Understanding Of Sustainable Development Research Articles

Comprehensive quantitative evaluation of the future mining: A comparison of socio-economic benefits and eco-environmental impacts

Mineral resources are fundamental to national economic growth, while the mining activities associated with them inevitably generate some eco-environmental impacts (EEI). However, a quantitative comparison of socio-economic benefits (SEB) and EEI in the context of future mining projects has not yet been sufficiently addressed. To rectify this, we have innovatively developed a comprehensive quantitative evaluation (CQE) model in this study. This model takes into account the positive benefits of national strategic significance, societal and economic aspects, and calculates the negative environmental impact (EI) and ecosystem service loss (ESL), all based on the characteristics of the regional eco-environment. We applied our CQE model to four representative gold deposits located in the Western Guangdong Gold Deposit Belt (WGGDB), South China, for a comprehensive quantitative evaluation. Our findings reveal that since it began operations, the Hetai mine has generated substantial socio-economic wealth (12565.45 million yuan). However, considering the Huangnikeng gold deposit's vast gold resource reserve (20.21 t), significant socio-economic benefits, and minimal eco-environmental impacts per ton, it emerges as the most promising candidate for development. This new model can enhance our understanding of sustainable development by providing a novel perspective that quantitatively evaluates the balance between socio-economic benefits and eco-environmental impacts. This comprehensive approach allows for more informed decision-making and responsible resource management.

Educating for the sustainable development goals through service-learning: University students’ perspectives about the competences developed

The purpose of this study was to examine the perceived impact of a Service-Learning (SL) experience titled “Educating for Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs),” at the Porto campus of Universidade Católica Portuguesa (UCP), in which 15 university students from different programs were challenged to train other students about the SDGs. The main aim of the SL project was to raise awareness about the SDGs among the recipients (200 high school students, 20 students from a University in Angola and 40 from a University in Brazil). Besides the development of soft skills in UCP students, the learning objectives also focused on training socially responsible citizens who can take the SDGs into their future professions and help create a better and more sustainable world. UCP students were asked to reflect on their SL experience in the middle and at the end of the semester, based on structured reflection prompts. Based on these reflections, the present study aimed to understand the perceived impact of the SL experience on UCP students, particularly on their understanding of sustainable development (e.g., knowledge of SDGs), and the recipients (e.g., knowledge of strategies to achieve SDGs). Qualitative analysis was performed through NVIVO software. The results showed an impact not only on the academic learning and the UCP students’ personal and professional domains, but also on their literacy about the SDGs. According to the UCP students’ perceptions, the SL experience was particularly helpful in promoting SDGs awareness in the recipients and predisposing them to change attitudes and behaviors. Therefore, we conclude that the SL project accomplished its purpose of promoting awareness of the SDGs among the recipients. The implications of these findings are discussed in the context of the role of higher education institutions and SL experiences in sustainable development.

The effectiveness of lifestyle interventions on ecological literacy: A contribution to the underlying mechanism in linguistic ecology.

In today's society, citizens' ecological literacy (ecoliteracy) is critical for their understanding of sustainable development. This study used a questionnaire designed to quantitatively assess ecoliteracy from a linguistic ecology perspective. First, an underlying mechanism model for ecoliteracy was designed based on the results of previous studies. Then, the ecoliteracy level assessment scores of Guiyang inhabitants were combined with the respondents' corresponding lifestyle characteristics to explore the effectiveness of interventions in affecting the participants' ecoliteracy levels. The results showed that the formation and development of ecoliteracy is a dynamic and circular process that revolves around variables of independent, dependent, mediating, moderating and control. The various factors in the model interact and operate evenly along a particular path. As for the level of lifestyle characteristics, participants' ecoliteracy levels had a statistically significant relationship with their attitudes regarding the importance of nature, participating in outdoor activities, and improving their ecoliteracy levels; as well as the frequencies regarding daily outdoor activity, the main activities in ecological areas, participation in volunteer activities, and use of ecological knowledge. The respondents with the highest levels of ecoliteracy had the most positive attitudes and engaged in ecological actions with the highest frequency. The lifestyle intervention features here are of great significance to the harmonious coexistence between humans and the natural environment and are also helpful for improving human health.

