Strong Sustainable Development Research Articles

Strong versus weak sustainable development in the blue economy: a study of 15 EU coastal countries

One of the European Union’s environmental and sustainable development objectives is to achieve sustainable marine development, combining the objectives of ocean health and the blue economy. Developing, implementing, and monitoring marine policies requires information on the status and evolution of marine development at the country level, including the extent to which strong sustainable development (i.e., balanced development across socio-economic and environmental dimensions) is being achieved. Here, we provide a comprehensive assessment of progress towards marine development for 15 European Union coastal countries in the Baltic, North, and Atlantic Seas, covering the period 2012–2022 and using information from Sustainable Development Goal 14 to derive our indicator framework. We show that the EU is achieving sustainable marine development, but not comprehensively in all countries. While seven countries achieved sustainable development under both weak and strong sustainability, seven countries developed only under weak sustainability, and one country made no progress under either concept.

Thermopyles: The Possibilities of a Global Brand Name Place in Forming a Strong Competitive Identity and Sustainable Development

Thermopyles: The Possibilities of a Global Brand Name Place in Forming a Strong Competitive Identity and Sustainable Development

Regenerative tourism in Australian wine regions

The tourism industry is complex and deeply embedded into the social, environmental, and cultural fabric of social-ecological systems. Tourism presents an additional rural development pathway for regions to diversify their economies and strengthen resilience at both micro (individual/business) and macro (community/regional) scales. In an Australian context, expansion of the tourism industry is an important strategy for rural development, particularly as the viticultural industry responds to uncertainties in the wine market and climate change. However, the emergence and growth of the tourism industry also creates risks for multifunctional viticultural landscapes. To better understand this complex relationship, regenerative development and place attachment literatures are explored to identify how multifunctional viticultural landscapes can be best supported by tourism for strong sustainable development outcomes. Host and guest values are examined in two prominent Australian food and wine regions, McLaren Vale in South Australia and Margaret River in Western Australia. Both places have a history for driving innovative, regenerative practices for sustainable landscape management, tied to regional identity and marketing. However, a mismatch is apparent between local and visitor values towards a range of regenerative land use and development themes. Locals consider sustainable landscapes and regenerative agricultural practices as more important, in association with their connection to place. Yet, visitors appear less aware of the roles that tourism can have in regenerating landscapes and agriculture, which means they are less likely to make decisions to support those practices. Regional tourism should directly assist vignerons to establish resilient and regenerative viticultural landscapes.

Sustainability management accounting – enabling macro-level sustainability transformation towards the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals

Purpose Business has a critical part to play in transforming the global economy and society to achieve sustainable development. Many granular sustainability accounting and management tools have been offered. To systematize these piecemeal developments, this paper aims to develop a framework for analysis of the potential role of sustainability management accounting (SMA). The key challenge addressed is how SMA could be extended to support future-oriented, long-term, pro-active management of multiple issues to contribute towards strong sustainable development at the macro-economy level. Design/methodology/approach This conceptual paper examines SMA within a multi-level, context-action-transformation framework which can move organizations and society towards sustainability. Based on normative stakeholder theory, including concern for mainstreaming marginalized stakeholders, the paper discusses the role of SMA and how it can contribute necessary information to sustainable development of the company and beyond its boundaries. Findings Guided by a SMA framework linking context, action and transformation and normative stakeholder theory, which considers all stakeholders, the paper shows how the present lack of progress towards macro-level sustainable development can be addressed. This requires a focus on measuring and assessing positive impacts and forward-looking, long-term and proactive management of multiple sustainability issues as typified by the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Practical implications The paper distinguishes between two aspects of SMA – a focus on reducing unsustainability and a focus on transformations towards sustainability. It is observed that there is insufficient emphasis on the latter at present if SMA is to provide comprehensive support to achieving the SDGs. A set of supportive tools is presented as a guide to practice and future developments. Originality/value The paper considers how SMA can enable and support transformations towards sustainability at the macro- and meso-level. Different transformational challenges and opportunities are discussed. In particular, the need to balance consideration of time, proactivity and multiplicity, as highlighted in the SDGs, is identified as the central way forward for SMA.

Temporal and spatial evolution and influencing factors of urban ecological total factor productivity in the Yellow River basin under strong sustainable development.

