Sustainable Endeavor Research Articles

Towards sustainability in the port sector: The role of intermediation in transition work

Intermediation has received substantial attention from transition scholars. Intermediaries play important roles in configuring, brokering, and facilitating transition efforts and operate in different parts of socio-technical systems. Their node position between transport and energy systems makes port authorities a potentially crucial intermediary in transitioning the many different sectors that intersect in ports. Ports are increasingly orienting their environmental endeavours towards energy issues and are pressured to reduce their global emissions. This paper explores intermediation in ports and investigates how intermediation connects to transition work. Based on a quantitative survey among 96 Norwegian ports, we find that ports engage in intermediation to varying extent, and that intermediation is associated with progressive transition work. The study complements previous research on intermediaries by conceptualising and quantitatively measuring transition work, allowing us to explore in what ways ports rely on intermediation in their sustainability endeavours.

An Innovative Approach to Sustainability

Solutions to sustainable development (SD) challenges are complex and context-specific. Ozyegin University (OzU) created a structure to manage all its sustainability endeavours aligned with these two facts. To this end, OzU first understood the priorities of Turkey to achieve SD in terms of SDGs. Subsequently, the university conducted a self-assessment to determine the SDGs that it is most competent at. By combining these two analyses, OzU determined the areas in which it can have the highest impact in the SD of Turkey. In conducting these analyses, a holistic approach was adopted, to consider the interconnectedness of the SDGs. The tools of the network analysis were employed to address the intertwined relationships among the SDGs. The analysis revealed four domains which led to the creation of four Sustainability Clusters. The clusters are positioned under the newly established Sustainability Platform managing and combining all the sustainability endeavors in relation with both these domains and otherwise. In this paper, the creation of processes of Sustainability Platform and Sustainability Clusters the structures which aim to contribute to the SD of Turkey will be elaborated. Practical insights will be developed based on this structure

Towards reconfiguration in European agriculture: Analysing dynamics of change through the lens of the Donau Soja organization

AbstractRecent explorations of agri‐environmental governance which draw on the assemblage perspective highlight the relational aspects, the process dimension and the generative elements of certain sustainability endeavours. This article argues that the implications of this approach are little discussed especially what concerns the transformation potential of agri‐environmental programmes. We focus on the notion of reconfiguration as a significant facet of transformation. We align with recent research in transition studies to claim the need for conceptualizing reconfiguration. We draw on empirical research pursued with the Donau Soja organization to refer to a number of unfolding reconfigurations, in respect to the spatial, the technological and the political dimensions. We focus on the political reconfiguration and discuss some of the spillover effects of scientific research projects and proposals, programmatic papers, policy positioning and lobby work which accompany the everyday work and governance of the Donau Soja organization. We argue that greater attention to the unmeasured and unmeasurable effects of the DS assemblage also implies giving greater attention to the long‐term effects of such programmes. Moreover, the numerous changes unleashed by the organization demand research to re‐evaluate what counts as failure and success in agri‐environmental governance.

It’s all about community: On the interplay of social capital, social needs, and environmental concern in sustainable community action

Behavior change towards sustainable lifestyles such as adoption of renewable energy technologies is a significant element in the fight against anthropogenic climate change. Increasingly, private households can be observed to take up different renewable energy technologies; however, the introduction of these technologies is not accompanied by a broader adoption of pro-environmental behaviors, as recent studies have shown. At the same time, group settings and social capital seem to promote the uptake of wide-ranging sustainability measures. Six case studies were conducted among different sustainable community projects in Germany to shed light on why and how broad sustainability transformation in such settings comes about. Findings suggest that successful implementation of wide-ranging sustainable measures and changes in behaviors in community settings result from motivations that originate from an interplay of social needs, social capital, social norms, and environmental concern. Strong environmental attitudes, not among all, but a critical mass of members and key individuals are necessary. The desire for community and other motives, along with social influence and social norms push individuals with low environmental concern to participate in sustainable endeavors.

