Social Impact Indicators Research Articles

What are environmental, social, and governance scores measuring? The role of outcome and impact indicators in ESG scores

Environmental, social, and governance (ESG) ratings are fundamental tools; however, their underlying methodologies often involve complex aggregation processes. Although research on ESG has been expanding, the influence of specific indicators and categories on overall ESG scores remains insufficiently explored. This paper examines the contributions of social and environmental outcome and impact indicators to the ESG scores provided by the London Stock Exchange Group (LSEG). Our analysis reveals that among the 186 indicators comprising the LSEG ESG scores, outcome and impact indicators contribute only 18% to 37% of the total score. The remaining contribution comes from processes and policies indicators.

Selected social impact indicators influenced by materials for green energy technologies

The social risks of green energy transition are underexplored. One of the important questions is which materials used in green energy technologies offer the greatest social benefits, such as ensuring decent living conditions, and which pose the most social risks. To address this issue, we develop a dynamic material-energy flow model integrating system dynamics, social life cycle assessment, and geometallurgical approaches. The analysis focuses on critical materials: Rare Earth Elements, Nickel, Silicon, Graphite, Magnesium, Gallium, Germanium, Indium, Aluminum, Cobalt, Lithium, Zinc, and Tellurium used in wind turbines, electric vehicles, lithium-ion batteries and solar photovoltaic panels. We assess their social impact on work safety, gender equality, informal employment, labor income share, employment rate, and child labor—key issues addressed by Sustainable Development Goals 1, 5, and 8. Here we show that Aluminum production for electric vehicles, wind turbines and solar photovoltaic panels generates the most jobs and income opportunities, while extraction of Cobalt, Lithium, Silicon, and Zinc carry the highest social risks.

Exploring a Self-Sufficiency Approach within a Sustainable Integrated Pisciculture Farming System

The pandemic crisis has created significant challenges for small farms, leading to increased energy costs, higher prices for feed and nutrients, unreliable supplies of chemical fertilizers, and disruptions in product sales markets. These factors have collectively compromised the operational viability and economic sustainability of small-scale agricultural enterprises. To address these challenges, this paper explores the concept of a self-sufficient farming system, focusing on locally producing most of the resources needed to sustain operations and reduce dependence on external sources. A self-sufficient integrated pisciculture farming system is proposed and evaluated, promoting an autonomous circular model that prioritizes environmental sustainability. This system incorporates the integration of local livestock into fish diets, production of renewable energy sources, and efficient water and sludge management to reduce reliance on external resources. The detailed methodology used to evaluate sustainability indicators objectively demonstrates that the proposed system can be self-sustainable and autonomous; however, it requires considerable initial investments that can be recovered within at least six years. Optimizing the energy management plan can reduce daily power consumption by up to 25%. However, local conditions may challenge the efficiency of photovoltaic–hybrid energy production, requiring slight oversizing of the system. The research indicated that rearing carp with cereal-based feed mixtures produces growth results comparable to those achieved with commercially purchased feed. The indicators of resource efficiency, reliability, flexibility, productivity, environmental impact, and social impact were met as expected. The weakest indicator was the technology’s potential for scalability, due to its strong dependence on various regional factors.

