Sustainable Development Practices Research Articles

Evaluating the Influence of Hydrophobic Nano-Silica on Cement Mixtures for Corrosion-Resistant Concrete in Green Building and Sustainable Urban Development

The use of hydrophobic nano-silica particles in concrete for improved corrosion resistance and durability has been explored in recent years, and its potential impact on sustainable urban development and green building practices has been studied. The impact of substituting hydrophobic nano-silica particles for 2% of the cement weight in high-strength concrete mixes was investigated in this research. The study focuses on evaluating the physical-mechanical properties, including compressive strength, tensile strength, modulus of elasticity, and Poisson’s ratio. Additionally, the influence of these mixes on corrosion resistance is examined. The concrete designs feature a high strength of 42 MPa, and the hydrophilic nano-silica particles undergo functionalization processes to obtain hydrophobic properties. Contact angle measurements and water absorption tests confirm the hydrophobicity of the material. Physical, electrochemical, and electrical tests were conducted to determine the corrosion resistance contribution of the nano-silica particles when substituted at 2% of the cement weight. The research findings reveal that concrete containing nano-silica particles demonstrates improved physical-mechanical properties compared to other mixes. Incorporating nano-silica enhances concrete by accelerating hydration, increasing early-age strength, and providing hydrophobicity, resulting in improved physical-mechanical properties over other mixes. However, it was observed that the addition of hydrophobic and non-hydrophobic nano-silica tends to reduce corrosion resistance compared to concrete without these particles, despite exhibiting greater compactness. This suggests a direct influence of nano-silica on the corrosion phenomenon.

Sustainable development practices in public higher education: A new conceptual framework for nurturing student satisfaction and reinforcing attractiveness to international students

AbstractUsing a multi‐layer review based on stakeholder, institutional and legitimacy theories, the current study presents and empirically analyses a novel conceptual framework addressing the relationship between sustainable development practices, internationalization and students' satisfaction in public higher education institutions. Based on participants' self‐perception, a questionnaire was distributed to 738 students at seven Portuguese public higher education institutions. Structural equation modeling was utilized to estimate the multivariate causal relationships. The evidence shows that SDP are positively, directly, and significantly related to internationalization and students' satisfaction. Students' satisfaction is directly and significantly associated with internationalization, also revealing a moderating effect on the relationship between sustainable development practices and internationalization. To achieve legitimacy among their stakeholders, public higher education institutions must build an institutional commitment to sustainability by adopting and disseminating sustainable development practices with actions on a livable campus.

Accelerating the Adoption of Sustainable Development Practices among Online Distance Learning Higher Education Institutions in Malaysia

Accelerating the Adoption of Sustainable Development Practices among Online Distance Learning Higher Education Institutions in Malaysia

Balancing urban expansion with a focus on ecological security: A case study of Zhaotong City, China

The conflict between socio-economic development and ecological environmental protection presents a significant challenge to achieving regional and urban sustainable development. In Zhaotong City, Yunnan Province, China, this conflict arises from the interplay between urban expansion and ecological environmental protection land, creating a fundamental tension between built-up and non-built-up ecosystems. This study focuses on investigating the spatial characteristics of expansion, constructing an ecological security pattern based on ecosystem service functions and sensitivity, and utilizing integrated models to simulate urban expansion paths and analyze their formation mechanisms. The results highlight that Zhaotong City has undergone rapid urban expansion, characterized by linear growth surrounding the central city, specifically in the east, north, and west directions. The expansion between urban areas exhibits a discontinuous dotted-star distribution, with concentrated urbanization and a distinct urban boundary observed in Zhaoyang District. In contrast, other areas experience scattered expansion, indicative of random land encroachment. Through simulation, three primary urban expansion axes are identified: the western town sprawl belt, central town development axis, and resource-rich town corridor. Ecological conflicts primarily arise in Zhaoyang District, Zhenxiong County, and Yanjin County. By combining these findings, the study analyzes the scenario pattern of urban expansion evolution in Zhaotong City, revealing a transition from the spreading spillover expansion of a single center (Zhaoyang and Ludian) during the circle expansion phase to a polycentric expansion and spreading spillover pattern centered around Zhaoyang District along three primary axial radial paths. In conclusion, this study contributes to our understanding of the challenges posed by the conflict between socio-economic development and ecological environmental protection in Zhaotong City. The findings underscore the importance of integrating ecological considerations into urban planning processes and highlight the need for sustainable development practices to achieve a harmonious coexistence between urban expansion and ecological security. The insights gained from this research offer guidance for fostering sustainable urban development in Zhaotong City and beyond.

