Sustainability Problems Research Articles

Potensi Penggunaan Selulosa Kelapa Sawit Sebagai Bahan Sneakers

The solution to the problem of environmental sustainability is increasingly urgent due to the growing number of consumers which is exacerbated by the use of raw materials for the manufacture of products that are not environmentally friendly. Therefore, the demand for environmentally friendly products or bioproducts has recently become increasingly popular and has become a challenge for manufacturers to increase production and innovation, especially in the footwear sector. One of the innovations that can be used to support the bioproduct mission is the use of material fiber derived from plant waste in the form of cellulose from empty palm oil bunches which has characteristics resembling synthetic leather. The research is supported by the results of a literature study that has been carried out as well as observations in the form of experiments testing several upper materials for resistance and moisture to testing cellulose materials in the sneaker product section. The experimental results show that cellulose materials can support the application of several anatomical parts of upper sneakers with supports in the form of a combination of materials such as cowhide, synthetic materials and corduroy fabrics as supports for cellulose materials. The results of the research are expected to raise awareness among users about the use of sustainable and recyclable materials that can be applied to fashion styles that can compete with non-bioproducts.

DEVELOPMENT OF INDICATORS FOR EVALUATING THE LEVEL OF SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT OF LOGISTICS ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURES

The need to ensure the sustainable development of logistics organizational structures has been determined, because despite the significant development potential of the logistics sector in Ukraine and its importance for the state economy, the implementation of logistics operations is accompanied by a number of negative effects, which later manifests itself in problems of a social, ecological and economic nature. Modern trends regarding globalization and the determined course of Ukraine's integration into the EU actualize the need to reform transport and logistics systems in accordance with world standards, balancing urgent needs and protecting the interests of future generations, i.e. ensuring sustainable development.
 The analysis of scientific works showed that a large number of Ukrainian and foreign scientists pay attention to the study of sustainable development problems, as well as the theoretical and methodological foundations of implementing the principles of the concept in transport and logistics systems. However, a scientific gap is identified in terms of the need for improvement and further development of indicator systems for assessing the level of sustainable development of logistics organizational structures.
 A structural model of the hierarchical structure of the integral indicator was developed and, on its basis, using an additive formula, an indicator was formed to assess the level of balance of the sustainable development of logistics organizational structures. This balance is proposed to be evaluated according to the following aspects: territory, process and activity. The latter, in turn, should be consistent with the aspects that correspond to the following concepts of sustainable development: economic, ecological and social.
 We propose the indicators of sustainable development to be considered in the development of the concept of a balanced system of indicators, as a separate, fifth, component in the last, alongside such components as: satisfaction of needs (expectations of clients) and/or consumers; development of internal business processes; ensuring financial efficiency; staff training and development.
 Further research should lie in the plane of analysis and systematization of indicators that can be used as partial according to the proposed integral criterion.

Designing digital solutions for sustainability: Navigating conflicting stakeholder requirements with dignity in mind

This teaching case examines the challenges of designing a digital solution to address complex sustainability problems. The case follows the vice president for innovation of a mid-sized European digital agency involved in a project dedicated to designing a digital application that connects climate-conscious investors, banks, and homeowners in need of loans for green house renovations. In this case, students need to navigate stakeholders’ conflicting needs and consider broader aspects of environmental, social, and economic sustainability in the design of digital applications. At the same time, this digital solution should seek to promote stakeholders’ dignity.

CHULA Beyond Leading Changes: a Capacity Building Program for Campus Sustainability at Chulalongkorn University

Capacity building for campus sustainability has been recognized as a process of strengthening the university stakeholders’ skills to minimize the negative impacts of current crises and emerging challenges. While many universities emphasize capacity building through research and education activities, most, if not all, neglect activities for non-academic staff. Without the necessary capacity, the universities might not be able to realize their development plans. To address this issue, Chulalongkorn University developed a capacity building program called “Beyond Leading Changes” in 2021 which consists of three modules. The first aims to provide SDGs knowledge and raise awareness on the local and global challenges. The second focuses on the design thinking process in which participants were asked to empathize, define, and ideate potential solutions to sustainability problems. The last module utilizes the project-based leaning approach in which the skills were developed through engaging projects set around real-world problems. 70 supporting staff from various units completed the program which resulted in many interesting pilot projects that cover a wide range of issues. Nevertheless, the challenge remains to make the program more accessible and inclusive.

