Sustainability Science Research Articles

Exploring Halal Science Research: Do They Meet The Tawhidic Paradigm? Do They Need Islamization Of Knowledge?

In recent years, the innovations in halalan toyyiban (HT) products and services are being fueled by science and technology to meet the emerging needs of the people. This has partly contributed to the expansion of halal and its industry into various sectors that benefitted many. However, there is a growing concern that halal industry is riding on religious platform to gain the economic benefits while losing the faith-bound values. The so-called halal science research fueling the innovation to the industry, is argued to be undertaken without the true understanding of it being a branch of Islamic science thus not operating in the tawhidic paradigm. Therefore, the aims of the study are to i) identify Islamization elements in halal science research, and ii) to propose the measures to conduct halal science research based on the tawhidic paradigm. A total of 14 dissertations (2017-2021) of Master in Halal Industry Science (MSHIS) are investigated. Other secondary sources including journals, books, electronic sources and documents related to the academic programme are also referred. Data is evaluated from the Islamic perspective through the process of relevantization, integration and harmonization. Aspects related to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), science and technology framework, academic program standards, institutes (faculties), and universities framework were also mapped in the analysis to provide a holistic view, deeper insights, and informed perspectives that contribute to a more nuanced understanding of halal science research. It was observed that the MSHIS dissertations contain some elements of halal science research. However, the elements of tawhidic-based halal science are elusive hence the need of appropriate Islamization of knowledge efforts in realizing the ‘true’ halal science research. Maqasid methodology approach, along with establishment of key concepts related to halal science are proposed as part of the Islamization of knowledge efforts in halal science research. To this end, this work shall be able to guide researchers in the halal science research area to conduct their research based on the tawhidic paradigm leading to development of the wholistic HT products and services that meet the HT criteria, and creation of HT-related knowledge in nestled in the tawhidic paradigm.

Nanoparticle-Enhanced Approaches for Sustainable Agriculture and Innovations in Food Science

This comprehensive review paper delves into the burgeoning field of nanoparticle-based applications in sustainable agriculture and food science. With a focus on the latest advancements, we explore the diverse ways in which nanoparticles are being harnessed to enhance agricultural practices and revolutionize the food industry. The review covers the synthesis methods of nanoparticles, their unique physicochemical properties, and their multifaceted roles in promoting sustainable agriculture, including improved crop yield, disease resistance, and nutrient uptake. Furthermore, we investigate the applications of nanoparticles in food science, ranging from food preservation and packaging to the development of nanostructured delivery systems for bioactive compounds. The potential benefits and challenges associated with nanoparticle utilization in agriculture and food science are critically examined, providing insights for researchers, policymakers, and industry stakeholders. This review aims to contribute to the ongoing discourse on sustainable and innovative practices that can shape the future of agriculture and food technology.

How is who: evidence as clues for action in participatory sustainability science and public health research

Participatory and collaborative approaches in sustainability science and public health research contribute to co-producing evidence that can support interventions by involving diverse societal actors that range from individual citizens to entire communities. However, existing philosophical accounts of evidence are not adequate to deal with the kind of evidence generated and used in such approaches. In this paper, we present an account of evidence as clues for action through participatory and collaborative research inspired by philosopher Susan Haack’s theory of evidence. Differently from most accounts of evidence for use in policies and interventions, our account combines action-oriented (the how) and actors-oriented (the who) considerations. We build on Haack’s theory and on the analysis of examples of participatory and collaborative research in sustainability science and public health research to flesh out six procedural criteria for the generation and mobilization of evidence in and from participatory research. Action-oriented criteria invite to look at evidence from a (a) foundherentist, (b) gradational and (c) quasi-holistic perspective. Actors-oriented criteria point out that evidence generation and utilization are (d) social, (e) personal, and (f) embedded. We suggest that these criteria may reinforce participatory and collaborative approaches to evidence co-production when addressing complex problems in sustainability science and public health allowing for the generation of a kind of practical objectivity.