The nexus between renewable energy, environmental pollution, and economic growth across BRICS and OECD countries: A comparative empirical study

This study examined the causal nexus between renewable energy consumption, GDP, and CO2 emissions across BRICS and OECD countries from 1995 to 2021, using various econometric techniques including FMOLS and DOLS estimators. It also reviewed the most recent literature on this nexus, aiming to understand the impact of renewable energy development on economic growth and CO2 emissions reduction. The long-run estimations from FMOLS and DOLS showed that the majority of the observed variable coefficients were statistically significant at 1%, 5%, and 10% levels. In panel FMOLS estimation for the BRICS, a 1% increase in GDP correlates with a 0.204% increase in renewable energy (RE). However, an increase in CO2 emissions significantly reduce RE by 0.994%. In contrast, the panel DOLS estimation shows that a 1% increase in GDP improves RE by 0.399%, while an increase in CO2 emissions drops RE by 1.369%. Similarly, in panel FMOLS estimation for the OECD indicates that a 1% increase in GDP correlates with a 0.083% rise in RE, but an increase in CO2 emissions leads to a decrease in RE by 1.476%. In the DOLS panel, a 1% rise in GDP correlates with a 0.054% increase in RE, while an upsurge in CO2 emissions diminishes RE by 1.369%. The nexus among renewable energy consumption, CO2 emissions, and GDP is intricate and interconnected. Renewable energy is a key solution to mitigate CO2 emissions and foster sustainable GDP growth. Nevertheless, CO2 emission has significant negative impacts on both the deployment of renewable energy and GDP, underscoring the necessity for sustainable development practices.

The Current Issue of Sustainable Development for Construction Contractors in Vietnam

Sustainable development is a development that can meet current needs without affecting or harming the ability to meet the needs of future generations. In other words, sustainable development must ensure efficient economic development, social equity, and environmental preservation. Research on sustainable development and sustainable development in the construction industry is a valuable theoretical and practical topic. This article focuses on clarifying several issues related to sustainable development, the impacts of the construction industry on three aspects of sustainable development in Vietnam, and also highlights the current status of sustainable development practices among construction contractors in Vietnam, along with some solutions for sustainable development by construction contractors in Vietnam today.

Students’ satisfaction and empowerment of a sustainable university campus

AbstractUniversities are crucial in empowering a sustainable campus through the adoption of sustainable development practices (SDP), which are expressed in terms of economic, organizational, environmental, and social dimensions. Previous findings point out that students’ satisfaction ensures universities’ sustainability. Both SDP and students’ satisfaction increasingly rule universities positioning. Nevertheless, research addressing the relationship between universities’ SDP dimensions and students’ satisfaction is limited. Given this gap, this study focuses on this still unexplored relationship, as perceived by 738 full-time students at seven Portuguese universities and their academic satisfaction, using structural equation modeling. The empirical findings reveal that SDP influence students’ satisfaction, mainly through organizational and social dimensions. From the resulting implications, it is worth highlighting that: Empowerment of the sustainable university campus is positively associated with students’ satisfaction; and universities need to be continuously committed to improving particularly the economic and environmental dimensions of SDP.