System confluence and the reinvention of automobility.

The aim of the paper is to provide a longitudinal account of the emergence and stabilization of the automobility system and to assess the contemporary state of the system in the early stages of an ongoing sustainability transition. The production, use, and disposal of cars, in a pervasive global automobility system, are examined to reveal and explain the growing sustainability significance of overlaps with other systems. System-to-system confluence to varying degrees is ongoing with electricity, housing, aerospace, and information, software, and communications systems. The interfaces between multiple systems are evidenced by contestation for legitimacy via technological innovation and organizational experimentation. The result is uncertainty among key actors and stakeholders, institutional reforms, diverse corporate strategies, and emergent societal practices and behaviors. The paper thereby provides a contextualized account of the tension between barriers to change that may preserve the coherence of the automobility system and differential boundary effects arising from the impact of other production-consumption systems that may result in regime fragmentation. Confluence with other systems may resolve some sustainability contradictions but will also create new ones. Appeal to sustainability science will be key to evaluating how far existing sustainability problems will be resolved, and how far new ones will emerge in the automobility transition.

A hybrid variable neighborhood search heuristic for the sustainable time-dependent truck-drone routing problem with rendezvous locations

A hybrid variable neighborhood search heuristic for the sustainable time-dependent truck-drone routing problem with rendezvous locations

Measuring fiscal stress via fiscal vulnerability index: a case of Turkish economy

PurposeThis paper aims to develop a compound measure, which is fiscal vulnerability index, provides early warning signals of fiscal sustainability problems for Türkiye's economy.Design/methodology/approachThe index is constructed using twelve distinct fiscal indicators and applying the portfolio method, which considers the time-varying cross-correlation structure between the subindices.FindingsDynamics of the fiscal vulnerability index indicate that it accurately predicts to the well-known fiscal crisis occurring in Türkiye's recent history. As a result, such a compound measure should be used in the early identification of fiscal vulnerability in Türkiye.Originality/valueThe main contribution of this paper, relative to existing papers, is that a fiscal vulnerability index was constructed by employing the most contemporaneous method and evaluating its performance in terms of capturing historical stress periods.

Sustainability and Resilience of Indigenous Siberian Communities under the Impact of Transportation Infrastructure Transformation

Transport provision in remote territories is one of the most important factors in maintaining the sustainability of socio-economic and ecological systems. Indigenous peoples of Siberia have always been mobile using diverse traditional ways across the taiga. During the Soviet period, the transition to settled life, along with technological development and the emergence of new modes of transport, such as off-road cars, snowmobiles, and motor boats, significantly affected the level of population mobility, including remote areas where people are engaged in traditional nature management. With the collapse of the Soviet Union, there were significant changes and reductions in the subsidies of transportation systems for remote terrains that made them isolated. Transport connectivity has been realized through rare plane flights (once a month or less) or by cars on dirt roads (actually off-road) that take several days of travel. Siberian territories rich with natural resources, low population density, and weak infrastructure might be attractive for mining companies. Being difficult to access not only for the local population, but also for industrial companies, the territories imply the allocation of a significant share of road construction and transport costs in the cost items of miners and processors. The problems of sustainability and resilience of the indigenous peoples of Siberia require special attention when restructuring transport communications, but they have practically not been studied before. Methods of in-depth and group interviews with local residents were used. Based on comparative geographic and statistical analysis and generalization of data, network and problem approaches applied for various sources and field materials (including in-depth and group interviews), the factors of sustainability and resilience, which the indigenous communities of three remote Siberian territories pin their hopes on in the context of the transformation of transportation infrastructure, have been identified. If geographic remoteness remains an unchanged fact, the expansion of desired transport accessibility (mainly due to investments by industrial companies) is associated by locals with the possibility of additional income related to provision of services, the emergence of new types of employment of the population that have not been observed before, and the implementation of new transport modes to support traditional activities.

