Sustainable Development Research Research Articles

Responses of Ecosystem Services to Land Use/Cover Changes in Rapidly Urbanizing Areas: A Case Study of the Shandong Peninsula Urban Agglomeration

The rapid expansion of built-up land, a hallmark of accelerated urbanization, has emerged as a pivotal factor contributing to regional climate change and the degradation of ecosystem functions. The decline in ecosystem service value (ESV) has consequently garnered significant attention in global sustainable development research. The Shandong Peninsula urban agglomeration is crucial for promoting the construction of the Yellow River Economic Belt in China, with its ecological status increasingly gaining prominence. This study investigated the ESV response to land use/cover change (LUCC) through the elasticity coefficient in order to analyze the degree of disturbance caused by land use activities on ecosystem functions in the Shandong Peninsula urban agglomeration. This analysis was based on the examination of LUCC characteristics and ESV from 1990 to 2020. The findings reveal that (1) the Shandong Peninsula urban agglomeration experienced a continuous increase in the proportion of built-up land from 1990 to 2020, alongside a highly complex transfer between different land use types, characterized by diverse transfer trajectories. The most prominent features were noted to be the rapid expansion of built-up land and the simultaneous decline in agricultural land. (2) The analysis of four landscape pattern indices, encompassing Shannon’s diversity index, indicates that the continuous development of urbanization has led to increased fragmentation in land use and decreased connectivity. However, obvious spatial distribution differences exist among different districts and counties. (3) The ESV was revised using the normalized difference vegetation index, revealing a slight decrease in the total ESV of the Shandong Peninsula urban agglomeration. However, significant differences were observed among districts and counties. The number of counties and districts exhibiting low and high ESVs continuously increased, whereas those with intermediate levels generally remained unchanged. (4) The analysis of the elasticity coefficient reveals that LUCC exerts a substantial disturbance and influence on ecosystem services, with the strongest disturbance ability occurring from 2000 to 2010. The elasticity coefficient exhibits obvious spatial heterogeneity across both the entire urban agglomeration and within individual cities. Notably, Qingdao and Jinan, the dual cores of the Shandong Peninsula urban agglomeration, exhibit markedly distinct characteristics. These disparities are closely related to their development foundations in 1990 and their evolution over the past 30 years. The ESV response to LUCC displays significant variation across different time periods and spatial locations. Consequently, it is imperative to formulate dynamic management policies on the basis of regional characteristics. Such policies aim to balance social and economic development while ensuring ecological protection, thereby promoting the social and economic advancement and ecological environment preservation of the Shandong Peninsula urban agglomeration.

The Significance of Cultural Capital in Enhancing the Efficiency and Long-Term Viability of Village Credit Institutions in Bali

The objective of this study was to examine the impact of cultural capital on financial performance, marketing performance, and financial sustainability. Additionally, it investigated the influence of financial performance and marketing performance on financial sustainability. The study focused on Village Credit Institutions in Bali, specifically those categorised as healthy or fairly healthy, totalling 1,145 units. Using the Slovin formula, a sample size of 100 units was determined. Stratified proportional random sampling, based on the number of units in each district/city in Bali, was employed to collect the sample. The analysis technique used was the Smart-PLS. The findings indicated that cultural capital had a favourable impact on financial performance, marketing performance, and financial sustainability. Moreover, both financial performance and marketing performance positively influenced financial sustainability. Additionally, financial performance mediated the influence of cultural capital on financial sustainability. The scientific novelty of this study lies in its comprehensive analysis of the interplay between cultural capital and various performance metrics within Village Credit Institutions, an area that has been underexplored in existing literature. The practical significance is evident in its implications for policymakers and managers within these institutions, suggesting that the enhancement of the cultural capital can lead to improved financial and marketing outcomes, ultimately supporting long-term financial sustainability. This study provided valuable insights for strategic planning and resource allocation in similar financial institutions globally. The findings underscored the critical role of cultural capital in driving institutional performance and sustainability. This combination of theoretical exploration and methodological rigor enhanced the scholarly contribution of the study, offering insights that can inform both academic research and practical strategies for sustainable development in microfinance institutions.

