactive compounds, new sustainable and eco-friendly approaches for its complete utilization can be offered, thereby promoting near-zero waste practices and contributing to a more sustainable future.

Hemoincompatibility in Hemodialysis-Related Therapies and Their Health Economic Perspectives

Hemobiologic reactions associated with the hemoincompatibility of extracorporeal circuit material are an undesirable and inevitable consequence of all blood-contacting medical devices, typically considered only from a clinical perspective. In hemodialysis (HD), the blood of patients undergoes repetitive (at least thrice weekly for 4 h and lifelong) exposure to different polymeric materials that activate plasmatic pathways and blood cells. There is a general agreement that hemoincompatibility reactions, although unavoidable during extracorporeal therapies, are unphysiological contributors to non-hemodynamic dialysis-induced systemic stress and need to be curtailed. Strategies to lessen the periodic and direct effects of blood interacting with artificial surfaces to stimulate numerous biological pathways have focused mainly on the development of ‘more passive’ materials to decrease intradialytic morbidity. The indirect implications of this phenomenon, such as its impact on the overall delivery of care, have not been considered in detail. In this article, we explore, for the first time, the potential clinical and economic consequences of hemoincompatibility from a value-based healthcare (VBHC) perspective. As the fundamental tenet of VBHC is achieving the best clinical outcomes at the lowest cost, we examine the equation from the individual perspectives of the three key stakeholders of the dialysis care delivery processes: the patient, the provider, and the payer. For the patient, sub-optimal therapy caused by hemoincompatibility results in poor quality of life and various dialysis-associated conditions involving cost-impacting adjustments to lifestyles. For the provider, the decrease in income is attributed to factors such as an increase in workload and use of resources, dissatisfaction of the patient from the services provided, loss of reimbursement and direct revenue, or an increase in doctor–nurse turnover due to the complexity of managing care (nephrology encounters a chronic workforce shortage). The payer and healthcare system incur additional costs, e.g., increased hospitalization rates, including intensive care unit admissions, and increased medications and diagnostics to counteract adverse events and complications. Thus, hemoincompatibility reactions may be relevant from a socioeconomic perspective and may need to be addressed beyond just its clinical relevance to streamline the delivery of HD in terms of payability, future sustainability, and societal repercussions. Strategies to mitigate the economic impact and address the cost-effectiveness of the hemoincompatibility of extracorporeal kidney replacement therapy are proposed to conclude this comprehensive approach.

Transformative Local Governments: Addressing Social Urban Challenges by Bringing People and Politics Together

As the tier of government closest to people, local government plays a key role in answering local needs and aspirations. However, local governments are often under-resourced, leaving them inadequately responsive to many of these critical local demands. Moreover, accountability to their citizens, which is the core of a well-functioning local democracy, is often lacking because the necessary formal laws and informal norms do not enable citizens to influence the decision-making process in a collaborative, creative, and evidence-based process that promotes collective learning. Through innovative case study analyses from around the world, the 12 contributions in this thematic issue delve into the multifaceted ways in which local governments can bridge the gap between people and politics, offering innovative perspectives on participatory governance, co-creation, and collaborative decision-making for inclusive, safe, resilient, and sustainable cities. The cases showcase innovations and challenges in the urban environment, capturing different ways to bring people and politics together in an attempt to co-create solutions for a sustainable and resilient urban future. The insights provided by this plethora of cases provides lessons that can help revolutionise international, national, and local urban policy to empower local authorities and their local communities to address the increasingly urgent challenges faced by municipalities around the world, ensuring an inclusive, safe, resilient, and sustainable future for the generations to come.

The Convergence of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Financial Technologies (FinTech) in Shaping Future Urban Landscape Planning

As cities worldwide transition into smart urban ecosystems, the integration of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Financial Technologies (FinTech) becomes crucial. This article delves into the fusion of these technologies under Saudi Arabia's Vision 2030 to enhance urban planning and development. It critically examines how AI and FinTech not only optimize efficiency, sustainability, and livability but also tackle infrastructural and economic challenges within urban environments. By employing a mixed-methods approach, including quantitative data analysis and case studies from both global contexts and specific projects within Saudi Arabia, this study provides comprehensive insights into the potential societal and economic impacts. It also identifies key challenges, such as regulatory hurdles, ethical considerations, and the need for substantial initial investments that could impede technology adoption. This research aims to offer stakeholders a detailed roadmap to navigate these complexities and achieve Vision 2030's ambitious goals, thereby preparing Saudi cities for a smarter and more sustainable future.