A Comprehensive Assessment of the Pansharpening of the Nighttime Light Imagery of the Glimmer Imager of the Sustainable Development Science Satellite 1

The Sustainable Development Science Satellite 1 (SDGSAT-1) satellite, launched in November 2021, is dedicated to providing data detailing the “traces of human activities” for the implementation of the United Union’s 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and global scientific research. The glimmer imager (GI) that is equipped on SDGSAT-1 can provide nighttime light (NL) data with a 10 m panchromatic (PAN) band and red, green, and blue (RGB) bands of 40 m resolution, which can be used for a wide range of applications, such as in urban expansion, population studies of cities, and economics of cities, as well as nighttime aerosol thickness monitoring. The 10 m PAN band can be fused with the 40 m RGB bands to obtain a 10 m RGB NL image, which can be used to identify the intensity and type of night lights and the spatial distribution of road networks and to improve the monitoring accuracy of sustainable development goal (SDG) indicators related to city developments. Existing remote sensing image fusion algorithms are mainly developed for daytime optical remote sensing images. Compared with daytime optical remote sensing images, NL images are characterized by a large amount of dark (low-value) pixels and high background noises. To investigate whether daytime optical image fusion algorithms are suitable for the fusion of GI NL images and which image fusion algorithms are the best choice for GI images, this study conducted a comprehensive evaluation of thirteen state-of-the-art pansharpening algorithms in terms of quantitative indicators and visual inspection using four GI NL datasets. The results showed that PanNet, GLP_HPM, GSA, and HR outperformed the other methods and provided stable performances among the four datasets. Specifically, PanNet offered UIQI values ranging from 0.907 to 0.952 for the four datasets, whereas GSA, HR, and GLP_HPM provided UIQI values ranging from 0.770 to 0.856. The three methods based on convolutional neural networks achieved more robust and better visual effects than the methods using multiresolution analysis at the original scale. According to the experimental results, PanNet shows great potential in the fusion of SDGSAT-1 GI imagery due to its robust performance and relatively short training time. The quality metrics generated at the degraded scale were highly consistent with visual inspection, but those used at the original scale were inconsistent with visual inspection.

Agile by accident: how to apply Agile principles in academic research projects

Sustainability science and sustainability transition studies are interdisciplinary fields. Interdisciplinarity is understood to support out-of-the-box thinking and thus facilitate scientific advancements. Interdisciplinary research projects dealing with complex issues might need project management approaches that support learning, adaptation, and innovation. Agile is a management approach that has been developed to facilitate collaboration, learning, creativity, innovation, and reflectivity. Due to these qualities, Agile might be a suitable approach to managing interdisciplinary research projects. Agile project management is still new in academic research settings. Only limited information about how to apply it in an academic setting exists. To fill this gap the Agile principles are translated to fit the academic context. The article then outlines how Agile principles can be applied to an academic research program, that did not consciously plan to apply this approach. The translation of the principles will permit other researchers to intentionally use them in their interdisciplinary research projects. Furthermore, other researchers can build on the insights provided in this article to overcome the challenges that Agile can bring.

Migration and sustainable development.

To understand the implications of migration for sustainable development requires a comprehensive consideration of a range of population movements and their feedback across space and time. This Perspective reviews emerging science at the interface of migration studies, demography, and sustainability, focusing on consequences of migration flows for nature-society interactions including on societal outcomes such as inequality; environmental causes and consequences of involuntary displacement; and processes of cultural convergence in sustainability practices in dynamic new populations. We advance a framework that demonstrates how migration outcomes result in identifiable consequences on resources, environmental burdens and well-being, and on innovation, adaptation, and challenges for sustainability governance. We elaborate the research frontiers of migration for sustainability science, explicitly integrating the full spectrum of regular migration decisions dominated by economic motives through to involuntary displacement due to social or environmental stresses. Migration can potentially contribute to sustainability transitions when it enhances well-being while not exacerbating structural inequalities or compound uneven burdens on environmental resources.