Hybrid calotropis gigantea fibre-reinforced epoxy composites with SiO2’s longer-term moisture absorbable and its impacts on mechanical and dynamic mechanical properties

Opportunities for the fabrication of plant fiber hybrids using thermoplastics and thermosets may be found in a variety of industries, including automobiles and agriculture. This can lessen reliance on crude oil, which contributes to a number of sustainability problems. In the current study, calotropis gigantea fiber (CGF) and nanosilicon dioxide (SiO2)-derived hybridized materials’ mechanical, dynamic mechanical, and water absorption properties were examined. Utilizing varying weight proportions of nanoSiO2 (0, 1.5, 3, and 4.5 wt%) and 30 wt% of CGF, we manufactured the composite using the hand lay-up method. The moisture absorption of the manufactured composites was measured during periods of 500, 1000, and 2000 h. For composite materials containing 1.5 wt% SiO2, the highest interlaminar shear strength (ILSS) failure point was 12.52 MPa for 500 h, which is 12.32% lower than the breaking strength for dried products (14.28 MPa). In comparison to the dry specimens, the bending strength of hybrids with 1.5% SiO2 that were immersed in water for 500, 1000, and 2000 h decreased by 2.56%, 5.21%, and 9.65%, respectively. The storage modulus of the damp hybrids with 3% and 4.5 wt% SiO2 was higher than that of the dry samples in terms of their dynamic mechanical properties. While the inclusion of nano-SiO2 significantly reduced water absorption and moisture diffusion, especially for hybrid materials with 4.5 weight percent SiO2, the water-absorption behaviour of hybrid natural fiber materials followed the Fickian law. With prolonged exposure time, the mechanical properties of the nanocomposite, both with and without nano-SiO2, such as ILSS and bending strength, declined. Due to the effective distribution of filler in the matrices, the samples with 4.5 weight percent SiO2 exhibited the smallest drop in strengths for both the flexural and interlaminar examinations, although all of them remained stronger than the CGF blends. The outcomes of the study point to potential applications in areas such as automobile manufacture, agriculture, construction, and general manufacturing.

ASSESSMENT OF SUSTAINABLE WASTEWATER TREATMENT TECHNOLOGIES USING INTERVAL-VALUED INTUITIONISTIC FUZZY DISTANCE MEASURE-BASED MAIRCA METHOD

Effective wastewater treatment has significant effects on saving water and preventing unnecessary water scarcity. An appropriate wastewater treatment technology (WWTT) brings economic benefits through reuse in different sectors and benefits the society and environment. This study aims to develop a decision-making framework for evaluating the sustainable WWTTs under interval-valued intuitionistic fuzzy set (IVIFS) environment. The proposed MCDM framework is divided into two stages. First, a new Hellinger distance measure is developed to determine the degree of difference between IVIFSs and also discussed its desirable characteristics. Second, an interval-valued intuitionistic fuzzy extension of multi-attribute ideal-real comparative analysis (MAIRCA) model is developed using the proposed Hellinger distance measure-based weighting tool. Further, the proposed model is implemented on an empirical study of sustainable WWTTs evaluation problem. Sensitivity and comparative studies are made. The results indicate that odor impacts, sludge production, maintenance and operation are the most effective sustainable factors and Microbial fuel cell (MFC) technology is the best WWTT followed by natural treatment methods.

A multi-stage group decision making approach for sustainable supplier selection based on probabilistic linguistic time-ordered incentive operator.