Mitigating Financial Risks in Sustainable Public–Private Partnership Infrastructure Projects: A Quantitative Analysis

Economic recession from the coronavirus outbreak continues to have negative rippling effects on local and international financial investments in public–private partnership (PPP) projects in Ghana, a developing country. Together with poor reports on operating cash-inflows for PPP projects such as those covering schools, hospitals, railways, fishing harbors, cocoa warehouses, recreational parks and affordable housing, there is an urgent need to develop and institutionalise sustainable and robust financial risk management measures. These measures are meant to mitigate financial losses, promote sustainability practices and prolong the longevity of infrastructure developments within PPP pacts. Therefore, this study aims to assess the mitigation measures of PPP infrastructure management in Ghana. Primary data from survey questionnaires were utilised in this study, with the data obtained from PPP practitioners and experts. Data were grouped into project type, sectors and practitioners of PPP projects to aid the analysis using tools such as the Kruskal–Wallis test, the Mann–Whitney U test and factor analysis. The results demonstrate sustainable and green finance, the innovative skills and competencies of project teams, green financial risk models and inclusive cost reduction strategies as crucial to minimising financial risks in PPP project delivery. These findings have significant implications for PPP practitioners and researchers in Ghana and similar developing countries to understand and develop measures to respond to financial risks for sustainable PPP project development and future research studies.

Digital divide and digitalization in Europe: A bibliometric analysis

Research background: Digitalization and the associated digital divide are crucial issues impacting socio-economic development globally. Extensive research has examined digitalization and the digital divide in EU countries, but there is a lack of understanding regarding comparisons with studies conducted in Western Balkan countries. This study investigates digitalization trends in research from the past five years in both regions, focusing on efforts and factors contributing to the digital gap. Purpose of the article: The study analyzes research on digitalization from 2018 to 2023 in the EU and Western Balkans. It explores factors causing the digital divide and efforts in digitalization, aiming to guide future research and policy for digital inclusion and sustainable development. Methods: The study employs a meticulous data selection process, choosing Scopus as the database for its extensive coverage of diverse journals. A total of 1119 articles from EU countries and 277 from Western Balkan countries are selected for bibliometric analysis, adhering to PRISMA guidelines. Findings & value added: The research reveals a growing interest in digitalization-related issues, demonstrating the multidisciplinary nature of ongoing research. It points out the distribution of publications on digitalization in the EU and Western Balkans countries. The EU focuses on digital technologies, economic growth, and sustainability, while Western Balkan countries focus on COVID-19 impact and digitalization in education and business. The research compares digitalization efforts in the EU and Western Balkan countries presented in the literature, pointing to new dimensions of the digital divide studies. It discusses how socio-economic contexts affect digital transformation and stresses the need for tailored policy approaches for digital inclusivity. These insights are of great importance for policymakers, researchers, and practitioners working towards global digital development and bridging the digital divide. The study lays the groundwork for future research and policy considerations, considering limitations like potential bias in databases and search criteria.

Sustainable Tourism in Romania: Integrating Economic, Social and Environmental Dimensions

Abstract Tourism and sustainable development are two interlinked areas, as tourism in its traditional form can bring significant economic and social benefits, but can also have a negative impact on the environment and local communities. Due to global changes that have occurred in recent years, such as population growth, accelerated urbanisation, climate change and threats to biodiversity, research in tourism and sustainable development is becoming essential to create a more responsible and balanced approach to these activities. In this paper we have focused on presenting the evolution of tourism over the period 1992-2021 and testing linear multiple regression analyses to establish the nature and extent of relationships between tourism, economic, social and environmental indicators, thereby demonstrating the impact of tourism on sustainable development. The econometric applications carried out in this work - a combined model for studying the intention of tourists to return to a tourist destination, a regression model taking into account spatial elements for evaluating the defining characteristics of accommodation units in Romanian tourism and a growth optimisation model taking into account the influence of the environment - allow the quantification of different categories of impact generated by tourism activities.

