UN SDGs Research Articles

Ancient forest plants possess cytotoxic properties causing liver cancer HepG2 cell apoptosis

Here, we collected 154 plant species in China ancient forests looking for novel efficient bioactive compounds for cancer treatments. We found 600 bioactive phyto-chemicals that induce apoptosis of liver cancer cell in vitro. First, we screen the plant extract's in vitro cytotoxicity inhibition of cancer cell growth using in vitro HepG2 cell lines and MTT cytotoxicity. The results from these initial MTT in vitro cytotoxicity tests show that the most efficient plants towards hepatoma cytoxicity is Cephalotaxus sinensis, mint bush (Elsholtzia stauntonii) and winged spindle tree (Euonymus alatus). We then used in cell-counting kit-8 (CCK-8) to further understand in vivo tumor growth using nude mice and GC-MS and LC-QTOF-MS to analyze the composition of compounds in the extracts. Extracted chemically active molecules analyzed by network pharmacology showed inhibition on the growth of liver cancer cells by acting on multiple gene targets, which is different from the currently used traditional drugs acting on only one target of liver cancer cells. Extracts from Cephalotaxus sinensis, mint bush (Elsholtzia stauntonii) and winged spindle tree (Euonymus alatus) induce apoptosis in hepatoma cancer cell line HepG2 with a killing rate of more than 83% and a tumor size decrease by 62–67% and a killing rate of only 6% of normal hepatocyte LO2. This study highlight efficient candidate species for cancer treatment providing a basis for future development of novel plant-based drugs to help meeting several of the UN SDGs and planetary health.

Burden of T1DM and T2DM among adolescents in Western Europe, 1990-2019: results from the GBD 2019

Abstract Background Type 1 (T1DM) and type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) are major causes of global morbidity and mortality. As little is known about the burden of DM in adolescents in Western Europe (WE), we aimed to explore the epidemiology of T1DM and T2DM among 10-24-year-olds, including temporal trends. Methods Estimates were retrieved from the Global Burden of Diseases study 2019 (GBD 2019). We reported counts, rates per 100,000 population, and percentage changes from 1990 to 2019 for incidence, prevalence and years lived with disability (YLDs) of T1DM and T2DM, and the burden of T2DM in YLDs attributable to high body mass index (HBMI), for 24 WE countries. Results In 2019, prevalence and YLDs estimates were higher for T1DM than T2DM among 10-24 years old adolescents in WE. However, T2DM incidence rates per 100,000 population were 3.5 times higher than T1DM. T2DM showed a greater increase in prevalence and YLDs than T1DM in the 30-year observation period in all WE countries. The highest prevalence rate of T1DM was in Finland (542.7 [402.9-681.0]), while the United Kingdom had the highest prevalence for T2DM (751.0 [501.2-1063.3]). Prevalence increased with age, while only minor differences were observed between sexes. In 2019, HBMI accounted for 28.8 (12.6-54.9) of the attributable YLD rates for T2DM in age group 20-24 years in WE. Conclusions The findings show the substantial burden posed by DM among adolescents in WE. The study can help inform the development and implementation of appropriate infrastructure and healthcare frameworks for adolescent-centred diabetes care. It highlights the need for transition services, and adolescent-oriented education programs, as well as investments in data systems to improve the availability and quality of data for T1DM and T2DM in 10-24-year-olds. Finally, it can be used to guide policymakers towards prevention of obesity and broader policy actions on the social and commercial determinants of health across the life course. Key messages • Adolescent-oriented health system responses on transition services, data collection systems, education, and complications’ prevention are needed to achieve targets for NCDs within the 2030 UN SDGs. • T2DM should not only be considered as an adult-onset disease, implying a paradigm shift for paediatric DM services and a strengthening of interventions on social and commercial determinants of health.