The Making of Green Engineers: Sustainable Development and the Hybrid Imagination (Synthesis Lectures on Engineering): A Book Review

“Green engineer” is a connotation that needs to be worked so that the public is more aware that engineers nowadays are humanistic in implementing any related projects and it in line with the Sustainable Development Goals 2030. The Making of Green Engineers: Sustainable Development and the Hybrid Imagination (Synthesis Lectures on Engineering) emphasizes the intersection of sustainable development and engineering education, focusing on the formation of "green engineers." It delves into the role of imagination, creativity, and interdisciplinary thinking in preparing engineers to address environmental and sustainability challenges. The book also examines how engineering education can foster a hybrid imagination, combining technical expertise with a deep understanding of social, environmental, and ethical dimensions. It explores pedagogical approaches, curriculum design, and educational practices that nurture sustainability-oriented mindsets among engineering students. The book emphasizes the importance of interdisciplinary collaboration, systems thinking, and a holistic approach to engineering education. It offers insights into the integration of sustainability principles into engineering curricula and the development of green engineering professionals who can contribute to a more sustainable future. The book is highly recommended as a resource for engineers, students, researchers, or professionals seeking to deepen their understanding of sustainable development and the role of green engineering within it.

Identifying key factors of sustainability practice in financial institutions based on decision-making trial and evaluation laboratory method

PurposeFinancial institutions have a role in harmonising economic purposes with environmental and social purposes through transmission mechanisms whereby the institutions provide channels to promote socially and environmental desirable activities. This study explores the sustainability criteria disclosed at firm-level corporate social responsibility reports for the purpose of providing direction for financial institutions committed to enhancing the contribution to sustainability objectives.Design/methodology/approachThe Delphi Method and the Decision-Making Trial and Evaluation Laboratory (DEMATEL) system have been employed to systematically analyse the opinions of 15 experts regarding the operation of the 7 Taiwanese financial institutions listed on the Dow Jones Sustainability Index in 2019 with respect to the capacity to affect sustainability objectives.FindingsThe findings reveal a high prominence level for corporate governance, law compliance, risk management and occupational safety and health, representing amongst the sustainability criteria considered. This suggests that financial institutions may benefit from focussing resources on these areas, starting with corporate governance, when considering means for enhancing the sustainability performance.Research limitations/implicationsThe study is limited by the small number of financial institutions available in Taiwan which suggests that further research could be directed towards a larger sample of financial institutions, say by international comparison, expanding the range of industries studied or the inclusion for additional sustainability indicators.Practical implicationsOverall, the study has shed light on Taiwan's financial institutions' capacity to contribute to sustainable practices which is an area that has not been extensively investigated. This study may have useful implications for financial institutions in Taiwan.Social implicationsThe authors also recognise other factors that are likely to contribute to social impacts. These include human capacity building and development, information security, green procurement, green building and climate-related financial products.Originality/valueThis study fills the gap by providing useful insights for a better understanding of sustainable development in financial institutions by promoting sustainability practice in general. The authors' analysis will assist decision-makers in identifying and prioritising the driving factors and thus adopting suitable strategies to strengthen sustainability performance.

Mapping and assessing the Supreme Court of India’s jurisprudence on sustainable development in light of the SDGs: from Vellore Citizens Welfare Forum to Hanuman Laxman Aroskar

The 2015 adoption of Agenda 2030 with its 17 Sustainable Development Goals represents a new approach to promoting sustainable development. This article examines the potential openness of the Supreme Court of India to utilize Agenda 2030 rhetoric by looking at the Court’s case law. For this purpose, landmark cases that advanced the Court’s understanding of sustainable development are analyzed in order to identify different angles of interpretation. Against this background, this article argues that the Court’s 2019 ruling in Hanuman Laxman Aroskar v Union of India marks a critical step towards SDG implementation in a domestic context. In light of this recent development, the Court’s jurisprudence on sustainable development is then critically evaluated. The article concludes with an outlook on potential future paths of integrating the SDGs into the Court’s case law.