SWOT Analysis of the Sustainable Development Concept

Sustainability, a nebulous but attractive concept, poses an essential question for every activity – if it can continue. The concept of sustainability is broad, and it is also often used interchangeably with the concept of sustainable development (SD). These two concepts are analyzed in their interrelations and in relation to the concepts of the green economy (GE) and green growth (GG). The aim of the work is to define and clarify the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats to the concept of SD in its interrelation with sustainability. The focus is also on the possibilities of their practical application, with the aim of sustaining or increasing wellbeing and quality of life within ecological limits. The concepts of SD and sustainability are regarded as fundamental notions and as a basic philosophy in relation to which the remaining concepts are analysed. Efforts were also made to clarify the most crucial relations of the transformation discourses to SD. The use of the concepts as a basic philosophy, including the balance of the three pillars of sustainability/SD, are the main strengths identified. Important opportunities arise from exploiting these strengths and moving closer towards the aims of SD, which include quality of life and wellbeing. With the goal of sustaining sources of wellbeing for people, opportunities for crucial practical applications and methods of measurement of SD, including the development of sustainability science, are identified.

Directing personal sustainability science toward subjective experience: conceptual, methodological, and normative cornerstones for a first-person inquiry into inner worlds

Despite the rapid expansion of sustainability science in recent decades, sustainability crises have continued to grow. Sustainability researchers argue that this is partly the result of neglecting people’s inner worlds and call for a stronger consideration of inner states and processes in sustainability scholarship. We argue that the advancement of personal sustainability science, i.e., the systematic inquiry of inner worlds in relation to sustainability, is currently impeded by at least two unresolved issues. First, attitudes, emotions, values, and the like have frequently been the object of sustainability-related research. It thus remains unclear to what exactly researchers should more closely look at when inquiring into people’s inner worlds. Second, the epistemological and methodological foundations for conducting research on inner worlds remain underdeveloped. We illustrate that current research activities usually remain at a phenomenologically shallow level. In response to these issues, we provide conceptual, methodological, and normative cornerstones for a first-person inquiry within personal sustainability science, allowing for an in-depth understanding and potentially even a transformation of people’s inner worlds with regard to sustainability. Overall, we suggest redirecting personal sustainability science more strongly toward the inquiry into people’s subjective (i.e., first-person) experiences of inner states and processes unfolding in relation to sustainability.

V-pipe 3.0: a sustainable pipeline for within-sample viral genetic diversity estimation.

The large amount and diversity of viral genomic datasets generated by next-generation sequencing technologies poses a set of challenges for computational data analysis workflows, including rigorous quality control, scaling to large sample sizes, and tailored steps for specific applications. Here, we present V-pipe 3.0, a computational pipeline designed for analyzing next-generation sequencing data of short viral genomes. It is developed to enable reproducible, scalable, adaptable, and transparent inference of genetic diversity of viral samples. By presenting 2 large-scale data analysis projects, we demonstrate the effectiveness of V-pipe 3.0 in supporting sustainable viral genomic data science.

Leveraging capacity for transformative sustainability science: a theory of change from the Future Earth Pathways Initiative