FACTORS INFLUENCING PRE- AND POST-COVID-19 TRANSPORT MODE SHIFT IN WORKPLACE TRAVEL

The current modal share between private and public transport in Malaysia still falls short of its 50:50 goal. The continued reliance on private transport for workplace travel faces further aggravation in light of the Covid-19 pandemic. Aiming to understand this concern, this study pursued two key objectives; (i) to explore shifts in transport mode choices before and after Covid-19; and (ii) to identify the significant factors influencing these shifts. This cross-sectional study was conducted in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, focusing specifically on workplace commuting (n=113). The McNemar’s test was used to determine the significance of transport mode shifts from public to private transport and vice versa, while the Mann-Whitney U test was employed to determine the significance of various factors on these shifts. Four primary factors were examined: cost, accessibility, comfort, and hygiene concerns. The findings showed that (i) a discernible shift in transport modes occurred (Q= 38.72, p>.05), with a notable trend of individuals transitioning from public to private transport due to the Covid-19 pandemic; (ii) hygiene concerns (mean rank= 72.36, U= 807.0, p<.000) and comfort (mean rank= 64.73, U= 1188.5, p= .013) emerged as statistically significant influencers of this shift; and (iii) while cost (mean rank= 65.28, U= 1053.5, p= .001) is an important determinant of transport mode preferences, it was not found to be a significant factor driving mode shifts. A comprehensive examination of pandemic-induced transport mode preferences yields crucial insights for shaping transportation infrastructure and services, facilitating sustainable development in line with UN SDGs. Understanding these influences is vital for effective policy-making and achieving desired modal shares.

How Publishers Can Support the UN SDGs: Examples from AGU

AGU Publications is committed to supporting the UN Sustainable Development Goals through publishing and drawing attention to scientific research that addresses issues of global and societal concern.

EPI2C Entrepreneurship & Design Thinking

Entrepreneurship is a high-stakes, action-oriented game played on a field defined by competition and collaboration. However, across academic entrepreneurship programs, education formats range from almost exclusively classroom-based to highly experiential to hybrid. The entrepreneurship program at the authors’ institution has generally favored traditional classroom boundaries, augmented by non-mandatory experiential opportunities. Realizations derived from the covid-19 pandemic and ensuing movement to virtual instruction are driving rapid, ongoing change in the institution’s entrepreneurship program. Pandemic-driven isolation and additional isolation resulting from largely asynchronous virtual delivery of education have had negative impacts. Changes have been enacted to combat these factors that are generally antithetical to the hands-on nature of entrepreneurship, while contributing to decline in entrepreneurial performance across an array of measures. Seen in the face of the same factors, was a marked increase in business plan proposals featuring apps, creations, or other solutions emphasizing human-interaction. Relative to entrepreneurship education, these increases are taken to indicate hunger for (predominantly) face-to-face competition and collaboration. When linked with broad trends toward social and environmental responsibility, clarity emerged as to the sort of pivot needed in the trajectory of entrepreneurial and other education at the institution. The transformation in trajectory is captured by the motto “do good, make a difference, change the world”, symbolizing determination to focus on things that matter. Similarly, the pivot is captured by the acronym EPI2C, representing five targeted program aspects: “Experiential, Purposeful, Imaginative, Innovative & Creative”. Together, these drove rebranding of the program as “EPI2C Entrepreneurship & Design Thinking”, thus highlighting the enabling role of design thinking in many entrepreneurial endeavors. Delineated herein is program reinvention driven by the preceding motto; use of United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDGs) to support the motto; the role of design thinking; the relationship specific meanings and distinctions among the EPI2C descriptors; and specific program innovations. Also discussed is improved student performance associated with program reinvention.

International Quality Award Models: Innovation Enablers or Inhibitors?