A growing consensus worldwide has indicated the need to protect the ecological environment and achieve sustainable development. Ensuring ecological protection and high-quality development of the Yellow River basin have become China's major national strategy. We reviewed extant literature, summarised government reports and guidance documents on the Yellow River basin, and proposed introducing a strong sustainable development theory into the study of total factor productivity (TFP). The spatial-temporal evolution and influencing factors of urban ecological TFP in the Yellow River basin are of great practical significance. We proposed a new ecological TFP indicator: the modified input-oriented Luenberger productivity indicator (MIL). Using panel data from 78 cities in the Yellow River basin during 2003-2019, we measured the urban ecological TFP. We adopted the geographic information system tool and kernel density estimation to analyse the temporal and spatial evolution of the indicator, as well as its spatial effects and influencing factors, using the global Moran's I index and dynamic spatial Durbin model (SDM). Our results show that, during the sample period, our indicator increased in cities in the region with an average annual growth rate of 0.627%, driven by technological progress. The average annual growth rate in urban areas showed a decreasing distribution of 'downstream-midstream-upstream'. Fiscal decentralisation (FD), industrial structure (IND), financial development (FIN), urbanisation level (URB) and research and development (RD) investment improved growth rates in this and the adjacent regions through direct and indirect effects. However, environmental regulation (ER), opening level (OPEN) of cities and population density (POP) were obstacles to TFP growth.

Managing Urban Eco-Spaces for Sustainable Social Value: A Case Study of Mangrove Ecosystem Services in Shenzhen, China

Against a background of high-speed development and the expansion of built land surface, there has been widespread encroachment of natural habitats (henceforth “eco-spaces”). It becomes correspondingly difficult to improve the value of urban ecosystem services, since current assessments of land still primarily focus on use value (e.g., when nature and its products are converted and consumed), while the regulation and non-material services provided by eco-spaces are often ignored. In order to assess the rate of return on land transfers of eco-space, theories such as strong sustainable development, ecological land rental, natural resource ownership and opportunity costs were synthesized to construct an eco-space transfer cost–benefit analysis model, which is based on the value of ecosystem services. This study used the Futian Mangrove Ecological Park in the megacity of Shenzhen as a case study. To estimate the social value, which more comprehensively captures ecosystem services and economic value from eco-space, we used a counterfactual scenario of residential land development (the most plausible alternative land use scenario). This allowed us to calculate the rate of return from eco-space use change. The result of the total and annual rates of return over a projected 70-year timeframe were −10.76% and −0.16%, respectively. Accordingly, we suggest that management of the mangrove park should change the pricing strategy to better align the social benefits that it generates with the payments sustaining it. This case study provides instructive lessons for the management of eco-space in large urban settings.

Fast and Sustainable Development Space: An Integrated Approach

The article investigates the fast and sustainable development, then, discusses some policy implications to enhance the development process. The fast development is accessed by the economic growth rate combined with income distribution, while the sustainable development is accessed by the genuine savings per gross domestic product (GDP) and the biocapacity reserve. The research method employs a quantitative analysis on a data sample of 172 economies over the period 1990–2019. The results in this article suggest that an economy can first attain the objective of fast and weak sustainable development, then, the fast and strong sustainable development. The transmission from fast and weak sustainable development to the fast and strong sustainable development is difficult, thus needs the appropriated public policy architecture. JEL Classification: Q01, C31, H31

Weak and strong sustainable development models analysis

The emergence of weak and strong models of sustainable development, the bases and principles that distinguish them from each other, as well as the arguments of the supporters of these approaches are studied. It is noted in this paper that, believing that there can be a smooth replacement of resources, the weak sustainability approach does not see any environmental threat to economic growth. The disadvantage of this approach is that it does not take into account the fact that human life would be unstable if the basic natural resources were depleted without any compensation. From this viewpoint, the arguments of the strong sustainability approach are considered more realistic and accepted as more attractive. A strong approach to sustainable development, which is a more cautious approach to economic growth, emphasises that sustainable development can be achieved through environmental responsibility. Ensuring environmental responsibility is presented as one of the important conditions for economic expediency and social solidarity. Strong sustainability model opposes the possibility that human capital can be replaced by natural capital. Analysing the positions of those scientists, who support strong sustainability, it is concluded that the replacement of development characterised by quantitative growth with qualitative sustainable development to increase welfare is one of the important principles of strong sustainable development.

