Sustainability Debate Research Articles

Towards an ecosystemic approach to culture and sustainability

ABSTRACT In the past decades, international cultural policy and academic discussions have aimed to link culture to sustainability debates, but as many scholars have noted, concrete policy implications have remained slim. As another emerging trend, the metaphor of ecosystem has been increasingly used in research and policy to approach the reality of cultural activity in a more inclusive way. Although discussions of cultural sustainability and cultural ecosystems have coexisted for some time, they have so far not been systematically connected. This paper aims to fill this gap by studying how cultural ecosystems and sustainability have been discussed separately and together in previous research and by suggesting an ecosystemic approach as a possible solution to the acknowledged lack of clarity in policy and theoretical approaches to cultural sustainability. Through a systematic literature review, the study identifies four standpoints on cultural ecosystems and sustainability and proposes an ecosystemic framework for cultural sustainability analysis.

Off-Grid Systems With Reused Notebook Batteries – A Cost Analysis

Technologies that fall under alternative energy generation methods are currently among the main topics discussed in many environmental and sustainability debates. Among the most commonly used generation methods, on-grid and off-grid photovoltaic systems are prominent, mainly due to the abundance of the energy source. Offgrid, or autonomous, systems rely on energy storage, which requires the use of batteries. The construction of a battery generally involves the combination of cells. In this article, a cost analysis will be carried out to economically demonstrate the viability of a simulated battery assembled from reused cells compared to a new battery with the same characteristics. In this work, batteries are designed using 18650 cells, which are cylindrical cells with a diameter of 18 mm and a length of 65 mm. These cells power many devices, such as laptops and power banks, and were chosen due to the abundance of raw material in discarded equipment. The main result of this analysis is that the use of batteries made from reused cells can make the installation of an off-grid system economically viable, while the installation of such a system with a battery made from new cells is unfeasible. A reused cell can cost about 15% of the price of an equivalent new cell. In an initial analysis, the payback period of an off-grid photovoltaic system can be reduced by approximately 70% when using reused cells, compared to the payback period for a system with new cells

How meeting the ten pedometrics challenges can deliver healthy‐soil contributions to SDG‐related ecosystem services

AbstractWhen considering ecosystem services in line with relevant Sustainable Development Goals, the proposed logical sequence of the ten pedometric challenges can form a framework defining effective contributions by the soil science discipline to the sustainability challenge facing society. Defining relatively simple, but scientifically sound, indicators and thresholds for ecosystem services can be the basis for a transparent regulatory system justifying payment for ecosystem services provided to society. The current serious lack of trust between the policy and farming arenas can and should be restored by scientists and farmers working jointly in Living Labs, aiming to become Lighthouses, to be part of Communites of Practice (CoP). A Living Lab case study is reviewed showing that much know‐how is already available to define indicators and innovative cutting‐edge methodology adds attractive new opportunities for rapid and relatively cheap characterizations. Field work remains essential and just routinely applying standard techniques fed by existing databases may lead to poor results. Research on indicator‐thresholds has a high priority. In the case study, the important soil fertility indicator was based on the current procedure of field sampling and fertilization recommendations by specialized agencies, that is already followed by 85% of farmers. This could be expanded by including indicators for other ecosystem services thereby contributing substantially to the societal sustainability debate. Soil health plays a key role when contributing to all ecosystem services. Showing this with specific examples in a Living Lab/Lighthouse and CoP context is the best way to promote the profession which is needed to justify current major funding. Not only cutting‐edge research can contribute to defining indicators and thresholds. A hundred years of research has produced many valuable insights and methodologies that can be applied as well. The: ‘better’ can be the enemy of the: ‘good’. The sustainable development challenge is highly urgent: there is no time to lose.