Analysis of Spatial and Temporal Dynamics of Finland’s Boreal Forests and Types over the Past Four Decades

In the context of global warming, the study of the long-term spatial change characteristics of boreal forest cover is not only important for global climate change and sustainable development research but can also provide support for further research on the response of boreal forest changes to climate change. Using Landsat TM/OLI images from 1980 to 2020 as the data source and Google Earth Engine (GEE) as the platform, Finland was selected as the study area of boreal forests, and typical sample points of different features were chosen to classify forested and non-forested land using the random forest algorithm combined with spectral indices and classified feature sets of tasseled cap transform to obtain the four-phase forest cover change maps of the region. GEE test sample points and random selection points of images from the GF-2 and GF-7 satellites were used for verification. The classification accuracy was 97.17% and 88.9%. The five-phase forest cover images were segmented by a 2° latitude zone, and the spatial and temporal dynamic changes in forest cover in the whole area and each latitude zone were quantified by pixel superposition analysis. The results showed that, in the past 40 years, the boreal forest cover in Finland changed significantly, and the forest cover decreased from 75.79% to 65.36%, by 10.43%. Forest change mainly occurs in coniferous forests, whereas broadleaf forests are more stable. The forest coverage in each latitude zone decreased to varying degrees, with higher changes occurring in high-latitude areas above 64° N between 1980 and 2000, and higher and more severe changes occurring in low-latitude areas below 64° N between 2000 and 2020. Coniferous forests are the dominant type of forest in Finland, and the degradation of coniferous forests in the south is likely to become more severe, whereas the north and above is likely to become more favorable for coniferous forests. More monitoring and research are needed to follow up on the very different changes in the north and south regions.

Sustainable development research of resource-exhausted cities based on system dynamics: a case study of Sdzz

Sustainable development research of resource-exhausted cities based on system dynamics: a case study of Sdzz

Does geopolitical risk impact sustainable development? A perspective on linkage between geopolitical risk and sustainable development research

The impact of the geopolitical crisis radiates into the area of sustainable development, it has become a major challenge hindering the process of sustainable human development. Thorough research is necessary to determine how global geopolitical concerns affect sustainable development. Based on the methodology and paradigm of bibliometrics, this study incorporated the research of geopolitical influences on sustainable development into the analytical framework, creating and comparing structural changes in the field before and after the outbreak of the Russia-Ukraine conflict, and systematic basic research using data from relevant publications included in Web of Science core collection. The results indicate that the study of geopolitical influences on sustainable development has attracted widespread interest among scientists and that the number of publications on the subject has been on the rise, Environmental Sciences Ecologic have become the most dominant subject in the research field of the topic. The geographical distribution of publications shows that developed countries have more publications in this field. The evolution of the dynamics of international collaboration reveals heterogeneity in the patterns of country and author collaboration before and after the outbreak of the Russia-Ukraine conflict, a decrease in the clustering of country collaboration, and the replacement of the United States by China as the country with the highest intensity of collaboration after the Russia-Ukraine conflict, and author collaboration networks show a lack of high-impact author groups in the subject. Thematic clustering results reveal that geopolitical risks have influenced economic, social, and environmental sustainability, which include impacts on economic development, energy security, global supply chains, the water environment, and many others. At the end of the article, relevant suggestions are proposed for achieving sustainable development goals under geopolitical threats.

