Sustainable Development Projects Research Articles

Sustainable Development: Reality Or Myth?

Since the United Nations Environment Conference in Stockholm (1972), the concept of sustainable development has steadily made its way among individual scientists and international organizations. The apotheosis of this development was the adoption by the United Nations in 2015 of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals. However, many scientists and politicians were skeptical about the concept of sustainable development, since the results of implementing sustainable development in different countries were far from expected. Many decisions taken at the level of the UN and other international organizations turned out to be unfulfilled. In my opinion, as well as some other Russian scientists, the concept of sustainable development is an unrealistic project, it is a myth, although it is very positive and humane. Sustainable development goals can be achieved only by the most economically developed countries entering the era of post-industrialism. In other industrial and especially pre-industrial countries, that make up the vast majority of the world, achieving these goals is impossible. Since the environment is a single inextricable geosystem, sustainable development can only be achieved at the global level, which is not possible in the present and near future. However, sustainable development projects carried out in different countries are actually rational nature management in selected countries.

Harnessing Green Bonds for Sustainable Development: An Empirical Impact and Insight

The study aims to discuss the role of green bonds in financing sustainable development projects, highlighting their significant positive impact on resource mobilization, attracting different types of investors and achieving ecological as well as social results. Making financial returns line up with good ecological results improves the transparency and credibility of financed projects. However, within the sustainable finance space, green bonds are shown to be a strong instrument despite some variation in their influence on societal development and dependence on regulatory frameworks. The findings from this study confirm theoretical assumptions that integrating environmental, social, and governance (ESG) aspects into financial decision making would channel capital to initiatives with substantial sustainability benefits. In conclusion, this analysis suggests that more comprehensive studies should be undertaken to overcome limitations associated with sample size; reliance on self-reported data; and the fact that it is a cross-sectional survey. Henceforth, future research should focus on longitudinal analyses; comparative evaluations of sustainable finance instruments; and more objective measures of impact so as to provide deeper knowledge about long-term effects and general consequences of green bond issues.

Stakeholder Management in Developing a Sustainable Tourism Village Based on Renewable Energy Using RACI Matrix

The tourism village offers cultural, natural, and authentic culinary experiences, but the growth of tourism villages must be managed sustainably to address adverse environmental impacts. Stakeholder management becomes a critical factor in planning a sustainable energy-based tourism village development project. This research aims to identify key stakeholders in the development project of the "Kampung Emas" tourism village based on renewable energy, understand their roles and responsibilities, and formulate stakeholder management strategies. The research was conducted by interviewing key stakeholders in the project and analyzing the results using the RACI Matrix table. The analysis identified four main stakeholders: the Village Head, the Tourism Awareness Group Chair, the Restaurant Manager, and the Academician. The Village Head plays a strategic role as the information disseminator at the village level; the Tourism Awareness Group Chair is fully responsible for the critical phases of the project, the Restaurant Manager has responsibilities in technical and strategic tasks, and the Academician contributes significantly to the analysis of each task. The proposed stakeholder management strategy positions the Village Head as an information disseminator, the Tourism Awareness Group Chair as the primary spokesperson, the Restaurant Manager in strategic decision-making, and the Academician as a consultative partner. This approach is expected to support successfully implementing the renewable energy-based tourism village development project.

Risk Assessment in Sustainable Infrastructure Development Projects: A Tool for Mitigating Cost Overruns

