Specific Sustainable Development Goals Research Articles

Fostering second-life applications for electric vehicle batteries: A thorough exploration of barriers and solutions within the framework of sustainable energy and resource management

Electric vehicles (EVs) play a crucial role in achieving Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), specifically focusing on Goal 7, which ensures access to Affordable and Clean Energy, and Goal 9, promoting advancements in Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure. However, the growing stockpile of used EV Batteries (EVBs) presents challenges. These EVBs, however, hold potential for second-use applications, aligning with energy conversion, resource optimization, and sustainable energy systems. This study employs a rigorous multi-criteria approach to bridge the research-practice gap by systematically evaluates and prioritizes barriers hindering the widespread adoption of second-use EVBs. The study's overarching objectives are to overcome these barriers, aligning with broader sustainability goals, and to offer insights shaping policies addressing environmental, social, and economic impacts, in coherence with SDGs 8, 11, 12, and 13. The research unfolds through a three-phase approach involving literature reviews, field visits, and expert interviews for barrier identification, theoretical framework development through literature and Delphi studies, and prioritization using the Fuzzy Best-Worst Method (FBWM). Results indicate that addressing Cost and Technological Challenges is pivotal for successful second-use EVB adoption, with proposed solutions involving regulations, recycling, and awareness. The study underscores the circular economy perspective, connecting identified barriers to specific SDGs. The FBWM proves effective in prioritizing barriers, providing actionable insights for policymakers and stakeholders. This research contributes significantly to the existing literature by systematically evaluating second-use EVBs, addressing a crucial research gap, and offering valuable pathways for broad adoption.

Measuring countries relative efficiencies in using development assistance: a data envelopment analysis approach

Despite the presence of a considerable corpus of literature investigating the impact of aid on nations' development, the efficiency of utilizing this finite pool of development finance remains ambiguous. The main aim of this study is to address the existing research gap by examining the efficiency of utilizing such development assistance in achieving three specific Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) from 2002 to 2020 using a Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) methodology. Moreover, this study examines the theoretical underpinnings that show a correlation between the impact of aid on development and the governance and political structure of countries. The findings indicate that the efficiency of development assistance often falls short of optimal, underscoring the necessity for more attention to its administration, particularly in low-income countries. The efficiency of development assistance can be significantly enhanced by organizational improvements, resulting in a significant increase beyond 80%. The confirmation of the robustness of the findings was attained by the application of the bootstrapping methodology. Hence, it is crucial to recognize that while augmenting the levels of development assistance may hold significance, it alone may not be adequate to guarantee efficient utilization in bridging the financial gap required to meet the desired objectives of the SDGs by 2030.

Business reporting of Sustainable Development Goals: Global trends and implications

AbstractWith a reported insufficient progress toward achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), improving knowledge on the uptake and use of SDGs within the private sector is imperative. To address this need, we examine the SDG reporting characteristics of 8500 companies using a global business and governance database. Our results show no correlation in reporting specific goals, which could impede progress toward other goals. A disconnection between corporate sustainability performances and SDG reporting is also observed, meaning companies may select and report specific SDGs arbitrarily without rooting them with actual sustainability performances. These findings question the motivation and effectiveness of current SDG reporting and call for more guidance on SDG indicator selection and performance assessment. Looking ahead, SDG communication practices are anticipated to change due to the advent of new corporate sustainability reporting regulations. We therefore call for continuous monitoring of SDG adoption, uptake, and communication in businesses.

Integrating United Nations Sustainable Development Goals in Soil Science Education

The United Nations (UN) Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) offer an opportunity to improve soil science education on sustainability because they provide specific context to educate faculty and students from various disciplines, including Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) about SDGs. Soil science is a STEM discipline with a wide range of applications in the SDGs. The objectives of this study were to use a matrix approach (framework for presenting options for discussion and implementation) to integrate SDGs into an existing introductory soil science course taught to undergraduate students from different STEM fields (environmental and natural resources; wildlife biology; and forestry). The course was enriched with a lecture on SDGs and students were asked to link soil properties and class activities to specific SDGs. A post-assessment survey revealed an increase in students’ familiarity with SDGs, and their relevance to soil properties and course activities. Students acknowledged the importance of soils and individual actions for achieving the SDGs. There was an overall increase in student familiarity (+59.4%) with SDGs. Most students agreed (46.7%) and strongly agreed (23.3%) that the course activities were an effective way to learn about SDGs with examples from soil science. Identified learning gaps in subject matter found through the surveys on SDGs were clarified during later classroom discussions. The advantage of this teaching approach is that it seamlessly integrates SDGs with existing course materials while relying on students’ critical thinking skills to effectively analyze soil science information and form a judgement on how it relates to SDGs.