Climatic-Geomorphological Investigation of the World's Wettest Areas around Cherrapunji and Mawsynram, Meghalaya (India)

This research paper comprehensively examines the climate and geomorphological features of Cherrapunji and Mawsynram, aiming to understand the factors and environmental implications of their extreme precipitation. The study investigates climatic patterns, identifies geomorphological characteristics, and explores the factors influencing the occurrence of heavy rainfall in these areas, and displays unique rainfall patterns with high precipitation levels and notable spatio-temporal variation influenced by topographic interactions. Trend analysis reveals stable rainfall conditions over the past 122 years. The shift of the world's wettest place from Cherrapunji to Mawsynram in recent decades have been attributed to various factors such as geographical location, geomorphology-local topography, LULC-human influence, rain shadow effect, and orographic lifting effects. Cherrapunji recorded maximum rainfall of 24.55 thousand mm, while Mawsynram received 26 thousand mm of rainfall in the last century. The analysis of long-term rainfall data indicates distinct dry and wet seasons, with recent trends (2000-2020) suggesting a decline in rainfall for both locations. Furthermore, extreme value analysis techniques are employed to estimate maximum rainfall for different return periods, offering insights into extreme rainfall events. The return period of one day's highest rainfall of 1340.82 mm is about 100 years. The findings contribute to our understanding of climate change impacts, support sustainable development practices, and inform strategies for water resource management and erosion mitigation in similar geographic contexts. This research enhances our knowledge of these unique regions and their significance within the broader context of global climate systems.

Urban resilience and sustainability through and beyond crisis – evidence-based analysis and lessons learned from selected European cities

PurposeDespite striving for resilience and a sustainable urban future, European cities face a multitude of crisis caused by both natural and human-induced risks. This paper asks two key questions: How have cities experienced and managed crises situations they encountered? and What are the plans and actions for embedding sustainability at a local level within a clear decision-making structure? Hence, it aims to examine urban resilience in the context of urban crisis and the associated health concerns that took place because of crisis situations, while identifying sustainable urban development initiatives and strategies that were conceived and implemented beyond crisis.Design/methodology/approachAn evidence-based analytical approach is undertaken following two lines of inquiry. The first is case-based and identifies 11 cities that have experienced crisis situations and a further 10 cities that have instigated urban resilience strategies. The second is theme-based and engages with identifying strategies relevant to sustainable urban development at city and project levels. The outcomes of the two lines of inquiry are verified by mapping the lessons learned from the analysis to recent international guidance and a further co-visioning workshop with 6 experts.FindingsThe evidence-based analysis reveals key lessons which were classified under two primary types of findings: (a) lessons learned for a future urban resilience resulting from the 1st line of Inquiry (case-based) and (b) lessons learned for a future sustainable urban development resulting from the 2nd line of inquiry (theme-based). The verified lessons provide four areas that can be utilised as key priorities for future urban resilience and sustainable urban development including (a) Governance, effective communication, and decision making for city resilience and urban sustainability; (b) the social dimension of resilience and participatory practices for sustainable urban development; (c) from implicit strategies for health to positive impact on health; and (d) diversification of initiatives and localisation of sustainable development endeavours.Research limitations/implicationsThere is always limitation on what a bibliometrics analysis can offer in terms of the nature of evidence and the type of knowledge generated from the investigation. This limitation manifests in the fact that the analysis engages with the body of knowledge but not based on engaging physically or socially with the contexts within which the cases took place or through empirical investigations including systematic observations, focused interviews, and attitude surveys. While the study does not generate empirical findings, the rigour of the bibliometrics analysis offers a credible and reliable evidence on how cities experienced and managed crises situations and their current plans and priority actions for embedding and localising sustainable development measures.Practical implicationsThis research conveys significant implications for policy, practice, and action in that it crystalises the view that understanding urban resilience and sustainability, at the city or urban level, requires coupling the two. The findings offer a solid foundation for a more contextualised, evidence-based examination of urban resilience and sustainability during and beyond crisis. Highlighting urban and health challenges that emerged from experienced crisis situations, how these were managed and developing an understanding of sustainable urban development and local resilience strategies elucidate insights that can be adopted and acted upon by city councils and built environment practitioners.Originality/valueThe analysis provides comprehensive insights into urban resilience and sustainable urban development at both city and continental Europe scales in the form of key lessons that represent the first step towards developing rudiments for building a better urban future. Little is known about resilience and sustainability at these scales. The originality of this work lies in the breadth and depth for capturing an inclusive understanding of urban resilience and sustainable urban development based on systematic inquiry and scrutinising the body of knowledge emerged over the past 2 decades.

