Sustainability-related Aspects Research Articles

Text mining on sustainability reports of top 40 airlines and bibliometric analysis of airline's sustainability

This study aims to comprehensively explore sustainability practices, guidelines, and emerging trends in the airline industry through an in-depth analysis of their sustainability reviews. A thorough bibliometric analysis of airline sustainability was conducted using the Scopus Database. Additionally, employing text-mining techniques, a meticulous analysis focused on the sustainability reports of the leading 20 airlines compared to the subsequent 20, considered as followers, in the textual examination of sustainability reports. The results revealed thematic disparities between these two cohorts. The top 20 airlines prioritized significant concerns such as safety and other sustainability-related aspects like biodiversity. In contrast, follower companies placed a higher emphasis on financial considerations. This analysis illuminates the primary focuses of airlines and the spectrum of sustainability-related issues. Moreover, offering valuable insights for both researchers and industry practitioners, this study presents a repository of pertinent data related to sustainability practices in the aviation sector. Integrating text mining and bibliometric analysis emphasizes essential facets of airline sustainability, resulting in a comprehensive overview of the research landscape.

A simulation model for addressing supply chain disruptions under a multi-capital sustainability perspective: a case study in the agri-food sector

ABSTRACT In recent years, interest in the resilience and sustainability of supply chains has significantly increased. In fact, various events, such as the COVID-19 pandemic, have highlighted the weakness of global and local supply chains. Further, people are giving increasing importance to concepts such as social well-being, human rights, environmental protection. The maximisation of shareholder value is no longer the only goal for companies. The main purpose of this paper is to answer the following question: is there a strategy to address agri-food supply chains disruptions while revitalising local economies and improving – at the same time – a number of sustainability-related aspects? To this aim, a simulation model is designed, then tested and validated through a supermarket supply chain case study. The results show that disruptions can be exploited to revitalise small local suppliers and simultaneously increase several sustainability indicators from a multi-capital perspective. Several managerial insights are also provided.

What Are Investors Most Interested in about Sustainability? An Approach from the Scientific Literature

In the midst of the development of international frameworks for the dissemination of information on sustainability, the European Union published the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD) in order to meet user requirements on sustainability. To achieve its objectives, the Directive assigns large companies and investors a key role in the transmission of sustainability-related information, leveraging their capacity to influence. An increased separate use of the term “investor” has been noted in the sustainability-related literature regarding the overall “stakeholder” that contains it. Our research applies a methodology based on analysis of the content of the abstracts from 260 articles published prior to the approval of the CSRD, with the aim of identifying whether that separate use implied that investors’ interests are concentrated on sustainability-related aspects. The results of the research concluded that there is no statistical significance between the separate, growing use of the term “investor” and a generalised use in the lexical field related to sustainability that might characterise the influence of investors. This work encourages future research directions to examine how the enactment of the CSRD may affect the trend in investor influence on the dissemination of sustainability-related information.

Sustainable Healthcare Resilience: Disaster Preparedness in Saudi Arabia’s Eastern Province Hospitals

In a world increasingly vulnerable to environmental and health crises, sustainable healthcare systems are crucial. This study focuses on the resilience and sustainability of healthcare services in Saudi Arabia’s Eastern Province, assessing their readiness to endure and adapt amidst disaster scenarios. Conducted through a cross-sectional survey involving 522 hospital employees, the research provides an in-depth analysis of various sustainability-related aspects of healthcare preparedness. This includes examining both structural and non-structural safety elements, standard operating procedures, staff training in disaster response, data security, and sustainable management of resources during emergencies. The results reveal a noteworthy commitment to sustainable disaster preparedness: 53.7% of hospitals, predominantly governed by the Ministry of Health, have implemented comprehensive disaster recovery plans. Furthermore, the study found a strong representation of female participants (54.2%) in these hospitals. A significant 64.1% of respondents confirmed the existence of disaster recovery plans in their workplaces, and an even higher percentage, 70.6%, reported receiving specific training in disaster response. These findings underscore the proactive efforts of Eastern Province hospitals in fostering a sustainable and resilient healthcare framework, demonstrating an approach that prioritizes preparedness beyond immediate crisis response. This proactive stance is pivotal in ensuring the continuity of healthcare services amidst the ever-evolving nature of global disasters.

