Environmental Sustainability Issues Research Articles

A nonparametric distance function approach with endogenous direction for estimating marginal abatement costs of CO2 emissions

The directional distance function (DDF) framework has been widely used to estimate the marginal abatement cost (MAC) of CO2 emissions to support decision-making in environmental sustainability and climate change issues. In the use of DDF, an important task is mapping evaluated entities towards a realistic production technology frontier. This study develops a new nonparametric approach for estimating the MAC of CO2 emissions. The approach incorporates the optimal endogenous direction into an enhanced environmental production technology and has three advantages. First, it avoids the arbitrariness in mapping directions. Second, it captures the heterogeneity in optimization paths across different decision-making units (DMUs). Third, it generates more reliable benchmarks for estimating MAC by constructing an environmental technology frontier that is consistent with the material balance principle. We apply the approach to study China's thermal power industry and find clear heterogeneity in MACs and optimization paths at the province level. The results on the optimal endogenous directions show that the DMUs prefer to increase both desirable output and CO2 emissions when CO2 emissions are unregulated. Comparisons with other approaches reveal that arbitrarily mapping exogenous directions and technology representations are likely to generate distorted and unrealistic MACs.

The transformative innovation potential of cellular agriculture: Political and policy stakeholders’ perceptions of cultured meat in Germany

The current animal-based food systems are being challenged by environmental, social and economic sustainability issues. A systemic transformation from conventional agriculture to a more sustainable cellular agriculture utilising cell-cultivation technologies to produce animal products has been proposed. The aim of this study is to explore the political and policy stakeholders’ perceptions about cellular agriculture; how they perceive of the current food system and its potential transformation into a cellular agricultural system. The qualitative data comprises 13 interviews conducted with representatives of German stakeholders. The data were analysed with the Transformative Innovation Policy approach. Perceptions of the transformative potential of cultured products were classified into drivers and bottlenecks that either advance or hinder the progress of cellular agriculture in Germany. The results show that the political and policy stakeholders are aware of the changes that are needed, but anticipate that large-scale transformation to the cellular agriculture system may not be a plausible solution in the near future.

Agave and Opuntia Species as Sustainable Feedstocks for Bioenergy and Byproducts

Currently, Mexico is facing an energy transition, therefore updated policy regulations pertaining to the sustainable use of biomass are needed. In particular, policy that favors the sustainable use of biomass to produce energy and bioproducts to privilege climate change mitigation is needed. This review describes the use of maguey (Agave spp.) and nopal (Opuntia spp.; also known as “cactus”) for biofuel production, especially in marginal areas. Emphasis is given on documented case studies discussing features of production and cultivation for both maguey and nopal, in addition to their potential for fuel production. Environmental and social sustainability issues in terms of waste value and new opportunities as bioenergy feedstocks and byproducts are also discussed. Although the paper does not deeply describe aspects of biomass transformation, such as bioprocess configurations, it gives characteristics of production in addition to cultivation. Agave and Opuntia species may represent a suitable feedstock for biofuels, bioproducts, bioenergy and biorefineries, especially in dry lands (semi-arid and dry sub-humid), deforested areas, agroforestry systems and agricultural semi-terraces known as metepantle in Mexico.

Evaluation and selection of healthcare waste incinerators using extended sustainability criteria and multi-criteria analysis methods.