Problems, Consumption and Sustainability of Fast Fashion Industry

The main purpose of the scientific article is to present problems, consumption and sustainable of fast fashion industry. The methods used in writing the scientific article are descriptive-analytical method, systematic approach, study of the works of authors, comparative analysis, method of observation, induction, deduction. The development of sustainable practices and policies of fast fashion industry is important for overcoming the identified problems, the study of the questions related to consumption reducing the harmful impact of textile waste and achieving the main economic, environmental and social goals of sustainability.

Policy framework considering resource curse, renewable energy transition, and institutional issues: Fostering sustainable development and sustainable natural resource consumption practices

The “natural resource curse” hypothesis, which is regarded as the paradox of plenty, highlights the detrimental impacts of natural resources on economic growth. Hence, unsustainable natural resource extraction or utilization is a substantial challenge for sustainable development. However, sustainable utilization of natural resources and the transition towards renewable energy sources present viable pathways for achieving sustainable development and financial globalization and institutional quality can serve as essential catalysts to this endeavor. Accordingly, this research examines the influence of natural resource rents (NRR) on sustainable development in emerging countries considering the roles of renewable energy transition, financial globalization, and institutional quality. To do this, yearly data from 1990 to 2020 is analyzed using the method of moments quantile regression. The findings unveiled that NRR impede sustainable development, supporting the “resource curse hypothesis”. The results further indicate that the transition to renewables and increasing financial globalization contribute to sustainable development. In addition, institutional quality promotes sustainable development in emerging economies. Finally, causality analysis shows causality from NRR, financial globalization, and institutional quality to sustainable development. Meanwhile, bidirectional causality was identified between renewable energy transition and sustainable development. Moreover, financial globalization and institutional quality have a causal impact on the renewable energy transition. These empirical results provide substantial implications for policymakers in these countries to craft efficacious strategies for pursuing development, by improving natural resource management and accelerating the transition to renewable energy.

Greenwashing or Current Positioning of Goods

The article studies one type of current goods positioning, i. e. greenwashing. Greenwashing is company activity, in which various marketing communications (PR and advertising) are used to demonstrate its ecological orientation instead of real introduction of ecological practices aimed at cutting the negative impact on the environment. The author describes history of greenwashing, provides examples and discusses strategies that help check the current company positioning for using greenwashing. The difference between green marketing and greenwashing was explained. Green marketing is a marketing activity, as a result of which the company sells its products or services orientating only to their ecological properties. The article also studies the problem of transparency and corporate social responsibility. Corporate social responsibility means practice of sustainable development, whose goal is to ensure gains, such as economic, ecological and social benefits for producer and consumer. Complete transparency is a conviction that all organizations must be frank, open and honest in their work. Types of greenwashing regulation (legal, public, professional) are characterized.

Comprehensive Assessment of Sustainable Development Goal 11 at the Sub-City Scale: A Case Study of Guilin City

Quantifying the progress and interactions of the 11 indicators of Sustainable Development Goal 11 plays a crucial role in improving urban living and promoting urban prosperity. SDG 11, focused on sustainable cities and communities, employs forward-thinking strategies to address challenges arising from urban prosperity and development, such as land scarcity and resource shortages. This paper positions the indicators of SDG 11, analyzing the patterns, trends, dynamics, and issues of urbanization development in Guilin using a combination of geospatial satellite resource data and categorical statistical data. The study introduces a framework and positioning method for assessing sustainable development at the city–county scale, exploring the current state, spatial aggregation, synergies, and trade-offs in the development of Guilin City. The study introduces a framework and positioning method for assessing sustainable development at the city–county scale. Utilizing a localized evaluation system, it explores the developmental status of Guilin City. The application of Moran’s Index observes spatial aggregation among entities. By investigating Spearman’s rank correlation coefficient, it delves into the interplay of synergies and trade-offs within the studied region. Ultimately, it reveals significant disparities in the developmental landscape of the evaluated area, with a comprehensive spatial distribution indicating higher levels of development in the central and western regions and lower levels in the southeastern part. Strengthened cross-leverage and coordination are imperative to address the interconnections and harmonization of the developmental trends of the six synergistic indicators and nine trade-off indicators during the developmental process. The sustainable development of Guilin lays the groundwork for urban planning, construction, conservation, and management, positioning it as a potential model for successful sustainable development practices.