Social life cycle hotspot analysis of future hydrogen use in the EU

Abstract Purpose The widespread use of hydrogen in the EU aimed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions may involve complex value chains (e.g. importation from third countries) with potential effects (positive or negative) on the different sectors of society. Achieving sustainable hydrogen deployment must be motivated not only by environmental and economic aspects but also by social responsibility and the search for human well-being. Given this, and the scarcity of studies currently available on prospective social impacts of hydrogen production, the present purpose of this article is to unveil and assess the main social impacts linked to the future hydrogen value chains. Methods The methodological approach adopted in this article encompasses the following steps: (i) analysis of two potential value chains for hydrogen use in EU: an on-site option, where hydrogen is produced and used in the same European country, and an off-site option, where hydrogen is produced in a European country different from its usage involving more unit processes, in terms of storage and transport activities, and working time to deliver the same quantity of hydrogen. This framework will include (i) scenario analysis and a forward-looking perspective taking into account the critical raw materials employed across the entire value chain, (ii) identification of a list of relevant social impact categories and indicators through a systematic procedure, (iii) social hotspot analysis using Product Social Impact Life Cycle Assessment (PSILCA) to assess the selected representative value chains, and (iv) conducting scenario analysis and subsequently interpreting of results. Results and discussion The off-site value chain shows a relatively worse social performance (6 to 72 times) than the on-site value chain across most selected indicators due to the more complex value chain. Although the identification of social hotspots depends on the specific social indicator under evaluation, the power source components (wind and solar PV) manufacturing processes and the relatively increased complexity of the off-site option highly conditioned the social performance of the hydrogen value chains in most of the indicators considered. A scenario analysis was carried out comparing both value chains with two additional locations for hydrogen production: Northern Africa and Western Asia. The findings indicate that the on-site value chain presents the lowest impact scores. For the off-site option, the production of hydrogen in a European country is the most preferable scenario in terms of the social indicators evaluated. Conclusions According to findings, producing hydrogen in a different location than where it is consumed increases the social impacts of its deployment. Measures at mid and long term should be considered for improving the social impact of hydrogen deployment in Europe. This includes increasing reuse and recycling, responsibly sourcing raw materials, and creating regulatory frameworks ensuring safe working conditions across global value chains. Furthermore, this article highlights the crucial role of the S-LCA methodology in evaluating social aspects as a support for targeted policy interventions, and the need to adapt this to the specific case study. At the same time, it acknowledges that other relevant social aspects that can influence the social sustainability of the hydrogen technology are not captured with this methodology (in particular social acceptance, affordability and energy security). Improvements in selecting indicators and refined geographical and temporal representations of the value chains to better represent hydrogen technologies and future size market are research gaps filled in the present scientific work.

Medidas de impacto social para a inovação social: Desafios e caminhos

ABSTRACT Purpose: How to evaluate the social impact of social innovation has emerged as an important question posed by academics, organizations, and policymakers in recent years. One reason for this is the increasing concern with the social impact of different types of organizations and social practices, particularly in response to a recognition of the urgency of developing more inclusive economies and societies. To find an answer to this question, this research seeks to investigate the state-of-the-art in terms of social innovation impact measurement, drawing on both scientific literature and practitioner literature. Originality/value: This research discusses the challenges posed by measuring the impact of social innovation initiatives and how these measurements may change the assessment process. The analysis finds that methodologies for measuring social innovation have mainly been undertaken in Europe, where these initiatives are largely addressed. Design/methodology/approach: This paper adopted a qualitative research approach based on the scoping review method. This method is widely used to identify emergent topics in scientific literature, aiming to identify implications for research and decision-making. The research was developed based on different steps to obtain information about the social impact measurement indicators and their overall contribution to the advancement of social innovation. Findings: The results also confirmed the lack of social innovation frameworks, methodologies, and tools capable of measuring the social impact of social innovations. Furthermore, a set of barriers in this field was identified, which can be used to channel better upcoming academic research on developing social impact indicators for social innovation.

Holistic assessment of the economic, environmental, and social impact of building construction. Application to housing construction in Andalusia

Buildings, although increasingly efficient, currently lack a comparative analysis from a holistic perspective. A large part of the effort to increase their efficiency focuses on their direct consumption of water and energy through the design of more efficient systems, but another large part of the consumption is caused indirectly by the production processes and the construction itself, and these are usually disregarded. To tackle this problem, a model is proposed for the evaluation of indirect impacts that take place during the building construction phase. The three dimensions of sustainability (economic, environmental, and social) from the construction site perspective are evaluated by integrating the assessment of social and environmental impact indicators with cost control tools. Construction cost control is normally defined by classification and coding systems of work units. In order to make this integration straightforward for practitioners, the existing classification is employed as a basis to systematize the evaluation of the other two dimensions of sustainability. The environmental assessment is covered with the PREDICE tool, developed here, which evaluates the footprint family indicators. For the social assessment, a secondary tool evaluates the project occupational risks. The model is applied to the construction of social housing in Andalusia, validating its versatility and allowing to simulate different scenarios. Five out of sixty work units evaluated represent around 70% of the total impact in each category. Three of those work units (concrete slab, façade plastering bricks, and brick partition walls) are replaced by a reticular slab, gypsum board partitions, and bricks with exposed face without plastering, respectively. These modifications allow reducing up to 20% the impacts in several categories.