The persistent decline in infrastructure spending, notably within the transportation sector, raises concerns about governments’ capacity to meet the demands of a sustainable growing economy. The incorporation of risk assessment in the analysis and computation of potential cost overruns emerges as an effective and efficient tool, underpinning the economic and financial sustainability of infrastructure expansions. Focusing on the “State Road No. 51 of Alemagna Vittorio Veneto” (SSv-51) variant, this study analyzes and proposes a model to forecast the possible cost overruns of an infrastructure project. The application of the risk assessment tool proposed by the National Anti-Corruption Authority (ANAC) offers valuable insights into potential risks associated with project costs and their valuation. The matrix developed in the current study draws from the ANAC Matrix, which comprises four categories of risk divided into 21 risk types. The selection is based on the project’s characteristics, and a matrix is compiled that forecasts the combination of the probability of risk occurrence and the cost impacts on the project. The proposed risk matrix serves as a practical tool for managing uncertainties and estimating potential cost overruns, estimating ex ante a possible cost increase of 7.53%. This projected increase differs only by 1.34% from the final execution costs, mitigating the unforeseen cost overruns not estimated by the initial project. The proposed risk assessment tool emphasizes the importance of integrating risk management into project planning and execution. The research investigated an applied case utilizing an easily adaptable tool, suitable for potential future implementation, further advancement, and broader testing across various project samples in the future. The study provides a framework to assess and mitigate risks linked to cost overruns. As nations navigate infrastructure development complexities, proactive risk management practices are indispensable for efficient resource management, ensuring the economic and financial sustainability of these complex projects.

Governing Public–Private Partnerships of Sustainable Construction Projects in An Opportunistic Setting

Government-sponsored public–private partnership (PPP) projects in the United Kingdom face particular complexity and uncertainty challenges because of the country’s specific socioeconomic context. This research investigates the role of governance and stakeholder management in PPP-based sustainable projects by conducting a mixed methods approach, which includes a quantitative survey and a qualitative case study inference. The results show that project governance and stakeholder management have a significant positive impact toward sustainable development and PPP project success. Whereas the negative impact of opportunism over contractual governance and stakeholder management is insignificant. Similarly, the negative effect of project uncertainty over contractual governance is insignificant toward sustainable development.

New insight into decoupling carbon emissions from economic growth: Do financialization, human capital, and energy security risk matter?

AbstractAgainst the backdrop of persistent climate change and deteriorating environmental pressure, this study integrates financialization, human capital, and energy security risks to provide new insight into decoupling carbon emissions from economic growth. The study employs annual panel data on the BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa) countries for the period of 1990–2019. The research employs the C‐S ARDL approach and the Tapio decoupling index to assess the decoupling status of the BRICS countries. In addition, this study applies the recently developed Juodis, Karavias, and Sarafidis Granger noncausality test for robustness. The findings offer compelling evidence of an inverted U‐shaped curve, aligning with the environmental Kuznets curve hypothesis. Consequently, the results confirm the decoupling of carbon emissions in the BRICS nations. Furthermore, the Tapio decoupling elasticity index confirms different carbon decoupling statuses among the BRICS. The results show expansive negative decoupling for Brazil, weak decoupling for India and China, and strong decoupling for Russia and South Africa. In terms of policy, achieving strong decoupling status in the BRICS requires that financial institutions' lending and investing strategies align with environmental objectives. In addition, human capital development policies such as increased spending on education should be vigorously pursued to empower people to lead sustainable development projects.

Streamlining USAID IUWASH-Jawa Barat: Kolaborasi Sustainable Development Goals dalam Infrastruktur Air Bersih dan Sanitasi

USAID IUWASH Tangguh-West Java is a big momentum in achieve the Sustainable Development Goals. This emphasizes the issue of extreme climate change such as drought which has an impact on the lack of availability of clean drinking water and sanitation. This project aims to enhance partnerships, provide technical assistance to the Government of Indonesia, the private sector to the community. The writing method used is descriptive research (literature study) based on electronic scientific publications (journals and books), publications on the USAID IUWASH website and the Government of West Java, monitoring and evaluation reports. While the conceptual framework in the analysis will use the Streamlining NGO's Programs Towards Achieving the SDGs Concept owned by Mohamad, Khai, and Mazlin (2018). This concept has a two-mechanism approach, namely cross-sector partnerships and the expansion of social values.
 