Disposal of healthcare waste is a key issue of environmental sustainability in the world. The amount of healthcare waste is increasing every day, and it is necessary to adequately dispose of this kind of waste. There are various treatments for healthcare waste disposal, of which incineration of healthcare waste is one of the solutions. This paper suggests a model for selection of the type of incinerators that best solve the problem of healthcare waste in secondary healthcare institutions in Bosnia and Herzegovina. In the selection of incinerators, extended sustainability criteria were applied. Basic sustainability criteria: environmental, economic, and social criteria, were extended with the technical criterion. To assess which of the incinerators best meets the needs for healthcare waste collection, multi-criteria decision-making was used. For this purpose, a combination of two MCDA methods was applied in this paper, namely full consistency method (FUCOM) and compromise ranking of alternatives from distance to ideal solution (CRADIS). The FUCOM method was applied to determine the weights of the criteria, while the CRADIS method was applied to rank the alternatives. The best alternative of the six alternatives used is A2 (I8-M50), followed by alternative A1 (I8-M40), while the worst ranked alternative is A5 (I8-M100). These results were confirmed by applying the other six methods of multi-criteria analysis and the performed sensitivity analysis. The contribution of this paper is reflected through a new method of multi-criteria analysis that was used to solve decision-making problems. This method has shown simplicity and flexibility in operation and can be used in all problems when it is necessary to make a multi-criteria selection of alternatives.

Beyond the Energy Poor/Non Energy Poor Divide: Energy Vulnerability and Mindsets on Energy Generation Modes in Hungary

In the Hungarian as well as the international literature, debates regarding the methodology used for measuring energy poverty are ongoing. Our contribution sought to develop a methodology that would be relatively easy to measure via survey and have the potential to identify households’ energy vulnerability status beyond the energy poor/non energy poor divide. Based on a representative survey that was carried out in Hungary in 2018, we identified three groups of households: energy poor, non energy poor households, and a so-called transitional group, potentially at risk of energy poverty. In addition to socioeconomic differences, we analysed differences in the mindsets of respondents belonging to these three household groups concerning different aspects of heating energy generation (macrolevel aspects, such as environmental sustainability and energy supply system issues, and microlevel aspects, such as economic and technical issues). By this, the article aims to provide input for further research on factors, beyond the social and economic background, related to energy vulnerability.

A Review of Mining Regulations and Environmental Sustainability of Artisanal Gold Mining Sector

Artisanal and small-scale gold mining imparts on economic development more significantly in developing countries, but it is also responsible for serious environmental deterioration and human health concerns. Despite, the robust environmental legislations focused at mitigating the pernicious environmental and human health effects, little attention has been given to integration of environmental sustainability concepts into these regulations. This paper aims at addressing this gap by utilizing a systematic literature review methodology to analyze regulatory gaps and identify areas for improvement for integration of sustainable development. This study employed a systematic review designed to identify published scholarly studies on artisanal gold mining regulations for their effectiveness on environmental sustainability in the ASGM sector. A total of 159 papers were retrieved from the selected databases, 41 passed the inclusion criteria after a conscientious data analysis forming the evidence synthesis. After a rigorous data analysis, we find that the existing literature on ASGM regulations, largely do not systematically integrate critical issues of environmental sustainability. We found that, the regulations have concentrated on effects of chemicals such as mercury and cyanide mining technologies to minimize pollution and environmental assessments, while at the same time failing to address regulatory components of social issues, lack environmental incentives for the poor miners to improve production, lack of alternative technologies, lack of social securities, economic incentives and relevant trainings and awareness creation on health and safety which will continue to motivate unsustainable operations. It is thus strongly proposed that environmental sustainability concepts should be systematically and simultaneously integrated into ASGM regulations and policies in order to promote community livelihoods while protecting the environment from its rudimentary activities. The existing literature on ASGM regulations is unsystematic and inconsistent with most of it failing to fully address environmental sustainability challenges