Historical development of models and criteria supporting major international quality awards is driven more by continuous or incremental improvement than by breakthrough improvement. This has been the case in particular relative the most enduring such awards - the European Foundation for Quality Management (EFQM) Business Excellence Award, America’s Baldrige National Quality Award for Performance Excellence (MBNQA), and the Shingo Prize for Operational Excellence. In possible contrast are initiatives such as the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDGs) and the imputed urgency for improvement, innovation and change associated with these, due in large to the sheer scope and magnitude of change needed – especially with respect to societal or environmental challenges. While sufficiently rapid iteration across a large enough number of cycles has the potential of rivaling the magnitude of innovation attained through a focus on breakthrough improvement, such an approach is unlikely to precisely match the destination of innovation attained through breakthrough improvement approaches. One significant reason is that incremental improvements often target minor course corrections with well-defined trajectories, whereas breakthrough efforts target larger strides with more mystery between the point of origination and the targeted destination. Differences in these approaches impact products and services reaching the market in many ways, hence impacting their marketplace performance. Among differences of note are ones in the natures of the product or service brought to market, the timing of their market arrival, the levels of creativity and innovation required, design innovations introduced, consumer receptivity and perception of iteration vs. innovation, perceived impact, consumer perception of the company, and – not to be ignored – risk and reward elements. Questions explored herein are whether the models and criteria used by international quality award frameworks enable innovation and entre-intrapreneurship, inhibit these, or are innovation and entre-intrapreneurial neutral. Similarly, the impact of the UN SDGs in relation to innovation are discussed.

ROLE OF EXTERNAL FINANCE AND INNOVATION IN ACHIEVING ECO-EFFICIENCY AND SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT GOALS

Eco-efficiency is a biggest universal challenge and one-fourth CO₂ emission produce by World Transport sector. UN Sustainable development Goals Agenda-2030; Paris agreement of 2015 was most successful agreement between the advancing Global World to set a target, to meet Social-economic-environment success. The main objective of this study is to examine the effect of External finance and Power Diversity on Eco-efficiency and sustainable Development Goals; to identify the best financial and transport eco-power source. This study used two ways of data analysis; first, past and future trend analysis, and second, Regression, GMM and Robust measurement; first, External finance Trend of four countries, Japan has least dependent country, china only face dependency in FDI, while Pakistan major dependency on Remittances and ODA-Foreign-Aid. Fuel Consumption Trend; Japan Eco-efficiency policy is better than other three countries, but still away from Paris Agreement-Target-2030. Second; Regression and GMM results indicates external finance i.e. FDI, Remittances, ODA and Transport Power Source i.e. Oil and Electric high significant impact on eco-efficiency and SDGs; GDP highly significant inverse, health negative and Per-Capita GDP, Government Consumption positive relationships exist with Eco-efficiency and SDGs. The robust result indicates of validity and the sustainability. Study implication and recommendation are cleared; external finance has a modern finance source for technology enhancement and economy. Transport Cargo system need to be design according eco-friendly, UN SDGs Agenda-2030. Government need to enacting policies to encourage foreigner to invest eco-friendly project like modern technology enhancement, people to move away from gasoline and diesel transportation until modern technology eco-efficient, Electric power system is an alternative of fossil power generation toward CO₂ emission reduction.

Heritage impact assessment of Adi Ganga Kalighat, Kolkata, India, towards SDG 11.4 and 8.9 for urban heritage

This study addresses the complex issue of preserving the historic fabric and cultural assets while promoting sustainable development in urban areas, focusing on the Adi Ganga River in Kolkata, India. The problem arises due to the encroachment and poor maintenance of historical sites. The research questions aim to assess the protection of Adi Ganga River's historic fabric and enhance heritage preservation in line with UN SDGs 11.4 and 8.9, emphasizing cultural conservation and sustainable tourism supporting regional heritage and livelihoods. The study utilizes Heritage Impact Assessment (HIA) to evaluate the protection of Adi Ganga River’s historic fabric and enhance heritage preservation in line with sustainable development goals. It provides an impact assessment matrix for mitigating the adverse impact of development projects on cultural heritage sites and reveals 25 critical development indicators. HIA is an effective tool for preserving cultural heritage assets and achieving sustainable development goals. Incorporating HIA into the Environmental Impact Assessment structure can create an organized and transparent process for assessing the ecological implications of development projects on cultural heritage sites. The findings emphasize the significance of sustainable HIA for preserving tangible/intangible heritage, promoting tourism and employment, and balancing sustainability and culture in sustainable development. This research holds significance as it emphasizes the importance of cultural heritage in fostering sustainable development and aligning with UN SDGs. Policymakers should consider incorporating sustainable HIA in decision-making to balance sustainability and culture.