The impact of land transfer policy on sustainable agricultural development in China

At present, China’s agricultural development presents problems such as increasingly tight constraints on water and soil resources, increased pollution in the process of agricultural production, and noticeable degradation of agricultural ecosystems. So, it is urgent to promote the sustainable development of agriculture. From the perspective of land transfer policy, based on the panel data of 30 regions in China from 2006 to 2020, this paper uses the entropy weight method to calculate the level of sustainable agricultural development. Based on the analysis of the impact mechanism of land transfer policy on sustainable agricultural development, the relationship between land transfer policy and sustainable agricultural development is empirically tested by the continuous difference-in-difference method. The study found that the overall level of sustainable agricultural development in China is relatively low but shows an upward trend. The land transfer policy significantly promoted the sustainable development of agriculture in China. This conclusion is still valid after a series of validity tests and robustness tests. Finally, the corresponding policy suggestions are put forward according to the theoretical analysis and empirical results. Future research will focus on indicators challenging to quantify in agricultural sustainable development and find effective methods to incorporate them into the indicator system. At the same time, find the data of Prefecture-level cities in major grain-producing areas and further improve the measurement and research of agricultural sustainable development.

Advancing a WEF nexus security index for Alaska: an informed starting point for policy making

ABSTRACT Water, energy, and food (WEF) security has become a key area of research in sustainable development. Prompted by the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals, a large body of research highlights the inter-connectedness of WEF systems and the dangers of their siloed treatment. Simultaneously, more attention is being placed on the WEF security of remote populations in the Arctic, especially for areas like Alaska, where WEF insecurities are prevalent, yet obscured by national reporting. This research developed a WEF Nexus Security Index for the state of Alaska that can be used by policy-makers to consider plausible causes for regional inequalities and why some regions of Alaska, and not others are exposed to higher levels of WEF insecurity. Beyond the conceptual value of the index, an on-line Arctic WEF Nexus Security portal was developed that further enables policy-makers and community leaders to track changes in WEF security and monitor the effects stemming from future interventions, be they policy or technological in nature. By bridging nexus thinking and nexus doing, we hope to provide policy-makers with a novel and accessible tool for achieving WEF security in Alaska.

Editorial Notes

The International Sustainable Development Research Society (ISDRS) is a global network of academic and sustainable development experts. ISDRS will organise an annual conference to allow practitioners, researchers, academics, and students to network and share their latest research, case studies, experiences, and accomplishments within the context of sustainable development.Halfway through Agenda 2030, and amid the COVID-19 pandemic to endemic transition, people from every walk of life are experiencing changes in their lives. Governments worldwide are aligning their goals and targets to fit in the new ‘norms.’ Against this background, researchers were invited to share their work, which assesses the progress of SDGs, at the 29th ISDRS Conference from 11th to 13th July 2023 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.The Malaysia conference took place in the mid of Agenda 2030, seven years and a half after SDGs was first launched in 2015, and seven years and a half more towards 2030. It goes without saying that the most appropriate theme for the 2023 conference was “Half-way through Agenda 2030: Assessing the 5Ps of SDGs (people, planet, prosperity, peace and partnership)”. Below are the commitments made by country leaders worldwide to the 5P back in 2015: People We are determined to end poverty and hunger in all their forms and dimensions and to ensure that all human beings can fulfil their potential in dignity and equality and in a healthy environment. Planet We are determined to protect the planet from degradation, including through sustainable consumption and production, sustainably managing its natural resources and taking urgent action on climate change so that it can support the needs of the present and future generations. Prosperity We are determined to ensure that all human beings can enjoy prosperous and fulfilling lives and that economic, social and technological progress occurs in harmony with nature. Peace We are determined to foster peaceful, just and inclusive societies which are free from fear and violence. There can be no sustainable development without peace and no peace without sustainable development. Partnership We are determined to mobilise the means required to implement this Agenda through a revitalised Global Partnership for Sustainable Development, based on a spirit of strengthened global solidarity, focused in particular on the needs of the poorest and most vulnerable and with the participation of all countries, all stakeholders and all people. The Faculty of Law, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, UKM (or the National University of Malaysia), was proud to be the main organiser of the 29th ISDRS Conference. Other co-organizers were IDEA Centre UKM, Institute of Fuel Cell UKM, Institute of Visual Informatic UKM, Institute of the Malay World and Civilization UKM, UKM-Graduate School of Business, Hadhari Institute UKM and UKM Strategy Center.