Abstract Non-technical summary To address increasingly pressing social–environmental challenges, the transformative strand of sustainability science seeks to move beyond a descriptive-analytical stance in order to explore and contribute to the implementation of radical alternatives to dominant and unsustainable paradigms, norms, and values. However, in many cases, academia is not currently structured to support and reward inter-/trans-disciplinary and transformative endeavors. This paper introduces a theory of change for the Future Earth Pathways Initiative, and similar initiatives, to help leverage the capacity of sustainability scientists to engage in transformative research. Technical summary The increasing body of descriptive-analytical knowledge produced by sustainability science over the last two decades has largely failed to trigger the transformation of policies, norms, and behaviors it was aiming to inform. The emergent transformative strand of sustainability science is a proactive alternative approach seeking to play an active role in processes of societal change by developing knowledge about options, solutions, and pathways, and by participating in their implementation. In principle, scientists can enhance their contribution to more sustainable futures by engaging in transformative research. However, a lack of skills and competencies, relatively unmatured transformative methods and concepts, and an institutional landscape still geared toward disciplinary and descriptive-analytical research, still hinders the sustainability science community from engaging more widely in transformative research. In this paper, the Future Earth Pathways Initiative introduces a theory of change (ToC) for increasing the capacity of sustainability scientists to engage in this type of research. This ToC ultimately aims to build a growing community of practitioners engaged in transformative research, to advance concepts, methods, and paradigms to foster ‘fit-for-purpose transformative research’, and to shape institutions to nurture transformative research-friendly contexts. Social media summary What would a theory of change for leveraging the transformative capacity of sustainability science look like?

6th International Conference on Tropical Resources and Sustainable Sciences (CTReSS 6.0)

The sixth edition of International Conference on Tropical Resources and Sustainable Sciences (CTReSS 6.0) organised by the Faculty of Earth Science, Universiti Malaysia Kelantan has garnered more than 600 participants since 2020. This year, the faculty was honoured to receive participations from Austria, China, India, Indonesia, Nigeria, Pakistan and the Philippines, in line with the currents effort to promote academia and research via global outreach. In total, two invited speakers from various backgrounds and a keynote speaker from Kyoto University have delivered their insights on the latest trends in sustainable use of water resources, management of tropical resources, and GIS technologies in groundwater managements.

Centering Knowledge Co-Production in Sustainability Science: Why, How, and When

Solving complex sustainability problems requires novel, creative approaches. One such approach is knowledge co-production, where individuals with diverse expertise collaborate to generate knowledge in support of transformative solutions. Although the concept is not new, there is growing interest in using knowledge co-production in sustainability science, yet relatively few resources offer a practical guide, rooted in theory, to help researchers and practitioners understand when and how to co-produce in the context of sustainability science. This paper synthesizes the existing literature across multiple disciplines to present a novel framework and actionable strategies for effective knowledge co-production in sustainability. The wheel of knowledge co-production, the conceptual framework presented, emphasizes the importance of iterative phases of building relationships, assessing available resources, involving diverse participants, considering context, and working together with partners to design mutually beneficial and respectful processes and outcomes.

The 22<sup>nd </sup> Science Council of Asia (SCA) Conference “Science for Sustainability, Resilience, and Human Well-being” October 19-21, 2023, Seoul, Korea

The 22<sup>nd </sup> Science Council of Asia (SCA) Conference “Science for Sustainability, Resilience, and Human Well-being” October 19-21, 2023, Seoul, Korea

Exploring global dynamics of sustainable environmental sciences in climate change mitigation for sustainable development

Sustainable Environmental Sciences (SES) and climate change have emerged as relatively new subjects in sustainability that have garnered increasing attention from academics in recent years. This study aims to delve deeper into the implications of SES in climate change mitigation to support the achievement of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). A systematic review method combined with bibliometric analysis was employed to comprehensively uncover the evolution of scientific studies. Data utilized encompassed publications from 2019 to 2023 sourced from three databases: Dimensions, Lens, and Scopus. Findings reveal a significant increase in research on SES over the past five years. The most prolific authors in SES research were identified as Horton, R.C. in the Dimensions database, Ciais, P. in the Lens database, and Meena, R.S. in the Scopus database. The United States and China emerged as the countries with the highest contributions to SES research. The most significant contributions from SES and Climate Change research to SDGs in the past five years were observed in SDG-13, SDG-7, and SDG-15 indicators. This study highlights the emerging domain of SES and its crucial involvement in mitigating climate change, emphasizing its essential role in advancing SDGs.