Evaluation of Sustainable Development of Tourism Cities Based on SDGs and Tourism Competitiveness Index: Analysis of 221 Prefecture-Level Cities in China

Based on the Sustainable Development Goals and competitiveness index, an evaluation index system for sustainable development of tourism cities was established. The sustainable development level of 221 outstanding tourism cities in 2018 was evaluated, and their sustainable development paths were designed accordingly. The results show the following: (1) There is a large gap in sustainable development scores. In general, no city has achieved a strong sustainable development model. Natural and cultural resources and protection systems are the shortcomings of the systems. (2) The weights of natural and cultural resources and protection systems are the largest, and the weights of natural and cultural resources endowment, degree of tourism infrastructure construction, and economic support for natural and cultural resources are larger. Nature reserve coverage index, network popularity, and other indicators have greater weight. (3) There is a gap in the sustainable development level of tourism cities in the eight comprehensive economic zones. The economic zones in the eastern and southern coastal areas are better than those in the northwest and the middle reaches of the Yellow River. (4) The driving factors of the eight types of tourism cities distinguished by their characteristics are basically the same, but the obstacles are different.

COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF WEAK AND STRONG SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT MODELS

The concepts of weak and strong sustainable development are used in the analy­sis of sustainable development. At the scientific level, the concepts of sustai­nability and sustainable development have been tried in different ways, and over time, dif­ferent view aspects have emerged. As is generally known, sustainable development sees the best way to ensure the well-being of future generations in providing the next generation with the same resources as today. At this point, there is some discussion about the nature of the resource that needs to be protected. This discussion to­uching on the relationship between human capital and natural capital has led to the emergence of the concepts of weak and strong sustainability, i.e., models of weak and strong sustainable development.The emergence of weak and strong sustainable development models, the basics and principles that differs them from each other, as well as the study and analysis of the arguments of the supporters of these approaches, are of great relevance. Analyzing in the article the positions of those, who support strong sustainability, it is con­c­luded that the replacement of development characterized by quantitative growth with qualitative sustainable development to increase welfare is one of the important principles of strong sus­tainable development.

Hutanomics: Digital Economy Innovation for Strengthening Forestry Economic Resource Management

This research trying to explains the management of the nation's economic development based on preserving the environment, which is the forest. This is because economic development has always been identified with environmental damage, including deforestation. As one of the countries with the largest tropical rainforest globally, Indonesia is automatically one of the focuses on its economic development is utilizing existing forestry resources. This causes a massive deforestation process, so the international community pressures Indonesia by accusing Indonesia of being one of the world's countries that cause climate change. Therefore, currently, the Government of Indonesia has established a Green Economy Development Program to overcome the problem of climate change caused by economic activities. The idea of Green Economic Development is essential to discuss because of the nation's priority for strong economic growth and sustainable development. One form of green economic development is to introduce the hutanomics concept, a concept of economic development management that is harmonized and based on the interests of forests and nature, which the author has adopted as the theme of this research. With a qualitative approach, the descriptive method, the researcher explains the management of the nation's economic development based on preserving the environment, which is the forest. Research findings show that economic development does not always have to come at the expense of the environment like deforestation. One of the concepts introduced is Hutanomics (Forest Economic), a management concept of economic development by aligning economic interests with the interests of forests and nature. Environmental impact analysis is critical to Hutanomics because it involves the claims of nature and the necessity of a collaboration between the government, the corporate world, and the community, each with their own functions

The Evolution of Sustainable Development Theory: Types, Goals, and Research Prospects

Sustainable development (SD) has become a fundamental strategy to guide the world’s social and economic transformation. However, in the process of practice, there are still misinterpretations in regards to the theory of SD. Such misinterpretations are highlighted in the struggle between strong and weak sustainable development paths, and the confusion of the concept of intra-generational and inter-generational justice. In this paper, the literature survey method, induction method, and normative analysis were adopted to clarify the gradual evolution and improvement process of the concept and objective of SD, to strengthen the comprehensive understanding of the SD theory. Moreover, we also tried to bring in the situation and concepts of China. The results show that the theory of SD has gone through three periods: the embryonic period (before 1972), the molding period (1972–1987), and the developing period (1987–present). SD is gradually implemented into a global action from the initial fuzzy concept, including increasing practical wisdom. The goal of SD evolves from pursuing the single goal of sustainable use of natural resources to Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). This paper argues that the theory of strong sustainability should be the accepted concept of SD. Culture, good governance, and life support systems are important factors in promoting SD.