The state of online citizen science in Mongolia and its potential for environmental challenges.

Mongolia is a sparsely populated Asian country covered by vast steppes, deserts, and forests. Few studies have been conducted on Online Citizen Science (OCS) activities in Mongolia. This study aims to analyze the state of OCS in Mongolia and, in a further step, to place it in an international context by comparing it with Germany and Japan, where OCS is already well established. Mongolia faces several environmental challenges, including climate change, land-use change, and intensive urbanization. OCS can help address these environmental challenges. Quantitative, qualitative, and literature-based analyses were conducted in this study. OCS has become more relevant in Mongolia since 2013, where projects have been introduced internationally rather than locally. A comparison with Germany and Japan showed that the use of web technologies and the degree of citizen participation in OCS projects are similar in these countries; however, the link to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDGs) may differ. To better respond to citizen needs and environmental challenges, additional local projects must be developed. Mongolia has the potential to enhance environmental monitoring and the networking of various actors using web technologies in citizen science.

Sustainable Development Goals Disclosure among Top 25 Listed Companies in Kenya

The paper aimed to examine the extent of Sustainable Development Goals disclosure by the top 25 listed companies in Kenya (NSE25) based on the global sustainability reporting indicators by UNCTAD’s Guidance on Core Indicators (GCI) framework. Based on UNCTAD's Guidance on core indicators for entity reporting on contribution to SDG implementation (GCI) framework, the paper evaluated the extent of SDG disclosure by the top twenty-five (NSE25) listed companies in Kenya in four broad areas of sustainability, namely economic (8 indicators), environmental (11 indicators), social (7 indicators), and the institutional regions (7 indicators). The 2019/2020 annual, integrated and sustainability reports of 25 major firms listed on the Nairobi Securities Exchange were analysed and coded using a content analysis technique. The findings provided strong evidence that NSE 25 corporations are committed to sustainable development agenda based on the extent of the disclosure of corporate activities related to the UN SDGs, with an overall GCI score of 0.77. The economic area had the highest total GCI score at 0.94; the institutional area had the second-highest GCI score of 0.82. The social area' with a GCI Index of 0.72, was placed third, and the environmental area at 0.65. Enterprises are critical to achieving the SDGs. Hence SDG disclosure requires extensive research to identify the factors that impact it. This research contributes to the legitimacy theory by evaluating the extent of SDG disclosure by listed firms. However, the study only focuses on how the top 25 Kenyan listed corporations reveal SGD-related information; care should be given when drawing generalisations about other companies. The outcomes of this research advocate for explicit commitment and a concerted effort for SDG implementation from African business organisations. SDGs cannot be achieved just by governments; corporations must also play a significant role. The study underlines the importance of corporates adopting sustainability initiatives and including SDG information within their business reporting cycle. The results of this study contribute to the understanding of SDG reporting in Kenya and other developing economies, as it provides policy implications for corporations, governments, policymakers and agencies in terms of regulation, awareness, and capacity development relevant to sustainability reporting. The UNCTAD GCI framework is a novel approach to sustainability disclosure research. It expands knowledge of sustainability disclosure, corporate reporting, and SDG studies in Kenya and other developing countries. To the best of our knowledge, this paper is among the first to provide in-depth empirical evidence on the status of SDG disclosure among listed firms in Kenya. Furthermore, this research provided valuable information on the role of corporations in achieving sustainable development goals in response to earlier research gaps identified.