Climate change challenges to meeting the sustainable development goals in the Hindu Kush Himalayan region

ABSTRACT Understanding the effects of climate change on achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) is critical, especially in the Hindu Kush Himalaya (HKH) region, which is experiencing a rate of warming nearly triple the global average. Despite the region’s importance in supporting major ecosystems and a vast population, the impacts of climate change on specific SDGs and their interconnections remain underexplored. This viewpoint article discusses the influence of climate change on the interplay among various SDGs, with a particular emphasis on SDG 6, SDG 7, and SDG 15. By offering insights into these challenges, this article aims to aid in the formulation and achievement of more effective strategies for meeting the SDGs in the Hindu Kush Himalaya (HKH) region.

Methods for Risk Reduction: Training and Exercises to Pursue the Planned Evacuation

Natural and anthropic disasters produce relevant economic and environmental losses at a global level. Many countries have adopted a risk management cycle to limit these losses. Agenda 2030 defined specific Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and relative targets dedicated to disaster risk reduction. Planned actions can pertain to the context “before” or “after” a disastrous event. The United Nations recommend a risk-informed approach for achieving the SDGs by working on anticipation and prevention. Planning with training and exercises, referring to transport systems in emergency conditions, can limit disaster impacts and strongly support the pursuit of sustainability. This research focuses on actions and methodologies for increasing preparedness levels “before” a disastrous event, to improve the capabilities of managers and people by increasing awareness of the effects of planned actions. Transport system models (TSMs) play an important role in simulating the evacuation of people to reduce theoretical risk, thereby reducing theoretical exposure. In this work, a method is presented that allows us to investigate how this theoretical reduction can become effective, through training and exercises. The paper proposes a general framework of training and exercises for risk reduction based on a given transportation planning model. The framework supports ex ante evaluations of exposure reduction produced by an evacuation plan. The obtained results show that the effectiveness of the planned actions increases with different levels of exercise implementation. The progressive implementation of exercises contributes to achieving the risk reductions estimated at the evacuation planning stage. The TSM in the mitigation phase is the basis for the development of specific quantitative evacuation plans, that must be implemented in the preparedness phase by means of training and exercises to test the planned actions in terms of reducing the exposure risk component. Some exercises implemented worldwide verify the proposed framework by means of some empirical evidence. The results and discussions reported in this paper can be useful for researchers, decisionmakers, and society by offering a contribution to the growing knowledge about risk and the potential actions and their relative effects on reducing it.

UNO's Sustainable Development Goals in academic courses: a pilot analysis on the programs of an Italian university.

Universities are critical in educating tomorrow's citizens and achieving the Sustainable Development Goals of the United Nations Organization. The aim of this study was to investigate the integration of these goals in the curricula of an Italian university. Cross-sectional study. In February 2021, as part of the annual Syllabus preparation for each course, the teaching staffs at the University of Udine (Italy) were asked to complete an additional section in which they could indicate up to three Sustainable Development Goals for their courses. Descriptive statistics, Chi-square test and logistic regression were performed to determine whether the professors' sex, age, or department affected the likelihood of mentioning Sustainable Development Goals. In 723 courses, 360/1040 professors 59% male, mean age 53 years (range 30-73), mentioned one (29%), two (23%), or three (31%) Sustainable Development Goals. No Sustainable Development Goals were mentioned in 16% of courses, the majority of which were from the Mathematical, Computer and Physical Sciences Department (58%). The top six Sustainable Development Goals quoted were: Good health and well-being (35%), Responsible consumption and production (22%), Quality education (17%), Industry, innovation and infrastructure (13%), Gender equality (13%), Decent work and economic growth (13%). The least frequently mentioned Goal was Life below water (1%). Women (p<0.0001) and senior professors (p=0.0148) were more likely to consider at least one of the Sustainable Development Goals, while Mathematical, Computer and Physical Sciences Department showed a negative correlation (p<0.0001). Gaps were identified with respect to specific Sustainable Development Goals, but discrepancies between departments may indicate deficits in respondent awareness. A transparent description of the Sustainable Development Goals in courses is recommended, to increase students' and university's engagement in sustainability.