Simulating the Adoption and Social Impact of Improved Cookstoves in Uganda Using Agent-Based Modeling and Neural Networks

Abstract This paper presents a methodology for predicting a product’s adoption and social impact using agent-based modeling (ABM) and neural networks to aid in decision-making related to the design and implementation of the product in a sociotechnical system. The collection of primary data on the social impact of a product is also outlined. Although this paper illustrates the method for improved cookstoves in Uganda, the general method can be applied to a wide range of contexts. A field study was carried out in Uganda, consisting of two phases of data collection. The data from the field work were used to train a neural network to predict if an individual would adopt an improved cookstove. Data collected from surveys and the trained adoption model were used to create an ABM to estimate adoption rates and social impacts experienced by households that had adopted technology and to assess social impact indicators. The contributions of this article are a method for collecting primary social impact data on a product and how to integrate those data into a predictive agent-based social impact model. This methodology also enables the examination of leverage points in the sociotechnical system to improve the social impact of a product as it is implemented in society.

Enabling Insights by Long-Term Evaluation of Social Impact Indicators of Engineered Products for Global Development Using In Situ Sensors and Deep Learning

Abstract Remotely measuring social impact indicators of products in developing countries can enable researchers and practitioners to make informed decisions relative to the design of products, improvement of products, or social interventions that can help improve the lives of individuals. Collecting data for determining social impact indicators for long-term periods through manual methods can be cost prohibitive and preclude collection of data that could provide valuable insights. Using in situ sensors remotely deployed and paired with deep learning can enable practitioners to collect long-term data that provide insights that can be as beneficial as data collected through manual observation but with the cost and continuity made possible by sensor devices. Postulates related to successfully developing and deploying this approach have been identified and their usefulness demonstrated through an example application related to a water hand pump in Uganda in which sensor data were collected over a five-month span. Following these postulates can help researchers and practitioners avoid potential issues that could be encountered without them.

PERSEPSI MASYARAKAT TERHADAP KEBERADAAN PERKEBUNAN KELAPA SAWIT PT. PERKEBUNAN NUSANTARA VIII TAMBAKSARI AFDELING SINDANGSARI, SUBANG

Indonesia is the country with the largest oil palm plantation in the world. One of the companies that manages oil palm plantations is PT Perkebunan Nusantara (PTPN) VIII Tambaksari afdeling sindangsari plantation, Subang. Before it became an oil palm plantation land, most people planted pineapple crops. After the existence of oil palm plantations, many communities were helped by the economy. However, some communities with farmers' livelihoods have complained that pineapple plantations continue to narrow because they are prepared for oil palm development. Based on these problems, this study aims to describe the characteristics of communities around oil palm plantations and find out the community's perception of the existence of oil palm plantations at PTPN VIII Kebun Tambaksari Afdeling Sindangsari, Subang in terms of social impacts and economic impacts using descriptive analysis and scoring analysis. The method used in this study is quantitative with a type of survey research. The results showed that the company had a positive impact on the communities around the PTPN VIII Kebun Tambaksari oil palm plantation on social impact indicators which included the quality of education, facilities and infrastructure, social values with an average score of 68.08 included in the positive category and economic impact indicators which included labor, new work ventures, and the number of residents and job opportunities with an average score of 71.47 included in the positive category.

Based on the time series model and decision tree model, whether wildlife trade should be banned for a long time summary

This article aims to study the main objects, objectives and trade trends of wildlife trade in recent years, as wildlife markets have been identified as the initiators of the outbreak and spread of the new coronavirus in 2020, and to collect and analyze the long-standing ban on wildlife trade. The data is graphed for visual analysis, and the Pearson correlation analysis method is used to analyze the relationship between wildlife trade and major infectious disease outbreak, social and economic impact indicators, and summarize the econom ic and social impact of this long-term ban. Then, the mathematical model we fit, combined with the current situation of the new crown epidemic, to provide effective, forward-looking, sustainable views and policy recommendations.

Social impact indicators in patient diagnosed of senile cataract treated with phacoemulsification plus intraocular lens implantation

Social impact indicators in patient diagnosed of senile cataract treated with phacoemulsification plus intraocular lens implantation

3D Printing in Sustainable Buildings: Systematic Review and Applications in the United Arab Emirates

Three-dimensional printing (3DP) has been rapidly evolving to be one of the leading technology fields in the coming decades. However, as in the early years of new technologies, 3DP suffers from technical limitations and various implications. This study focuses on the applications of 3DP in the construction industry, emphasizing its environmental, financial, and social sustainability aspects. A systematic bibliographic analysis was carried out for the relevant publications which increased by 25-fold from 2014 to 2021. The 3D-printed construction projects in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) are presented to demonstrate the early 3DP technology penetration into its booming construction sector. The UAE case is of particular interest from a sustainability perspective due to the environmental footprint of the ample construction activities in the country, combined with the ambitious strategic plans to achieve sustainable development goals. This critical analysis shows that, despite the limited literature, 3DP could potentially be a sustainable alternative with up to 49% less environmental footprint and 78% more cost-effectiveness compared to conventional construction techniques. As the social sustainability aspect was the least addressed, this study discusses relevant social impact indicators and systematic assessment criteria. It is evident that 3DP is already reshaping the future of the built environment, especially in cases where 3DP is advantageous, such as customized designs, quick project delivery, and sustainability-oriented constructions.