Use of ceramic wastes as aggregates in concrete production: A review

Waste management is one of the major challenging issues in the modern world due to rapid urbanization and industrialization over the past decades. The use of ceramic waste, originated from construction sites and industries, as fine and coarse aggregate in concrete presents an effective and sustainable endeavor to environmental problems through the reduction in the degradation of natural resources caused by extraction of natural aggregates and decrease in dumping volume as well. A plethora of researches has been attempted to analyze the suitability of ceramic wastes from various sources as a possible alternative to natural aggregates in concrete. This paper presents an assembled and up-to-date review of the physical, mechanical, durability, and other notable functional properties of ceramic aggregate concrete. From the outcome of the researches, it has been observed that ceramic aggregate concrete possesses comparable mechanical and durability properties to that of conventional concrete. The results show that it is possible to produce medium and high strength concrete with the incorporation of ceramic aggregates instead of natural aggregate. It is also seen from the results that the compressive strength , permeability characteristics, bond strength, etc. of ceramic aggregate concrete met the required criteria set by various international standards and codes, which confirms the potentiality of ceramic waste to be used as an efficient substitute to natural aggregates in structural concrete. However, the structural performance of ceramic waste-based reinforced concrete members is not yet explored in the researches, and therefore, recommendations are provided for future research. • More than a hundred research articles on ceramic waste aggregate concrete have been reviewed. • Classifications and chemical compositions of ceramic wastes generated from various sources have been discussed. • Properties of ceramic waste aggregates have been discussed and tabulated. • Physical, mechanical, durability and other properties of CA concrete have been discussed and compared with control concrete. • Physical and mechanical properties of ceramic waste concrete have been tabulated for reference.

Managing Sustainability and Carbon-Neutrality in the Public Administration—Case Report of a German State Institution

Since 2017, the State Office for Nature, Environment and Consumer Protection of North Rhine-Westphalia (LANUV) has established an operational environmental and sustainability management and set specific objectives to reach operational carbon neutrality. In this context, central questions aim at the availability of financial and human resources, the competition with other duties as well as the necessary involvement of the staff. Based on the practical example of LANUV, this article presents concrete activities, e.g., in context of mobility or human resources, as well as the challenges connected to them. While single measures do have a positive impact, a structural approach, like the set-up of an environmental management system (e.g., EMAS—Eco-Management and Audit Scheme), is found to be more effective. In addition, success factors are identified such as distinct structures and responsibilities, a capable person in charge of the process, and commitment on the management level, as well as challenges like the lack of governmental objectives and obligations or limited human and financial resources. This article follows the idea of a case report in a transdisciplinary manner, presenting ideas for enhancement and shedding a light on a possible spread of sustainability endeavors to other national institutions.

CAMPUS SUSTAINABILITY: MEASURING AWARENESS OF SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT DIMENSIONS AMONG EDUCATORS IN MALAYSIAN UNIVERSITY

Sustainable development has long gained momentum as an indispensable change-maker of the present and future, across nations, organisations, institutions, and individuals around the globe. Despite its universal recognition, the understanding of the concept’s constituents seems vague and heterogeneous, which has led to piecemeal initiatives that appear to impede the vision of systemic sustainability. In this disposition, many experts reckon that the higher education institutions that are in the sustainably adept nick, capable of cultivating and leading the community towards a holistic sustainable development approach. This portrays the need for a sound knowledge or awareness of sustainable development dimensions among campus actors; in particular, the educators, as it emerges as the prerequisite to campus sustainability endeavours. This paper, therefore, aims to carry out one of the grassroots level efforts, which is to measure the awareness of sustainable development dimensions among academic staff of a private university in Malaysia. This research adopted an online and offline survey to obtain responses from 169 educators. The findings show that there are significant differences in the level of awareness on sustainable development dimensions (economy, social, and environment) among educators of the university. Gaps and needs identified in this study can be useful to the management to better orientate their actions towards campus sustainability plans, such as policies, curriculum development, operations, research, etc.

