Context Of Sustainable Development Research Articles

Sustainability in Long-Term Surface Mine Planning: A Systematic Review of Operations Research Applications

The mining industry, critical for global resource supply, has historically been linked to significant environmental degradation and social challenges, including habitat disruption, water and soil contamination, as well as fatalities. But recently, the industry has been undergoing a transformative change to meet evolving environmental and societal expectations. Operations Research (OR) provides essential tools and techniques to optimize decision-making processes in this context. This paper presents a comprehensive review of different OR methods and their applications in balancing economic, social, and environmental objectives in surface mine planning. Of the 63 papers reviewed, 45 were published by researchers from three main countries: Canada, the United States, and Australia, with 73% of these papers appearing in journals. This review highlighted that linear programming (LP), dynamic programming (DP), Lagrangian relaxation (LR), stochastic programming, and metaheuristics are among the most widely applied methods in surface mine planning within a sustainable development (SD) context. By evaluating the strengths and limitations of these techniques, this review offers valuable insights for researchers and practitioners aiming to improve production efficiency and sustainability through advanced planning strategies.

Optimizing Urban Technological Innovation through GGFs: A Systemic and Spatial Analysis

The implementation of the Government Guides Funds (GGFs) policy by China’s government plays an important role in guiding domestic private capital to participate in innovation and entrepreneurship activities. This study empirically analyzed the impact of GGFs in facilitating the domestic optimization process of urban innovation in China. Based on panel data from 285 cities from 2008 to 2021, this study uses the Spatial Durbin Model (SDM) to verify the impact of GGFs on urban innovation and its mechanism. The findings reveal that GGFs exert a positive influence on the urban innovation of both the immediate regions and the neighboring areas of the policy-origin city. The effectiveness of GGFs varies geographically, with more pronounced spatial spillover impacts observed in the eastern regions of China. Further research shows that industrial upgrading amplifies the direct impact of GGFs on urban innovation, while its indirect effectiveness is not significant. Finally, based on empirical findings, this study also underscores the necessity of local governments in tailoring the management of GGFs to local conditions and promoting sustainable urban innovation and regional development. Our findings provide noteworthy implications for governmental administrators and regulators in promoting the systemic optimization of GGFs operations within the context of sustainable urban development.

Sustainable Design Methods Translated from the Thermodynamic Theory of Vernacular Architecture: Atrium Prototypes

In the context of China’s sustainable development and dual carbon goals, research on thermodynamic architecture theory and vernacular architecture increasingly aligns with international trends, developing distinct characteristics. This research addresses the challenge of rapid changes in the built environment by focusing on climate adaptability and passive technologies. However, the development of thermodynamic theory in vernacular architecture faced technical limitations in the early 21st century and was later overshadowed by the industry’s reliance on active technologies to meet green building standards, resulting in a reduced role for architects in the green building field. This article traces the origins of passive architecture, rooted in vernacular architecture, and applies thermodynamic theory to explore architectural prototypes. It examines the theoretical feasibility of architectural design in achieving low-carbon and sustainable goals, aiming to fill a gap in thermodynamic theory within the broader context of sustainable architectural development. After demonstrating the various passive prototypes inherent in vernacular architecture, this paper proposes a courtyard prototype focused on residential comfort for design translation and analysis. The research methods employed include bioclimatic charting, balance point temperature analysis in time series, and extensive computer simulations. Through the process of prototype extraction, performance analysis, validation, and optimization, the paper systematically discusses sustainable design methods within the framework of thermodynamic architecture theory. It also provides practical demonstrations of these methods across four distinct climate regions in China. By translating vernacular architectural designs, this research systematically organizes the theoretical framework for architects’ early involvement in low-carbon and green building design, offering a theoretical foundation for initiating the design process through prototype translation while guiding the generation of green ecological buildings.