An Overview on Bioeconomy in Agricultural Sector, Biomass Production, Recycling Methods, and Circular Economy Considerations

This review examines the essential components of a circular economy (CE) in relation to the agricultural sector. The bioeconomy and circular economy are crucial for sustainable global industrial growth, focusing on closed-loop systems. The sustainability debate centers on intergenerational equity and natural capital. The CE requires new environmental technologies and global coordination in order to combat climate change and biodiversity loss. In addition, efficient food production and waste reduction are essential due to population growth. However, biomass is vital for a bio-based economy, impacting food waste and climate change. Grasslands support sustainable dairy production and carbon sequestration. Thus, effective waste and wastewater management are critical, with biomass energy providing renewable alternatives. Nonetheless, biofuels remain key for sustainability, focusing on pollution control and Green Chemistry. It is well known that sustainable transportation relies on bioenergy, with ongoing research improving processes and discovering new fuels. One notable challenge is managing heavy metals in biofuel production, and this underscores the need for eco-friendly energy solutions. The main purpose for this review paper is to create a connection between circular economy aspects and the agricultural system, with focus on the following: bioeconomy research, biomass utilities, and biofuel production. Extensive research was performed on the specialized literature by putting in common the main problems. Key subjects in this paper include the use of biomass in agriculture, the problems of plastic recycling, and the function of the CE in mitigating climate change and biodiversity loss. Efficient food production and waste minimization are highlighted due to their relevance in a growing population. The study’s detailed research and discussion aim to give important insights into how these practices might promote economic development and sustainability. Furthermore, the study covers important waste management issues such as food waste, plant composting, and chemical waste neutralization. These topics are critical to understanding the circular economy’s broader implications for minimizing environmental damage and implementing sustainable waste management strategies.

Continuous and changing stakeholder engagement for organisational sustainability: Proposing the stakeholder engagement flow model

AbstractStakeholder engagement has been at the forefront of the organisational sustainability debate, particularly focusing on operational sustainability practices (OSP). While sustainability literature increasingly focuses on sustainable business models (SBMs) and the relationship to OSP, research on stakeholder engagement in SBMs and how this relates to engagement in OSP has been scarce. Based on case study research, this paper contributes to the debate by first providing empirical evidence on engagement practices for implementing SBMs. Second, this paper proposes the stakeholder engagement flow model, highlighting how stakeholder engagement for implementing SBMs need to be adapted in relation to stakeholder engagement in OSP. While stakeholder engagement is often continuous for a broad range of stakeholders, successfully implementing SBMs may also require changing engagement practices both in terms of engagement approach and role of stakeholders. The results advance the theoretical debate on stakeholder engagement for organisational sustainability and support practitioners to rethink and evaluate their stakeholder engagement efforts when aiming to implement OSP and SBMs.

Tracing environmental Kuznets curves: unveiling the interplay of inequality, urbanization, GDP and emissions in BRICS nations

In light of environmental challenges, the BRICS countries have stepped to the forefront of economic progress versus environmental sustainability debate. Not only has energy consumption increased rapidly in these countries, but the economic progress and urbanization, mainly driven by intensive fossil fuel production, have also led to higher levels of income inequality. The dynamics of the interplay between economic growth, urbanization, and income inequality on the one hand and environmental sustainability on the other have yet to be fully understood in the BRICS context. This paper aims to contribute to the ongoing debate by assessing a combination of three Environmental Kuznets Curves (EKC) based on the GDPpc-emissions nexus, the income inequality- emissions nexus, and the urbanization-emissions nexus. Using the Autoregressive Distributed Lag (ADRL) and Panel Fully Modified Least Squares (FMOLS) models, we find an inverted U-shape EKC between GDP and carbon emissions, an inverted U-shaped EKC between income inequality and carbon emissions, and a U-shaped EKC between urbanization and carbon emissions. The inverted EKC between GDPpc and carbon emissions suggests that in the long run sustainable carbon reduction is possible alongside economic growth, but urbanization’s U-shaped impact on emissions might hinder this. Moreover, the inverted U-shaped relationship between income inequality and carbon emissions indicates a potential long-run trade-off between reducing both inequality and carbon emissions. Factors behind this relationship may vary significantly and include institutions- and country-specific factors, yet policymakers in the BRICS countries will do well attempting to better understand the dynamics behind urbanization and inequality as it will enable them to adopt more effective holistic policies aiming to improve energy efficiency, reduce fossil fuel dependence, and build economic systems contributing to faster economic growth, lower inequality and greater environmental sustainability.