Identifying Corporate Sustainability Issues by Analyzing Shareholder Resolutions: A Machine-Learning Text Analytics Approach

Corporations have embraced the idea of corporate environmental, social, and governance (ESG) under the general framework of sustainability. Studies have measured and analyzed the impact of internal sustainability efforts on the performance of individual companies, policies, and projects. This exploratory study attempts to extract useful insight from shareholder sustainability resolutions using machine learning-based text analytics. Prior research has studied corporate sustainability disclosures from public reports. By studying shareholder resolutions, we gain insight into the shareholders’ perspectives and objectives. The primary source for this study is the Ceres sustainability shareholder resolution database, with 1737 records spanning 2009–2019. The study utilizes a combination of text analytic approaches (i.e., word cloud, co-occurrence, row-similarities, clustering, classification, etc.) to extract insights. These are novel methods of transforming textual data into useful knowledge about corporate sustainability endeavors. This study demonstrates that stakeholders, such as shareholders, can influence corporate sustainability via resolutions. The incorporation of text analytic techniques offers insight to researchers who study vast collections of unstructured bodies of text, improving the understanding of shareholder resolutions and reaching a wider audience.

Sustainability endeavors and sustainable development in Spanish public hospitals

Purpose The research aims to describe the foundation of healthcare organizations’ past and present sustainability endeavors; describe the direction of a health-care organizations’ sustainable development; reveal and characterize what determines the foundation and direction in a public health-care sector; and provide some insights into social marketing for sustainability endeavors. Design/methodology/approach Based on a semi-inductive approach, judgmental sampling was applied to select relevant health-care organizations. Informants were identified according to their knowledge of their organizations’ sustainability initiatives. Findings Offer insights into the foundation of sustainability endeavors and the direction of sustainable development for upstream social marketing in the studied public sector. The social marketing perspective is a common factor of relevance for the studied public hospitals. Research limitations/implications The foundations of sustainability endeavors undertaken across the studied health-care organizations have not so far been homogenous. The direction of sustainable development has also varied across the studied public healthcare organizations and there is a need to move beyond individuals and shift from a micro to a macro/structural environment of sustainable development, so as to observe the effectiveness of any social marketing intervention. Practical implications This study highlights the importance of applying an upstream social marketing approach and programs, as part of a social marketing strategy, to promote and stimulate sustainable change in health-care organizations. Social implications Contrary to the common sense predominating in many societies nowadays regarding sustainability endeavors and sustainable development, we conclude that neither the foundation of such endeavors nor the direction of sustainable development has progressed adequately in the studied public healthcare sector. As social marketing is intended to benefit society and foster social change, the macro level of intervention of the upstream approach clearly reveals its usefulness in the public health area. Originality/value Reveals two axes based on a social marketing approach. One is of micro and macro determinants characterizing the direction of sustainable development in a public sector. Another is of homogeneous and heterogeneous foundations of sustainability endeavors.

DEVELOPMENT OF THE SUSTAINABLE ENTREPRENEURSHIP MODEL

The most prominent feature of today’s economy is rapid change. To succeed in such an economy, countries must be able to adapt to these changes with great agility. One of the most potent tools for achieving this end is sustainable entrepreneurship. Sustainable entrepreneurs are those who undertake entrepreneurial endeavors while taking into account different aspects of social, economic and environmental sustainability. These entrepreneurs strive to keep their resources focused on sustainable development and to balance the objectives of entrepreneurial success and sustainability so as to solve social and environmental problems. In this study, after reviewing the research literature and identifying the factors pertinent to sustainable entrepreneurship, a conceptual model was developed by drawing on the expertise of 10 experts, who were selected by snowball sampling. Interpretive Structural Modeling (ISM) approach was used to examine the network of relationships among the factors. The findings showed that the considered factors fall into four levels: sustainability culture was placed at the most fundamental level, legal requirements, resource preservation, social participation, green management and human resources management were placed at the second level, social justice, effective and efficient processes, and customer-centricity were placed at the third level, and social well-being and economic benefits were identified as the top-level factors or outputs of sustainable entrepreneurship. The proposed model depicted means, process, first order and ultimate goal in inhacing entrepreneurship sustainability endeavors.