 Keywords : Sustainable Development Goals, USAID IUWASH, Foreign Aid, Water Supply and Sanitation Development Project, Development Studies

РОЛЬ ЗЕЛЕНИХ ОБЛІГАЦІЙ У ФІНАНСУВАННІ СТАЛОГО РОЗВИТКУ

Активне формування ринків зелених облігацій пов’язано з виконанням завдань кліматичного переходу відповідно до Цілей сталого розвитку ООН у частині досягнення умов кліматичної нейтральності. Ринок зелених облігацій може надати Україні доступ до глобальних фінансових ресурсів для цілей післявоєнної відбудови і структурної перебудови національної економіки на якісно новому технологічному рівні на принципах сталого розвитку.Визначено, що проблематику наукових досліджень ринків зелених облігацій зосереджено навколо питань оцінювання їх впливу на сталий розвиток, стандартизації зелених облігацій, оцінювання премії за ризик таких облігацій, впливу емісії зелених облігацій на розвиток фондових ринків, обґрунтувань передумов ефективного розвитку ринків зелених облігацій.Систематизовано види зелених облігацій за типом забезпечення активами емітента. Узагальнено рекомендації міжнародних організацій щодо розвитку каналів залучення приватного капіталу у фінансування проєктів сталого розвитку. Акцентовано увагу на проблемі стандартизації зелених облігацій відповідно до міжнародних принципів, а саме: цільове призначення облігацій, прозорість звітності емітента, наявність механізмів управління залученими коштами, оцінювання результатів проєкту. Встановлено, що впровадження таких стандартів полегшує надходження коштів інвесторів у цільові проєкти сталого спрямування і дозволяє контролювати цей процес.Визначено, що найбільш проблемними питаннями розвитку ринку зелених облігацій в Україні є їх стандартизація, запровадження стандартів фінансової і нефінансової звітності щодо розкриття кліматичної інформації, запровадження державних стимулів для емітентів зелених облігацій та інвесторів, розвиток інфраструктури фондового ринку і диверсифікація фінансових інструментів, посилення прав інвесторів, популяризація ідей сталого відновлення в суспільстві.

Factor Contributing to Unsuccessful Customary Land Development in Sabah: Lesson for Sustainable Solution.

Customary land is a valuable resource that holds significant importance for indigenous communities and society. Development of this land can play a significant role in promoting economic growth. Unfortunately, many of the development project planned on this region have fail to achieve sustainable development objective which led to rejection from the indigenous peoples. Therefore, this paper aims to identify the factors that contribute to the failure of development projects on customary land. This paper serves as a preliminary study on the village along the Ulu Papar River. A qualitative method of in-depth interview was carried out involving 50 respondents comprising the villagers. The results indicate that inadequate community consultation and limited local participation to be the main factor behind the issues. The results of this study showed that there are three possible reason i) the absence of cultural priority guidelines; ii) the absence of clear development procedures; iii) lack of opportunities and involvement of indigenous peoples in government development programs. By understanding these factors, valuable lessons can be learned to guide future endeavours and promote sustainable solutions. Ultimately, this research highlights the importance of understanding the unique cultural and social context of customary land to design effective sustainable development project.

Indonesian Tax Law Reform to Encourage Sustainable Economic Growth

Indonesia's state tax functions as a means of collecting state revenue, also known as the budget, and has a regulatory function. MSMEs are key tools to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals. It is considered an economic engine used as the main tool to reduce poverty through promoting sustainable development projects. The success of MSMEs in growing the national economy is evident in their financial performance reports. The research methodology presented in this article uses an interpretive analysis of the concepts presented in this article by applying a three-dimensional model to discuss tax reform. The result of this study is that the lower the level of tax incentives granted, the better the financial performance of MSMEs. The existence of tax incentives for MSMEs improves financial performance in the form of net realized profits. Tax incentives are a form of tax reduction in the form of reduced tax rates for taxpayers who meet certain conditions to minimize the tax burden.