Universities as cities of flows: decoding cross-regional university partnerships for sustainable development in China

PurposeThe study conceptualises universities as “cities of flows” to examine the East-West University Partnership (EWUP) in China, which is a pioneering initiative of cross-regional university collaboration linking over 220 institutions across China since 2001. The study explores the strategic enhancement of connective and collaborative capacity of universities to facilitate diverse flows of talent, knowledge and other resources within the broader context of China's sustainable development in higher education.Design/methodology/approachThe study employs a qualitative single-case study design to investigate the EWUP within its real-life context using participant observation and documentary research. As an analogical inquiry, the study merges the insider and outsider perspectives of the researchers to identify patterns between theoretical constructs and empirical evidence.FindingsThe EWUP as a policy entrepreneurship has significantly contributes to coordinated, inclusive and sustainable development. Its spatial dynamics consists of structural, temporal and collaborative dynamics. They are characterised by centrality, connectivity and adaptability which are generated through the interplay among the nodes, linkages and fields of influence within the EWUP network. These dynamics showcase EWUP as a novel approach to managing long-term university partnerships between more and less developed regions.Originality/valueThe study reimagines universities and higher education systems through vivid analogies of cities and transportation networks and elucidates connectivity as a pivotal dimension of sustainability. It advocates for reexamining spatial theories in higher education, deepens insights into the dynamics of cross-regional university partnerships in coordinating educational and territorial development, and enriches discussions on Higher Education for Sustainable Development (HESD).

Beyond environmental sustainability: Low‐carbon land use policies can contribute to the realization of comprehensive sustainable development

AbstractIn the context of climate change and sustainable development, there has been numerous researches studying the influence of land use policies on carbon sequestration. However, most of them focus on specific experimental area to explore the impact of land use policies on carbon fixation, or their impacts on a certain aspect, lacking the comprehensive explanation of both the internal influence mechanism and external effects. Therefore, this article presents a comprehensive review and the results show that scientific land use policies have the capacity of increasing net carbon sinks and soil organic carbon to realize environmental sustainability. In addition, these low‐carbon land use policies can not only bring out this climate change mitigation influence, but also have external effects on cities sustainable development, food security, ecological protection, and economic disparities to promote comprehensive sustainable development. However, if these policies fail to adapt to local natural and socio‐economic conditions, or overlook the potential negative impacts they could pose, these policies cannot facilitate the achievement of comprehensive sustainable development and could even impede this progress.

Sustainable Solid Waste Management in Malaysia: Overview of Costing and Incentives

This study addresses the critical challenges and initiatives in solid waste management (SWM) within the context of sustainable urban development in Malaysia. Acknowledging the complicated nature of SWM, the research explores municipal planning, transportation systems, water and sanitation, disaster risk reduction, education, and waste management. The literature review incorporates global perspectives, highlighting SWM hierarchies, institutional effectiveness, sustainability challenges in diverse regions, and practical guidelines. The Malaysian context underscores the nation's dedication to sustainable development, regulatory structures, and the growing expenses associated with SWM. The discussion highlights the limitations of landfills in Malaysia, urging consideration of alternative solutions like waste-to-energy plants. The study aims to investigate SWM practices, operators' costs, and government incentives in Malaysia, providing a comprehensive understanding of the subject for informed policymaking.

A review on carbonaceous materials for fuel cell technologies: An advanced approach

AbstractIn the context of sustainable development environment‐friendly approaches, technologies have gained momentum with dual objective of achieving technological advancements and innovations through green energy source. One such approach is fuel cells which have been identified as a potential source for the production of electric power from chemical fuels. Fuel cell has become popular as they represent environmentally friendly method to generate power. The trucking industry and fleet transit networks have shown the potential of the hydrogen fuel cell despite many obstacles, such as material composition, storage, and distribution, because it can be used and moved securely, leading to a significant reduction in CO2 and particulate pollution. Proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFC) are the subject of intense research in environmental friendly power transformation and storing tools as a consequence of environmental friendliness, minimal emissions, and great effectiveness. Fuel cell transportation is successful with oxygen reduction process (ORR). Graphite, a highly organized type of carbon, serves as the standard due to its durability and accessibility. This article focuses on the evolution of electrodes as well as electrolytic materials or fluid materials for various kinds of fuel cells and also explains the uses, difficulties, advancements, etc. pertaining to electrodes and fluids of diverse types of fuel cells.