Roth's switch-on fluoremetric probe for green tracking and quantifying of 1.4-dihydropyridine medication: Evaluation of greenness, whiteness, and blueness

Facile incorporation of a fluorescence-modulating moiety to decorate a molecular derivatized system for an ultrasensitive quantifying of an individual of 1,4-dihydropyridine antihypertensive medication, amlodipine (AML). The strategy is based on a derivatized condensation reaction in an alkaline buffered solution between AML and Roth's reagent system. The produced fluorescent core was tracked by the fluorimetric means at 443 nm, subsequent to excitation at 338 nm. A linear response was observed within the 0.05–0.75 μg mL−1 concentration range of AML with LOD and LOQ of 0.0132 and 0.0424 μg mL−1, respectively. The validation of the method and the determination of its quantum yield were evaluated in accordance with the guidelines established by the ICH. The proposed investigation was utilized to precisely assess the specified pharmaceutical product in both bulk powder and dosage forms, with no impact from excipients. The planned system was finally assessed from an ecological standpoint using various modern ecological metrics. Additionally, the research strived to achieve two primary objectives centered around environmental and sustainability-related aspects. Two green metrics, the Green Certificate Classification (GCC) and the Analytical Greenness software (AGREE), were implemented to accomplish this evaluation. Furthermore, the developed method's sustainability levels were assessed by considering its whiteness scores. These scores were derived in accordance with the principles of White Analytical Chemistry (WAC). The evaluation was carried out using an assessment tool known as (RGB12), which takes into consideration the red, green, and blue color components. As well as a recently introduced tool known as the Blue Applicability Grade Index (BAGI) was used for assessing the practicality (blueness) of the fluorometric methods.

Bridging the gap: Survey highlights challenges and solutions in outreach and identification of people with inherited bleeding disorders.

Inherited bleeding disorders (IBD) are genetic conditions that affect blood clotting, leading to complications such as prolonged or spontaneous bleeding into muscles or joints. Early identification and treatment are crucial to prevent complications and improve outcomes. However, effective patient outreach and identification programs for IBD face significant challenges globally. This study aimed to identify successful patient outreach initiatives for IBD, barriers encountered during implementation, and approaches used to overcome them. The World Federation of Haemophilia (WFH) conducted a survey of its national member organizations and other patient associations, totalling 153 organizations, to identify common strategies, barriers to their implementation, and solutions for outreach and the identification of people with IBD. The survey consisted of both closed-ended and open-ended questions, and the data were analysed using descriptive statistics and thematic analysis. Common challenges included resource and sustainability-related aspects such as financial constraints, limited lab equipment for diagnosis, and inadequate government commitment. Significant barriers also encompassed physical/geographical challenges like difficulty accessing remote areas, and inadequate logistical support and transportation. Seven themes emerged to enhance patient outreach: resource mobilization; awareness-raising and advocacy; knowledge and capacity building; collaboration and partnership; decentralization of services; improved logistical support and infrastructure; utilization of technology and innovation; and financial aid and incentives. Multistakeholder collaboration, coupled with secured government commitment, is crucial for improving global outreach, diagnosis rates, and access to care for individuals with IBD. Customized outreach programs should consider regional contexts, financial constraints, and prioritize innovation.

A Choice Experiment Model for Sustainable Consumer Goods: A Systematic Literature Review and Workflow Design