Overlooked uneven progress across sustainable development goals at the global scale: Challenges and opportunities

Differences in progress across sustainable development goals (SDGs) are widespread globally; meanwhile, the rising call for prioritizing specific SDGs may exacerbate such gaps. Nevertheless, how these progress differences would influence global sustainable development has been long neglected. Here, we present the first quantitative assessment of SDGs’ progress differences globally by adopting the SDGs progress evenness index. Our results highlight that the uneven progress across SDGs has been a hindrance to sustainable development because (1) it is strongly associated with many public health risks (e.g., air pollution), social inequalities (e.g., gender inequality, modern slavery, wealth gap), and a reduction in life expectancy; (2) it is also associated with deforestation and habitat loss in terrestrial and marine ecosystems, increasing the challenges related to biodiversity conservation; (3) most countries with low average SDGs performance show lower progress evenness, which further hinders their fulfillment of SDGs; and (4) many countries with high average SDGs performance also showcase stagnation or even retrogression in progress evenness, which is partly ascribed to the antagonism between climate actions and other goals. These findings highlight that while setting SDGs priorities may be more realistic under the constraints of multiple global stressors, caution must be exercised to avoid new problems from intensifying uneven progress across goals. Moreover, our study reveals that the urgent needs regarding SDGs of different regions seem complementary, emphasizing that regional collaborations (e.g., demand-oriented carbon trading between SDGs poorly performed and well-performed countries) may promote sustainable development achievements at the global scale.

The sustainability-to-employment pipeline: the impact of SDG-related curricula on graduates’ employability

ABSTRACT Public and private organizations—including higher education institutions—frequently adopt the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to facilitate a better future. In their efforts to realize the Agenda 2030, universities are focusing on how teaching and curricula shape students’ competencies in interpreting and contributing to current societal challenges. Likewise, with businesses increasingly engaged in sustainable development issues, students will need SDG-related skills to align with current job-market requirements. Here, we examine the relationship between master graduates’ employability and the presence and type of SDGs in their curricula. We run a series of logistic regressions where we use three different model specifications: (i) curriculum with an SDG-related ECTS above the mean, (ii) curriculum related to a specific class of SDG (well-being, environment, economy, governance), and (iii) curriculum related to a specific SDG. Further, we consider three aspects of employability: having a job, job coherence (i.e. the match between a job and one’s field of study), and employment quality (i.e. having a higher salary). For this purpose, we collected data from 5,784 master's graduates at the University of Bologna in 2017. We derived employability measures from 2020 AlmaLaurea data to have a three-year time lag from graduation. Generally, we find that students who attended courses with SDG-related content achieved a higher and better occupation or a better skill match. At a grouped level, we find that SDG categories have a different impact on the students’ working outcomes. For instance, students with more SDG-related ECTS in the economy area have higher odds of being employed, finding a better job-skill match, and getting better salaries. In addition, the single goals were studied by showing the effects on finding work, having a skill match and earning a better salary.

AGEING &amp; 2030 AGENDA FOR SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT: PERSPECTIVE FROM INDIA

Globally, the proportion of older people is rising in all countries. Across the globe, older people are more likely than any other group to experience exclusion and numerous challenges that jeopardise their well-being. The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) establish targets for the world to attain by 2030 in order to improve welfare and prosperity for everyone. "No one is left behind" is the fundamental pledge of SDG. In light of this, the paper highlights different aspects of older- age exclusion; Major concerns associated with specific SDGs and ageing. In addition, some recommendations for age- inclusive sustainable development are outlined in the context of India

ЕФЕКТИВНІСТЬ УПРАВЛІННЯ У СФЕРІ ЗАСТОСУВАННЯ ПРОГРАМ ДОПОМІЖНИХ РЕПРОДУКТИВНИХ ТЕХНОЛОГІЙ

The article substantiates the directions for increasing the efficiency of management in the field of application of assisted reproductive technology programs in Ukraine. It was noted that for the successful implementation of new approaches to the management of the DRT sphere, the government, all management bodies and society in general should investigate in more detail the complex of management measures in order to increase the efficiency of the functioning of this system. It is emphasized that the management of the field of DRT is closely related to the management of risks arising from globalization and modernization, which requires management participants to have the skills and ability to recognize and solve problems both in the field of health care and in other areas where risks arise. Attention is focused on the fact that in the process of studying the issues of the effectiveness of DRT management, it is worth focusing on specific Sustainable Development Goals: Goal 3 "Strong health and well-being" and Goal 17 "Partnership for sustainable development". Performance evaluation criteria are proposed, which will contribute to the improvement of the quality of management in the field of application of DRT programs at the current stage of the development of the Ukrainian state. This list of criteria can be further expanded and improved, because these proposals contain those performance indicators that are absolutely necessary at today's stage of development of management relations in the field of DRT application, when the sector is given over to self-regulation, programmatic and regulatory documents are not adopted for years. It is concluded that in order to achieve the maximum effectiveness of management in the field of application of DRT, it is advisable to implement the following principles of health management, which are combined in the general societal and national approaches: management through cooperation; management by involving citizens; management through a combination of regulation and persuasion; management through independent agencies and expert bodies; management through adaptive policies, sustainable structures and forecasting results.