Transformative research for sustainability: characteristics, tensions, and moving forward

Abstract Technical summary The question of how science can become a lever in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals permeates most recent sustainability research. Wide-ranging literature calling for a transformative approach has emerged in recent years. This ‘transformative turn’ is fueled by publications from fields such as sustainability science, social-ecological research, conservation science, sustainability transitions, or sustainability governance studies. However, there is a lack of a shared understanding specifically of what is meant for research to be transformative in this developing discourse around doing science differently to tackle sustainability problems. We aim to advance transformative research for sustainability. We define transformative research and outline six of its characteristics: (1) interventional nature and a theory of change focus; (2) collaborative modes of knowledge production, experimentation and learning; (3) systems thinking literacy and contextualization; (4) reflexivity, normative and inner dimensions; (5) local agency, decolonization, and reshaping power; (6) new quality criteria and rethinking impact. We highlight three tensions between transformative research and traditional paradigms of academic research: (1) process- and output-orientation; (2) accountability toward society and toward science; (3) methodologies rooted in scientific traditions and post-normal methodologies. We conclude with future directions on how academia could reconcile these tensions to support and promote transformative research. Non-technical summary Dominant ways of doing research are not enough to achieve the UN Sustainable Development Goals. The typical response of science to dealing with the current local and global sustainability crises is to produce and accumulate more knowledge. Transformative research seeks to couple knowledge production with co-creating change. This paper defines the transformative way of doing research to pro-actively support society's fight against pressing societal and environmental problems. We present six characteristics of transformative research. We reflect on the challenges related to implementing these characteristics in scientific practice and on how academia can play its part. Social media summary Sustainability transformation needs to be reflected in science, but what makes sustainability research transformative?

Stakeholder engagement in participatory research in French marine and freshwater social‐ecological systems: A systematic map protocol

Abstract Stakeholder engagement (SkE) in research is currently experiencing significant growth within the fields of environmental and sustainability sciences. Stakeholder engagement ensures the relevance of research questions to societal expectations and the uptake and salience of the co‐produced knowledge and results for their use in the decision‐making process. In a context of societal challenges regarding biodiversity conservation and the sustainability of marine and freshwater social‐ecological systems (SESs), participatory approaches constitute key methods in applied research involving actions and decision‐making. There are, however, many gaps in the practical, conceptual and ethical ways stakeholders have been involved in research. We propose here a systematic map of the literature on SkE in research on marine and aquatic SESs carried out on French European and overseas territories, in order to draw up the first comprehensive overview of how SkE has developed and changed since 1945. This systematic map will identify a representative list of scientific articles on SkE in French marine and freshwater social‐ecological research. The literature search will include both academic literature (e.g. peer‐reviewed articles, reviews, meta‐analyses) and grey literature (e.g. reports, working papers) using the most relevant search engines for the scientific literature published between 1945 and 2023. Retrieved publications will be reviewed for relevance according to a predefined set of eligibility/ineligibility criteria by a group of trained reviewers. The eligibility check will be done in two successive screening steps: (1) title and abstract and (2) full text, each independently performed by two reviewers. All retained literature will be subjected to coding and metadata extraction using the Sysrev platform. No validity assessment will be undertaken. A database of the metadata extracted will be provided, along with a narrative description of the evidence base, and a set of figures and tables summarizing the relevant characteristics of the studies. This systematic map will provide a reliable overview of SkE conducted in research projects on French aquatic social‐ecological systems to strengthen the science–society relationship and help future research projects implement efficient and sustainable SkE processes in France and elsewhere.

