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This study explores the impact of political uncertainty on sustainable urban development by examining carbon emission trading systems (ETS) in four major markets in China (Beijing, Shanghai, Guangdong, and Hubei) from 2014 to 2022. As an alternative to carbon taxes, carbon ETS markets have become increasingly popular due to their success in reducing greenhouse gas emissions. However, their effectiveness is often hindered by political instability and uncertainty. Utilising logistic regression and AR(1)-GARCH estimations, we identify a negative relationship between political uncertainty and carbon trading volume. Our study also reveals significant variations in the responses of these markets to political uncertainty. The paper contributes to the understanding of how ETS markets operate in a complex and constantly changing political environment. We suggest that policymakers need to consider the impact of political uncertainty on carbon trading when designing and implementing urban policies that promote sustainable development. Additionally, our research contributes to the development of urban policies that can be effectively implemented in both developed and developing regions. • Local government official turnovers are used as the measurement of political uncertainty. • Daily transaction data from four carbon ETS markets (Beijing, Shanghai, Hubei and Guangdong) in China • Considered the probability and proportion of zero transaction day • Logistic regression and AR(1)-GARCH estimations • A negative relationship between political uncertainty and carbon transaction volume [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Much literature discusses higher education as an agent for sustainable development, but the extent to which higher education contributes to unsustainable economic and social systems receives less attention. This paper examines the environmental impacts of international student mobility in higher education. Combining several datasets, the paper presents a model of greenhouse gas emissions associated with international student mobility. Estimates suggest that these emissions are substantial and are rising faster than overall global emissions, but the emissions per student are slowly decreasing, largely due to changes in the patterns of mobility. The paper concludes that although international exchange is increasingly important, a meaningful consideration of higher education for sustainable development should take account of environmental costs of international mobility alongside its benefits. Highlights • Estimates emissions from international student mobility in higher education. • Considers emissions from travel and changes in consumption. • Estimates at least 14 megatons of CO 2 per year associated with student mobility. • Emissions per mobile student are decreasing as mobility patterns change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract The Sustainable Development Goals agreed by the United Nations in September 2015 comprise 17 goals and 169 targets aimed at integrating matters related to sustainable development into the overall economic, environmental and social frameworks of countries. Whereas the SDGs have a global dimension, their action implementation depends on the level of priority different countries give to them, and on how sustainability issues compete with a country's main problems. The aim of this paper was to identify the main Sustainable Development Goals approached by experts from different geographic regions, according to their experience and research area, and to discuss the relation between these goals and the main local issues and challenges of each region. The methodology starts with snowball sampling to collect information from experts from all geographic regions, through contact networks of universities in different countries. With the information about the goals researched by the participating experts, an analysis of the relation between the study focus and the geographical regions of origin was conducted. A total of 266 specialists from North America, Latin America/Caribbean, Africa, Asia, Europe and Oceania participated in the survey. Based on the sample used, it can be said that there is a relation between the local problems or challenges observed in some regions and the main areas of interest of the surveyed experts, with a general emphasis on the study of goals 4, 11 and 13. Based on the data gathered, the paper presents a set of examples of positive and negative situations in the various regions, and considers the extent to which some Sustainable Development Goals are being pursued by research on a worldwide basis. Graphical abstract Image Highlights • The SDGs are now being implemented by many countries. • There are differences in the emphasis to the implementation of the SDGs across different geographical regions. • Goals related to Climate Action, Sustainable Cities and Education seem to be among the most popular ones. • The research gaps suggest that many SDGs deserve more attention in order not to "leave anyone behind". [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Transdisciplinary research has been introduced as an approach to integrate different bodies of knowledge to learn and to develop solutions towards socio-ecological transformations. In these concepts, broad stakeholder involvement is intended to promote knowledge integration, consensus formation and activation of local actors to initiate and advance learning and change processes. In doing so, however, transdisciplinary processes enter societal battlegrounds and meet conflicting interest and knowledge claims. Thus, building on the discussion on transdisciplinarity in the context of sustainability-related research, the paper seeks to understand when and why which types of conflicts emerge in sustainability-related transdisciplinary research, how they affect knowledge integration, and how they can be resolved. It develops a categorization of conflicts including differing values, conflicting interests, dissimilar claims of legitimacy, and diverse knowledge claims. They