Is Ethical Banking the Future? A Literature Review

Banks are one of the main contributors of economic growth. Whilst carrying their role as a catalyst of economic growth, banks may cause indirect damage to the environment and neglect part of the society. In the process they evade themselves from the socio- environmental responsibilities. In search of sustainable development through banking requires a new form of banking. The alternative source of banking has emerged to address these issues of environmental and societal sustainability. The new criteria for a knowledgeable shareholder/customer planning for investments/relationships with a bank would be the objective of the bank for environmental and societal sustainability. Banks are moving from profit centered banking to socio-environment centered banking. The ultimate objective is to achieve not only economic gains but societal and environmental gains as well. Hence; a form of banking based on values emerged and are called Ethical Banks. These banks promote ethical and responsible behaviors among their stakeholders. Ethical Banks like any other conventional Bank engages in whole gamut of banking operations. It operates with more transparency. Ethical Banking has many sustainable criteria, Responsible Investments, Values based Banking, Financial Inclusion, Environmental Sustainability and Sustainable Economic Gains. Ethical Banking is gaining popularity especially among the western part of the world. As the world is heading towards sustainability, Ethical banking is the most suitable banking model for the future. The subject of Ethical Banking is new to this part of the world. Therefore, many researches on this subject were done in the western world. Very few researches are available in Asian context. The purpose of this paper is to examine whether Ethical banking would be the future of banking through a literature review. The study is a desk research in the form of a literature review based on literature published between 1989-2019. The significance of the study is to find out whether Ethical Banking could contribute to socio-environmentally sustainable growth as the future of banking. Based on the literature reviewed, it can be concluded that Ethical banking could be the future of Baking for a sustainable world.
 Keywords: Ethical Banking, Value Based Banking, Financial Inclusion, Sustainable Development Environmental Sustainability

Food, Energy and Water Learning Module Workbooks: Low-Cost Affordable Inquiry-Based STEM Curricula

The Diverse and Integrative STEM Continua Using Socio-environmental Systems In and Out of Neighborhoods (DISCUSSION) network core team developed a low-cost, interdisciplinary, inquiry-based STEM curriculum of workbooks called the Food, Energy, and Water Learning Module (FEWLM). Built on the Next Generation Science Standards with a systems thinking approach, these workbooks provide hands-on, self-driven and team-building activities for elementary and middle school youth with the intent to increase their scientific exposure and awareness about environmental sustainability and human health issues. FEWLM was implemented at local Boys and Girls Clubs, local public after-school programs, and the DISCUSSION “HydroPHonics” Summer Enrichment camp. More than 150 underrepresented minority youth were engaged in our FEWLM science learning events during a two-year period; however, approximately 50 youth were surveyed about their experiences with FEWLM, attitudes and interest in science, and career ambitions. Evidence indicated that our FEWLM learning experiences had a positive impact on elementary and middle school youth by increasing their interest in STEM, perception of STEM in their lives, and confidence in their ability to participate in STEM.

Pengaruh Green Marketing terhadap Keberlanjutan Lingkungan, Profitabilitas Perusahaan dan Ekonomi Masyarakat Lokal

Issues and awareness of resource conservation and the environment must be able to motivate companies to compete in the marketplace. Conservation and environmental sustainability issues should force companies to adapt the strategic planning process at a new socioeconomic need. Ecological considerations are relevant variables to achieve economic objectives through strategic green marketing concept (GMS) in the tourism business in a sustainable manner. In order to focus the development of green tourism is significant, it is the responsibility of the environment should be part of the agenda of the company, as well as an increased concern for environmental damage should be the concern of travellers, government and non-governmental organizations with a way to put pressure on the industry to have a framework that is environmentally responsible, establish codes of conduct, certification, ecolabelling, awards, and an alliance of green products. Green Marketing Strategic significant effect and can improve the quality of the environment, corporate profitability and economic growth of local communities. Personal values take effect in the company and can significantly improve the quality of the environment, corporate profitability and economic growth of local communities.Environmental values and significantly influential organizations can improve the quality of the human environment, corporate profitability and economic growth of local communities. The role of government can have a significant effect and improve the quality of the environment, corporate profitability and economic growth of local communities.