Although various methodological biases have been shown, the choice experiment (CE) literature has confirmed the relevance of sustainability in consumers’ purchase choices. Analysing 186 case studies through the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) methodology, this study defines the state-of-the-art and future perspectives of the CE approach, allowing us—for the first time—to evaluate in a single study all variables to be considered for setting up the CE questionnaire, with a focus on the selection of attributes and levels, maximising the reliability of the result, and minimising potential method biases. This paper defines a standardised workflow to expand and refine a sustainability perspective that can potentially drive cross-cutting CEs in every consumer good by investigating the accuracy of characteristics driving the willingness to pay (WTP) a premium price for greener consumer goods. Most of the studies analysed in this article concern food products (92%), and around half (51%) focus on sustainability-related aspects, frequently described in generic terms. The results show how defining an adequate number and type of attributes and levels characterising the target product is crucial for a bias-reduced study. These need to be concrete and familiar, and using labels is essential to enhance informed choice, with sustainability being a far-reaching concept with multifaceted definitions. Moreover, choosing a neutral target product, defining the correct sample size, selecting a balanced and representative group of respondents, and using the right analysis model can also minimise potential bias.

Food values and personality traits in the United States and Norway

Values and personality affect food choices, and values are associated with personality. Food values are values that have been developed specifically within a food context. Our primary objective was to investigate the associations between these food values and the Big Five personality traits. An online survey with a choice experiment on food values and questions about socioeconomic characteristics and personality traits were conducted in Norway and the US. A latent class logit model was used to segment respondents based on the relative importance they assigned to the different food values. Personality traits and socioeconomic characteristics were used to determine the probability of membership in each segment. A health, an altruistic, a rational, and a hedonistic segment were identified in both countries. In addition, Norwegian natural and welfare segments and US safety and indeterminate segments were identified. Several personality traits and socioeconomic characteristics were significant in defining the segments, and these traits and characteristics can potentially be used for marketing purposes of foods with sustainability-related attributes. Marketing activities can be targeted at segments who emphasize sustainability-related aspects of food consumption such as environmental impact, fairness, and animal welfare.

Consumer Behavior and Sustainability in the Construction Industry—Relevance of Sustainability-Related Criteria in Purchasing Decision

The construction industry significantly contributes to global greenhouse gas emissions and consumption of raw materials, and is thus under intense pressure to become more sustainable. Despite the ever-increasing availability of sustainable solutions, they do not seem to be widely adopted. As key decision makers in the early planning stage of a construction project, end consumers strongly impact sustainable development. However, their knowledge of sustainability-related criteria and their influence on purchasing decisions within the German construction industry is not yet sufficiently well established. Therefore, this study aims to determine the effects of sustainability-related aspects on the purchasing behavior of private individuals, as end consumers in the German construction industry. A quantitative online survey involving 306 participants was utilized to determine their understanding of the term “sustainability” and how they identify and measure the sustainability of a building product. Our results indicate that consumers have a fundamental interest in sustainable building products; however, they lack a holistic view of the concept of sustainability. With the focus on environmental aspects, social and economic aspects tend to be neglected. Since private individuals rarely make purchasing decisions in the building product sector, it is the task of the entire construction industry to establish a system in which consumers can quickly and easily obtain understandable information about sustainable products. Consumers need support from experts to understand and drive sustainable development in the construction industry.

Sustainability in Logistics Service Quality: Evidence from Agri-Food Supply Chain in Ukraine

The purpose of this paper is to explore which attributes of logistics service quality (LSQ) are associated with the superior LSQ in rural territories of the developing economy of Ukraine. The data were collected from 52 Ukrainian agrarian companies. Ukraine was chosen because of the high potential of its agricultural sector, which has been one of the world’s largest exporters of agricultural goods for years. This paper investigates LSQ from the perspective of agri-businesses and addresses sustainability. The primary data were obtained in a survey of clustered samples of agri-businesses in rural Ukraine. An exploratory factor analysis (EFA) was conducted with the Stata 16 software to test one hypothesis. This study builds on the expectancy–disconfirmation paradigm in service management research and the related service quality in order to compare the perceived and expected quality of social and environmental sustainability-related aspects of LSQ to test two hypotheses. The findings revealed that service quality in agricultural logistics is a five-dimensional construct. Its five dimensions are reliability, digital transformation, corporate image, environmental sustainability, and quality of customer focus. Furthermore, the study delivers evidence that the perceived and expected quality of the social sustainability-related aspects of LSQ are substantially different. As the study’s data collection process was interrupted by the Russian–Ukrainian war, the proposed model was only tested with 52 enterprises in an agri-food supply chain in rural Ukraine. Such a small sample is one of the study’s limitations. The research has great managerial implications as managers can use the explored attributes as a basis for customer satisfaction analyses or benchmarking in agricultural logistics. This is the first work exploring LSQ in rural Ukraine. The major contributions of this paper are the explored dimensions of LSQ with EFA. The study presents the first and most current data about LSQ from four united territorial communities in the rural center of Ukraine.