USE OF DIGITAL TECHNOLOGIES IN FINANCING PROJECTS OF SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT IN KAZAKHSTAN

The purpose of the study is to identify new mechanisms for increasing financial support for sustainable development projects in Kazakhstan based on the use of digital technologies.Methodology. To conduct the study, the methods of content analysis of scientific literature, dynamic analysis of indicators for the development of sustainable financing in Kazakhstan, and comparative analysis of the possibilities of investment platforms and portals were applied. The statistical data of the Green Finance Center in AIFC, the Bureau of National Statistics of the Agency for Strategic Planning and Reforms of the Republic of Kazakhstan, international and national standards and guidelines in the field of sustainable development were studied.Originality/value of the research. The study is aimed at solving the actual problem of developing sustainable financing in Kazakhstan. To achieve this goal, the study proposes the use of digital platforms that will help to attract private investment in sustainable development. The criteria for checking projects for compliance with the goals of sustainable development have been systematized.Research results. The stages of developing a digital platform for financing sustainable development projects, logical relationships between processes and information flows, types of connections between platform users are determined. The platform solution can contribute to the growth of funding for the green economy and social projects and make a significant contribution to the promotion of sustainable development priorities.

Competencies and Capabilities for the Management of Sustainable Rural Development Projects in the Value Chain: Perception from Small and Medium-Sized Business Agents in Jauja, Peru

The guinea pig value chain in Jauja, Peru, has been developed through the application of productive projects, institutional strengthening, and implementation of the Principles of Responsible Investment in Agriculture and Food Systems (CFS-RAI). Given the smallholding conditions of the Jauja territory and the proliferation of commercial guinea pig breeding, the actors in this chain constitute a key human capital for development. To improve the performance of the actors in the sustainable rural development of the territory of Jauja, Peru, the research carried out an evaluation of the competencies and capabilities for project management in 46 actors linked to the business programme on the CFS-RAI Principles, representing 1094 people in the guinea pig value chain in Jauja, using the Working With People (WWP) model and empirical instruments based on the Octagon method, project management competence evaluation, performance evaluation carried out by experts, attitudinal evaluation. and the Business Model Canvas. The results have helped to structure the actors of the value chain, who show an intermediate mastery of project management competencies (2.73/5), institutional capabilities in development (2.89/7), and a growing organisational management performance (26.2/100). In addition, trust and proactivity have been generated among the actors in the chain, with an interest in continuing with the implementation of the CFS-RAI Principles in order to achieve sustainability in their productive projects with commercial innovation. The results have allowed us to generate the design of an innovative programme for the development of competencies, which balances the three dimensions of project management competencies (perspective, people, and practice), as defined by the International Project Management Association (IPMA), in connection with the CFS-RAI Principles. Both processes complement the strengthening of human capital in agrifood value chains through sustainable project management and contributing to sustainable development in the region.

Financial sustainability in agri-food supply chains: A system approach

Historically, both governmental and private sectors have significantly underinvested in the agriculture industry.Increasing agricultural and food system investments is necessary to enhance food security and nutrition, reduce poverty, and adapt to climate change. To achieve long-term benefits, it is crucial to ensure not only that more investments are made, but also that these investments are responsible.The purpose of this paper is to conduct a literature review of financial sustainability and ethical investing in the agriculture industry. The findings indicate that the academic community has begun to focus on these concerns in recent years. Specifically, issues concerning finance in developing nations and the management of irrigation systems are attracting attention.This paper's goal is to encourage more financial institutions, financial services managers, policymakers, and universities to participate in sustainable development projects in the financial services sector.

Management of sustainable development projects of non-profit organizations in a risk environment

This work is devoted to the study of the management of sustainable development projects of non-profit organizations in a risky environment. In today's world, non-profit organizations play an important role in solving social problems and achieving sustainable development, but they often face dangers and challenges. Management of sustainable development projects is an effective tool for achieving the goal and mission of non-profit organizations in conditions of risk and instability. It includes planning, implementation and control of projects aimed at achieving social goals and ensuring sustainability of results. This paper will consider models and methods of management of sustainable development projects, which help to reduce risks and maximize the positive impact of projects of non-profit organizations. Risk management strategies, use of innovative practices and stakeholder engagement will also be considered. A review and analysis of the main principles of sustainable development, such as interconnectedness, long-termism, satisfaction of needs, preservation of ecosystems, preventive approach, participation and cooperation, was carried out. Defining and understanding these principles allows organizations to implement sustainable practices, ensuring balanced development and taking into account the needs of future generations. Understanding these principles also helps organizations avoid negative impacts on the environment and society, contributing to a sustainable and prosperous environment for all. The results of this work will help to expand the understanding of project management in the context of nonprofit organizations, as well as to provide recommendations for the effective implementation of sustainable development project management in a risky environment.