This study proposes a novel multi-stage multi-attribute group decision making method under a probabilistic linguistic environment considering the development state and trend of alternatives. First, the probabilistic linguistic term set (PLTS) is used by decision makers (DMs) to describe qualitative evaluation information. Subsequently, the weights of DMs for different attributes in different periods are determined by the credibility degree, which is combined with the hesitancy degree and the similarity degree. The evaluations of different DMs for alternatives and the evaluations of DMs' intentions to reward or punish are then aggregated. Later, the trend change level and the trend change stability of alternatives are measured through the means of reward and punishment incentives. Additionally, the probabilistic linguistic time-ordered incentive operator is proposed to aggregate the development state evaluation information and development trend evaluation information in different periods, and alternatives are prioritized by the extended TOPSIS method in the probabilistic linguistic environment. Finally, the practical use of the proposed decision framework is validated by using a sustainable supplier selection problem, and the effectiveness and the applicability of the framework are discussed through comparative analysis. The results show that the proposed approach can select suitable sustainable suppliers by considering their development state and trend in multiple stages.

The limits of voluntary measures: Packaging the plastic pollution problem in Australia

AbstractThe massive global growth in the production, use, and disposal of plastic materials has generated a pollution crisis in many countries. In Australia, debates about how to address this multi‐faceted challenge have lacked the political urgency necessary for adopting strong reform measures. Consistent with the early stages of other sustainability debates, the industrial producers and distributors of plastic materials have been successful in prioritising voluntary measures, such as recycling materials and local authority collection schemes, to mitigate the problem, instead of agreeing to implement enforceable reduction targets. This paper examines Australian measures to manage plastic waste with a focus on how particular policy instruments were favoured and endured and how a greater focus on the full range of policy instruments—market based, regulatory, and voluntary—could generate more effective solutions.Points for practitioners Choice of effective policy instruments is crucial for tackling sustainability problems. Policy instruments employed by Australian governments to manage plastic waste have been ineffective. Moreover, policy settings do not support effective co‐ordination between key stakeholders for the reduction of plastic pollution. Policy advisors should recognise the limits of voluntary approaches and market‐based mechanisms, and consider introducing clear and mandatory pathways to achieve policy targets.

Sustainability and stakeholder theory: a processual perspective

PurposeSustainability has long been known to present an epistemic challenge. In the corporate setting, this challenge translates into the difficulties experienced by managers not only in devising solutions to corporate sustainability problems, but even in developing the awareness of the latter. The paper explores how these difficulties may be overcome by corporate stakeholder management policies.Design/methodology/approachThe paper develops a conceptual framework that reconstructs the Hayekian theory of market process in the context of Williamson's (1996) distinction between autonomous and cooperative adaptation.FindingsApplying the Hayekian theory of market process to the process of engagement and collaboration of corporate stakeholders, the paper shows how the latter process may address the epistemic challenge of corporate sustainability and derives implications for the design of business models for sustainability.Originality/valueThe paper informs stakeholder theory in two ways: first, stakeholder theory is given a novel justification in terms of reflecting the growing prominence of cooperative adaptation and second, corporate stakeholder management is shown to be crucial for maximizing not only economic but also sustainability performance.

Sustainability assessment and optimization for milling of compacted graphite iron using hybrid nanofluid assisted minimum quantity lubrication method