Benchmarking bike-sharing systems: an analysis of the sustainable potential of use-oriented solutions

PurposeProduct-service systems (PSS) are regarded as highly sustainable solutions. However, studies identifying and comparing the sustainable potential of product-service offerings by considering the three sustainability dimensions are still scarce. This paper aims to benchmark and analyse the sustainable potential of a use-oriented PSS, showing the influence of the context of implementation on the sustainable potential of the solutions.Design/methodology/approachBy adopting a competitive benchmarking approach, six bicycle-sharing systems from different countries were selected for analysis. The main sustainability-related aspects in use-oriented PSS (the systems investigated) were identified through a literature review. Multiple secondary sources were used to collect data about the analysed PSS. A qualitative analysis was conducted through triangulation of the sources to identify and compare the systems by considering the selected sustainability aspects.FindingsThe main results show that use-oriented PSS provide a range of economic, social, and environmental benefits, confirming the sustainable potential of such solutions. Several similarities between the systems have been identified, along with some differences, especially regarding their integration with other transport systems and the use of renewable energy, which can affect users' acceptance, operation efficacy, and overall sustainable potential of the solutions.Practical implicationsThis study identifies best practices that can be considered by other bike-sharing businesses to improve their sustainability potential.Originality/valueThis study identifies and explores the sustainable potential of bicycle-sharing solutions using a benchmark approach. It augments existing empirical knowledge on sustainable PSS and business models by revealing best practices, including the context that may enhance the sustainability potential of the solutions regarding environmental, economic, and social benefits.

Social sustainability in an evolving circular fashion industry: identifying and triangulating concepts across different publication groups

Sustainability and the concept of circular economy are two of the most prominent approaches in the fashion industry to meet global challenges. Advocated by different interest groups, these concepts primarily follow an environmental and economic perspective on sustainability. In turn, the social dimension of sustainability has not been extensively explored. Performing a comparative discourse analysis, this study triangulates data from three different perspectives and unveils social sustainability-related aspects in documents related to two specific companies as well as in academic and stakeholder publications in the fashion context. We use LeximancerTM to reveal and visualize the scope and frequency of socially relevant concepts in more than 550 publications. Based on this, results show that the two fashion companies have gradually been communicating more about social sustainability-related aspects as opposed to academic and stakeholder publications. Overall, single social sustainability-related values exclusively appear in each of the publication groups, whereas others seem to reflect a mutual influence among the different players. Yet, pivotal social sustainability-related issues are missing. This corroborates scholars assuming a neglected role of the social dimension of sustainability in general and calling for a greater elaboration on social aspects in the conceptualization of a circular economy. Our results also call for a deeper follow-up analysis of communications, practices and strategies of different actors in their respective social contexts.

Consumer Choice for Milk and Dairy in Romania: Does Income Really Have an Influence?

Milk and dairy are basic food products and their importance in healthy human development is well known. However, this does not mean that the consumers’ requests for these products are not evolving and fitting into the new context of sustainable development. By conducting a quantitative analysis on 847 answers regarding milk and dairy consumption offered by Romanian consumers, the objective of this study is to reveal what are the main factors of influence for respondents when choosing a milk or dairy product, and to see if these factors are evolving towards including sustainability-related aspects. The results point out that while price and store availability are still present as choice criteria, new aspects that might be related to a sustainable behavior, such as ecologic certification, country of origin or traditional products, are considered by the respondents when purchasing milk and dairy. However, this depends on the level of income; higher incomes allow respondents to consider new criteria.