Towards 2050: Evaluating the Role of Energy Transformation for Sustainable Energy Growth in Serbia

This paper aims to investigate the outlook of energy generation by means of transformation within the context of sustainable energy development. An analysis is conducted to assess the stability of energy systems so to implement cutting-edge energy production models at the national level, with a focus on a contemporary approach to energy modeling. Considering the energy transition and the existing constraints within the energy industry, the model assesses the feasibility of the practical advancement of renewable energy sources. The bottom-up energy model was used to determine how the components of energy development sustainability can be applied until the year 2050. To perform comparison testing with the reference state scenario, the LEAP energy model was used. This instrument was selected because of its ability to provide flexible and advanced options for selecting suitable parameters for energy transformation prediction. A progressive reduction in environmental pollution can be achieved by the deployment of current methods of energy generation by transformation until the year 2050 in Serbia, as indicated by the findings. The research highlights the significance of utilizing green energy sources for the continuing development of energy and the gradual reduction in environmental pollution through value co-creation.

Reducing Ammonia Emissions in Polish Agriculture, the Implementation of the NEC Directive, and the Context of Sustainable Development—Pilot Studies

Reducing environmental pollution, including air pollution, contributes to improving people’s health and quality of life, which is one of the goals of sustainable development. One of the important air pollutants is ammonia, which is mainly emitted from the agriculture sector. This sector is responsible for over 81% of global ammonia emissions. The aim of this research was a preliminary assessment of the implementation status of methods for reducing ammonia emissions on farms and to learn the views and awareness of agricultural producers on reducing emissions of pollutants into the air. The research was conducted using a survey questionnaire that was made available to farmers in various ways. Based on the results, it can be concluded that farmers have knowledge of environmental protection and agree that people have an impact on the environment. Low-emission practices to reduce ammonia emissions from agricultural sources are not widely used. The best situation is considering reduction practices in the storage of natural fertilizers and the use of low-emission fertilizer application techniques. The results of this type of monitoring research may be useful in determining the level of ammonia emission reduction. In the future, the data may be used during air pollution inventories conducted by state institutions.

Enhancing Economic, Social, and Ecological Resilience Through Sustainable Waterfront Development in Penang

The global economic disruption caused by the COVID-19 pandemic has significantly impacted development across various regions, including Penang, where supply chain disruptions, restricted cash flow, and delayed progress have led to reduced economic growth for stakeholders and communities alike. This study aims to explore the interconnected economic, social, and ecological (ESE) systems within the context of sustainable waterfront development in Penang, focusing on how these systems contribute to economic resilience and dynamism. The land and water resources of Penang, strategically situated along vital maritime routes, present substantial potential for economic revitalization. A quantitative research approach was employed, gathering data from questionnaire surveys, revealing a positive correlation between ESE variables. Key attributes such as local authority governance, development scale and impact, business operations, place identity, heritage preservation, and waste management were found to play crucial roles in shaping sustainable waterfront initiatives. The study highlights that Penang’s core economic sectors—agriculture, mining and quarrying, manufacturing, construction, and services—have historically driven the local economy, but the growing focus on waterfront development offers new avenues for economic recovery and growth. The results validate the chosen quantitative methodology and underscore the importance of adopting integrated strategies to address land and water management challenges. By aligning with sustainability goals and adopting a holistic approach, Penang's waterfront development can foster resilience, ensuring long-term socio-economic and ecological balance. The insights provided contribute to a broader understanding of sustainable urban development and offer actionable strategies for policymakers and stakeholders involved in Penang's waterfront projects.

Forging green Horizons: Revealing Catalysts of pro-environmental behavior in emerging market