Survey Study on Attitudes to Multi-Dimensional Sustainable Development with U.K. MSc Students

As reflected in the sustainable development goals (SDGs), sustainable development is a multi-dimensional concept integrating political, ethical, economic, and other factors. Reports from the United Nations (UN) Decade of Education for Sustainable Development (UNDESD) suggest that universities are more engaged with sustainable development in higher education. Despite promising signals about student awareness of sustainable development, survey studies suggest student engagement and knowledge is limited. Previous studies have tended to focus on undergraduates and examine basic attitudes to triple bottom line issues. This study examined knowledge and attitudes of postgraduate U.K. students enrolled in one-year taught sustainability degrees on the multi-dimensional issues of sustainable development. This study piloted a 39-question 7-point Likert scale survey with a cohort of U.K.-taught postgraduate (MSc, MPhil) students (n = 121, Cronbach’s Alpha 0.796, n = 39 questions). The study found this cohort able to recognize and respond to the multiple challenges of strong and weak sustainable development issues rather than exhibiting knowledge gaps previously reported. Results and qualitative comments from the survey suggest, however, that students resist the idea of strong interventions in social, political, and economic life.

Application of the one-card intelligent management system of the hospital

This paper presented the introduction of information technology to develop the hospital′s one-card intelligent management system and its successful application. Thanks to the effective integration and linkage of hospital resources and information technology, such a system is built on the Internet of Things, platform + application, Internet + mindset. Thus the system can effectively achieve the service philosophy of strong security, high efficiency, and sustainable development, as well as more convenient access to medical treatment, more effective communication, and a new pattern of more comfortable medical and health services. Key words: Hospitals; One-card; Information systems; Application

Bicycle-sharing systems in an alternative/diverse economy perspective: a sympathetic critique

ABSTRACTThis contribution puts bicycle-sharing systems (BSSs) as a rather recent, environmentally friendly form of urban mobility in the context of broader societal changes. More specifically, we discuss to what extent BSS and their various modes of organisation can be regarded as an “alternative” consumption practice, explicitly designed to deliver more social just outcomes, taking the diverse economy framework of Gibson-Graham as a key tool of analysis. Our examination unfolds a range of limitations of BSSs for (strong) sustainable development, but also a number of obvious and less obvious prospects and opportunities.

Evaluation on Sustainable Utilization of Water Resources in Shandong Province Based on Water Footprint

The paper adopts 17 prefecture-level cities in Shandong Province as geographical unit, selects the indicators concerning regional sustainable development capacity from the perspective of resource, environment, social economy and efficiency support, etc., introduces the concepts of water footprint and evaluates the sustainable development condition of water resource and overall sustainable development condition in these geographical units. It’s indicated that the overall sustainable development capacity of the 17 prefecture-level cities in Shandong Province is ranked in descending order as follows: Weihai, Yantai, Qingdao, Binzhou, Zibo, Dezhou, Jining, Rizhao, Jinan, Laiwu, Linyi, Zaozhuang, Weifang, Dongying, Liaocheng, Taian and Heze. The score of sustainable development capacity achieved by the former nine is larger than 0 and the cities are in a state of sustainable development; while the score of sustainable development capacity achieved by the latter eight is smaller than 0 and the cities are in a state of unsustainable development. On this basis, the geographical units are further divided into four types by means of optimal partition method, i.e., with strong sustainable development capacity, with comparatively strong sustainable development capacity, with comparatively weak sustainable development capacity and with weak sustainable development capacity, and the sustainable development characteristics of each type are analyzed.