Professionalization for Education for Sustainable Development through Action Research using the Example of a University Course

The interdisciplinary character as well as the current and future relevance of the sustainability debate with all its inherent dilemmas and uncertainties, can provide fertile ground for educational innovation. Against this background, a team at the University of Klagenfurt, together with FORUM Umweltbildung and colleagues at teacher training colleges in Austria, designed the four-semester in-service course "BINE - Education for Sustainable Development - Innovations in Education". The aim of BINE is that the participants deal with the topics of sustainable development (SD) and education for sustainable development (ESD) as a learning community. An important element of this is the systematic reflection of innovations in their own practice within the framework of an action research study. The action research process provides a learning basis to promote the concepts of ESD as well as research and implementation skills of the participants. While sustainability topics are used as a vehicle for emancipatory education on the one hand, they are intended to trigger concrete sustainable social development processes on the other. This implies a great challenge, but also holds considerable potential for educational processes. With regard to sustainable development, education in the context of ESD means addressing questions in concrete fields of action about how the future can be shaped sustainably. This includes precise observation, analysis, evaluation and cooperative design of a concrete situation. Reflective action competence - and not blind action or unreflective action patterns - is a main goal of learning (Rauch & Pfaffenwimmer 2020).

Disentangling social impacts in global value chains through structural path analysis: Investigating forced labor in the cotton industry

AbstractThis analysis proposes an analytical method to trace the precise pathways through which impacts from a specific origin are disseminated worldwide and embodied in high‐income nations' consumption. Our methodological approach is based on a multi‐regional input–output model developed using EXIOBASE data for 2019. The model is extended with the structural path analysis (SPA) methodology, which allows us to trace and quantify the critical interactions in the impacts' dissemination process from their origin until reaching their destination as final demand in a specific industry and region. The SPA method is explored both in gross and net terms as complementary perspectives to disentangle the complexity of global value chains, which is the main contribution of our approach. The net assessment accounts just for interindustry transactions, whereas the gross analysis considers all steps of the value chain, even those occurring at an intraindustry level. In this work, we analyze a case study to expose the features of this proposal, which focuses on assessing the global reach of forced labor in the cotton industry in the two leading worldwide cotton producers. Textile global value chains are intricate and complex, making it hard to trace the negative social impacts linked to them. Therefore, a deeper understanding of how forced labor is disseminated worldwide until reaching developed nations is necessary to shed light on the social sustainability debate. Although this kind of forced labor seems to be a regional affair, our results show that more than 13% of the estimated forced workers are attributed to the European Union and the United States consumption, respectively, with apparel, footwear, and textiles as key goods embodying these workers. After analyzing the specific paths of dissemination linked to the fashion demand of the European Union and the United States, our key findings show the predominant role of the Chinese and Indian textile industries in most paths given the high number of intrasectoral transformations inside this sector. We also show that forced labor in the Chinese cotton industry is even more distant to the final consumer than usual unskilled labor, which is an additional obstacle to its traceability.

Climate Extremes and Sustainability Issues: A Case of Proposed Hydropower Projects in Lahaul Valley, Himachal Pradesh

Water and energy are the key to development; however, a great deal of contestation is at the very core of hydropower and sustainability debate in the context climate change and risk of disasters. A vast potential for renewable energy in the Himalayas has led to planning for hydropower projects since 1990s. However, social, economic and environmental issues linked to such development has also led to a fear among local communities in light of climate change. This study analysed the relation between climate extremes, disaster risk and hydropower development in Lahaul Valley of Himachal Pradesh. The study examined long-term climate data for precipitation and temperature trends while daily rainfall gridded data was used for the analysis of climate extremes. The results show statistically significant increase in precipitation intensity and rise of winter and post winter temperature. Also, heavy and very heavy rainfall days, daily rainfall intensity shows increasing trends that may have serious repercussions on local economy, livelihood and hydropower development. The field observations reveal discontentment of local population to proposed development. It is important that this debate must be reviewed logically to ensure safe future of the area with sound understanding of disasters and climate change risk.