Carving space to learn for sustainable futures

This article addresses the pressing need to reimagine education for sustainable futures amidst the socioecological crises of our time. Grounded in the recognition of modernity as profoundly alienating and unsustainable, we argue for an education informed by theory, critical pedagogies and critical sustainability research. Through an example from our own teaching practice, where we focused on pace, place, connections and modes of engagement, we demonstrate how adult educators can draw on theory to deliberately shape teaching. Highlighting the unsustainability of social acceleration, we encourage educators to slow down and carve out a space for profound engagement with sustainability. Drawing on diverse theoretical frameworks, we propose an approach that cultivates a sense of embeddedness in place and connection to oneself, others and the natural world. Finally, we argue that education for sustainable futures necessitates a departure from modernist paradigms, inviting educators to envision transformative pedagogies that foster critical awareness and societal change.

Enabling sustainable crop protection with induced resistance in plants

Induced resistance (IR), which enables plants to increase their resilience against insect pests and microbial pathogens by promoting their own immunity, has been recognized for its value in crop protection schemes. Despite promising applications, the use of IR in crop protection has remained marginal compared with pesticides and single resistance genes. This review aims to shed light on this disparity by examining the scientific milestones achieved over the past decades for both internal (immunological) and external (ecological) IR strategies. The multifaceted advantages of IR, particularly its ability to provide broad-spectrum protection and enhance the nutritional and nutraceutical value of certain crops, are also discussed. The various obstacles hindering the widespread adoption of IR strategies are then revealed. After considering recent scientific discoveries and insights, potential solutions are proposed, including leveraging epigenetic approaches to understand the mechanisms involved in IR. By acknowledging that the future sustainability of crop protection is irreconcilable with single-use technologies, this review proposes taking advantage of the latest insights regarding the adaptive nature of the plant immune system and its ecological interactions to safely integrate IR into existing crop protection schemes. By emphasizing the need for comprehensive and holistic approaches to basic and translational research, this review sets the stage for leveraging IR alongside other strategies to foster a resilient, environmentally friendly, and economically viable future, thereby ensuring the health of crops.

The impact of education for sustainable development on university students’ sustainability behavior: a case study from undergraduate students in Somalia

Education plays a crucial role in moving towards a sustainable future. The United Nations Decade of Education for Sustainable Development has advocated education for sustainable development (ESD) to promote global sustainability. UNESCO supports ESD as a way to provide society with the knowledge, skills, values, and attitudes needed for sustainable living. While considerable progress has been made in many developed countries, particularly in higher education institutions, and to some extent in developing countries, similar success has not been observed in Somalia’s higher education establishments. This study examined the influence of ESD on university students’ conduct in Somalia. Through cluster sampling, 251 students from SIMAD and Hormuud Universities in Mogadishu were chosen to participate by completing a questionnaire. The research revealed a significant positive connection between ESD and students’ behavior. The findings emphasize the importance of integrating ESD into higher education curricula to encourage cultural norms that endorse environmentally friendly practices. This investigation offers valuable insights for academics, policymakers, and businesses seeking to advance sustainability within educational settings and beyond.

Firm-Level Digitalization for Sustainability Performance: Evidence from Ningbo City of China

Climate change is a significant and urgent threat, gaining traction in the scientific community around the globe and requiring immediate action across many sectors. In this context, the digital economy could provide a mutually beneficial solution by utilizing innovation and technical breakthroughs to establish a sustainable future that addresses environmental deterioration, promotes economic growth, and encourages energy conservation. Against this background, this study examined the diffusion of innovation modeling-based factors affecting small and medium-sized firms’ (SMFs) adoption of the Internet of Things (IoT) technology and its impact on SMFs’ sustainability performance related to environmental, economic, innovation, and energy conservation perspectives. The key findings revealed that (i) the relative advantage, trialability, and observability drive IoT adoption. However, compatibility and complexity hinder IoT adoption. (ii) When prioritizing the adoption factors, the relative benefit is the strongest driver, and compatibility is the most significant barrier to IoT adoption. (iii) IoT technology adopter SMFs spent less on natural resources and more on renewable energy and environmental monitoring systems than non-adopter firms, boosting their environmental sustainability. (iv) IoT technology adopter firms had greater revenue, profits, and credit access than non-adopters and lower input costs, improving their economic sustainability. (v) IoT adopter firms spent more on innovative products than non-adopter enterprises, demonstrating innovation performance. (vi) Compared to non-adopter firms, IoT technology adopter SMFs had lower utility expenses and spent more on energy-efficient technologies. (vii) To realize the full potential of the IoT for a more sustainable and inventive future, authorities may pursue a variety of policy actions involving the strengthening and implementation of IoT technology standards and regulations, securing the incentivization of financial resources to SMFs, diverting the allocation of resources to research and development avenues, prioritizing the capacity development and environmental awareness, and focusing on IoT infrastructure development.