Good Governance Based Rural Management and its Role in Sustainable Rural Development (Case Study: A Comparison between Central District of Kuhdasht and Lavasanat District of Shemiranat)

هدف: رویکرد حکمروایی خوب روستایی با تأکید بر سه رکن اصلی دولت، بخش خصوصی و جامعة مدنی به حضور فعال و اثرگذار این ارکان در سایة مشارکت، شفافیت، پاسخ گویی، قانون‌مندی، عدالت، اجماع گرایی، مسؤولیت پذیری،کارآیی و توسعة انسانی تأکید دارد. هدف از این پژوهش، بررسی جایگاه مدیریت روستایی مبتنی بر رویکرد حکمروایی خوب در توسعة پایدار روستایی «مقایسة بخش مرکزی کوهدشت و بخش لواسانات شمیرانات» است. روش: پژوهش از نوع توصیفی- تحلیلی بوده و روش پژوهش از نظر هدف کاربردی و از نظر نحوة گردآوری داده ها، پیمایشی است. جامعة آماری؛ شامل خانوارهای روستایی دو منطقة مورد مطالعه با 27 روستای نمونه و 280 خانوار است. ابزار گردآوری داده ها از نوع پرسش نامه بوده که به صورت تصادفی در روستاهای نمونه تکمیل شد. به منظور تحلیل داده ها و آزمون فرضیه ها نیز از مدل ویکور و آزمون های آنوا توکی و رگرسیون چند متغیره استفاده شده است. یافته‌ها: مطابق یافته های مدل ویکور، مدیریت مبتنی بر رویکرد حکمروایی خوب و سطح پایداری سکونت گاه ها در دو منطقة مورد مطالعه از وضعیت بسیار متفاوتی برخوردار است؛ به طوری که در هر دو منطقه، روستاهایی که از وضعیت حکمروایی خوبی برخوردارند، پایداری بهتری نیز دارند. هم‌چنین، تحلیل رگرسیون چند متغیره، نشان دهندة تأثیر و ارتباط معنی دار بین مؤلفه های حکمروایی خوب و توسعة پایدار روستایی است. محدودیت ها: محدودیت های این پژوهش شامل وسیع‌بودن حجم نمونه و جامعة مورد مطالعه و تطابق مدل نظری پژوهش با مدل تجربی آن بود. راه‌کارهای عملی: درنظرگرفتن رویکرد حکمروایی خوب در نظام مدیریت روستایی می تواند موجب سرعت بخشی روند توسعة پایدار روستایی شده و از ناپایداری سکونت گاه ها جلوگیری کند. اصالت و ارزش: این مقاله ضمن مقایسة تطبیقی دو منطقه با نظام مدیریت، سطح حکمروایی و پایداری متفاوت، می تواند کاستی‌های موجود در ساختار مدیریت یک‌پارچة کنونی روستاهای کشور را واضح تر نشان دهد.

SPATIAL PATTERN OF SUSTAINABLE URBAN DEVELOPMENT INDICATOR FOR THE MONTREAL URBAN COMMUNITY

The City of Montreal initiated a First Strategic Plan for Sustainable Development in 2005 followed by a Community and Corporate Sustainable Development Plan in 2010–2015. This study proposes a sustainable urban development indicator (SUDI) for each Montreal Urban Community (MUC) to evaluate the achievements of sustainable development plans. This study identifies thirty-two variables as the attributes of sustainable urban development. The multivariate technique and Exploratory Spatial Data Analysis are applied to determine the spatial pattern of SUDI for each MUC. The spatial pattern of SUDI identifies that Ville Marie, Verdun, Sud-Ouest, Mercier-Hochelaga-Maisonneuve and Plateau Mont-Royal have strong sustainable development. The findings of this study help the City of Montreal to understand the improvement of the sustainable development plans for Montreal city and to distribute the municipal budget for the community benefits accordingly.