It’s not (only) about Getting the Last Word: Rhetorical Norms of Public Argumentation and the Responsibility to Keep the Conversation Going

The core function of argumentation in a democratic setting must be to constitute a modality for citizens to engage differences of opinion constructively – for the present but also in future exchanges. To enable this function requires acceptance of the basic conditions of public debate: that consensus is often an illusory goal which should be replaced by better mastery of living with dissent and compromise. Furthermore, it calls for an understanding of the complexity of real-life public debate which is an intermixture of claims of fact, definition, value, and policy, each of which calls for an awareness of the greater ‘debate environment’ of which particular deliberative exchanges are part. We introduce a rhetorical meta-norm as an evaluation criterion for public debate. In continuation of previous scholarship concerned with how to create room for differences of opinion and how to foster a sustainable debate culture, we work from a civically oriented conception of rhetoric. This conception is less instrumental and more concerned with the role of communication in public life and the maintenance of the democratic state. A rhetorical meta-norm of public argumentation is useful when evaluating public argumentation – not as the only norm, but integrated with specific norms from rhetoric, pragma-dialectics, and formal logic. We contextualise our claims through an example of authentic contemporary public argumentation: a debate over a biogas generator in rural Denmark.

The limits of voluntary measures: Packaging the plastic pollution problem in Australia

AbstractThe massive global growth in the production, use, and disposal of plastic materials has generated a pollution crisis in many countries. In Australia, debates about how to address this multi‐faceted challenge have lacked the political urgency necessary for adopting strong reform measures. Consistent with the early stages of other sustainability debates, the industrial producers and distributors of plastic materials have been successful in prioritising voluntary measures, such as recycling materials and local authority collection schemes, to mitigate the problem, instead of agreeing to implement enforceable reduction targets. This paper examines Australian measures to manage plastic waste with a focus on how particular policy instruments were favoured and endured and how a greater focus on the full range of policy instruments—market based, regulatory, and voluntary—could generate more effective solutions.Points for practitioners Choice of effective policy instruments is crucial for tackling sustainability problems. Policy instruments employed by Australian governments to manage plastic waste have been ineffective. Moreover, policy settings do not support effective co‐ordination between key stakeholders for the reduction of plastic pollution. Policy advisors should recognise the limits of voluntary approaches and market‐based mechanisms, and consider introducing clear and mandatory pathways to achieve policy targets.

The Catholic Church in Times of Ecological Crisis: An “Unusual Suspect” in Advancing the Transition to Sustainability?

Abstract Religious traditions and institutions have historically played a significant role in shaping cultural scaffoldings and social practices. Can they also help re-shape the unsustainable world humans have made for themselves, which is now undermining not only the actual and prospective minimum standards of dignified life for the many, but also the basic fabric of Earth’s life support? From an approach critical of mainstream sustainability and looking to the example of the Catholic Church and Pope Francis’ vision of an “integral ecology”, this article argues that, in spite of being a latecomer to the global sustainability debate, the Church is structurally uniquely positioned to play the role of a global sustainability governance agent in the necessary transition to future-able way(s) of societal organization. It can, however, do so only if it proves capable of avoiding the risks of corporatist takeover, instrumentalisation for economic and political purposes, and assimilation of the integral ecology narrative used by the overall ineffective approaches of mainstream sustainable development.

Circularity-based decision-making framework for the integrated conservation of built heritage: the case of the Medina of Tunis

Several factors overlap in making urban heritage conservation vulnerable in terms of long-term sustainability. The purpose of this study is to offer insights into the dynamic role that heritage governance plays in the current sustainability debate. This purpose is achieved by investigating the shift from a ‘governing for culture’ approach to a ‘governing through culture’ approach in heritage conservation. Subsequently, a case is built for a circularity-based conservation strategy applicable to the governance of historic cities. Different indicators of the circular governance approach are considered, and useful data are collected in comparative form. The cross-matching relationship between the factors is then evaluated by employing the analytic hierarchy process (AHP) on the collected data. As a test case, the conservation strategy of the Medina of Tunis is presented. For a more general conservation model, case-specific data are acquired. Finally, the same framework is applied to compare the case-dependent and case-independent data to define an integrated conservation framework. The obtained results show that the knowledge and data exchange factor, carries the highest significance. This result translates into heritage-led urban regeneration through knowledge sharing and the effective redistribution of cultural activities in historic city centres.