A step towards sustainable environment in China: The role of eco-innovation renewable energy and environmental taxes

In the contemporary environment, developing countries are more focused on how economic factors can reasonably utilize technological advancement and carbon neutrality target as effective mechanisms in achieving sustainable production and consumption patterns. The effort to attain carbon neutrality target on natural environment in terms of lower carbon emission (CO2), haze pollution, and greenhouse gas (GHG) requires measures like the usage of non-renewable energy, ecological innovation, and environmental taxes. In doing so, this study considers the sustainability of China's natural environment in terms of CO2 emission, haze pollution through PM2.5, and greenhouse gas emission as well as factors like ecological innovation (ECO), environmental taxes (ERT), renewable energy, and globalization as the key determinants. The Quantile ARDL approach was used to examine both long- and short-run relationships between the explanatory and outcome variables. The results confirmed that there is a significant and negative impact of ECO, renewable energy, and ERT on CO2 emission in the region of China under different quantiles. Whereas, the globalization factor was observed as positively and significantly linked with CO2 emission but only for the higher quantiles. The long-run estimation further showed that ECO, renewable energy, and ERT can significantly help to decrease haze pollution in terms of PM2.5 in China. Furthermore, QARDL also confirms the negative and long-run estimation between the ECO, REN, and ERT, whereas globalization is causing more GHG in China, subsequently creating more environmental sustainability issues. Thus, it is concluded that effective innovation, renewable energy consumption, and environmental taxes reduce carbon emission while globalization increases the carbon emission in the country.

Seaside hotel location and environmental impact: land use dilemmas

ABSTRACT One of the most important decisions to be made in the tourism industry pertains to the location of sites, facilities, and hotels. This decision is influenced by tourist demand, local community needs, and economic benefits to stakeholders. Planners and entrepreneurs of new recreational resorts and hotels must take environmental implications into consideration as well as their responsibility in relation to them. This study addresses the relations between theories of tourism and seaside hotel location, the sustainability paradigm and the development of sustainable tourism, and land use conflicts engendered by the sensitivity of seaside tourism development to environmental and cultural sustainability issues. The aim of the study is to examine and analyze tourism vs. sustainability considerations of seaside hotel location, and to enumerate some of the principles to be considered suitable for optimal hotel placement in order to reduce land use conflicts on the subject. The methodology is qualitative and includes in-depth interviews with experts, tourism planners, entrepreneurs, decision makers and stakeholders involved in tourism development and environmental issues in Israel. This is a significant research with applied value in the planning of seaside hotels and tourism development in areas of pre-existing intensive development, competition, and conflicts over land use.

Environmental perspectives of external stakeholders in sport

ABSTRACT Research question The purpose of this study was to analyze qualitative data to understand a sport organization’s external stakeholders’ (i.e. sport fans’, non-sport fans’/community members’) environmental attitudes, ascription of responsibility, and preferences for environmental initiatives that should be prioritized. Research method A purposive sampling technique was used to distribute an online survey through Qualtrics. As part of the broader survey, 100 respondents provided open-ended comments to three prompts related to environmental sustainability and/or sport, and these comments serve as the basis for this study. Results and findings Eight themes were established and resulted in the subdivision of sport-centric and political themes. Participants felt that both cities and sport organizations have responsibilities and platforms for supporting pro-environmental issues. Political attitudes influenced differences between respondents. There were preferences towards initiatives directly related to benefitting a sport organization and others to benefitting the community. Implications Our results can help fill the gap in the strategic approach sport practitioners take when deciding what environmental initiative(s) to prioritize based on data from stakeholder input and preferences. These initiatives could apply to both internal efforts and community engagement activities. Research contribution This is the first study to examine sport and non-sport fan responses to environmental sustainability issues in a sport context. Our findings inform future researchers who explore the response of stakeholders (e.g. fan, community members) to environmental initiatives in sport. Our findings can also lend to the creation of a sport-focused materiality assessment.