A Market Analysis of Potential Investment in Green Bonds and it’s Contribution to Sustainable Development

Since 1880, there has been an average annual increase in the ambient temperature of about 0.8° Celsius, which is what causes global warming. As a result of continued climate change, ocean water has become more acidic, and rising carbon levels have encouraged the development of green bonds. These bonds designed to benefit the environment. As people's understanding of sustainable development has expanded. The amount of money received through the selling of Programs that support the use of renewable energy sources, the growth of agriculture, fisheries, and poultry, as well as clean transportation, afforestation, the preservation of biodiversity, moderate fossil fuel consumption, and the slowed rate of global warming are funded with the help of green bonds. Studies show that some investors look for green bonds that give a fixed income as well as environmental protection and decision-making that takes into account positive societal effects or environmental benefits. The economy must embrace and promote the growing trend of green bonds. The principal of green bonds is paid out regularly to investors, and interest is paid when the bond matures. Bonds issued by corporations’ bear dividends. The World Bank's support for green bonds, the impact Indian green bonds have on Indian investors, and other topics are covered in this essay. An analysis of SBI's 2019 "green bonds" is provided in this essay. This essay makes an effort to give a comprehensive overview of the benefits and potential of green investments in order to assist sustainable development. There is a brief list of projects that were started using green bonds. This study includes a number of illustrations to support the global and Indian green bond issues. The issuance volumes for 2021, 2020, and 2019 are shown on this page. It has been suggested how the money raised by green bonds in 2021, 2020, and 2019 will be used for various purposes

The role of social innovation in tackling global poverty and vulnerability.

Tackling the rapid rise in global poverty is one of the most pressing challenges the world faces today, especially in this new age of turbulence. On top of the ongoing environmental crisis, the last fifteen years has been rocked by the financial crisis of 2007-8, compounded by the 2020 Covid-pandemic and then by the 2022 war in Ukraine, each of which has negatively impacted all aspects of sustainable development. Although in practice many development organizations have been using the methods and processes of social innovation to tackle poverty and vulnerability for many years, it is only recently that they have specifically begun to analyse and codify its contribution to these and other SDGs. Social innovation provides beneficial social outcomes for citizens and other actors, often at local level with the strong bottom-up involvement of civil society and through its cross-actor, cross-sector, cross-disciplinary and cross-cutting strengths. Importantly, it aims to empower those with a social need, particularly when they have little to begin with. It focuses on increasing the beneficiaries' own agency and capability rather than passively only relying on others to act on their behalf. This is done by transforming social relationships and developing new collaborative processes. Amongst a wide range of recent and contemporary sources, this paper analyses a large scale quantitative and qualitative global survey of social innovations that tackle poverty and vulnerability in different global regions. It examines various definitions of poverty, including extreme, absolute and relative measures as well as arguably more useful approaches like the Multidimensional Poverty Index. It proposes how social innovation should be recalibrated to meet the increasing threats of the new age of turbulence, including by deploying the sociological lens of the agency-structure dichotomy to show why the public sector needs to become involved more proactively in social innovation. It also looks at certain myths around poverty and vulnerability, examines why we need to revise our understanding of sustainable development and resilience, and why a new nexus approach is needed that combines SDG1 with other strongly related SDGs.

Hope, Pessimism, and the Shape of a Just Climate Future

AbstractThe urgency of climate change has never been greater, nor the moral case for responding to it more compelling. This review essay critically compares Darrel Moellendorf's Mobilizing Hope and Catriona McKinnon's Climate Change and Political Theory. Moellendorf's book defends the moral importance of poverty alleviation through sustainable economic growth and argues for a mass climate movement based on the promise of a more prosperous future. By contrast, McKinnon provides a political vocabulary to articulate the many faces of climate injustice, and to critically examine proposed policy solutions—notably including the indefinite pursuit of economic growth. While both find reasons to be hopeful, their wide-ranging accounts reflect different visions of what a just and sustainable future might look like. They reflect different understandings of sustainable development and the significance of environmental values; the scope of permissible climate activism; and the ethics of geoengineering. Building upon them, I argue in favor of a more pluralistic vision of a just climate future, one that is capable of speaking to the range of moral interests bearing upon the climate and biodiversity crises, and that supports sustainable development that is inclusive of diverse human-nature relationships.