CEO attention and sustainable development: An analysis of its influence on firm's sustainability orientation

AbstractDrawing on the attention‐based view and leadership theory, this study proposes a theoretical framework for the relationship between CEOs' attention load and firms' sustainability orientation, with supply chain leadership and CEOs' social capital playing mediating and moderating roles, respectively. We tested the theoretical framework by analysing panel data on 236 CEOs from 102 listed companies in the agricultural and food industries in China from 2012 to 2019. We find that (a) CEOs' attention load negatively affects firms' sustainable orientation; (b) this relationship is partially mediated by firms' supply chain leadership; and (c) CEOs' social capital positively moderates this mediating effect. Lower CEO attention loads are associated with increased supply chain leadership and higher sustainability orientation for the firm. Additionally, CEOs' social capital positively moderates the relationship between attention load and sustainability orientation. This study integrates the attention‐based view and leadership theory into sustainable development research, investigating the translation mechanism of CEO attention to a firm's managerial orientation towards sustainability. It contributes to leadership theory by extending sustainable and ethical leadership from an intra‐ to inter‐organisational context.

Synergy of digital economy and green economy in sustainable development policy

<p>Sustainability challenges and ICT perspectives are at the heart of current thinking on global economic and social development. The current development and growth process is based on unsustainable foundations due to irresponsible resource consumption and negative environmental impacts as well as greenhouse gas emissions. People need to find ways to integrate the digital economy and the sustainability of the green economy. Therefore, this paper firstly describes the intersection of digital economy and green economy, secondly introduces the security system of digital economy and green economy, then based on this, the SURF (Speeded-up robust features) algorithm is used to locate and improve the data aggregation system of digital economy and green economy, and finally, the algorithm simulation experiment is conducted. The experimental results found that the aggregation algorithm based on digital economy and green economy has 19% higher accuracy than the traditional algorithm. At the same time, the calculation speed is increased by three to five times. The above results show that the SURF algorithm is applied to the sustainable development research of digital economy and green economy with significant effect.</p>

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

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

Exploring the research trends in climate change and sustainable development: A bibliometric study

Climate change and sustainable development are interconnected and pressing global challenges requiring urgent attention. Researching the trends in climate change and sustainable development through a bibliometric study is essential for addressing urgent global challenges, identifying gaps in knowledge, informing policy decisions, and promoting collaboration within the academic and research community. This study aims to conduct a bibliometric analysis to investigate the research trends, collaboration network, and thematic evaluation of publications on climate change and sustainable development. 1696 papers from 1992 to 2022 were selected using the PRISMA framework from the Scopus database. We employ Bibliometric R and VOSviewer software to conduct bibliometric analysis. The study found that literature and citations on climate change and sustainable development have grown significantly. The Chinese Academy of Sciences leads in productivity, while the USA, China, and India are the most productive countries. Surprisingly, 44 papers received over 100 citations, while 50% received less than five. Trending topics include COVID-19, urbanisation, attitude, climate change mitigation and adaptation, etc. The evaluation of research themes reveals a shift towards climate change to mitigation, adaptation, and sustainable development goals. The findings serve as a valuable resource for researchers, policymakers, and practitioners, facilitating a deeper understanding of the evolving knowledge of change and sustainable development research and identifying emerging research areas. The shift from a general emphasis on climate change to more specialised themes underscores the necessity for focused examinations within distinct domains, including but not limited to climate change adaptation, mitigation, and the pursuit of sustainable development goals.