In recent years, environmental pollution has started to threaten global economies. The understanding of consumer behavior within the context of sustainable development has become increasingly important to deal with this growing ecological complexity. Urbanization has accelerated in Pakistan, resulting in urban consumers raising more environmental concerns and promoting eco-friendly products. These concerns have demonstrated their commitment to sustainability and pro-environmental behaviors, such as reducing waste materials (e.g., plastics) and pollutants (i.e., smoke, dust, etc.), thus supporting eco-friendly behaviors. Today, Pakistan's urban consumers are well-aware of environmental complexities. As such, environmental knowledge is the driver of consumers' pro-environmental behavior, affective commitment and social capital also compel individuals to acquire ecological knowledge to enhance consumer behavior. This research considers customers' environmental knowledge and affective commitment, both of which actively contribute to pro-environmental activity. It explores the relationship between environmental knowledge, affection commitment, social capital, and environmental behavior in Pakistan. Data was gathered from Pakistan's urban customers and analyzed using Covariance-based Structural Equation Modeling (CB-SEM). The results indicate that affective commitment and social capital have a positive and significant effect on environmental knowledge and behavior. Notably, the relationship between social capital, affective commitment, and environmental behavior is mediated by knowledge of environmental issues. Through its findings, this study fosters an understanding of environmental behavior and explains the sense of responsibility and greater commitment in individuals, which thus leads them toward sustainability.

Effects of Teachers’ Media Utilization and Computational Thinking on Sustainable Development in Early Childhood Education

(1) Background: The study aims to analyze the degree of media use among early childhood teachers and the correlations between their computational thinking, playfulness, creativity, and problem-solving abilities. It confirms a strong correlation between playfulness and problem-solving abilities and investigates whether higher levels of computational thinking are associated with higher levels of playfulness. This research is positioned within the context of sustainable development in early childhood education, emphasizing the importance of integrating digital literacy and computational thinking skills to promote sustainability. (2) Methods: The research was conducted on teachers working in daycare centers and kindergartens in Jeju Island, South Korea. A total of 203 questionnaires were collected, employing descriptive statistics, frequency analysis, Pearson’s correlation coefficient analysis, one-way ANOVA, and multiple regression analysis. (3) Results: The study found that teachers’ degree of media literacy affects their media use. Additionally, the higher the degree of computational thinking, the more significant the effect on early childhood teachers’ playfulness. Furthermore, early childhood teachers’ playfulness, creativity, and problem-solving skills were all significantly correlated overall. (4) Conclusions: The findings suggest that if teachers take an interest in IT media and find ways to use it positively, it will have a positive effect on early childhood education. Moreover, increasing computational thinking skills will enable the effective use of various tools, positively impacting teachers’ roles. The study proposes that enhancing early childhood teachers’ playfulness, creativity, and problem-solving skills will contribute to sustainable development in early childhood education.

Effect of recycled concrete aggregate size on physical and mechanical properties of eco-friendly-self-compacting concrete

In recent years, the rapid increase in population and building demand across the world leads to significant deterioration or reduction of natural resources. Meanwhile the huge amounts of waste from the demolition of buildings and concrete structures in the landfill space become a serious ecological and environmental problem. The recovery of aggregates from recycled concrete for the formulation of new concrete would contribute to reducing the depletion of natural resources and therefore integrate into the context of sustainable development, because there are several socio-economic advantages. The objective of this possibility of using aggregates from recycled concrete mixes. We have established a comparison between the physical and mechanical behavior of SCC based on RCA (Recycled Sand: SR 0/3 and Recycled Gravel RG: 3/8 and 8/15) and that of SCC based on natural aggregates (NA) on fresh support and hardened state. Additionally, Non-Destructive Testing (NDT) methods were conducted in this research to obtain more information about the properties of the studied SCC. The results of the tests on fresh SCC meet the recommendations of the French Association of Civil Engineering (AFGC). The physical and mechanical behavior of SCC-RS is relatively weak compared to SCC-NA/RG. This is directly related to the high absorption capacity of the aggregates (depending on the size of the aggregates) and the poor quality of the mortar attached to the aggregates, which can create areas of weakness in the concrete structure. From the regression results, it was found that there is a direct correlation between the physical and mechanical properties of different concretes indicated by the higher values of R-squared (R2 = 0.92).