The comparison of Chat GPT, Perplexity AI, and Scopus database to capture Indonesian higher education quality in achieving SDGs 2030

Indonesia’s higher education sector significantly contributes to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly in the context of quality education. The research aims to (1) analyse the challenges of Indonesian higher education in achieving SDGs 2030 based on data and facts, (2) analyse Indonesian higher education’s challenges in achieving SDGs 2030 by making a plan or design, (3) analyse the impact of implementing the design in Indonesian higher education achieving SDGs 2030. Literature reviews using AI tools such as Chat GPT and Perplexity AI are rarely used, especially in discovering remedies to enhance the quality of education in higher education institutions in Indonesia. There has yet to be further research comparing AI tools and the Scopus database to find literature on specific SDG topics. Research shows several challenges in Indonesian higher education in achieving SDGs 2030, with the most discussed being access and equity, quality of education, universities programs, and infrastructure.

How to promote social innovation within Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs): The case of the Audiovisual Industry in Navarre

This article examines the situation of social innovation in the audiovisual industry, which is a gap in the field of media management regarding the promotion of innovation with social impact. The main objective of this paper is to conduct a study in order to promote social innovation in the audiovisual industry at regional level. By collaborating through an action research case with the audiovisual cluster in Navarra (CLAVNA) this research focuses on specific Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) related to gender equality, decent work and economic growth, and industry, innovation, and infrastructure. Three are the main findings of this study: 1) Technological innovations are crucial to promote social innovation; 2) the need for public-private co-creation for the development of the focused industry; 3) the relevance of focusing efforts on social innovation in firms based on animation and video games.to attract development and investments.

Does Government Performance Influence Public Trust? The Case of Sustainable Development Goals Policies at Local Level

In the recent past, governments have faced a number of crises (i.e. climate change, economic crisis, COVID-19, Russia-Ukraine conflict) that affect their overall performance. Crises directly impact citizens as they yield increased unemployment and debt crisis, lead to global warming, spark high inflation, and raise the cost of living. These issues which normally mirror the way governments perform, seem to have an impact on public trust. It remains unclear how and to what extent performance influences public trust. In addition, there has been difficulty identifying accurate ways to measure performance in the public sector, especially at the local level. Using data from IDEA Consult and Gemeente-en stadsmonitor (GSM), we propose to use Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) as a holistic way of measuring performance and show how this performance determines public trust. Results reveal that the performance in specific SDGs (such as SDG6, SDG7, and SDG9) positively influences public trust, suggesting that government performance in some areas may be more influential in shaping public trust than others. SDG16 has the strongest statistically significant impact on public trust.

Exploring the Role of Institutional Governance in Climate Action in the Western Balkans Economies

The new United Nations (UN) sustainable development (SD) agenda in 2015 heralded the beginning of a new global effort for the planet's sustainability through the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). They provide a framework for all countries, regardless of income levels, to guide national planning for achieving SD. Climate change may impact almost all SDGs and vice versa, though, of the 17 SDGs, the 13th is designated to climate action. The growing concern for environmental degradation has raised the question of how countries will manage to achieve SDGs and whether the answer can be found in their institutions. Reducing emissions necessitates environmental policies influenced by political institutions that shape policy adoption and implementation. This paper aims to analyze the effects of institutions adopting the dimensions of good governance on particular SDG indicators of the 13th SDG by using a Nonparametric Kernel Regression framework and a panel data set of 5 Western Balkans (WB) countries from 2000 to 2020. The target countries share the ambition of EU accession and hold the EU candidate status. WB countries spark our interest because of the severe institutional governance problems, which limit their ability to progress towards SDGs. The paper's empirical analysis uses a specific SDG indicator for the 13 SDG of the Europe Sustainable Development Report, similar to that used by the OECD for the report on Measuring Distance to the SDG Targets. The analysis includes as independent variables the World Governance Indicators (WGI). Contributing to the existing literature on institutions and SD, the novelty of our approach is the use of the WGI with SDG indicators in measuring the impact of quality of governance on the progress towards the 13th SDG referring to climate action.

Integration of Sustainable Development Goals and Media Literacy in Education

This article explores the urgent need for integrating media literacy and Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) into the educational process, especially in the face of increasing information warfare and technological changes. The authors argue that media literacy is not only a skill but a crucial tool for ensuring critical thinking and social stability. They emphasize the role of educators as primary "operators" of information and discuss how improved media literacy can make educational systems more resilient against external threats. Utilizing an interdisciplinary approach, the article aims to develop effective systems for bolstering the media literacy of educational staff as a pathway to achieving specific Sustainable Development Goals.