The climate change packages have strict regulations to reduce fuel consumption, costs, and carbon emissions in vehicles. Automobile manufacturers tend to utilize compacted graphite iron (CGI) in vehicle engine parts due to these regulations and rising engine performance needs. However, the difficulty of CGI machining and the sustainability problem during machining are barriers to its broad application in the automobile sector. In this study, nano molybdenum disulfide (nMoS2) reinforced nanofluid-assisted MQL (nMoS2-NMQL), multi-walled carbon nanotube (MWCNT) reinforced nanofluid-assisted MQL (MWCNT-NMQL) and nMoS2/MWCNT reinforced hybrid nanofluid-assisted MQL (HNMQL) cutting conditions were used for the first time in the milling of CGI material and machining performance was investigated in terms of cutting forces, cutting temperature and surface roughness. In addition, for the first time in the milling of CGI material, sustainability assessment and optimization in terms of carbon emissions and total machining cost have been carried out using non-dominant sequencing genetic algorithm II (NSGA-II) and technique for order of preference by similarity to ideal solution (TOPSIS). Using the MWCNT-NMQL cutting condition reduced the cutting temperature, resultant force, surface roughness, carbon emissions amount, and total machining cost by 38.2%, 54.5%, 57.6%, 7.6%, and 24%, respectively. The sustainability optimization conclusion was that MWCNT-NMQL cutting condition, cutting speed values between 90 and 93 m/min, and feed values between 0.11 and 0.117 mm/rev should be used in order to obtain the values closest to the optimum result for an improved and sustainable CGI milling process.

A new multi-criteria, multi-phase, and multi-decision makers’ approach to the agricultural sustainability problem

A new multi-criteria, multi-phase, and multi-decision makers’ approach to the agricultural sustainability problem

Systematic Insights into a Textile Industry: Reviewing Life Cycle Assessment and Eco-Design

The worldwide textile sector is one of the most polluting and consuming natural resource value chains. In recent years, trends have demonstrated a linear model driven by fast fashion, increasing the sustainability problems of this sector. The European market and industry are changing the paradigm and promoting some actions towards a sustainable value chain. This paper applies a systematic approach to reviewing scientific research, where Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) is implemented as a tool to understand the impacts considering a holistic life cycle framework, from raw materials to the end-of-life of textile products. The methodology and criteria applied resulted in 73 articles used for qualitative analysis, of which 39 met the criteria for quantitative analysis. The quantitative results reported in the studies were organized and presented by phase of the garment production life cycle (production of fiber, yarn, fabric, manufacturing, and recovery/end of life). From a cradle-to-gate perspective, wool yarn production, by worsted processing, was the material with the highest values (95.70 kg CO2 eq/kg) for climate change/global warming potential, closely followed by silk fabric (80.90 kg CO2 eq/kg). Extending to a cradle-to-grave boundary, polyester had the highest values for the previously mentioned category, reaching a potential release of 40.28 kg CO2 eq per kilogram of polyester textile. When data was available, the user phase predominantly contributed to climate change/global warming potential. Additionally, there were significant differences in maximum and minimum values for some of the materials, which were related to methodological considerations, database inventory, and frequency of use and care considered by the different authors. The study also addresses the considerations and limitations of diverse LCA impact assessment tools.

A Review on Sustainability Improvements in 3D Printing Materials

Background: As the ecological environment deteriorates, manufacturing and construction, as major industries that consume energy and cause environmental degradation, urgently need a new technology that is more efficient and sustainable. 3D printing has become a suitable choice for the manufacturing and construction industries to solve sustainability problems and environmental pollution problems due to its lower material consumption and no need for templates. Objective: Through the analysis of the research status of sustainable improvement of 3D printing materials, scattered research is reviewed, valuable conclusions are extracted from representative studies, and future research directions are predicted. Methods: Researches on sustainable improvement of 3D printing materials are compared and summarized, sustainable materials that can be used to replace existing materials are described, and the performance changes of samples after material improvement are summarized. Results: By tracking the impact of the substitution of various sustainable materials on the sample, the main problems in the current study are analyzed, including the degradation of sample performance and increased cost. On the premise of solving the above problems, the sustainable improvement of 3D printing materials in the future is prospected. Conclusion: Improving the sustainability of 3D printing materials can help improve the environmental benefits of 3D printing. Therefore, this article has compared and summarized previous studies, described the available sustainable materials, and summarized the impact of various types of material substitution on samples. Considering the shortcomings of existing research, a more comprehensive evaluation of sample performance, specific quantitative assessment of environmental benefits, and expansion of indicators for evaluating environmental benefits are the key research directions in the future.