Urbanization, rural energy-poverty, and carbon emission: unveiling the pollution halo effect in 48 BRI countries.

The Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) is a significant economic development strategy directed by China. Its primary objective is to establish connectivity across a vast region encompassing over 70 countries in Asia, Europe, and Africa. This endeavor significantly impacts worldwide development, economic advancement, and environmental sustainability. Nevertheless, insufficient pertinent evidence exists when exploring the correlation between urbanization, rural energy poverty (Rural_EP), and carbon emissions (CO2_Em) in the BRI region. The present study examines panel data encompassing 48 countries participating in BRI from 2001 to 2020. This research addresses existing gaps by employing the System-GMM and Driscoll and Kraay Standard Error (DKSE) models to investigate factors influencing CO2_Em. The findings indicate that the presence of energy poverty in rural areas is associated with higher levels of CO2_Em, while urbanization has a mitigating effect on such emissions. Furthermore, adopting production methods and environmentally sustainable technologies by foreign corporations leads to a decrease in CO2_Em, thereby providing evidence of a pollution halo effect in BRI. Moreover, economic growth and industrialization have detrimental environmental consequences, primarily through the amplification of CO2_Em. Based on the empirical evidence, the study proposes policy measures that advocate for promoting renewable energy sources, adopting sustainable urban development practices, implementing energy conservation strategies, and establishing carbon pricing mechanisms.

Analysis of Spatial-Temporal Changes and Driving Factors of Vegetation Coverage in Jiamusi City

This study of vegetation coverage in Jiamusi City provides theoretical support for local urban development, land use, and ecological environmental protection. Based on the land cover data and Landsat remote sensing image data from 2000 to 2020, the vegetation cover and land use data of Jiamusi City were extracted. The study includes the following aspects: (1) an analysis of the spatio-temporal changes in vegetation coverage; (2) analysis of the land use situation in Jiamusi City; and (3) investigation of the impact of natural and human factors on vegetation coverage in Jiamusi City using the Geodetector model. The results show that (1) over the past 20 years, the vegetation coverage of Jiamusi has shown a decreasing trend, declining from 25.22% in 2000 to 17.13% in 2020, representing a decrease of 32%. In terms of spatial distribution, the areas of Fuyuan City and Tongjiang City have experienced more significant decreases in vegetation coverage, decreasing by 73.6% and 54.0%, respectively. (2) The land use pattern of Jiamusi City has undergone significant changes during the study period; except for paddy fields (PF), unused land (UL), and construction land (CL), the areas of all the land categories have decreased. The ranking of the single land use dynamic degree in terms of magnitude is as follows: PF, UL, CL, dry farmland (DF), vegetation coverage land (VCL), and wetland (WET). (3) The changes in vegetation coverage were influenced by both natural and human activities and, according to the Geodetector results, the main influencing factors were CL and DF. The key findings of this study emphasize the need for comprehensive land use planning and ecological environmental protection that focus on sustainable development and conservation practices, and lay the groundwork for future ecosystem management and urban planning efforts in Jiamusi City.

Evaluating green financing mechanisms for natural resource management: Implications for achieving sustainable development goals

China has made noteworthy strides in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), including natural resource management. The country’s economic expansion has put more strain on its natural resources during Covid-19 pandemic, which has contributed to environmental deterioration, the extinction of species, and climate change. Consequently, green finance can create new opportunities for assisting natural resource management practices that support environmental, social, and economic sustainability. In order to realize the SDGs, this study employs a hybrid Fuzzy Multi-Criteria Decision Making (MCDM) approach based on the Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP) and Visekriterijumska Optimizacija i Kompromisno Resenje (VIKOR) to assess and prioritize important criteria, sub-criteria, and green financing mechanisms for natural resource management in China. Therefore, this study identified six criteria, eighteen sub-criteria, and six green financing strategies for promoting sustainable development and natural resource management methods in China. According to the Fuzzy AHP findings, financial sustainability (0.192), institutional feasibility (0.176), and environmental impact (0.171) are the most crucial criteria. While, the Fuzzy VIKOR findings reveal that carbon markets, green bonds, and green investment funds are the best financial solutions for reaching sustainable development and effective resource management practices in China. This research enables policymakers, investors, and other stakeholders improve sustainable development and natural resource management in China.