Military artificial intelligence applied to sustainable development projects: sound environmental scenarios

Artificial intelligence (AI) used in intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) has a high application interest in project management. This article presents a result of military research on ISR applicable to monitoring and recognition of audio signals for environmental protection and critical infrastructure. Two databases with environmental sounds were built from open access platforms for training, validation, and testing. The identification characteristics for IA are extracted from the preprocessing of the sounds, obtaining the Mel Frequency Cepstral Coefficients (MFCC). As a result, model performance for more realistic soundstages shows higher accuracy compared to training categories in identifying signal frequency and duration settings. It is concluded that the model is applicable to various environmental scenarios as a low-cost alternative technology to be applied in sustainable project management.

Consideration of <i>ESG</i> factors in investors’ activities: Experience of individual countries

Aim. To identify common and specific features in the approaches of countries in the aspect of formation of national policy of financial market regulation in order to motivate investors to finance sustainable development.Tasks. To analyze the approaches of countries to the legislative fixation and introduction of mandatory accounting of ESG factors in the activities of investors; to study the practice of voluntary accounting of ESG factors in the activities of investors; to systematize the ESG approaches of countries used by them in the financial segment of the national economy.Methods. The study of foreign experience of integration of ESG factors into the national financial policy is based on the traditional methodological approach, including methods of structural-logical, systemic and comparative analysis. The analysis of national normative legal acts, documents of voluntary national associations of financial organizations and investors, regulating the rules of conduct of financial market participants to take into account ESG factors in their strategies and activities was carried out. These are open access documents posted on the Internet on the websites of relevant organizations.Results. The following facts were found: 1) regulatory impact has different degrees of rigor; 2) creating demand for sustainable finance is the key challenge that countries are primarily seeking to address; 3) creating incentives for investors to motivate them to engage in sustainable finance is recognized as the main challenge. Countries are choosing different strategies to address it. First, simultaneously influencing both the supply of and demand for sustainable development projects. Second, creating and stimulating demand for sustainable development projects primarily from investors.Conclusions. Principles and standards for ESG risk assessment and ESG investor reporting are now being actively incorporated into supervisory rules, procedures and investor management systems, although a wait-and-see approach still prevails in most of them.

Project sustainability in the conditions of digitalization

The methodological basis of the study is fundamentals of the project sustainability concept, key principles and features of sustainable development, conceptual approaches to strategic sustainability of project activities. A content analysis of Russian and foreign literature was carried out to determine the current challenges of project implementation. The article uses general scientific methods of analysis, synthesis, generalization, decomposition of factors, as well as tabular and graphical visualization techniques of various categories. The results of the paper consist in clarifying the theoretical aspects of the projects’ sustainability and their constituent elements, in substantiating high level of uncertainty of various criteria for project implementation due to the significant turbulence of external factors and the emergence of new challenges, as well as in determining the need to transform established approaches to the sustainable development of projects. As a result of the research, a new approach has been developed to assess the sustainability of projects based on a strategic model that takes into account modern challenges of uncertainty and turbulence. The study prospects lie in practical use of developed integrated approach for models’ formation for the sustainable implementation of projects in various business areas.