Sustaining Suburbia through New Urbanism: Toward Growing, Green, and Just Suburbs?

This article examines the governance dynamics surrounding the development of sustainable neighborhoods in United States metropolitan contexts characterized as suburban sprawl. Drawing on original case study research of three distinct applications of New Urbanism design principles, the article argues for understanding the relative power of municipal authorities to incorporate social justice imperatives into the practice of sustainable development in suburban contexts. Moreover, key to prioritizing social imperatives is the way in which development processes respond to the “suburban ideal”, which is a view of suburbs as an exclusive bourgeois utopia that constrains the ability to connect so-called sustainable development with social justice. Case study research shows how deference to the suburban ideal limits sustainable development to embracing growth and greening interests only and peripheralizing or denying social justice. The article discusses how sustainable development endeavors can address such constraints in the effort to create alternatives to suburban sprawl that integrate the pursuit of social justice with environmental protection and economic growth.

A guideline for interpersonal capabilities enhancement to support sustainable facility management practice

Facility management is the key phase in the development cycle of an assets and spans over a considerable length of time. Therefore, facility managers are in a commanding position to maximise the potential of sustainability through the development phases from construction, operation, maintenance and upgrade leading to decommission and deconstruction. Sustainability endeavours in facility management practices will contribute to reducing energy consumption, waste and running costs. Furthermore, it can also help in improving organisational productivity, financial return and community standing of the organisation. Facility manager should be empowered with the necessary knowledge and capabilities at the forefront facing sustainability challenge. However, literature studies show a gap between the level of awareness, specific knowledge and the necessary skills required to pursue sustainability in the facility management professional. People capability is considered as the key enabler in managing the sustainability agenda as well as being central to the improvement of competency and innovation in an organisation. This paper aims to develop a guidelines for interpersonal capabilities to support sustainability in facility management practice. Starting with a total of 7 critical interpersonal capabilities factors identified from previous questionnaire survey, the authors conducted an interview with 3 experts in facility management to assess the perceived importance of these factors. The findings reveal a set of guidelines for the enhancement of interpersonal capabilities among facility managers by providing what can be done to acquire these factors and how it can support the application of sustainability in their practice. The findings of this paper are expected to form the basis of a mechanism framework developed to equip facility managers with the right knowledge, to continue education and training and to develop new mind-sets to enhance the implementation of sustainability measures in FM practices.

Is sport for development already an anachronism in the age of austerity or can it be a space of hope?

ABSTRACTThis paper examines the capacity of sport for development (SfD) to survive within the context of economic austerity. The Global Financial Crisis placed severe pressure on development aid budgets around the world. The effect of this is being felt within low-to-middle income countries (LMIC) and amongst organisations working in the development space. SfD, as a less established development entity, has the potential to struggle for funding in an increasingly competitive development market. This paper considers the current economic situation and examines the potential of a coalescence between the ideas of Sen, Nussbaum and Friere related to development as freedom, a capabilities framework and critical pedagogy as a conceptual framework for reimagining SfD in an era of austerity. We propose that a capability approach, combined with tenets of critical pedagogy, provides a framework which positions SfD as a locally driven, sustainable endeavour that is less reliant on the fortunes of the global economy, where development and progress can be captured and understood at the level of local achievement (capabilities) rather than a reliance on economic metrics.

ASB Staff Development Program Framework - Activating Sustainable Endeavour (Draft for Discussion)