Framework to evaluate quality performance of green building delivery: construction and operational stage

Quality performance in construction is the degree of compliance with the specifications against which the work was executed. Green buildings extend the compliance to sustainability-related aspects to ensure that the energy and water consumption is conserved, promote a healthy indoor environmental quality and reducing the detrimental impacts of the construction activities on the environment. The operational stage reflects the construction workmanship and the effectiveness of the design solution to achieve the sustainability requirements through the overall building performance. Procedures for maintenance and overhauling extend the longevity of buildings. Green buildings exhibit underperformance caused by inadequate construction practices and a lack of understanding of the operations and maintenance practices. This research serves to tackle this problem through a comprehensive and forward-looking framework to depict construction- and operation-related quality activities through an integrated definition for the function modeling (IDEF0) process model. Semi-structured interviews and a focus group validate the framework’s suitability and its implementation offered revelations from industry practitioners on the factors affecting quality procedures from assigned metrics, liaison of staff from different project lifecycle stages, green building technologies, commissioning and retro-commissioning and impact of project delivery systems adopted especially in isolating operational liaison. The contributions of this work reinforce the impact of quality on the sustainability objectives that a green building is envisioned to serve, and through capturing the pre-, during, and post-construction lifecycle, the compliance and performance quality aspects are combined in a more integrated manner.

Climate Change Accounting and Reporting: A Systematic Literature Review

During the last few years, sustainability has become an increasingly important dimension for corporations. Many stakeholders expect companies to implement sustainability-oriented practices and report on these actions and their results. As a consequence, corporate accountability and, more specifically, corporate accounting and reporting, should focus not only on financial, social, and environmental performance, but also on sustainability-related aspects. Among these aspects, climate change is becoming increasingly important for companies, which must take action to counter the effects of their activities on climate change and inform their stakeholders about these actions and their effects. Given the initial state of research about climate change accounting and reporting, the authors focused on the sustainable development goal (SDG) no. 13, “climate action”, in order to highlight the current state and the future directions of this area of inquiry. They used a mixed approach to perform a systematic literature review about sustainability accounting/reporting and climate change: (1) a qualitative analysis according to a qualitative analytical framework, and (2) a bibliometric (descriptive statistical) approach. The authors found that: (1) the main perspectives addressed in the selected articles relate to sustainability accounting and reporting in a broad sense; (2) there was a lack of contributions about management of climate change-related aspects, with specific reference to strategic and operational planning, accounting, and control of the actions implemented by the management of firms to counter climate change problems. The authors suggested the topics accounting scholars should focus their future research upon and underscored the social responsibilities of accounting scholars to increasingly integrate climate change mitigation into their accounting foci. They reviewed the main areas of climate change accounting/reporting literature and identified the gaps to be filled.

Finding the Sweet Spot between Ethics and Aesthetics: A Social Entrepreneurial Perspective to Sustainable Fashion Brand (Juxta)Positioning

Eco-fashion brands strive to strike a balance between sustainability and product-related aspects. While much has been written on the branding of sustainable fashion, little is known about the positioning strategies that have both sustainability and fashion appeal. This study aims to fill the gap, guided by the research question: how sustainability and product functionality-related aspects are dealt with while positioning a fashion brand? Using an illustrative case study of an Indian social enterprise, Upasana, we explore how fashion brands identify and work on a positioning strategy that balances the fashion and sustainability-related aspects of their products. Our paper is based on multiple site visits over the last seven years, email communications, direct observations, analysis of the company website, brochures, and in-depth interviews with the founder. Our findings suggest three aspects that should be highlighted in the positioning of a sustainable fashion brand: (i) authenticity of the products and business processes (ii) local and/or traditional aspects of the product including its design (iii) an appealing backstory with market relevance. By uncovering the brand positioning strategies adopted by a social enterprise, this article contributes to our understanding of how sustainable fashion brands can create a favorable image among the stakeholders.