Broken chocolate: biomarkers as a method for delivering cocoa supply chain visibility

PurposeThis paper examines the potential of “biomarkers” to provide immutable identification for food products (chocolate), providing traceability and visibility in the supply chain from retail product back to farm.Design/methodology/approachThis research uses qualitative data collection, including fieldwork at cocoa farms and chocolate manufacturers in Ecuador and the Netherlands and semi-structured interviews with industry professionals to identify challenges and create a supply chain map from cocoa plant to retailer, validated by area experts. A library of biomarkers is created using DNA collected from fieldwork and the International Cocoa Quarantine Centre, holders of cocoa varieties from known locations around the world. Matching sample biomarkers with those in the library enables identification of origins of cocoa used in a product, even when it comes from multiple different sources and has been processed.FindingsSupply chain mapping and interviews identify areas of the cocoa supply chain that lack the visibility required for management to guarantee sustainability and quality. A decoupling point, where smaller farms/traders’ goods are combined to create larger economic units, obscures product origins and limits visibility. These factors underpin a potential boundary condition to institutional theory in the industry’s fatalism to environmental and human abuses in the face of rising institutional pressures. Biomarkers reliably identify product origin, including specific farms and (fermentation) processing locations, providing visibility and facilitating control and trust when purchasing cocoa.Research limitations/implicationsThe biomarker “meta-barcoding” of cocoa beans used in chocolate manufacturing accurately identifies the farm, production facility or cooperative, where a cocoa product came from. A controlled data set of biomarkers of registered locations is required for audit to link chocolate products to origin.Practical implicationsWhere biomarkers can be produced from organic products, they offer a method for closing visibility gaps, enabling responsible sourcing. Labels (QR codes, barcodes, etc.) can be swapped and products tampered with, but biological markers reduce reliance on physical tags, diminishing the potential for fraud. Biomarkers identify product composition, pinpointing specific farm(s) of origin for cocoa in chocolate, allowing targeted audits of suppliers and identifying if cocoa of unknown origin is present. Labour and environmental abuses exist in many supply chains and enabling upstream visibility may help firms address these challenges.Social implicationsBy describing a method for firms in cocoa supply chains to scientifically track their cocoa back to the farm level, the research shows that organizations can conduct social audits for child labour and environmental abuses at specific farms proven to be in their supply chains. This provides a method for delivering supply chain visibility (SCV) for firms serious about tackling such problems.Originality/valueThis paper provides one of the very first examples of biomarkers for agricultural SCV. An in-depth study of stakeholders from the cocoa and chocolate industry elucidates problematic areas in cocoa supply chains. Biomarkers provide a unique biological product identifier. Biomarkers can support efforts to address environmental and social sustainability issues such as child labour, modern slavery and deforestation by providing visibility into previously hidden areas of the supply chain.

Education for sustainable development in Japan and Malaysia: a comparative study among engineering undergraduates

Purpose This study aims to examine the impacts of education for sustainable development subject(s) offered at University A, Japan and University B, Malaysia on the attitude and perception toward environment, social and economic issues of sustainability among the engineering undergraduates of the institutions from different countries. Design/methodology/approach A questionnaire survey was administered to 108 engineering students at University A, Japan and 117 engineering students at University B, Malaysia to measure their attitudes and perceptions toward sustainability. Findings The findings suggested that the sustainable development courses offered at University A, Japan, have developed positive attitudes and perceptions on environmental and social sustainability issues. The subjects on sustainable development offered at University B, Malaysia have developed positive attitudes and perceptions on the environmental issues of sustainability. Respondents from both universities, Japan and Malaysia, have not properly developed positive attitudes and perceptions toward economic sustainability issues. The findings also revealed that geographical boundaries have no influence toward the development of the attitude and perception toward sustainability issues. Originality/value This study provides insight into the attitude and perception toward the three pillars – environment, social and economic – of sustainability among engineering undergraduates from two different institutions of two different countries that apply different pedagogic strategies in education for sustainable development in educating undergraduates on sustainable development.