The COVID-19 pandemic and leisure providers—Challenges, opportunities and adaptation strategies for ski area operators in Austria

The COVID-19 crisis and the related nationwide lockdowns reduced the available types of physical activity, especially in the winter season. Besides closed indoor sports facilities, some outdoor sports were also inaccessible because of curfews and/or the closure of outdoor sports facilities. However, in Austria, the operation of alpine ski areas was permitted even during the full lockdown in the winter season 2020/21, albeit under strict hygiene requirements and capacity restrictions. This posed a challenge for ski area operators, with those heavily dependent on foreign multi-day guests facing severe declines in demand due to closed accommodation and closed borders while others were challenged by demand pressures from nearby population centers. We therefore want to examine how Austrian ski area operators managed these challenges, how they evaluated this extraordinary season and whether these new experiences and established measures can be used to improve customer experience in the future. We used a mixed-methods approach with a quantitative survey (n = 65) and follow-up qualitative interviews with managers (n = 20) of Austrian ski areas. For 75% of respondents, the reason for keeping the ski areas open, despite the fact that 95 % suffered average revenue declines of 80%, was to provide an outlet for physical activity for the local population. Respondents noticed a lot of gratitude and growing trust from local customers that could be used to increase the approval of tourism in the local population. The COVID-19 pandemic has also advanced the spread of technological innovations in the cable car industry, such as online ticketing and dynamic pricing. Furthermore, the COVID-19 crisis has continued to drive the sustainability debate around ski resorts. Customers are seeking further deceleration resulting in a stronger focus on qualitative rather than quantitative development for Austrian ski area operators.

A framework for social sustainability on the building level: a contextual approach

Purpose This study aims to build on a contextualised approach for revealing the particularities of social sustainability indicators on the building scale within the particular context of Jordan, focusing on the buildings of the Dahiyat Al Hussein suburb. Design/methodology/approach This study relied on a review of the relevant previous research as well as global, regional and local rating tools, followed by working with a diversified participant base comprising experts as well as users through Delphi rounds and analytic hierarchy process-based assessments. Findings This study resulted in several key indicators that were classified into three main categories: environmental friendliness, comfort and convenience and social blend. It resembled a step on the path towards the standardisation of context-specific social sustainability indicators, an effort that would be further supported by future research addressing other development within Jordan. Originality/value The sustainability debate has, for long, acquired the undivided attention of its key stakeholders. With the continuous rise of global attention, the conceptualisation of sustainability has grown more specialised in both function and scale, and sustainable measures have been developed at the macro and micro levels. With the further spread of the concept, recognition of its contextual differences between various countries became more vivid, where the social dimension attains particular importance.

The socio-environmental challenges in the transition to sustainable bioeconomy: a review

The bioeconomy has been proposed worldwide as a way to combat global environmental and socio-economic challenges, from climate change to income diversification and food security. Consequently, the term "bioeconomy" has gained considerable attention in the economic field over the last 15 years. Interestingly, an alleged global sustainable development model has become the subject of intense sustainability debate among researchers in recent years. The sustainability of the bioeconomy itself remains unanswered today. Most of the previous studies on sustainable bioeconomy focused on the analysis of the impacts on technology related to environmental issues while overlooking the socio-environmental implications and excluding society. Meanwhile, various studies highlight potential socio-environmental negative impacts associated with the new economic model. It is possible that the increased use of biological resources could further compromise ecosystems and create increasing social and ethical issues. Furthermore, this economic model could bring new environmental challenges related to the excessive use of soil and water. Therefore, the purpose of this paper is to examine and identify potential socio-environmental sustainability challenges and pitfalls that need to be addressed in order to ensure a successful transition to a sustainable bioeconomy. Following a systematic literature review, scientific studies and field reports were selected for this review after searching Google Scholar, Web of Science and Scopus databases. The results identified a number of potential key socio-environmental concerns related to the transition to the bioeconomy.