are applied empirically in the analysis of a project on regional adaptation to climate change in Northwestern Germany. It studies processes and outcomes with regard to the societal impact of the project and discusses experiences of conflicts and relevant solutions. The paper finds that societally relevant transdisciplinary research processes need to be prepared for conflict resolution and overcoming resistance and blockages in cases when consensus formation and mutual agreement is not attainable. Highlights • Analyses types of conflicts in sustainability-related transdisciplinary research • Finds that conflicts are rarely addressed in this literature • Identifies conflicts from differing values, interests, claims of legitimacy, and knowledge claims • Studies conflicts in an adaptation case in Northwestern Germany • Finds conflicts between values and legitimacy claims in the case study [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Transformative Innovation Policy (TIP) has an important role in the sudden transition that our economies require to face up to today's grand challenges (climate change, sustainable development goals). In the European Union (EU), Cohesion policy funds are one of the main financing instruments to support innovation and a fair transition. This paper focuses on TIP's monitoring and evaluation (M&E). To begin with, we discuss the various degrees of sophistication that can be found in monitoring and evaluation exercises (i.e. Storey's "6 steps to heaven" scale), ranging from interviews asking recipients whether they are happy to receive funding, to full-blown causal econometric analyses. We then provide a survey of causal inference techniques that reach the 6th step on this scale, and analyse the degree of sophistication of recent EU Cohesion project evaluations. We conclude that evaluation completed by EU Member States using causal inference techniques only represents 8% of the total evaluations conducted for period 2014–2020, and this percentage is even lower when we look at innovation or environmental-related programmes. We identify some gaps in the observed M&E of EU Member States and we provide some recommendations for how to set up M&E, contrasting traditional M&E with modern M&E, and highlighting the need for real-time data. In sum, we state that M&E needs improving, and we suggest how this might be done. • Monitoring and evaluation plays a key role in a context of an ecological emergency. • Mismatch between policy targets and existing M&E systems are identified. • A new conceptual framework for monitoring and evaluation is proposed. • New type of data and indicators based on real-time data are suggested. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Current human activities are seriously eroding the ability of natural and social systems to cope. Clearly we cannot continue along our current path without seriously damaging our own ability to survive as a species. This problem is usually framed as one of sustainability. As concerned professionals, citizens, and humans there is a strong collective will to address what we see as a failure to protect the natural and social environments that supports us. While acknowledging that we cannot do this alone, human factors and ergonomics needs to apply its relevant skills and knowledge to assist where it can in addressing the commonly identified problem areas. These problems include pollution, climate change, renewable energy, land transformation, and social unrest amongst numerous other emerging global problems. The issue of sustainability raises two fundamental questions for human factors and ergonomics: which system requires sustaining and what length of time is considered sustainable? In this paper we apply Wilson (2014) parent-sibling-child model to understanding what is required of an HFE sustainability response. This model is used to frame the papers that appear in this Special Issue. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the context of still-low-but-rising levels of motorization and economic growth, increasing social and spatial inequalities, and growing concerns about air pollution and climate change, the formulation and implementation of policies, practices and partnerships that can support an accelerated implementation of sustainable mobility policies is an urgent concern for rapidly developing cities. This paper seeks to contribute to reframing some of the knowledge and methodologies produced in and about cities of Sub-Saharan Africa, through a comprehensive assessment of mobility patterns and accessibility needs within a larger debate about mobility transitions and sustainable development. By deploying a mixed-methods approach that builds upon case-study focus groups and city-wide accessibility and mobility analysis in the city of Freetown, Sierra Leone's capital, the paper maps travel patterns and their links with structural factors such as urban form, poverty, informality and social identities at the macro, meso and micro levels. The paper also presents evidence from a variety of methods that illustrate the significance of accessibility-centred information and analysis for establishing policy priorities for improving urban mobility and accessibility in the local, African and global contexts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights • An integrated approach is developed for environmental sustainability. • Climate variability has significant impacts on local environmental sustainability. • Rio Grande Basin is sustainable under current climate conditions. • Rio Grande Basin will become less sustainable in the late 21st century. Abstract Extreme weather events have been affecting local environmental sustainability. Previous literature in this field evaluates environmental sustainability based mainly on past and current resource consumption and availability, however, knowledge about the status and potential changes of environmental sustainability under future climate extremes is missing. This paper proposes an integrated approach (combining the Ecological Footprint Analysis with econometric regressions) to predict future