Analyzing the past and prospecting the future: Review and research agenda on social business and its stakeholders

The objective of this study is to analyze the international scientific production on social business and its stakeholders. For that, a bibliometric analysis of the publications indexed in the Web of Science during the last 10 years was performed, with the help of VOSviewer. The main results indicate a representative growth in the last 5 years. There is a predominance of research in North America, in the Social Enterprise Journal and with a predominance of studies on social innovation. The study contributes by presenting a future research agenda focused on the need for empirical studies and on topics such as: social marketing, social impact metrics and indicators, social inclusion, social alliances and social value.

The Role of Major Sports Events in Regional Communities: A Spatial Approach to the Analysis of Social Impacts

This study aims to suggest a way through which policymakers can easily understand the nature of the social impacts of events through a spatial framing of such impacts. The case study is based on two major sports events, namely the Alpine and Biathlon World Championships (together branded as the World Championships Region ), which took place within a small time frame in spring 2019 in the region of Jämtland, Sweden. As the region has an overarching events strategy, the goal of which is to benefit the entire regional population, this study sets out to examine whether this is the case by mapping the spatial distribution of social impacts of the aforementioned events. Using an SMS-based distribution method, and then applying a cluster analysis based on the 4,886 acquired responses, this study identified patterns of social impact based on regional resident perceptions across four social impact indicators. Results demonstrated that the strongest positive and negative reactions to the events came from residents in the host municipalities and the municipalities adjacent to where the events took place. Regional residents who experienced a high degree of pride but little else in the form of social impact were primarily concentrated in the peripheries of the region. These findings suggest that although the overall positive or negative experience was not necessarily highest among those who could not access the events, this group still exhibited a strong sense of emotional investment in the events and the regional identity. Overall, this article contributes to a deepened understanding of the social equity dimension of events in relation to space. It also shines a critical light on the often-held assumption that a large-scale event in one community is unequivocally beneficial for communities nearby.

Evaluation of Urban Tourism Carrying Capacity Based on Analytic Hierarchy Process Optimizing BP Neural Network.

With the rapid development of today's social economy, tourism has also developed rapidly. According to national statistics, from 2017 to 2019, domestic tourism revenue increased from 4.57 trillion to 5.73 trillion. The tourism economy has made more and more contributions to the national economy, and it has also received more and more attention and attention from society. However, in recent years, the “explosive” growth of tourism has not only promoted economic development but also brought some challenges to society and the economy, such as environmental pollution in tourist cities. Therefore, it is of great significance to evaluate the tourism carrying capacity of a tourist destination city to realize the sustainable development of the city's tourism. This article aims to study the evaluation of urban tourism carrying capacity based on AHP and an optimized BP neural network. It designs a carrying capacity evaluation system, conducts BP neural network training for the system, and conducts system testing. The results show that the proportion of scientific and technological innovation is obviously higher than that of other aspects in the proportion of carrying capacity indicators in various aspects of each city. Environmental carrying capacity indicators can be divided into resource supply indicators, pollutant containment indicators, and social impact indicators. This article divides the important indicators into economic development, technological innovation, potential competition, environmental support, and development guarantee. Its indicators account for about 50%, with an average of more than 40%. This shows that the system can clearly display the main factors and evaluation indicators that affect the urban tourism carrying capacity and has certain feasibility and reliability.

Exploring the global and local social sustainability of wind energy technologies: An application of a social impact assessment framework

A transition to renewable energy sources is needed in the EU countries to achieve their goal of a low-carbon economy. This transition may come with potentially negative impacts on the well-being of the population, both globally and locally. Such social impacts are not yet systematically assessed for renewable energy technologies. In this paper, a social impact assessment framework for renewable energy technologies is developed and applied for a wind energy case study. The assessed social categories comprise impacts on human health, human rights infractions, working conditions, local job creation, quality of residential life, landscape quality. In order to cover this broad field of social impacts, four distinct social impact assessment methods were combined in a common social impact assessment framework. The application of the framework was demonstrated by means of the wind energy case study. The results are presented in the form of a social sustainability dashboard comprising 23 social impact indicators covering both global and local well-being impacts. The analysis showed that the life cycle material demand of offshore wind projects has larger impacts on global well-being than the onshore alternatives. For the local dimension, the offshore case was found to be less intrusive for the local population.