Fine-grained sustainability assessment: County sustainable development in China from 2000 to 2017

Rational assessment of the regional sustainable development level is an important prerequisite for formulating development strategies and achieving the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Currently, little literature provides nuanced understanding for national sustainable development from the perspective of county sustainability. Such studies can provide more accurate regional heterogeneity characteristics and policy decision support. Thus, this paper applies the entropy weight method and Chinese county data from 2000 to 2017 to reassess the sustainability of Chinese counties. The results show that China's county sustainability (Sustainable Development Index, SDI) is slowly improving. County sustainability performance is poorer in ethnic minority agglomerations, poor counties, old revolutionary counties, and central and western regions, better in county-level cities and eastern regions. The decomposition results show that economic sustainability and environmental sustainability are the main supporters of SDI growth, and livelihood sustainability is in urgent need of improvement. The regional inequality of SDI in Chinese counties gradually decreases, and inter-group differences are the main contributors to regional inequality in SDI. This paper provides support for China to develop county-level sustainable development measures and practice the SDGs. The findings could be useful for policymakers.

Sustainable Development Adoption in the High-Tech Sector: A Focus on Ecosystem Players and Their Influence

In an era marked by increasing concerns about environmental sustainability, the telecommunications industry faces a pressing need to examine its commitment to sustainable development practices. Therefore, this study investigated the drivers and constraints influencing the adoption of such practices within the industry, with particular emphasis on the roles and interactions of ecosystem players. The research employed structural equation modeling (SEM) in AMOS to test the hypotheses and multilayer perceptron (MLP), which is an artificial neural network model, to assess the importance of each variable in the context of sustainable development adoption (SDA). This study analyzed data obtained from a diverse sample of telecommunications professionals, including telecom operators, device manufacturers, technology providers, and content and service providers. The findings reveal that stakeholder expectations held the highest normalized importance, suggesting their paramount influence in driving sustainable practices within the industry. Competitive advantage emerged as the second most significant factor, contributing to the adoption of sustainable strategies by companies. Conversely, cost and ROI concerns presented a constraint that potentially hindered SDA. This research contributes to the comprehensive understanding of sustainable development in the high-tech sector, aiding industry practitioners and policymakers in fostering a more sustainable future for the telecommunications industry. The implications derived from the sensitivity analysis provide valuable insights into prioritizing efforts and resources to enhance sustainable development adoption in the telecommunications sector.

Zmiana narracji wobec natury: w kierunku zrównoważoności

Nature, an ontologically dynamic entity, has been the object of different types of conceptualizations. In recent types, it has been metaphorically conceptualized as a resource. This conceptualization is problematic such that it reduces the dynamic interdependent nature to a mere store-house for materials. This leads to the conceptualization that humans can use nature up until stock lasts. On top of that, our hunting-gathering instincts have made us reckless consumers and hoarders of things we think are necessary. This non-sustainable behavior is detrimental to our nature which holds us, nurtures us, and provides for us. To change the narrative of nature in the world of sustainability, sustainable development and sustainable practices, we must change our conceptualization of nature. In the present work, we present the problematic conceptualization of nature as a resource. We also discuss certain conceptualizations and their impact in the discussions on sustainability. And finally, we provide a linguistic alternative to the metaphoric conceptualization of nature that has the potential to alter the non-sustainable practices and take society towards sustainability.

Unveiling the Catalysts of Sustainable Development Practices Adoption: Empirical Insights from Asian Online Distance Learning Higher Institutions

Unveiling the Catalysts of Sustainable Development Practices Adoption: Empirical Insights from Asian Online Distance Learning Higher Institutions