Official recognition of 2015 Global Geoparks applications: geological section evaluation

A Global Geopark is a unified area with geological heritage of international significancewith a strong management structure and sustainable economic development strategy already in place. Global Geoparks use the local and regional geological heritage with its strong relation to the technical and cultural heritage in the area to promote awareness of key issues facing society; to educate visitors and local communities; and to link these local and regionalpeculiarities to the broader aspects of the area’s natural and cultural environment in the context of the dynamic planet we all live on. Global Geoparks promote awareness of geological hazards, help prepare disaster mitigation strategies among local communities, educate on current climate change, promote best practise approach to utilising renewable energy and employing the best standards of “green tourism”, inform about the sustainable use and need for natural resources, whether they are mined, quarried or harnessed from the surrounding environment, promote respect for the environment and the integrity of the landscape. The Global Geoparks Network (GGN), supported by UNESCO, provides a global platform of active cooperation between experts and practitioners in geological heritage. Under the auspicesof UNESCO and through regional network partners, significant national geological sites gain worldwide recognition and visibility through tourism as well as best practices within the scientific and education community.Within a designated Global Geopark area, models of best practice are developed, setting high quality standards in all aspects of their operation.The GGN continues to expand each year, in May 2015 comprising 111 Global Geoparks in 34 countries from five continents. The International Union of Geological Sciences (IUGS) is a partner with UNESCO and the GGN and assists in finding geoscientists – volunteerexperts in the fieldsrelevant to the aspiring Global Geopark applications – who are willing to evaluate the geological sections of each new Global Geopark application for their international significance. Given the fact that unique geological settings and their globally recognised importance are the foundation on which a Global Geopark is first established the evaluation of the geological section of a Global Geopark application follows high quality standards of and is of quintessential importance,a critical part of the Global Geopark evaluation process, and helps maintain the high global standards of the Global Geoparks Network. In 2014, 17 new applications were submitted to UNESCO and these were evaluated in the first half of 2015. The 2015 aspiring Geoparks were (in alphabetic order): Beaujolais (France), Belogradchik (Bolgaria), Celestienne, Lesse and Lomme(Belgium), Dunhuang (PR China), Golden Geopark of Lapland (Finland), Grevena Tethys (Greece), Imbabura (Ecuador), Izu Peninsula (Japan), Lochaber (Scotland), Mons (Belgium), Mount Apoi (Japan), Pollino (Italy), Shouf Jezzine (Lebanon), Sitia (Greece), Toba (Indonesia), Troodos (Cyprus), Zhijindong (PR China). The evaluators for these 17 aspiring Geoparks were (in alphabetic order): Michel BAKALOWICZ, S.K. BHUSHAN, Attilio BORIANI, Robert BUTLER, Jose-Pedro CALVO, Pedro CASTINERAS GARCIA, Patrick DE WEVER, Yildirim DILEK, Steve DRURY, Franz Wolfgang EDER, John HUGHES, Mike KATZ, Christian KOEBERL, Frederic LACOMBAT, Richard LANGFORD, Randy MILLER, Greg MOORE, Damian NANCE, Adriana NIZ, Yujiro OGAWA, Nazire OZGEN ERDEM, Annie RASSIOS, Corina RISSO, Matti SAARNISTO, Veli-Pekka SALONEN, Harold STOWELL, Michiel VAN DER MEULEN, Benjamin VAN WYK DE VRIES, Guido VENTURA, Pierre VERPAELST, Nadja ZUPAN HAJNA and those other geoscientists that helped in the process, but choose to remain anonymous.

Multicriteria development of synthetic indicators of the environmental profile of the Spanish regions

Sustainable development is establishing itself as a goal pursued by the policies of many national, regional and local governments. However, progress in this regard is proving slower and more complex than expected, in part because of the difficulty in measuring sustainability. The objective of this paper is to provide a synthetic measurement of sustainability serving to analyse overall sustainability, in addition to sustainability in each separate aspect, allowing us to detect whether regions are failing in one particular dimension. To this end, the proposed scientific model is based on an aggregate focus with a dual reference point (reservation or acceptable value, and aspiration or desirable value). The method also incorporates the opinion of various experts by means of a system of preference aggregation. The result is a dual weak–strong sustainable development indicator. For each region we obtain a weak indicator, measuring aggregate sustainability, allowing for compensation across the different indicators, and a strong indicator, which measures the state of the worst of the weighted indicators, in other words not allowing for compensation. The method has been applied to each of the regions into which Spain is divided, using the official data published by the Spanish Ministry of the Environment [Ministerio de Medio Ambiente]. The indicators obtained are particularly useful because they serve not only to measure the relative sustainability of each region, but also provide a warning system to forestall problems and assist in strategic decision-making.