Sustainable Food Consumption Practices: Insights into Consumers’ Experiences

In recent years, the increasing consumer concern towards food safety, environmental sustainability, and social justice issues have stimulated new consumption practices more oriented towards social, economic, and environmental sustainability [...]

Sustainable tourism consumer: socio-demographic, psychographic and behavioral characteristics

El consumidor de turismo sostenible: Características sociodemográficas, psicográficas, y de comportamientoPropósitoEste estudio busca revelar las características sociodemográficas, psicográficas, y de comportamiento de los consumidores responsables para promover la demanda de prácticas de sostenibilidad en la industria del turismo y la hospitalidad. Se evaluaron variables sociodemográficas y psicográficas para determinar su influencia sobre la autoevaluación de un individuo como consumidor responsable, que después se evaluó para determinar su influencia en resultados conductuales, específicamente preocupaciones de sostenibilidad medioambiental y social, objectos de preocupaciones de sostenibilidad, sujetos considerados responsables de la sostenibilidad, y la elección de turismo de masas versus turismo alternativo.Diseño/metodología/métodoDebido a la falta de teoría robusta y bien establecida sobre las características de los consumidores responsables, un análisis de contenidos de la literatura y un análisis cuantitativo de datos obtenidos a través de una encuesta se utilizaron para identificar las características sociodemográficas, psicográficas, y de comportamiento de los consumidores. Las variables plausibles identificadas en la literatura fueron filtradas a través de un análisis de componentes principales (ACP) y un análisis de regresión por mínimos cuadrados ordinarios (MCO) para afinar a priori las variables para el desarrollo de un modelo adecuado, el cual fue evaluado utilizando un modelo de ecuaciones estructurales por el método de mínimos cuadrados parciales (PLS-SEM por sus siglas en inglés) que permitió seguir afinando las variables a posteriori por medio de la evaluación de su confiabilidad y validez.ResultadosEntender quiénes son los consumidores responsables y qué son propensos a creer y hacer es imperativo para aumentar las prácticas sostenibles en la industria. El estudio demuestra que las personas que se consideran consumidores responsables son más propensas a tener niveles más altos de opiniones éticas, a tener personalidades más femeninas y liberales, a demostrar preocupación por los problemas de sostenibilidad medioambiental y social, a considerar a todas las partes pertinentes como responsables de la sostenibilidad, y a escoger formas alternativas de turismo en vez de turismo de masas. El estudio sugiere que los consumidores americanos en general tienen el potencial de apoyar prácticas sostenibles.Originalidad/valorA pesar de los intentos esporádicos de otros investigadores para describir las diferentes características del consumidor responsable y de los consumidores de turismo sostenible, las investigaciones anteriores no han generado una descripción completa de quién es un consumidor responsable en términos de sus características sociodemográficas, psicográficas, y de comportamiento. La literatura sobre las características del consumidor responsable es escasa y sin bases teóricas; por lo tanto, este estudio sienta las bases para el desarrollo de esta área de investigación en todos los sectores de la industria global del turismo y la hospitalidad. Los resultados de la evaluación del modelo proporcionan un perfil claro de los consumidores de turismo sostenible en los ámbitos sociodemográficos, psicográficos, y de comportamiento para que la industria responda.

Feasibility Study on Walkable City Through Implementation of Car-Free Zones and its Effect on Traffic Movement in Georgetown, Penang Using GIS Network Analysis

For many years of vehicle technology developments, people have a tendency to not be separated from it. Excessive reliance on vehicle especially personal cars causes large span of available spaces were dominated by it. This situation has led to many significant issues in both urban and rural area which include congestion, safety on the road, and environmental sustainability issues. In order to cater these degrading issues, the car free and walkable city concept was applied in this study. Through these concept, sequential reduction in the number of cars on the roads and shifting of people’s mode of transportation would be possible. The principle of walkability together with limitations of vehicle accessibility area as the criteria in car-free spatial modelling is applied and presented in terms of maps showing the areas to be designed as car-free zone. The percentage of Georgetown’s pedestrianized streets is determined in conjunction with an evaluation of the impact of car-free zones on the route, distance and time of travel, and also its traffic impact projections around the area. It is found from the results that every localized traffic has a longer traveling distance and much slower pace. However, the travel time is sometimes reduced due to the roads that have been diverted to allow for a higher travel speed.