Tensile strength of flax fabrics to be used as reinforcement in cement-based composites: experimental tests under different environmental exposures

The use of Textile-Reinforced-Matrix (TRM) systems is gaining consensus as a possible technical solution for strengthening masonry structures. In this context, the use of natural fabrics (among which those made of flax) instead of synthetic ones can have a positive impact on several sustainability-related aspects, such as renewability, recyclability, biodegradability, low price. However, both mechanical properties and durability performance of natural fibres and fabrics needs to be further investigated with the aim to make it possible their use in composites for construction. Furthermore, this paper reports the results of a fundamental study on a bidirectional flax fabric eventually intended as the reinforcement in cement-based composite systems. Specifically, it aims at determining the tensile strength of flax of fibres, threads and the fabrics, and investigating how they are influenced by various environmental exposures and aging processes. The results in the experimental tests reported herein show that fibres and fabrics suffered no significant reduction in tensile strength due to the considered environmental exposure. Despite the common belief that natural fibres may be affected by durability issues, the results demonstrate that the flax fabric under investigation can be utilised as a reinforcement in TRM systems, which is the main novelty and original contribution of this paper.

Business Models and Sustainability in Nature Tourism: A Systematic Review of the Literature

This study explores the business model literature within nature tourism, focuses on its sustainability-related aspects, and adopts some of the results of the literature review by Reinhold et al. The research questions concern how scholars use and operationalize the business model concept in the context of nature tourism, and to what extent sustainability-related aspects are included and discussed. A literature review was conducted including a total of 18 scientific articles from various disciplines. The findings suggest that scientific literature about business models in nature tourism is very limited, both in relation to the number of articles and their content. With regard to the latter, the business model concept is sometimes adopted without any clear definition, sustainability-related aspects—especially those relative to the environmental dimension—are scarcely discussed, the perspective adopted is usually static, and innovation for sustainability is only marginally included. This indicates a clear gap in the literature and a considerable potential for future studies.

Sustainability aspects in Inventory Routing Problem: A review of new trends in the literature

Abstract This paper presents a comprehensive content analysis-based literature review of studies on Inventory Routing Problem incorporating sustainability-related aspects. A total of 40 journal articles are selected from Web of Science and Google Scholar databases, and are reviewed by categorizing them into single-objective and multiple-objective models. The review suggests that studies with single-objective models covered areas including waste management (in reverse logistics models), returnable transport item management (in closed-loop supply chain models), waste prevention and reduction (in models with perishable products), and emission reduction (in models with emission caps and carbon price). Studies on reverse logistics are limited to collecting and storing waste at a collection site, while including waste processing and disposal operations could make them more applicable. Studies on closed-loop supply chains are few with a focus on managing returnable transportation items. Future studies could consider remanufacturing, recycling and disposal of products for efficient waste management. Most of the papers in logistics of perishable products considered waste prevention rather than waste reduction. Previous studies related to emission reduction using carbon policies mainly focused on emissions from transportation. Including emissions from other logistics operations could be useful from a practical perspective. Relatively few studies developed multi-objective models. Environmental objectives in multi-objective models focused on minimizing total emissions. Few studies considered social objectives related to minimizing inventory of hazardous material and infectious medical waste, and improving customer satisfaction. Other social aspects such as those related to traffic congestion and job creation could be considered in future studies. Furthermore, application of efficient models and solution approaches to real case studies could be valuable.

Assessing sustainability reports of US universities

PurposeThe purpose of this study is to assess sustainability reports of US universities to provide findings on the relative importance of disclosure topics.Design/methodology/approachThe authors conducted content analysis by using a specific university-oriented catalogue of indicators to cover the specific sustainability-related aspects of this sector.FindingsSustainability reporting by universities is still in its early stages. The findings show a clear focus on the environmental dimension, whereas the university and the economic dimensions see lower levels of reporting. The social dimension is rarely addressed.Research limitations/implicationsFuture research could use the results of this study as a basis for investigating stakeholder expectations towards universities’ sustainability reporting and developing university-specific sustainability reporting standards.Practical implicationsThe results could be used to improve universities’ sustainability reporting, as “good” practices are now readily available.Social implicationsThe level of reporting on the social dimension is very low. Therefore, developing political incentives to improve universities’ social performance might be of interest.Originality/valueThe investigated setting is unique and contributes several findings in a less-researched area along with several practical, social and research implications.