Research on key barriers and drivers for SME to implement sustainable manufacturing - an application of Fuzzy Delphi Method

<p>In 2020, Taiwan had 1,548,835 small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), accounting for 98.93% of all enterprises in Taiwan. SMEs can benefit greatly from emphasizing sustainability, energy security, environmental protection, and economic benefits. This study aimed to identify key barriers and drivers of SMEs’ sustainable development, thereby enhancing their understanding of sustainable development and boosting sustainability. Questionnaire survey was administered to experts, who were required to provide data based on their own experiences. The expert responses were organized and analyzed using the Fuzzy Delphi Method (FDM). This study analyzed the extent to which barriers and drivers affected the adoption of sustainable manufacturing in SMEs, thereby revealing practical means of promoting sustainable manufacturing in SMEs.</p> <p> </p>

An Investigation into the Perspectives of Elementary Pre-Service Teachers on Sustainable Development

Teachers in elementary schools play a crucial role in educating children about sustainable development. Therefore, the concept of sustainable development is essential for elementary pre-service teachers to be ready for their future careers. This study used the sequential mixed methods design to investigate the relationship between the sustainable development perspectives of elementary pre-service teachers in Southern Vietnam and the current teacher training curriculum. The EDINSOST sustainability questionnaire was distributed to 392 participants in order to measure four dimensions of sustainable development: critical contextualization of knowledge, sustainable use of resources, participation in community processes, and ethics. A set of six interview questions was conducted with eight participants, focused on their understandings of sustainable development and the evaluation of the curriculum on sustainable development. Quantitative findings revealed that elementary pre-service teachers rate moderately on all dimensions; however, the knowledge is slightly higher than the behavior. Moreover, there were variations in perspectives based on pre-service teachers’ grade level and gender. Qualitative findings suggested the lack of sustainable development perspectives amongst pre-service teachers and the gaps in the teacher training curriculums regarding sustainable development. Finally, detailed discussions regarding the implementation of sustainable development in the training curriculum were provided.

Education for Sustainable Development (ESD): An Example of Curricular Inclusion in Environmental Engineering in Colombia

This paper presents a case study whose central axis is the inclusion of the subject of education for sustainable development (ESD) in the undergraduate study plan of the environmental engineering degree at the Santo Tomas University, Colombia (USTA). This study is based on a diagnosis developed from a survey conducted among students from USTA and 43 professors from 13 universities that offer environmental engineering degrees throughout Colombia. The diagnosis showed some gaps in ESD knowledge and its applicability for both students and professors; in contrast, participants had a significant understanding of environmental education (EE). Therefore, a curriculum review was also carried out. Once the problem was identified, an ESD subject aligned with the purposes of sustainable development (SD) was proposed. Finally, the acceptance of the subject that ESD students had attended was evaluated compared to other students who had not participated this subject. This research seeks to provide a way to fill the knowledge gaps in environmental engineering among students. Relevant results include the identification of a gap in SD knowledge in environmental engineering professors. In addition, students were found to be more trained in EE than in SD. Nevertheless, the incorporation of ESD contributed to a better understanding of SD.

EKO-BELEDİYE MODELİ VE TÜRKİYE ÜZERİNE BİR DEĞERLENDİRME

Sanayi devrimi sonrası kentlerde yaşanan değişim birçok problemi de beraberinde getirmiştir. Özellikle çevre problemlerinin zaman içerisinde arttığı gözlemlenmiş ve 1900’lü yılların ikinci yarısında çevre sorunlarının uluslararası boyutlara taşınmasıyla beraber çevreye yönelik birçok girişim gerçekleştirilmiştir. Yaşanan ekolojik problemler doğrultusunda sürdürülebilir gelişme anlayışına yönelik yaşam tarzlarını ön plana çıkaran modeller ortaya çıkmıştır. Eko-belediye de sürdürülebilir gelişmeye dayalı bir yönetim modelidir. Çalışmanın amacı; eko-belediye modelini tanıtarak Türkiye’de 5393 Sayılı Belediye Kanunu ve 5216 Sayılı Büyükşehir Belediye Kanunu doğrultusunda eko-belediye modeli uygulanabilir mi sorusuna yanıt bulabilmektir.

Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) Infusion into Curricula: Influences on Students’ Understandings of Sustainable Development and ESD

Formal education for sustainable development (ESD) is in large part dependent on capacity-building and training of teachers as they are the individuals who must both deliver ESD at the classroom level as well as utilise their own knowledge, values and skills in support of sustainability. In this research, teacher educators within a higher education institution in Jamaica undertook a collaborative action research project to infuse ESD into their selected undergraduate and postgraduate courses during the spring semester of the 2018/19 academic year. Data were collected from approximately 140 students through the use of a pre- and post-infusion concept map, which sought to ascertain various facets including students’ level of awareness and perspectives on sustainable development and ESD. Preliminary findings indicate that students’ understanding of sustainable development broadened after the courses, with most students believing that sustainable development involves social, economic and environmental improvements that do not come at the expense of our natural resources. Additionally, students’ thoughts about ESD shifted, with students highlighting aspects of the interdisciplinary nature of ESD and ESD as involving equitable and inclusive education, as well as attitudinal and behavioural changes. The findings of this research are significant in highlighting how the intentional infusion of ESD into courses across various specialisations can enhance students’ knowledge and awareness of sustainable development and ESD.

Mediated discourse analysis of differences in protagonist's and antagonists' understanding of sustainable development

• MDA analysis of local voices adds to the complexity of sustainable development in the mining context. • This study reveals that touring a company's physical site and paying attention to discourses in place triggers frames that open up alternative discourses. • MDA's focus on multimodality helps to bring together and jointly analyse the biophysical and social elements of the environment. • By combining MDA, nexus analysis methodology and framing, this article reveals how framing provides a basis for comparing different ways of representing SD. • This study shows local-local activists' unique use of discourses in place as mediational means to communicate a message of negative social environmental effects.

Early Childhood STEM Education for Sustainable Development

Early childhood education is crucial for the development of young children’s understanding of the natural world. Children have a role in sustaining a viable environmental and social future. This research interrogated key ideas concerning STEM education for sustainable development, drawing on seminal research and a range of government policy documents to formulate a futures-oriented approach to supporting children to build understandings in early childhood sustainability. Through the use of ethnography, a research methodology that uses both participation and observation of research participants, it became apparent that young children’s play-based learning enabled agentic responses in aligning with early understanding of STEM and sustainability. Using accepted descriptors of international Sustainable Development Goals within an early childhood research study, the research highlights how the development of interactive, learner-centred STEM teaching not only enables investigative, action-adapted learning, but also fosters independent learners who are responsive to their natural environment. The implication of this research is that further development of children’s environmental agency is suggested by the authors. The introduction of a whole-of-kindergarten approach that focuses on the systemic development of quality STEM education is posited as an avenue for educators to build young children’s understandings of sustainable development.

The concept of sustainable development of Ukraine’s economy in the context of European integration

The purpose of the article is to comprehensively define and generalize the essence of the concept of sustainable development, the basic principles of the concept, to identify the features of the strategy of sustainable development of Ukraine’s economy in terms of European integration. Research methodology. The methodology of the system-complex approach concerning consideration of the concept of sustainable development as a single whole from three components is offered: ecology, social and economic problems. Scientific novelty lies in the substantiation that the guarantee of successful sustainable development of Ukraine is to ensure economic growth, increase social welfare and environmental security. It is stated that the concept of sustainable development appeared in the 80s of the twentieth century. in the framework of the International Commission on Environment and Development. Analyzing, systematizing and generalizing scientific definitions of many scientists, the essence of the concept of “sustainable development” is investigated and its definition is specified. It is determined that the process of state building on the basis of coordination and harmonization of social, economic and ecological components in order to meet the needs of present and future generations is a sustainable development. The main approaches to the interpretation of sustainable development are highlighted and it is indicated that the quality of life of people and the state of society are influenced by a combination of economic, social and environmental factors. It is stated that the most common in the scientific economic literature are the principles of sustainable development such as environmental protection; improving the social sphere; balance of technological and economic development. The purposes and features of formation of model of sustainable development of economy of Ukraine are covered. It is stated that the national objectives, indicators for monitoring the implementation of tasks and targets for achievement by 2030 are reflected in the National Report “Sustainable Development Goals: Ukraine”. The goals of sustainable development of Ukraine are given. Schematization of the model of balanced development of Ukraine-2030 of sustainable development of Ukraine is carried out. Tasks for the Ukrainian government in the short and long term are highlighted. Relevant conclusions have been made regarding the prospects for further sustainable development. Conclusions. According to the results of the study, it is concluded that modernity is constantly making changes to the understanding of sustainable development of Ukraine’s economy. Today, sustainable development should be understood as the process of state building on the basis of coordination and harmonization of social, economic and environmental components in order to meet the needs of present and future generations. Keywords: Ukraine’s economy, economic development, sustainable development, the concept of sustainable development, goals and principles, model of sustainable development, eurointegration.