Land Consumption Monitoring with SAR Data and Multispectral Indices

Land consumption is the increase in artificial land cover, which is a major issue for environmental sustainability. In Italy, the Italian Institute for Environmental Protection and Research (ISPRA) and National System for Environmental Protection (SNPA) have the institutional duty to monitor land consumption yearly, through the photointerpretation of high-resolution images. This study intends to develop a methodology in order to produce maps of land consumption, by the use of the semi-automatic classification of multitemporal images, to reduce the effort of photointerpretation in detecting real changes. The developed methodology uses vegetation indices calculated over time series of images and decision rules. Three variants of the methodology were applied to detect the changes that occurred in Italy between the years 2018 and 2019, and the results were validated using ISPRA official data. The results show that the produced maps include large commission errors, but thanks to the developed methodology, the area to be photointerpreted was reduced to 7300 km2 (2.4% of Italian surface). The third variant of the methodology provided the highest detection of changes: 70.4% of the changes larger than 100 m2 (the pixel size) and over 84.0% of changes above 500 m2. Omissions are mainly related to single pixel changes, while larger changes are detected by at least one pixel in most of the cases. In conclusion, the developed methodology can improve the detection of land consumption, focusing photointerpretation work over selected areas detected automatically.

‘Landscape of exception’: Power inequalities and ethical planning challenges in the landscape transformation of south-eastern Sicily

In some marginal contexts of Southern Italy, in light of specific economic, political and social conditions, certain relationships between ‘strong powers’ and ‘weak powers’ produce a suspension of norms/rights that is, paradoxically, ‘normalised’. This creates a particular spatial variation of Agamben’s (2005) state of exception concept: the ‘landscape of exception’. With respect to the possible conditions of ‘exception’, this article describes the ‘landscape of exception’ of the greenhouse system in South-Eastern Sicily. This ‘landscape of exception’ is generated by the greenhouses, in particular those dedicated to vegetable production, through an effective mechanism of spatial manipulation of the landscape and social control of migrant workers. In relation to these considerations, this work reflects on the ethical challenges and responsibilities of planning, highlighting (explicit and latent) conflicts and power inequalities in the ‘landscapes of exception’, where issues of environmental sustainability, social justice and the suspension of norms are closely intertwined.

Interweaving Indigenous and Settler Knowledges for Environmental Protection in Resource Development and Indigenous Conciliation in Canada

Canada has prioritized “reconciliation” with Indigenous peoples just as debates over the ecological impacts of extractive industries are rising in volume and vigour in the public sphere. While apparently distinct, these two substantial and pressing priorities—and their underlying harms of colonialism and extractivism—can be seen as intertwined issues of social, economic, and environmental justice and sustainability. Thus, interweaving—more than “integrating” or “bridging” as employed in the literature—Indigenous ways of living and knowing and Euro-Canadian knowledge systems in resource development projects stands to help Canadians advance both environmental protection and respect for First Peoples and their traditionally used and claimed territories. Building on these premises, this study by “a White person of consciousness” examines the needs, benefits, obligations, frameworks, and challenges of involving Indigenous ways of knowing in the current framework for approving and managing resource development projects in Canada. It notes imperatives and efforts to link Indigenous and settler systems of “knowledge” in such projects and lessons learned and suggests best practices for policies and practices aimed at encouraging both environmental protection and Indigenous conciliation, which can further each other. Finally, the study considers implications of such interweaving for Canada’s international standing.