Computational discovery of superior vanadium-niobate-based cathode materials for next-generation all-solid-state lithium-ion battery applications

A high-throughput computational workflow based on first-principles density functional theory calculations is developed for the discovery of novel cathode materials for next-generation all-solid-state lithium-ion battery applications.

Transdisciplinary Research for Sustainable Development: Diverse and Best-Practice at European Technical Universities

Abstract As societal challenges grow, so does the role of universities in finding social and technological solutions. Technical universities are prominent in educating future innovators and developing desired technological and social change. This paper seeks to identify commonalities and better understand differences to develop strategies for mutual support and exchange of best practices. The methodological approach focuses on three questions concerning 1) the common understanding of transdisciplinary, 2) the diversity of transdisciplinary approaches to sustainable development, and 3) the different institutional structures that enable and promote transdisciplinary approaches to sustainability. The qualitative exploratory research suggests that a higher level of societal engagement in scientific research positively impacts societal transformation towards sustainability. This research is also a first step towards making transdisciplinary research at technical universities more visible and transparent to provide better support and create a mutual learning environment for discussing and continuously developing strategies for organizational change.

A bibliometric review of scientific research on the significance of information technology relating to sustainable development reporting practice

Sustainable development, a prominent issue in the twenty-first century, is significantly influenced by the rapid global IT revolution. This study employs bibliometric analysis to explore the role of scientific research in sustainable development reporting, aligning with international standards and utilizing IT tools. It assesses countries’ awareness of sustainable development reporting’s importance in achieving socio-economic and environmental goals. The study examines article frequency, source countries, authors, co-authorship, citations, key term co-occurrences, and bibliometric coupling. The result concludes that active engagement among research work of academic institutions, government organizations, and industries of emerging countries on the development and role of information technology in sustainable development reporting practices can foster cost-effective ways for sustainable development reporting which may play a vital and crucial role in sustainable development reporting for middle- and low-income countries to ensure a green and sustainable future. This work can benefit middle- and low-income nations in their pursuit of a green and sustainable future. The research highlights the significance of academic institutions in enhancing sustainable development reporting, especially for Micro, Small, and Medium-Sized Enterprises (MSMEs) in middle and low-income countries, offering valuable insights for future actions, which in turn may help these countries to put more effort into this domain through their academic establishments.

Sustainability Study based on Molten Salt Energy Storage

The development of molten salt energy storage technology began in the 20th century, with the American ORNL first exploring the application of molten salt heat storage in the 1950s while experimenting with nuclear-powered aircraft. In the following decades of research and development, the scope of application of molten salt energy storage technology was expanded, not only by considering the heat storage function of molten salts but also by combining molten salt energy storage technology with clean energy (such as photovoltaic) to form the power station that has been used in many countries. In the 21st century, sustainable development research is becoming more and more popular, and molten salt energy storage technology is in line with the characteristics of sustainable development. This paper explores the suitability of molten salt energy storage technology for sustainable development by introducing molten salt energy storage technology, and then describes the strength of this technology such as non-pollution, low cost, and high efficiency, demonstrating energy storage potential through molten salts within sustainable development. At the same time, the hidden dangers and limitations of the current molten salt energy storage technology are also discussed dialectically.

Ontological foundations of urban health policy ideas: the case of planning Sydney’s Western Parkland City

ABSTRACT This case study examines the ontological backgrounds of urban health policy ideas in planning the Western Parkland City, a large-scale regional development project in Sydney, Australia. Using an empirical approach, the study identifies seven key urban health policy ideas and analyses the nature of these ideas using urban health ontological frameworks. The dominant ontological paradigms appear as the medical-industrial and urban health science paradigms with strong alignment with the sustainable urban development and healthy urban planning research traditions. Additionally, the dominant ideas adopt a view of systems that is complicated more than complex, favour change driven by structure rather than agency, and involve perspectives that transcend across multiple scales. These findings highlight the importance of recognising the influence of paradigms in shaping policies and the need for transdisciplinary approach to policymaking.