environmental sustainability under different climate scenarios. Based on the case study of the U.S. Rio Grande Basin, the results show that this region has been sustainable in 1982–2012, although sustainability levels have been declining over time. In addition, projections for the future show that the entire region will most likely move away from sustainability by the end of this century under the high emission scenario (e.g., RCP8.5). These findings are relevant for sustainable resource management and allocation of local environmental resources as well as for decision-making support regarding climate risk adaptation and mitigation strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Urban food systems are connected with several pressing issues, including urban population growth, resource scarcity, and climate change. To cope within these issues, urban food systems need to become more sustainable in their practices, as well as resilient in the face of extreme weather events. While scholars have started to investigate this topic, no comprehensive analysis has yet addressed what entails sustainable and resilient urban food systems. Through a systematic review of the literature, this paper aims to improve our understanding of the key components of sustainable and resilient urban food systems. This study reviewed 53 publications and identified components related to the health, social, economy, environment, and governance domains. Only 5 of the works included in the review discussed sustainability and resilience to the impacts of climate change in urban food systems simultaneously, so there is an opportunity for original research and analysis. The most frequently identified components of urban food systems relate to: access to healthy food; connectivity between urban and rural areas; having a strong local food economy and food production; reducing food waste; and, having active participation of all actors in decision making. There is some level of consensus on linking sustainability and resilience, but diversity in food sources and the development of social capabilities need to be emphasised for climate change adaptation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Growing globalisation and climate change are challenging the sustainability of our societies. It is now clear that climate change and its devastating impacts cannot be resolved by new technology or governance alone. They require a broader, cultural shift. As a result, the role of human beings' ‘inner dimensions’ and related transformations is attracting increased attention from researchers. Recent advances in neuroscience suggest for instance that mindfulness can open new pathways towards sustainability. However, the role of mindfulness in climate adaptation has been largely ignored. This paper is the first exploratory empirical investigation into linking individuals' intrinsic mindfulness (as opposed to outside mindfulness interventions) to pro- and reactive climate adaptation. Based on a survey of citizens at risk from severe climate events, we explore if, and how individual mindfulness is correlated with climate adaptation at different scales. The results show that individual mindfulness coincides with higher motivation to take climate adaptation actions or to support them, especially actions that are ‘other-focused’ or support pro-environmental behaviour. Mindfulness may also corroborate the acknowledgement of climate change and associated risk perception, and it may steer people away from fatalistic attitudes. We conclude with a call for more research into the relationship between human beings' inner dimensions and climate adaptation in the wider public domain. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper explores the economic feasibility and environmental sustainability of producing second-generation biofuel in Italy from Brassica carinata, a non-edible flowering plant of the Brassicaceae family, in a context of rotation with wheat (and eventually other crops). The framework considered allows to rule out issues of ILUC and is highly relevant in a country where extensive monoculture is extremely widespread and there is a high degree of dependence on foreign imports for both biofuels and biofuels-related raw materials, especially from countries such as Indonesia, where the adverse impacts of first-generation biofuel production on the environment are most felt. Using yield and cost data from 5 experimental fields in Italy and taking into account potential returns from the sale of biodiesel and its by-products, glycerine and expeller/meal, the economic sustainability of the entire biodiesel production chain (cultivation, oil extraction and oil refining) is established. Implementation of the Argonne National Laboratory's GREET life cycle model, suitably adjusted so as to apply it to the BC case, confirms also a high environmental sustainability. The range of positive economic effects and externalities that may be triggered by the development of a BC-derived biofuel production chain justifies some form of policy intervention. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the Global Mining Initiative, the mining industry came together to understand the industry's role in the transition to sustainable development and to ensure its long-term contribution. The industry has since then come a long way and improved its sustainable development performance in many areas. But how far has the industry been considering environmental (“strong”) sustainability in its approach? And how does this compare to companies in other sectors and leading organizations such as the United Nations, World Business Council for Sustainable Development and the Global Reporting Initiative? This paper presents results from a literature review, looking at how far the mining industry has considered environmental sustainability in its approach. It explores, if the current efforts of the largest mining companies are aligned with the efforts of companies from other industry sectors, as well as the position of leading organizations. We conclude that the mining industry is not setting on the wrong sustainability paradigm at this stage, but is at risk of falling behind societal expectations on climate change and the leaders from other industries on natural capital considerations. The industry can improve by considering the Paris Agreement in its approach to climate change, considering natural capital as an industry, e.g. through working with the Natural Capital Coalition and more broadly by pro-actively thinking about what the consequences of “strong sustainability” would mean for their business models. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper aims at assessing the sustainability of development in eleven Latin American countries. For that purpose, we establish an evaluation index system grouped into four subsystems (economic subsystem, social subsystem, ecologic subsystem and institutional subsystem). The weights for the index subsystems of sustainable development are based on the concept of entropy. The empirical results show that the sustainable development strategy in this group of countries is not efficient and is characterized by a lack of coordination between the four dimensions. This quantitative evaluation provides a new perspective for research in sustainable development researches and guidance for public policies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Biorefineries are linked to SDGs and Bioeconomy. • Challenges towards implementing the bioeconomy are discussed. • The role of biorefineries in the bioeconomy is elucidated. Sustainable development goals (SDGs) are guidelines to improve the socio-economic and environmental worldwide situation caused by excessive fossil fuel use. These goals must be accomplished before 2030 by implementing a national sustainable development framework in all UN country members. Instead, biorefineries are the seed towards a more sustainable world since biomass upgrading into a series of value-added products and energy vectors can reduce current issues related to waste generation and climate change. Besides, biorefineries are the first step on the way to implement a bioeconomy. This review paper aims to elucidate the existing relation between biorefineries, bioeconomy, and the SDGs through a comprehensive analysis of the technical requirements, challenges, and perspectives of biomass upgrading processes. In this way, this review paper includes a discussion about the biorefinery, bioeconomy, sustainable development, and sustainability concepts. Moreover, this paper elucidates how the implementation of biorefineries is linked to the SDGs accomplishment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fuel security, economics and climate change issues are creating a requirement for alternative renewable fuels. Bioethanol produced by algal biomass is becoming increasingly popular all over the world due to the sustainability of feed stock and environmentally friendly nature. This review paper describes the bioethanol production technology from algae using various cultivation, harvesting, extraction and commercialization techniques and its environmental perspectives. The economic sustainability of algae-derived bioethanol biofuel depends on the cost of production that could be minimized by producing valuable secondary by-products, which is the aim of current algal biofuel research. Future technologies with sufficient potential for maximum extraction capacity and minimal downstream processing using low cost feedstock will address the cost-effectiveness of renewable bioethanol biofuel. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Traditional manufacturing industry is facing significant transformation. Fundamental to this transformation, are the challenges of a changing social, economic, political and environmental future in response to climate change, global competition and limits to finite resources. These challenges have motivated a transition towards a new sustainable trajectory. Within a range of disciplinary fields, scholars have studied and developed conceptual frameworks to explain the processes, outcomes and effectiveness of particular transitions, yet, there remains limited evidence drawing together these conceptual approaches to identify the elements and attributes essential to holistic, practical and long lasting transitions within established manufacturing regions. To address this gap, this paper introduces an interdisciplinary framework, ‘Attributes of Sustainable Transitions’, by reviewing and integrating four existing conceptual approaches (Advanced Manufacturing, Sustainability Transitions, Spatiality of Regions and Transition Regions) to identify attributes of sustainable transitions within the manufacturing industry sector. In the process, this article also focuses on regions as important spaces for transitions, an emphasis currently missing from traditional economic approaches. Examples from international and Australian case studies are used to support the conceptual analysis, paving the way for future empirical research based on Australian firms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Wine is the main economic resource in the 'Area of Jerez', located in the south of Spain. It is one of the most important wine tourism destinations in the world. However, its sustainable production process, so strongly influenced by climatic conditions, can be clearly affected by the phenomenon of global warming. The ageing process of "Sherry wine" takes place in buildings known as 'Cathedral warehouses', an example of Nearly-Zero Energy Buildings (NZEBs). For centuries, they have been used to provide specific ecological conditions for biological ageing without any type of mechanical heating/cooling system. The purpose of this paper is to assess the impact of climate change on this production model. For this, the annual thermal behavior of a representative winery was monitored during several years. The first energy simulation model of this type of buildings was developed and validated (daily R2 = 99%; hourly R2 = 97%). Finally, the model was simulated by modifying the outdoor climatic conditions (9 years training data sets) for a climate change scenario, applying