Ecological money and finance. Introducing ecological risk-free assets

This article contributes to the ecological money and finance literature by introducing a prototype ecological monetary policy mechanism, in which the Central Bank issues reserves in exchange for ecological risk-free assets (ERFAs) measuring the ex-post contribution of banks' loans portfolios to sustainability. We first describe the mechanism using double entry accounting and discuss its theoretical foundations. We then raise analytical intuition on some of its potential financial, economic and ecosystem effects using Philia 1.0, a new ecological PK-SFC model. We finally discuss the extent to which the prototype ecological monetary policy could contribute to the UN SDGs and identify new avenues for future research.

Creating an indicator system for the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals in communities and municipalities: Application and analysis in an Austrian case study

Sustainability indicators should implement the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDGs). Indicators in literature often consider large sets of actions and are thus complex in application. Therefore, this work derives energy- and resource-related SDG indicators for communities and municipalities with low complexity. Moreover, this work analyzes three different policy paths to promote SDG contribution. The policy paths consider SDG target settings and two different incentive schemes in the form of penalties and investment subsidies. The indicators and policy actions are applied in two case studies for communities and municipalities in Austria. Therefore, an optimization model that considers the case study setups, SDG targets and policy actions is developed. The modeling approach shows applicability and positive contribution to sustainable development by indicators. Moreover, the results show the applicability of the three policy paths. Implementing the target-setting path directly leads to the desired SDG targets and provides insights into the costs for target achievement. The incentive scheme paths also lead to selected targets, but they require a cost assessment of the provided incentive schemes. A combination of both incentive schemes leads to the lowest costs. However, policymakers should implement a workflow that considers all three policy paths for policy action settings.

Transformative Diaconia in China: The Amity Foundation as a Case Study

The last decade has seen keen interest among governments, businesses, academe, and the nonprofit sector in the role religions can play in the implementation of the UN Sustainable Development Goals 2030. In China, until the outbreak of COVID-19 in early 2020, there were conferences and debates about this that increasingly involved the religious sector. This study looks at Christian social practice among faith-based organizations in China, especially its transformative potential, in contributing to sustainable development. It will highlight some of the best practices of the Amity Foundation, a Chinese FBO headquartered in Nanjing, to illustrate how, through a combination of service delivery and advocacy (Chinese style), FBOs in China can help shift official and religious perspectives and attitudes toward a more participatory and sustainable approach to development. Although the term “transformative diaconia” has not been explicitly used by Amity to describe its work, the values embedded in its practice and the impact it has made on stakeholders and policies can be considered transformative. The UN SDGs 2030, which have been strongly supported by Amity’s ecumenical partners and the Chinese government, provide an important frame of reference for Amity’s advocacy work as well as help to identify some of the content for diaconal capacity building for churches in China. Some of the opportunities and challenges confronting FBOs as they transition from service delivery to advocacy will be explored.

Smart city strategies – A driver for the localization of the sustainable development goals?

To achieve the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDGs), urgent action is needed across all scales, with an increased importance being placed on local initiatives. In this context, the notion of localizing the SDGs is highlighted as essential. Simultaneously, the smart city concept is promoted to address local sustainability challenges, and smart city strategies are used to support urban sustainability transitions. Despite the extensive literature on smart city transitions, no work was found that studies how such strategies may concretely support the localization of the SDGs. In response, we analyze 57 smart city strategies across 29 countries using the SDG framework to pinpoint which SDGs and accompanying Targets are localized through smart city initiatives. The results indicate that strategies strongly support the localization of four Goals (SDGs 7, 8, 9, and 11) along with several individual Targets. While the SDGs treated by the strategies depend on the local context, smart city strategy documents promote sustainable development initiatives across a spectrum of themes. However, for cities that use smart city strategies to encourage a fundamental shift towards a more sustainable urban model, careful attention must be paid to include initiatives on often untreated topics (SDGs 2, 5, and 15).