IMPACT OF COUNTRY-LEVEL CULTURAL DEVELOPMENT ON THE ACHIEVEMENT OF SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT GOALS

Purpose – The goal of the research was to test a general assumption about culture contribution to sustainable development via the relationship between culture-related indices and the achievement of specific sustainable development goals. Research methodology – Linear regression analysis along with robustness testing was used to test research hypotheses. The data set is represented by 19 explanatory variables and 2 dependent variables, which are proxies for sustainable developments goals Decent Work and Economic Growth and Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure – Innovation index and Global competitiveness index. The data were collected from 27 European countries for the period 2011–2020. Findings – Statistical analysis revealed relationship between sustainable development indices and culture development of European countries. Decent Work and Economic Growth demonstrated more significant relationship to cultural development than the Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure Development. Research limitations – The findings are limited by the fact that some variables were missing. Practical implications – The outcomes of the research allow to define the structure of relationship between sustainable development goals and cultural development indicators. Originality/Value – The research results have indicated that the achievement of sustainable development goals Decent Work and Economic Growth and Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure Development are affected by the level of cultural development.

Examining sustainable development goals: are developing countries advancing in sustainable energy and environmental sustainability?

Environmental sustainability is vital in developing countries for sustainable economic development, poverty reduction, food security, climate change adaptation, biodiversity conservation, global equity, and access to sustainable energy. In contributing to literature, this study computed composite variables following the unavailability of a unified sustainable development goals (SDGs) database to examine the progress of ten sample developing countries. The authors propose the design of a database that utilizes the specific SDG indicators for empirical research. In testing the applicability of the proposed database, we sampled 32 indicators from the World Development Indicators database and employed principal component analysis to compute composite variables. The authors then contribute to broadening the understanding of literature by examining to what extent developing countries advance towards ensuring agricultural, energy, and environmental sustainability. And how the interplay between the SDG indicators differ across the low- and middle-income countries in terms of econometric analysis. The findings suggest that since the adoption of SDGs in 2015, developing countries have made progress in advancing water and sanitation sustainability, leading to improved environmental sustainability. Furthermore, the middle-income countries have demonstrated greater improvements in energy and agriculture sustainability compared to low-income countries in contributing to overall environmental sustainability. The developmental relationship between sustainable energy and agriculture in low- to middle-income countries reveals increased diversity, thereby presenting challenges in attaining synergy within SDGs in developing countries. Therefore, addressing and understanding the intricacies behind the adverse relationship between sustainable energy and agriculture is crucial in formulating curative policies that advance the progress of SDGs. The study concludes that environmental sustainability is a vital developmental concern to be integrated into inter-generational and intra-generational development in the SDG framework. Also, the progress of the SDG indicators is endogenous and the extent to which low-income countries lag behind middle-income towards achieving collective goals requires critical policy intervention.

Achievement of sustainable development goals through the Mediterranean diet.

The prosperity of our planet relies on the cardinal concept of sustainable development. The dietary choices of humans play a pivotal role in creating a peaceful and contented world. In this context, the Mediterranean diet (MD) has emerged as a valuable approach to accomplishing such progress, wherein the rights of all living beings are equally honored. This review aims to analyze the significance of a plant-based diet, particularly the Mediterranean diet, in attaining sustainable development goals. A comprehensive search of the literature was conducted to gather the most reliable and published scientific evidence from books and papers. Within this research endeavor, specific Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are individually addressed in relation to the adoption of the Mediterranean diet as a foundational nutritional paradigm. Our research findings underscore the immense importance of the MD and advocate for its worldwide implementation to accomplish sustainable development objectives. The MD emerges as the most suitable dietary option for fostering sustainability and tranquility in our world. It is crucial to prioritize the global implementation of the MD to genuinely achieve sustainable development.

On the Incentive and Sustainability Impact of SDGs on Innovation in Small and Medium-Sized Tourism Enterprises (SMEs)

This paper investigates the influence of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) on innovation and sustainability in Small and Medium-sized Tourism Enterprises (SMEs) in Brazil. Through qualitative methods, including interviews and document analysis, the study explores how specific SDGs act as incentives for innovation, shaping employment strategies and responsible production processes within SMEs. The sustainability impact is evident in environmental conservation, community engagement, and responsible consumption. Despite notable achievements, challenges such as resource constraints persist, emphasizing the need for targeted support. The study concludes that aligning with SDGs positions Brazilian SMEs as contributors to global sustainability, promoting responsible and innovative business practices.