Transition to a Sustainable Circular Society: More than Just Resource Efficiency

While the conceptual underpinnings of the circular economy (CE) date back to the 1970s, the concept has recently become a major discourse in contemporary sustainability debates. The idea of CE, as it is now understood, is thus rather new and remains in conceptual development. Moreover, it is a contested concept with many different circular visions competing in the discursive sphere. Many researchers have evidenced that dominant CE propositions focus on technocentric solutions and do not address crucial social, political, and ecological implications. This opinion paper seeks to help address this gap by going to the root of the CE metaphor and asking: What do circles, cycles, and flows mean for an economy and a society? To answer this question, this article unpacks the idea of cycles, loops, and flows by analysing what socio-ecological cycles are most relevant for sustainability and circularity. It thus finds a set of seven cycles that are key to better understanding CE and its relation to human and planetary well-being (biogeochemical, ecosystem, resource, power, wealth, knowledge, and care cycles). This article then analyses how and whether dominant CE discourses currently address these cycles. This paper proposes the idea of a circular society as an umbrella concept that can help us better address the critical ecological, social, and political implications of a circularity transition. Moreover, this article develops a set of interrelated strategies to operationalise the circular society concept. This paper thus hopes to contribute to expanding the imaginary regarding the concept of circularity that can help the cross-pollination of ideas, solutions, and approaches to face the manyfold socio-ecological challenges of the twenty-first century.

Corporate social responsibility in family firms: Can corporate communication affect CSR performance?

Drawing on the stewardship theory (ST) and socio-emotional wealth (SEW) perspective, this study investigates the role of sustainable activities within family firms (FFs) and the effect of marketing strategic decisions in improving their corporate social responsibility performance. To achieve the research aims, we analysed a sample of 730 American and European listed companies from 2015 to 2020. The results show that family businesses are more socially responsible than non-family businesses due to the presence of stewards. However, strategic marketing decisions have unclear effects in achieving these outcomes. This study expands the literature on ST and SEW in FFs, integrating them with sustainable principles. We also contribute to the sustainability debate and marketing literature related to FFs.

Direct evidence of increased natural mortality of a wild fish caused by parasite spillback from domestic conspecifics.

Parasite spillback from domestic animals can distort the balance between host and parasites in surrounding wildlife, with potential detrimental effects on wild populations. In aquatic environments, parasite spillback from aquaculture to wild salmon is one of the most contentious sustainability debates. In a 19 year time series of release group studies of Atlantic salmon, we demonstrated that (i) the effect of subjecting out-migrating salmon smolts to parasite treatment on marine survival has been reduced over a time, (ii) the relation between salmon lice levels in the out-migration route of the salmon and effect of treatment against the parasite is weak, but also (iii) the return rates in both treated and untreated groups of salmon are negatively correlated with salmon lice levels, and (iv) returns of wild salmon to the region are similarly negatively correlated with salmon lice levels during the out-migration year. Our study suggests that salmon lice can have a large effect on wild salmon populations that is not revealed with randomized control trials using antiparasitic drugs. This should be better accounted for when considering the impacts of farms on wild salmon populations.

The sustainability debate on plastics: Cradle to grave Life Cycle Assessment and Techno-Economical Analysis of PP and PLA polymers with a “Polluter Pays Principle” perspective

We have studied the impacts of polypropylene (PP) and poly lactic acid (PLA) to quantify the differences between fossil-based and first generation biosourced plastics. Preliminary results on impact assessment from manufacturing stages suggested that the smaller the lot size and part weight of each injection molded plastic material, the higher the economic and environmental impacts. When lot size and part weight were equal, PLA performed better than PP. In three regional development scenarios, we have studied the impacts of end-of-life (EOL) options for smaller-sized and potentially landfilled single-use food packaging materials in town (population <10 k), city (population 30–250 k), and province (population >1 M) regional scales. The impacts of the change from PP to PLA as well as landfill (L) and open incineration (OI) to other EOL options, such as recycling (R), composting (CP), and incineration with energy recovery (IwE), were studied. Impacts of toxic damages are calculated as their impact on the healthcare sector. Thus, microplastics (MP) as a vector of bioaccumulation of toxins, such as dioxins, resulted in 16,5 $/kg MP on a province scale. In the Province scenario, where L PP (90%), a mix of R and OI PP was changed to a mix of R and CP PLA resulting in 63% economic gain and 39% lower global warming potential (GWP). In the City scenario, where L PP was changed to a mix of R PP (50%), IwE PP (25%), and IwE PLA (25%) resulting in 22% economic gain and 26% lower GWP. However, the higher the waste management activities such as sorting and waste processing, the higher the high-carcinogens (+137%), high non-carcinogens (+456%), and toxic release for total air (+9%) emissions. Future work should be done to study the impacts of other toxic compounds such as food contact chemicals to compare different food packaging materials to obtain more comprehensive results.