Sustainability scientists’ critique of neoclassical economics

Abstract Non-technical summary Neoclassical economics (NCE) theory and neoliberal economics practice together form one of the principal driving forces of environmental destruction and social injustice. We critically examine ten key hypotheses that form the foundations of NCE, and four other claims. Each fails to satisfy one or more of the basic requirements of scientific practice. Hence, NCE is fundamentally flawed, is irrational in the common meaning of the word, and should not be used as a guide for government policies. Because NCE is socially constructed, it can be replaced with an interdisciplinary conceptual framework that is compatible with ecological sustainability and social justice. Technical summary Neoclassical economics (NCE) is widely regarded as providing theoretical justification for neoliberal notions such as ‘governments should minimize regulation and spending, and hence leave major socioeconomic and environmental decisions to the market’. A large body of literature finds that NCE is largely responsible for environmental destruction and social inequality. As NCE is claimed to be a science and has appropriated terminology (without the content) from physics, we examine critically its basic hypotheses and four other claims from a viewpoint of natural scientists and an ecological economist, each a sustainability researcher. This paper defines NCE in two ways: as a theoretical structure for economics based on (1) the hypotheses of methodological individualism, methodological instrumentalism and methodological equilibration, and (2) the three hypotheses named above together with seven other common hypotheses of NCE. We find that each hypothesis and claim fails to satisfy one or more basic requirements of scientific practice such as empirical confirmation, underlying credible or empirical assumptions, consistency with Earth system science, and internal consistency. Sensitivity analysis is rare and ability to predict is lacking. Therefore, we recommend that neoclassical microeconomics be reformed and neoclassical macroeconomics be abandoned and replaced with a transdisciplinary field such as social ecological economics. Social media summary Conventional economics, a driver of environmental damage and social inequality, fails examination by sustainability scientists.

Report of the International Conference on Science and Technology for Sustainability 2023

Report of the International Conference on Science and Technology for Sustainability 2023

Preface

With great pleasure we are introducing the World Sustainable Construction Conference (WSCC 2023), another series of enriching conferences awaits us this year. This conference was organized by Faculty of Civil Engineering Technology, Universiti Malaysia Pahang Al-Sultan Abdullah with the support from Universiti Sains Malaysia, Beijing Jiaotong University, Brawijaya University, Syiah Kuala University, and University of Muhammadiyah Aceh. The World Sustainable Construction Conference which was held at the Tamu Hotel & Suites Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia on the 13th and 14th October 2023.WSCC 2023 did not fail to draw participants across the region including Malaysia, Pakistan, China, New Zealand, South Africa, Indonesia and United Arab Emirates. The conference featured four keynote lectures delivered by Ir. Md Khairi Yaacob, Dr. Jaeyong Chung, Prof. Dr. Othman Che Puan and Associate Professor Dr. Sajjad Ali Mangi.As expected, we received over 100 submitted papers, and our dedicated reviewers invested considerable effort to ensure that only the highest quality research and technical papers were chosen for presentation and publication. In line with the theme of the conference “The Unforeseen”, WSCC 2023 have seen many success in providing a common platform to discuss on issues, challenges, opportunities and current technologies.WSCC 2023 also served as a new platform to researchers and scholars from different disciplines that have interest in sustainable, innovation, agricultural technology and environmental sciences to share and discuss their research findings. Approximately 100 participants, including students, engineers, researchers, and academicians, engaged in numerous fruitful discussions and exchanges, further contributing to the success of this conference. In conclusion, the organizing committee of WSCC 2023 extends heartfelt gratitude to all presenters and participants for their tremendous support.Chairman, WSCC 2023 Mohamad Idris Ali, PhD.Associate ProfessorList of WSCC2023 COMMITTEE MEMBERS is available in this pdf.

Fungal mycelia: From innovative materials to promising products: Insights and challenges.

In transitioning toward a sustainable economy, mycelial materials are recognized for their adaptability, biocompatibility, and eco-friendliness. This paper updates the exploration of mycelial materials, defining their scope and emphasizing the need for precise terminology. It discusses the importance of mycelial type and characteristics, reviews existing and future research directions, and highlights the need for improved understanding, clarity, and standardization in this emerging field, aiming to foster and guide future research and development in sustainable material science.