Welfare enhancement or environment improvement: How does China's rural revitalization assistance policy work? Evidence from China

AbstractIn the context of sustainable development, the greatest challenge facing society today is to improve welfare of the disadvantaged while preserving the environment. This paper constructed a theoretical framework of “policy‐welfare‐environment,” explored the effects in terms of individual welfare enhancement and village environment improvement, and conduct empirical tests on a sample of 1208 rural households in China. The results show that: (1) The assistance policy can significantly improve the overall welfare of the disadvantaged groups, and meanwhile, it can improve different dimensions of welfare, with the degree from high to low was a social opportunity, spiritual feeling, and economic situation. (2) The assistance policy can increase the probability of adopting environmental protection behavior, which in turn can significantly improve the village environment. (3) Welfare improvements in social opportunities mediate between the assistance policy and village environment improvements, while improvements in spiritual feelings and economic status do not. In addition, there is age heterogeneity in the welfare enhancement effect of the policy in the economic status dimension and the spiritual feeling dimension. The conclusions provide valuable policy enlightenment for assistance policy formulation and environmental governance, and can protect the ecological environment while improving public welfare, which is in line with the trend of sustainable development.

Impact of Green Investment and Jobs on Poverty via Sustainable Development

Purpose: This study evaluates the influence of green investment and green jobs on poverty reduction with sustainable development as a mediating variable. Methodology: Using a descriptive-quantitative method, secondary data from the Central Bureau of Statistics of South Sumatra from 2016-2020 were analyzed using a panel regression model. Results: The results indicate that green investment and green jobs affect poverty reduction through sustainable development in South Sumatra Province. Findings: Challenges include green infrastructure development and policies supporting green investment and job creation. Novelty: This research provides insights into the impact of green investment and green jobs on poverty reduction within the context of sustainable development. Originality: The study offers a detailed analysis of how green investment and green jobs contribute to poverty reduction and sustainable development. Conclusions: Green investment and green jobs have the potential to reduce poverty and achieve sustainable development but require collaboration among the government, private sector, and society. Type of Paper: Empirical Research Article

Political Economy of STI in China: Analyzing Official Discourse on Science, Technology and Innovation-Driven Development in the Contemporary China

Science, technology, and Innovation (STI) have been the cornerstone of China’s Reform and Opening-up processes. Employing a hybrid methodology, including textual analysis, this paper asserts that four decades of reform and opening-up have witnessed STI’s pivotal role across sectors despite numerous challengesб such as economic slowdown, growing disparities, environmental issues, and a huge burden on the state-owned enterprises. China’s substantial investments in the Fourth Industrial Revolution technologies, including Artificial Intelligence and New Energy Vehicles, exemplify its commitment to innovation, reflected in over 2.5% of GDP allocated for research and development in 2022. This robust investment has bolstered China’s innovative capabilities and brought about its high ranking on the Global Innovation Index. In Chinese STI politics and policy-making, the programs like MLP-2006, SEI-2010 and Made in China 2025 have created a watershed moment. Three central research questions guide our exploration: the trajectory of policy framing on STI-Driven development, the theoretical underpinnings of Innovation-Driven Development and Green Development in Chinese STI politics, and the significance of these paradigms in China’s context. This paper also hypothesizes the emergence of two distinct trajectories within China’s STI politics through the adoption of Innovation-Driven Development and Green Development, positioning STI at the core of China’s development paradigm. The study thoroughly dissects China’s official discourse, framing these paradigms within the Sustainable Development context and highlighting their crucial roles in China’s journey toward technological advancement and sustainability. The analysis of the evolution of China’s STI policy as portrayed in official discourse offers insights into the strategic role played by science, technology, and Innovation in moulding China’s socio-economic trajectory alongside global implications stemming from its transformative development agenda.

Teachers’ knowledge and views on developing zero waste education within the sustainable development goals framework

The Zero Waste Project is a powerful tool for individuals to raise awareness about waste management and ensure sustainable development. Education is the key to disseminating the Zero Waste Project and raising awareness in individuals. Sustainable development has a complex structure with strong links to different fields. It is, therefore, crucial to consider the insights and perspectives of educators from diverse backgrounds on zero waste education within the context of a sustainable development framework. Thus, necessary arrangements can be made in line with the experiences and suggestions of these teachers, and the development of zero waste education can be facilitated. This study aims to reveal the knowledge and opinions of teachers about the development of zero waste education. This qualitative research was conducted with 20 teachers from different disciplines, including mathematics, science, social studies, and language teachers. The data was collected during the 2022-2023 academic year. The results revealed that teachers have limited knowledge about sustainable development and zero waste. Consequently, while all teachers concurred on the necessity of providing education on zero waste to students, teachers, and parents, they emphasized the importance of implementing this education as a separate course and utilizing novel methodologies. It is anticipated that the findings of this research will facilitate the development of zero-waste education within the context of sustainable development.