Optimal decisions for competitive manufacturers under carbon tax and cap-and-trade policies

With the gradual increasing of deepening of people's understanding of sustainable development, governments and enterprises have come to attach great importance to carbon emissions. Cap-and-trade (C&T) and carbon tax policies are widely regarded as two effective mechanisms for reducing carbon emissions. In this paper, considering consumer environmental awareness (CEA), we study the carbon emission reduction (CER) of two competitive manufacturers given the carbon tax and C&T policies. The two manufactures have two competitive behaviors: Cournot and Collusion. Four models are respectively constructed for different behaviors and policies, and the optimal decisions are obtained. Furthermore, comparison of the optimal solutions and parametric sensitivity analysis are discussed under two scenarios. The results indicate that the C&T policy is more sensitive to CEA than is the carbon tax policy. When manufacturers improve the efficiency of CER, compared with carbon tax policy, the C&T policy can more effectively curb carbon emissions, improve social welfare, and enhance the competitiveness of manufacturers. The fiercer CER competition leads to lower emissions and social welfare but higher total carbon emissions. The manufacturers' collusion behavior cannot make them achieve a win–win situation.

Sustainable livestock agriculture from Islamic perspective

Abstract With the impact of climate change becoming increasingly apparent, there have been calls for world leaders to take measures aimed at mitigating the potential effect on the environment of the rapid expansion in human population, urbanisation, deforestation, agricultural development, industrialisation and the rampant burning of fossil fuels. This article reviews literature on the spiritual dimensions of environmental sustainability from an Islamic perspective, with emphasis on the sustainable utilisation of agricultural resources linked to production and consumption. The religious standpoints on stewardship of nature ( Khilafa ), climate change and animal welfare are explored from within the Islamic scriptures to gain a better understanding of sustainable development from an Islamic perspective, particularly with regard to meat production. The description of humans as stewards or guardians of nature in Islamic literature is a direct call from God for humanity to safeguard the natural capital in order to maintain synergistic relationship between flora, fauna and other biodiversity.

Understanding of Sustainability and Education for Sustainable Development among Pre-Service Biology Teachers

Sustainable development (SD) is one of the global and central aims of today’s politics. As stated in Agenda 21, education must play an essential role in achieving a sustainable society. The present research is focused on Slovenian and Austrian biology teacher students’ understanding of SD and education for sustainable development (ESD). The research was carried out at the University of Ljubljana and the University of Vienna. Altogether, 60 Slovenian and 60 Austrian pre-service biology teachers participated in the questionnaire-based study. Pre-service biology teachers answered a set of Likert-type and open survey questions. Less than half of the pre-service biology teachers from Slovenia and Austria had a good understanding of the environmental aspects of SD, but they lack understanding of the interconnections between the environmental, economic and social dimensions related to SD. They describe and connect ESD with environmental education and environmental awareness. Students from both countries know some pedagogical principles of ESD, such as active learning and transformative education. Analysis with the sustainable development goals (SDGs) in focus showed that only some of them were mentioned by the teacher students. The results of the research contribute to the evaluation and development of curriculum for middle and high school biology teachers.