Assessment of harbor sediment contamination for a path to valorize dredged material

Annually, over one billion m3 of sediment are dredged worldwide to ensure safe access for ships to harbors. Dredged sediment from harbors, considered as waste, presents an interesting opportunity for sustainable development projects by valorizing it as construction material. Characterizing dredged material is a crucial step to confirm the feasibility of reusing marine sediment and identifying potential valorization pathways. However, previous studies have primarily focused on investigating dredged sediment properties at a physical, geotechnical, and mineralogical level, with limited analysis of the presence of chemical contaminants, despite their impact on assessing sediment quality as a substitute for construction aggregate. The aim of this paper is to evaluate the contamination of marine sediment dredged from Safi harbor, located in central Morocco in an urbanized and industrialized area. Determining the contaminant content in the sediment is a prerequisite for the valorization process. To achieve this objective, the chemical characteristics of sediment collected from six different sampling points are studied. On one hand, the concentrations of the following trace metals are measured: Cadmium (Cd), Arsenic (As), Chromium (Cr), Nickel (Ni), Lead (Pb), Copper (Cu) and Zinc (Zn). On the other hand, Total Petroleum Hydrocarbons (TPH) and Total Organic Carbon (TOC) are analyzed. The results show that the reference values for the studied contaminants are not exceeded at the sampling points located in the port access channel. These findings indicate the potential for valorizing dredged sediment as an alternative source of construction materials.

Institutionalization of ESG-principles at the international level and in the Russian Federation, their impact on ferrous metallurgy enterprises. Part 2

Currently, a new development trend is being formed in the world associated with the decarbonization of economies. This process is based on the institutionalization of ESG-principles – an approach to doing business, characterized by the involvement of companies in solving environmental, social and governance problems. The process of institutionalization of ESG-principles at the international level was initiated in 1948 with the adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights under the auspices of the UN. The active involvement of Russia in the formation of the institutional framework in the field of ESG has begun only in 2020. The reason for this was the ratification of a number of international documents, as well as the active promotion of climate policy by many countries of the world. The stages of the institutionalization process at the international level discussed in detail in Report 1. The decarbonization of economies creates development risks for industries whose products are characterized by high carbon and energy intensity. Ferrous metallurgy also belongs to them. This report presents the results of a study of the effectiveness of measures taken by the Russian Government in the field of reducing atmospheric air pollution in large industrial centers of the ferrous metallurgy based on data from the Unified Information System for Monitoring Air Quality, as well as the results of an analysis of the ESG-practices of the largest Russian ferrous enterprises and compliance with carbon intensity and energy intensity of their products according to the criteria of sustainable (including green) development projects established in our country. As a result of the study, it was found that despite the use of ESG-principles in their activities, the specific emissions of CO2-equivalent of the largest iron and steel enterprises significantly exceed the criteria for sustainable (including green) development projects established by the Russian Government.

Prospective of an Inland Waterway System of Shipping Canals in Skikda (Algeria)

Sustainable development projects require careful balancing of economic interests and ecological needs. The case of Skikda, a city in northeast Algeria, located on the Mediterranean coast, illustrates the challenges connected with such a development. The ancient city coexists with a young hydrocarbon port and industrial pole that serves as a transfer hub in the flow of petroleum between hinterland and sea. The installation of the port and petrochemical refining plants on the banks of the estuary of the Safsaf River presents many challenges to local citizens and the ecosystem, including pollution of the water system, groundwater, and river water, and damage to the area’s ancient heritage. This study argues that we need new and less polluting forms of intermodality between hinterland and seaport to make urban mobility more sustainable. It asks whether and how the existing rivers and wadis (river channels that are dry except during rainy periods) can be transformed into artificial canals for river navigation to improve the transport fluidity and sustainability of Skikda. To answer this question, the study adopts a prospective approach using the MICMAC scenario method. This approach entails, first, presenting and evaluating the potentialities of the existing rivers of Skikda using QGIS, and second, discussing and proposing scenarios for transforming these rivers into urban waterways, that is, artificial canals for inland navigation. The prospect of inland waterway transport in Skikda may be a radical scenario, yet, despite its hydraulic capacity and advantages, this system is not receiving attention in Algeria. We suggest that water transport can breathe sustainable blue life into a vulnerable industrial port city, transforming its challenges into opportunities.