The overarching aim of the strategy is to build a self-sustainable framework of support and development of academic staff ensuring that is aligned with faculty strategic priorities. That is one which looks first at the financial and organizational performance measures that are most critical to our business. Leadership is called for from senior management. However, the top down approach alone is unlikely to be sufficiently engaging in an academic environment where critical thinking is a core competence. Therefore, to achieve this aim of developing a sustainable and action-oriented community of practice, an Action Research method is suggested. Such methods incorporating a peer review, mentoring and peer coaching approach provide the means to build a supportive, collegial environment of scholarly inquiry that extends shared interests within a discipline or program around key strategic agendas of the faculty. A portfolio based approach to recording and transmitting a legacy of learning from such action research clusters engaged in professional development is proposed and a sample of such a portfolio is given in appendix 5. The comprehensive staff development program proposed below has three parallel threads. One thread concerns ways of tackling the ASB strategic priorities such as mapping curricula, embedding graduate attributes and meeting requirements of alignment with key UNSW goals. The second thread is the intervention methodology employed to ensure discipline-focus, support and sustainability. The third thread relates to the recurrent, core staff development activities that must be initiated each session which are run in parallel with, but distinct from, those in the first thread. That is recurrent activities such as induction of new staff, writing course outlines, preparation for assessment and any other activities required by schools or individuals The document is also in three main parts. The first section outlines the current strategic Learning and Teaching priorities in the faculty. Section 2 addresses the suggested implementation process. The third section discusses parallel development activities such as mentoring and coaching. The appendices give details of a potential portfolio of courses for each of the two streams, possible future staff development offerings (subject to demand), a suggested format for a Personal Development Portfolio for staff, Current faculty Cross–skilling initiative, and details of the Action research and learning cycle.

Vernacular Architecture of Northern Nigeria in the Light of Sustainability

Nigeria, a country located in the Western part of Africa has been the site of numerous kingdoms and tribal states over the millennia and is divided in to Northern and Southern parts with the Hausa-Fulani’s, a diverse but culturally homogeneous people living in the northern part of Nigeria. The vernacular architecture of the Northern Nigeria (VANN) is perhaps one of the least known but most beautiful of the medieval age, over the centuries a tradition of fine architecture has flourished in the area, the variety and quality of buildings are bound to generate much delight and enthusiasm in anyone who is interested in buildings. Many of their early buildings such as mosques and palaces are bright and colorful. This architectural style is known as Tubali which means the traditional architecture in the Hausa language and globally known as Vernacular Architecture (VA). VANN has many unique features which distinguish it from any other architecture. All buildings, be it modern or old has an impact on the environment; hence the need for sustainable measures and practices regarding such buildings. The aim of this research paper is to examine the features of VANN in the light of sustainability. Reviewed literatures were used to identify the various features of the Vernacular Architecture in the Northern Nigeria which were critically examined in the light of sustainability and its concept. The result showcased the various features of VANN in the light of sustainability and also discussed the factors hindering the sustainable endeavors of VANN with respect to such features.

Developing a people capability framework to promote sustainability in facility management practices

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to introduce a research study that aims to establish a people capability framework to promote the sustainability agenda in facilities management (FM) practices. Design/methodology/approach Through a literature review, a range of factors relating to people capabilities in the context of sustainability endeavours is identified. A questionnaire survey of industry practitioners and statistical data analysis help prioritise these people capability factors and evaluate the role played by each factor in promoting sustainability in FM practices. Findings Twenty-three people capability factors are identified as significant to the promotion of sustainability measures in FM practices. Dealing with these factors effectively can provide a sound basis for equipping FM professionals with the necessary knowledge, information on training and educational needs and the right mindset to enhance the implementation of sustainability in FM practices. Practical implications The research shows the importance of capabilities and skills in the pursuit of sustainability in professional practice. In addition, it highlights specific areas for improvement in the FM sector. Originality/value The research links the importance of sustainability with the mindset and preparedness of FM practitioners. It emphasises people capabilities, in addition to technological advancement and financial implications, in the promotion of sustainability in the building industry.