the 'morphing' method for the transformation of the weather data. The results show that, by the middle of this century, the average outdoor temperature will increase by 2.3 °C (in summer up to 3.6 °C). As a consequence, the temperature in the ageing zone would exceed the comfort limit for 19% of the year, (up to 34% in hot years). For 2080, the prediction is even worse (average value of 27%). As a result, the microorganisms responsible for this unique process could not maintain their activity. This fact will force the sector to face a harsh reconversion through the adoption of new mechanisms and strategies, which endangers the economic sustainability of an entire region dedicated to this practice. Beyond the specific case, the work highlights the need to evaluate the future behavior of NZEBs through simulation. [Display omitted] • Assess the impact of climate change in a Near Zero Energy Building. • "Cathedral warehouses" will lose their usefulness by the middle of this century. • Comfort limits will be exceeded 19% of the year, interrupting biological ageing. • The economic sustainability of an entire region would be endangered. • The need to evaluate the future behavior of Near Zero Energy Building is highlighted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As education providers, universities play a pivotal role in developing and delivering quality education that contributes to the achievement of the "2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development" and the related "Sustainable Development Goals". Given the large impact of the built environment industry on global emissions and climate change, integrating environmental sustainability principles and architectural education is of paramount importance for the achievement of such targets. Through a systematic and comprehensive literature review, this article explores how and to what extent environmental sustainability considerations have been integrated within architecture curricula in tertiary education providers across North and South America, Europe, Asia, Africa, and Oceania, highlighting common approaches, future directions and areas that still need further development. Over 500 published refereed research outputs were analysed and 111 selected for inclusion and discussion in this article, with attention given to understanding course structures, pedagogy, relationship with design studios, types of assessment, teaching and learning technologies, and engagement of the wider architecture profession across undergraduate and graduate architecture programmes. 68% of the documents use case study methodologies to evaluate the impact of sustainability education, while theory only papers represent 15% of the total. Studies using a combination of theoretical discussions and applicative evidence are the 17% of the total. Among the case studies category, it is to be noted that the work done at course level (26%) almost equals that done at curriculum level (29%), signalling that attention has been paid to both the macro and micro scale. The research shows that more attention in the past was given to the 'what' (content and structure of courses and programmes), while more recent studies focus on the 'how' (pedagogies and implementation processes for teaching and curriculum development purposes). The latest works, on the other hand, start to be more focussed on assessing students' learning and increase active engagement, in an attempt to shape the profile of future graduates and make them ready to produce the substantial market transformation still needed to achieve environmental sustainability goals worldwide. [Display omitted] • The integration of environmental sustainability within architecture curricula. • A systematic and comprehensive literature review is conducted across continents. • Common approaches, areas to develop and future directions are highlighted. • In the past, attention in architecture curricula was given to the what and the how. • Nowadays, more attention is given to assessing students' learning and engagement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ecological economics was formally established in 1989 with the ambitious vision of developing a new economic paradigm embedding the social and economic systems in the biophysical world. Ecological economics had its roots in the biophysical understanding of economics that pioneers of the field Georgescu-Roegen (1971), Odum (1971), Daly (1977), Jansson (1984), Martinez-Alier (1987) and others developed while studying the thermodynamic bedrocks shared by natural and social systems. Subsequently, however, ecological economics has explicitly but controversially adopted a 'big umbrella' approach to methodological pluralism, focusing more on topics such as valuing nature and its functions rather than attempting to understand and quantify the biophysical roots of economic activities. Biophysical economics was established in response to these concerns, focusing more on developing analyses and models of the transformations of nature to generate wealth and approached mostly from an energy and material flows perspective. The present paper argues that to achieve its original vision ecological economics must return to its biophysical roots. Collaboration between the two fields will help the next generation of thinkers to address the socio-ecological challenges of the 21st century requiring an energy transformation called for by aspirations such as the Green New Deal and the UN Sustainable Development Goals. • The biophysical foundation of socio-economic systems must be at the center of the research agenda of ecological economics. • The socio-ecological challenges of the 21st century are biophysical in nature and will require education, management and policy that is based more on these biophysical realities and principles. • Prioritizing these biophysical foundations is fundamental for the next energy transition. • If proper biophysical procedures (such as comprehensive energy analyses) are not undertaken no "sustainable" recommendations can be considered valid. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]