Navigating towards justice and sustainability? syncretic encounters and stakeholder-sourced solutions in Arctic cruise Tourism Governance

ABSTRACTCruise tourism has a dubious reputation for conspicuous consumption and associated environmental harm. Cruises to the Arctic promise passengers pristine landscapes and authentic and engaging experiences interacting with local and Indigenous communities. Yet, these very environments and communities are under existential threat amidst the climate crisis, provoking the question of how to reconcile the ever-expanding Arctic cruise industry’s conflict with the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDGs). To answer this question, the article proposes a novel approach that fuses concepts and methodologies from normative global governance research and critical tourism studies. Based on extensive empirical research in Norway, Canada and Iceland, the article presents stakeholder-sourced solutions that address a variety of justice conundrums associated with the expanding cruise tourism sector in the region. On the basis of the approach developed in the article, our research is able to inform public and policy discourse towards a just and sustainable transition of the polar cruise tourism industry in light of UN SDGs by highlighting the importance of creating ‘syncretic encounters’ based on four dimensions: authentic storytelling, decompressing spatial and temporal resources, just working conditions, and attention towards the built environment.

The Link between Corporate ESG Performance and the UN Sustainable Development Goals

Abstract There is a growing interest in the contribution of organizations to the achievement of sustainable development goals worldwide, with the involvement of various actors, such as governments, regulators, private entities, public interest entities, financial institutions, and civil society. The alignment between environmental, social and governance (ESG) performance and sustainable development goals helps academics and practitioners in observing corporate contributions to sustainable growth, both at micro and macroeconomic levels. There are few studies that analyze the association between corporate ESG performance and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDGs), or the contribution of company ESG indicators to sustainability. Thus, the aim of this study is to analyze such relationships in a case study for which an original mapping is proposed. Data were collected from Refinitiv Eikon, for two companies (in the oil and gas and financial services sectors), located in Romania, for the financial year 2021. Interpretative analysis was applied to the proposed mapping of sustainability practices reflected through ESG indicators, in relation to 17 SDGs. Our qualitative research included the computation of a total score based on the impact of ESG performance in pursuing the SDGs. Our results show that in Romania, the largest oil and gas company disclosed more information on ESG indicators and obtained a score (40) higher than the analyzed bank. The highest contribution to the achievement of the SDGs is related to the social pillar, especially the workforce and community dimensions. The bank obtained a lower score (30), while the most significant contribution to meeting the SDGs is linked to the environmental pillar, specifically emissions. Thus, corporate ESG performance is mapped to the SDGs, for entities activating in either financial or non-financial industries, with different importance allocated to each of the three ESG pillars. This research is important for various stakeholders, such as governments, business, and civil society, depending on the role within the organization, either direct or indirect.

Integrating First Nations peoples' cultural capital for sustainable development

AbstractFirst Nations peoples occupy one‐quarter of the world's land area, safeguarding 80% of its biodiversity. Sustainable development frameworks acknowledge and include culture's role but fail to give it a special place, specifically First Nations peoples' (Indigenous) cultures. Hence, this study presents a sustainable development model that recognises their cultures—the underlying motivation is that adopting the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDGs) as the 2030 Sustainability Agenda for these peoples' cultural capital development has posed two challenges. First, the goal‐related targets and indicators are objectified, encouraging these to be attained as separate goals, but since First Nations cultures are based on relationships and interconnectedness, thinking linearly about these goals misaligns with these cultures. Second, these targets and indicators are not framed to provide special recognition and inclusion of these peoples' cultural knowledge as crucial for sustainable development. Therefore, this study uses the Gaia theory, the theory of distributive justice and the interaction theory of First Nations cultures to propose an empirically testable structural equation model for analysing empirical data using the UN SDGs as goal posts, towards advancing sustainable development. A model application is proposed for non‐governmental organisations serving First Nations peoples. The integrated model shows the interrelationships between various types of capital, including these peoples' cultural capital, required for sustainable development.