THE HONG KONG JOCKEY CLUB: DRIVING SUSTAINABILITY AND RIDING HIGH TOGETHER – A CASE STUDY

In recent years, sustainability has become a popular topic for both business and society. There is little dispute that companies and organizations have increasingly paid attention to social and environmental issues, and thus sustainability has come under the spotlight. However, The Hong Kong Jockey Club (“HKJC” or “the Club”), the largest single taxpayer and non-government charitable donor in Hong Kong, has been paying attention to environmental and social issues for decades although its “sustainability efforts” were not given a label for most of that period. The year of 2009 was a milestone of the HKJC’s sustainability endeavors as in this year the HKJC formed its first Sustainability Committee, raising sustainability to the strategic level within the Club. The first sustainability report of HKJC was released in 2011, making the HKJC’s dialogue with the community, also within the Club, transparent. In 2014, the Club introduced Supplier Sustainability Guidelines, aiming to increase the sustainability standards of the Club’s business partners, and in turn, of all local businesses. This case depicts how HKJC achieved sustainability through its endeavors in the environmental, social, and governance (ESG) areas, thus contributing to the community and enabling a better future for its stakeholders and for society as a whole. This case also discusses the evolution of the HKJC’s sustainability governance structure and strategy, the progress of HKJC’s sustainability practices from 2009 to 2016, and HKJC’s sustainability challenges. Keywords: Hong Kong Jockey Club, sustainability governance, sustainability practice, sustainability innovation, carbon footprint, supplier sustainability, stakeholder engagement, case study

Optical water quality and human perceptions: a synthesis

Because humans have such strong physical and emotional connections to water in the environment, it follows that individuals and groups will have strong ideas and expectations of that environment that must be related to visible features. Optical water quality describes the scattering and absorption of light in water as governed by its dissolved and particulate composition. Mineral suspended sediment, dissolved organic matter, and living and nonliving particulate organic matter have different influences on the behavior of light in water. The physical sciences endeavor to define variability in water quality, be it natural or anthropogenic, for use in water resource management. However, a more holistic approach to water resource management is becoming increasingly advocated, which requires investigation of the human dimension. The directly visible attributes of color and clarity of water are among the strongest influences on human perceptions of water quality. The observed environment is perceived through cognitive processes that are defined by spiritual and cultural beliefs and evolve with personal experience, creating the mental model. Water color and clarity can provide a critical link between water quality and human perceptions. Ethnohydrology is the study of culturally constructed knowledge and understanding of water. An interdisciplinary approach, integrating optical water quality measurement and ethnohydrology methods, may help achieve better awareness, communication, participation, and support in water resource management and sustainability endeavors.WIREs Water2016, 3:167–180. doi: 10.1002/wat2.1127This article is categorized under:Human Water > Water as Imagined and Represented

A critical approach to ecological urbanism in Hong Kong

This paper uses a process of ecological reasoning to challenge normative concepts of sustainable urbanism. Ecological metaphor is often applied in a normative manner, with the assumption that ecologically derived design concepts are wholly positive and ‘sustainable’; however, this is not necessarily the case. Through a detailed case study of Hong Kong, we reveal that the interpretive nature of ecological urbanism can produce a variety of outcomes to either contribute to, by explicating and imagining, or undermine sustainability endeavours, by misleading or obscuring. Employing a situated narrative technique we challenge established ecological design concepts, such as ‘self-sufficiency’ and ‘eco-efficiency’, with their cultural residuals of individualistic, mechanistic values. In their place, the notion of autopoiesis is proposed, reconceptualising Hong Kong as an interactive network of agents working to regain sovereignty over production, distribution and consumption patterns. The implications of this research demonstrate the importance of criticality, reflexivity and situated engagement in conceiving, communicating and transforming sustainability concepts. We argue that it is this process, rather than the concepts themselves, that underpins the vitality of ecological urbanism.

Time constraints experienced by female teacher researchers in Canada and Turkey: challenges to developing an autonomous professional learning mindset

The focus of this comparative qualitative study is on female teachers’ experiences as teacher researchers in Canada and Turkey as they worked towards the completion of their postgraduate degrees in the midst of teaching full-time. Attending carefully to participants’ accounts of time use during the research process revealed heavy time pressure as informed by teaching, societal norms and familial obligations. In response to complex schedules, participants engaged in multitasking and research engagement happened amongst multiple personal and professional responsibilities. The findings of this study provide new ways to consider the competing demands shaping women’s efforts to professionally develop and learn, and question the sustainability of teacher-led research as a sustainable professional learning endeavour beyond postgraduate studies