Urban Living Labs: A Higher Education Approach to Teaching and Learning about Sustainable Development

This study focuses on the use of urban living labs (ULLs) as a teaching and learning strategy toward education for sustainable development (ESD) in higher education institutions (HEIs). The article presents an exhaustive literature review on the ESD approach in HEIs, the conceptualization and understanding of ULLs, and the use of ULLs as learning environments. Several ULL case studies in HEIs that seek to foster ESD through innovation and experimentation in real-world settings are presented. Each case describes the type, approach, characteristics, results, limitations, and challenges in relation to sustainability. It highlights the need for HEIs to adapt to the ESD approach and become role models for sustainability. It is concluded that ULLs are closely related to ESD and the SDGs, provide a practical and applied learning environment for students, encourage the active participation of students in identifying and solving sustainability problems in their local community, and encourage interdisciplinary collaboration between students and academics from different disciplines. All in all, ULLs can be an effective teaching and learning strategy in HEIs toward ESD. In addition, the lack of specific empirical results on the evaluation of ULL as teaching and learning tools toward ESD in HEIs is highlighted, which justifies the need for further research in this field.

Hydrogen as a panacea for decarbonising everything? Exploring contested hydrogen pathways in Germany

Technological change is often seen as part of the solution to problems of global sustainability. A wide-ranging literature on how path dependent—often fossil fuel-based—socio-technical configurations can be overcome by more sustainable configurations has emerged over the last two decades. One potential transition pathway to transform electricity, heat and mobility systems as well as industrial production is the use of hydrogen. In recent years, hydrogen has received increasing attention as part of decarbonisation strategies in many countries as well as by international organisations such as the International Energy Agency or the International Renewable Energy Agency. Also in Germany it has become a central component of climate change policy and is seen by some actors almost as a kind of panacea, where the use of hydrogen is expected to decarbonise a wide range of sectors. Policy makers have the ambition for Germany to become a leader in hydrogen development and therefore help to contribute to what Grubler called ‘grand patterns of technological change’. The aim of this paper is to analyse whether relevant actors share expectations for transition pathways based on hydrogen, which would foster wide diffusion. Our empirical analysis shows that there are multiple contested pathways, both in terms of how hydrogen is produced as well as in which applications or sectors it is to be used. This causes uncertainty and slows down hydrogen developments in Germany. We contribute to an emerging literature on the politics of contested transition pathways and also critically engage with Grubler’s ‘grand patterns’ argument. Results support the idea that the concept of socio-technical pathways allows to expose tensions between competing values and interests. The German government is under considerable pressure regarding competing visions on hydrogen transition pathways. A targeted political prioritisation of hydrogen applications could mitigate tensions and support a shared vision.

Meeting the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals in the Decarbonization Agenda: A Case of Russian Oil and Gas Companies

Being key players in providing sustainable energy on a global scale, oil and gas (O&G) companies can contribute to achieving the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals SDG 7 (Affordable and Clean Energy) and SDG 13 (Climate Action). This paper focuses on Russian O&G companies and presents an analysis of their contribution to these SDGs in the context of today’s decarbonization agenda. The study is based on a content analysis of their corporate sustainability reports and has produced three results. First, we analyzed the key strategic goals of Russian O&G companies. Second, we identified the correspondence between the progress towards the SDGs declared in their sustainability reports and the UN’s SDG indicators. Third, we analyzed the contributions of Russian O&G companies to SDGs 7 and 13. As a result of the study, recommendations were formulated to introduce practical tools aimed at increasing the contribution of Russian O&G companies to sustainable development. The article discusses problems in corporate sustainability reporting of Russian O&G companies. The paper also seeks to expand the existing literature on the contribution of the Russian O&G sector to providing sustainable energy and accelerating the energy transition in line with the decarbonization agenda.