Can digitalization alleviate multidimensional energy poverty in rural China? Designing a policy framework for achieving the sustainable development goals

The material foundation for societal advancement and human survival is energy. The advancement of digitalization has emerged as a brand-new force behind the advancement of society. Scholars from a variety of nations are starting to concentrate on the ways that the growth of digitalization affects social sustainability. However, the impact of digitization on multidimensional energy poverty (MEP) in rural China has not yet been proven. There is no micro-empirical evidence on how the introduction of digitization into MEP contributes to the achievement of the UN Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDGs). In this study, we construct a multidimensional energy poverty index (MEPI) for rural households in China based on Alkire and Foster's theory, use mixed methods to explore the contribution of each energy poverty dimension to MEP, and empirically test the impact of digital development on the MEP of farm households. Our results show that cultural recreation in rural areas has the highest contribution to MEP. In addition, digital empowerment mitigates MEP, with the largest effect on cultural entertainment but not on household equipment poverty. Based on the empirical results of this paper, we have designed a policy framework for China and other developing countries with similar MEP problems to achieve some of the UN SDGs.

Remediation of heavy metals from water using CaTiO3@g-C3N4 nanocomposite as adsorbent: Synthesis, performance, kinetic modeling and mechanistic insights

This study presents a novel approach for synthesizing a ternary composite material comprised of carbon nitride nanosheets, titanium, and calcium oxides via an ultrasonic route. The successful formation and composition of the nanocomposite material were confirmed by several characterizations, such as X-ray diffraction, FTIR, and EDX analysis. The N2 adsorption/desorption analysis confirms the mesoporous nanostructure of the material with a high specific surface area (62m2.g−1). The adsorption properties of the nanocomposite were tested for nickel ion removal from an aqueous solution, and the effects of pH and initial concentration of the adsorbate were evaluated. The results indicate that the adsorption process depends on pH and initial concentration, with a maximum adsorption capacity of up to 483 mg.g−1. Removing Ni2+ ions is a chemisorption process following pseudo-second-order kinetics and is well-described by the Langmuir adsorption model. Furthermore, a plausible mechanism for Ni2+ ions adsorption onto CaTiO3@g-C3N4 nanocomposite particles' surface is suggested. The material's properties and synthesis process provide an economical and efficient solution for wastewater remediation, aligning with the UN Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDGs).

Follow the shade: detection of optimally shaded pedestrian paths within the historic city center of Thessaloniki

Both the EU Green Deal and the UN SDGs consider the transition to sustainable urban mobility a key priority. Designing cities and public spaces to accommodate pedestrians and not cars has been a core strategy of sustainable urban mobility since the 1990s. Yet, the quality of pedestrian traffic is highly dependent on outdoor meteorological conditions which may encourage or discourage walking. The ongoing global climate change and the local Urban Heat Island (UHI) effect have a combined adverse effect on pedestrian heat stress and associated health risks. Increased heat stress is a significant disincentive to walking and can threaten urban life, especially during summer in hot climates, such as the Mediterranean. Humans have the capacity to adapt to hot weather through physiological responses and changes in clothing, activity and behavior. Pedestrians walking during a hot day will likely pick a comfortable route, i.e. one that it is shaded and easily traversable. This is identified visually at the street level, which makes planning longer comfortable routes in the urban environment a challenging task. The paper presents an easily reproducible methodology for generating optimal pedestrian paths with respect to shading and terrain slope. The methodology is applied on the historic city center of Thessaloniki, Greece. The study utilizes QGIS and the UMEP plugin to generate time series of urban shadow raster data and then calculate the least cost path from any starting point to any destination within the city center. The results are then compared to routes generated by conventional shortest path algorithms.