Social Impact Indicators in the Context of the Roma Community: Contributions to the Debate on Methodological Implications

Researching with methodologies focused on social impact in line with the SDGs is one of the priority orientations of the Horizon Europe program, as shown in the official European Commission document on impacts for this program. In this sense, researchers must forecast how their project will improve citizens' lives. Until now, many investigations showed the evaluation of the social impact through knowledge transfer activities that, although undoubtedly important, are not enough since the social impact is defined as the improvements derived from using the knowledge transferred to society. The search for the social impact of new research requires the introduction of impact indicators from the design, throughout the project development, and when the project ends. The introduction of indicators, in particular if they are decided in dialogue with the participants, allows not only to foresee a greater social impact but also to improve and adjust the methodology to be used. We explore this aspect in the context of research with social impact that starts from how the COVID-19 pandemic is increasing the inequalities suffered by the Roma population, causing the aggravation and creation of new problems and needs. Thus, we explain in detail how the selection of indicators that monitor the social impact, in dialogue with the Roma population, allows the design of research projects that are more appropriate to the current context.

Two Approaches to Measuring Social Impact in Utah Museums

AbstractWith strong competition for funding, museums need to be able to clearly and concretely demonstrate their impact. In this paper we present two case studies to document the social impact of museums in Utah. In 2015, Thanksgiving Point, a multi‐museum complex, recruited families who had never visited to attend each museum then to take a comprehensive survey measuring indicators of social impact. Positive findings from the Thanksgiving Point study encouraged the Utah Division of Arts and Museums to expand on the model to include eight museums, representative of museums state‐wide, and attempt to measure social impact for the museums collectively as well as individually. Both studies showed that those who visit museums have experiences that lead to strengthened relationships, a greater sense of personal health and wellbeing, and higher educational engagement; and the state study revealed that museum visitors also developed greater interculture competency. Findings from both studies have been used to evaluatively reflect on internal practices and to garner support for external funding. This article begins with a discussion of dialog in the field around measuring the impact of museums, then describes the processes and lessons learned from these studies.

HGLUTEN Tool: Measuring Its Social Impact Indicators.

hGLUTEN is a technological solution capable of detecting gluten and spoiled food. We measured the social impact of the hGLUTEN tool using two Likert scale surveys with two groups: professionals (engineers/chefs) and end-users. These data have been assessed in accordance with the social impact indicators defined for the Key Impact Pathways introduced by the European Commission for Horizon Europe and the criteria of the Social Impact Open Repository (SIOR). A total of 85% of users, 100% of engineers and 68% of professional chefs consider it very relevant to participate and give their opinion in research projects, which shows the increasingly high level of involvement of the general population. A total of 88% of users were unaware of other applications that detect gluten and were more dependent on guidelines provided by allergy associations and expiry dates of foodstuffs. In addition, only 5% of professional chefs said they were aware of other technology capable of detecting gluten in food, which may indicate a large economic market and good commercialisation possibilities for the tool in the future. Finally, the inclusion of tools to motivate users to promote it has been identified as an area for improvement, which could mean that it should be made more visible in the media to increase its impact and influence.

Design of remote data collection devices for social impact indicators of products in developing countries

Social impact indicators provide one effective way to measure the social impacts of products in developing countries and ensure that engineering design is producing positive impacts on individuals. Remote data collection devices enable the use of sensors to collect user data required to calculate social impact indicators remotely, continuously, and potentially less expensively than other methods that require direct interaction with users. However, many key decisions and questions must be considered during the development and use of such devices to avoid risk of failure. To provide a systematic way for researchers and engineers to consider critical device development questions, the parts of device development and use can be decomposed into Data Identification, Device Design, and Device Deployment. This paper discusses the key decisions within each part of development along with critical questions, common options, and considerations that should be addressed during each part of device development, thus increasing the likelihood of success. A sensor development canvas outlining the key decisions is also provided as a design tool to easily identify deficiencies in the device during development. Considering these critical questions while developing and deploying data collection devices can help researchers and engineers successfully collect social impact indicator data that may be used to ensure engineered products are producing desired positive impacts on individuals.