The impact of cleaner energy sources, advanced technology firms, and economic expansion on ecological footprints is critical in sustainable development

The environmental degradation accompanying economic growth, despite the potential mitigating effects of technological advancements and cleaner energy sources. This study examines the critical impact of cleaner energy sources, advanced technology firms, and economic expansion on ecological footprints within the context of sustainable development, focusing on the period between 2010 and 2022. By comparing the E7 (emerging seven) and G7 (Group of Seven) economies, the research aims to delineate how these factors collectively influence environmental sustainability in both developing and developed nations. Utilizing a robust panel estimation technique, the study systematically explores the relationship between the adoption of renewable energy technologies, the growth of high-tech industries, and macroeconomic expansion, alongside their respective effects on the ecological footprint, a key indicator of environmental impact. Our statistical analysis reveals significant differences between the E7 and G7 countries. For the G7, investments in cleaner energy and technology sectors have shown a more pronounced effect in reducing ecological footprints, attributed to higher efficiency standards and greater public awareness. In contrast, the E7 countries exhibit a delayed response, owing to varying stages of economic development and technological adoption, although promising trends are emerging. Notably, the G7 demonstrates a more pronounced inclination towards financial imperialism (0.043), while the E7 is significantly influenced by green energy sources (0.258). Policy implications drawn from the findings suggest that targeted investments in green technologies and renewable energy sources, coupled with robust policies supporting economic expansion in a sustainable manner, are crucial for both groups of countries. For the E7, accelerating technology transfer and adopting stricter environmental regulations are key, while the G7 should focus on innovation and the continuous improvement of energy efficiency standards. This dual approach is essential for mitigating the environmental impacts of economic growth and steering the global economy towards a more sustainable trajectory.

LCT-Based Framework for the Assessment of Sustainability: From the Perspective of Literature Review

AbstractIn the context of sustainable development, urban transformation should encourage the use of life cycle thinking tools for infrastructure development. By adopting sustainable economic, social, and environmental criteria, this study presents a review of sustainability assessment tools to build a framework for urban infrastructure. It incorporates a variety of methods that economists and industrial ecologists use for evaluating their projects, in addition to the LCT approach. To recognize the strategic sustainability indicators and criteria, the framework uses LCC, LCA, and SLCA in conjunction with stakeholder evaluation and multi-criteria decision analysis, which recognizes the foremost three pillars of sustainability, i.e., economy, environment, and society. Additionally, system dynamics and agent-based modelling are used to optimise the framework. The prominence of the framework is to understand the route an urban infrastructure development should follow to achieve key sustainability interests involving the interconnected environmental and socio-economic aspects. This sustainability assessment framework can be utilised by consultants or supporting agencies to help organisations carry out and monitor such projects.

Exploring the technology changes of new energy vehicles in China: Evolution and trends

In the sustainable development context, the automotive industry is shifting towards new energy vehicles (NEVs) to reduce carbon emissions. China leads in NEVs production and technology but faces challenges in innovation capacity due to increasing market competition and technological demands. Consequently, to explore the situation of technology innovation of China’s NEVs, this paper delves into the technology changes in this field with the invention granted patents from 2000 to 2021, employing the basic patent-metrics method and Latent Dirichlet Allocation (LDA) topic model for evolution analysis and vector autoregression (VAR) model for trend predictions. The research findings indicate that: (1) the patents pertaining to NEVs have experienced an average annual growth rate of 23%, with notable regional disparities in the spatial distribution of said patents. (2) Among the 8 key technology topics identified, battery equipment technology, brake control system technology, and supplying system technology emerge as the top three technology topics. (3) As NEVs progressively become more intelligent, there is an anticipated surge in interest regarding vehicle braking control technology over the ensuing five years.