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In the present era, digital literacy is becoming a necessity. The fast development of technologies and their appropriations is taking over our everyday lives. As such, there is a need to adopt and have prerequisite digital skills. In developing countries, especially in Africa, the advocacy of digital literacy is important if the digital divide gap has to be bridged. Therefore, it is imperative to share knowledge through various collaborations and partnerships by establishing appropriate strategies to explore the efficiency of enhancing digital literacy as a social and cultural capital that can reduce the gaps between societies. This paper reviews the significant position of collaboration and partnership in developing countries and how they can initiate and participate in the development of digital literacy. Besides, it explores the difference between digital literacy and its impact and how it changes users’ behaviours. Furthermore, it tackles how collaborations and partnerships enhance digital literacy by creating new opportunities for sustaining digital literacy knowledge. This paper carefully reviews existing literature in order to identify common conflicts or tensions that undermine collaboration and exacerbate digital literacy disparities between developing and developed countries. This paper also provides recommendations on how to effectively implement digital literacy initiatives. Finally, the paper explores the important roles the library and other digital literacy collaboration facets play in the sustainability and development of a country’s digital literacy society. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Touristic security – the practice of securing tourists to sustain tourism – has become a highly pertinent and powerful global security practice. Many organisations, governments, industry stakeholders, consultants, and scholars claim touristic security to be a 'win-win' security practice supportive of global sustainable development for all. But is this true? This paper interrogates this claim in two steps. First, it sets out an international political sociology inspired approach to theorising security as a global practice shaped by and shaping of the continued coloniality of power, and, second, it uses this approach to select, connect, and analyse diverse critical studies of tourism for the emergence, enactment, and consequences of touristic security in the Global South. Put together, the critical studies of tourism analysed suggest that touristic security is a neoliberal security practice that centres international – often white Western – tourists' fears and vulnerabilities, and, following, that it is (re)producing the coloniality of inequalities, insecurities, and immobilities. Far from a 'win-win' security practice, then, critical studies of tourism imply that touristic security is feeding into an endless process of (in)securitisation that is antithetical to global sustainable development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Academic research on mining and climate change and associated impacts on water resources particularly for the developing world has been limitedly explored. Climate change is expected to make water insecurity in rural areas more severe as weather patterns become unfavourable. The extent to which the mining sector is able to reduce its impact on water resources and adapt to climate change will have implications for host communities. This paper explores the relationship between climate change, mining development and water security and how this places rural communities in a position of risk from mining development and climate change for water security. This paper focuses on the Fuleni and Somkhele rural communities located within the uMkhanyakude District Municipality in Northern KwaZulu-Natal, a climate change-induced water scarce area. Despite drought, mining operations continue. Semi-structured interviews were used to collect data from key social actors in the Fuleni community (i.e. residents opposing mining development) and with Somkhele residents (already burdening with mining operations). Additionally for Somkhele, a questionnaire was used to ascertain 424 household views on the impacts of climate variability and mining impacts on livelihoods and water. Results indicated an interplay between climate change, mining impacts and water (and food) security. Development must be implemented in an integrated and holistic manner that contributes to sustainable development and does not impact on water resources. Technological innovations related to water and energy and inter-sectoral collaborations must be prioritised between mining, the government, and civil society, to achieve water security. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The most cited definition of sustainable development was created more than three decades ago, by the Brundtland Commission. The problem that was defined then is equally present today. There are various definitions of 'sustainable development', and thus, in the past, different countries have made different frameworks. However, the current framework has been presented by the 2030 Agenda and specifically divided into 17 goals, defined by the United Nations. It is not the same starting point for countries with developed and underdeveloped economies. This paper highlights the economic and educational structure of the population as a potential for economic and social development, but also for the Gross Value Added. These are the main parameters that were analysed to extract the most sensitive areas. The analysed data refer to the 25 administrative areas (NSTJ 3) in Serbia. The most endangered areas that should be emphasized in further research and action plans are distinguished. The results of the paper should serve as a starting point for further and more in-depth research, as well as for creating projects for the more balanced regional development of Serbia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The long-term stability of a developing country hinges on the imperative to increase farmers' incomes. Based on county-level data from China from 2009 to 2019, we use the implementation of a pilot policy that subsidizes plant protection unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) as a quasinatural experiment to examine the impact of popularizing plant protection UAVs on farmers' incomes. The results show that the popularization of plant protection UAVs may significantly increase farmers' incomes via mechanisms that include not only labor transfer and agricultural productivity improvements but also unique mechanisms related to green agricultural development. The marginal income-increasing effect of the popularization of plant protection UAVs is higher in counties with farmers with high incomes, in major grain-producing areas and in areas with plains. In addition, the popularization of plant protection UAVs has a significant positive spatial spillover effect on farmers' incomes in neighboring counties. We provide not only an empirical reference for the popularization of plant protection UAVs in China but also new ideas for compensating for the shortcomings of China's agricultural mechanization and realizing the strategy of increasing farmers' incomes and rural revitalization. More importantly, we provide Chinese wisdom for promoting agricultural development and farmers' incomes in other developing countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The phenomena of globalization and fragmentation of production drive countries to face a double challenge of catching up: economic upgrading coupled with improvement in living standards. Meanwhile, insertion and upgrading within global value chains (GVCs) deeply affect national economies in multiple ways. In this paper, we explore the research agenda on the distributional outcomes of the integration of countries into GVCs, with special attention paid to developing countries. A critical review of both the existing literature on the relationship between economic and social upgrading and the methodological approaches to GVC integration and their distributional outcomes are undertaken, in order to improve understanding and to help orient policy strategies. We highlight the relevance of institutions as well as the role of governments and MNE initiatives to ensure that the achievement of sustainable economic gains are translated into social benefits. This can be attained by the reinforcement of welfare and labour institutions, the strengthening of innovation systems, and support for and densification of local chains. There is a pressing need for further research on this topic founded on accurate knowledge of metrics and indicators for analyzing the insertion of countries into GVCs as well as their distributive outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study quantitatively reviewed the literature related to SDG 11 (Sustainable Development Goal 11) between 2015 and 2022 using bibliometric and spatial autocorrelation methods. The results showed that the amount of SDG 11-related literature increased annually since 2015, with an accelerated growth after 2018. The collaborations among countries, institutions, and authors of SDG 11-related literature were identified, with some major authors and institutions acting as links Keyword cluster and timeline analysis indicated that 'Agenda 2030', 'appropriate technologies', and 'country' were the main clusters of research, while 'management,' 'climate change,' and 'impact' were the most popular keywords, and 'urban plan nexus,' 'social cooperation,' and 'renewable energy' were the emerging keywords since 2021. Spatial autocorrelation analysis revealed that countries with more SDG 11-related literature were dispersed geographically. In the Getis-Ord G* analysis, China, the United States, and the United Kingdom were identified as hotspots; whereas Africa and Central Asia were identified as cold spots. To ensure timely implementation of the SDG 11, this study recommends helping less developed countries, resolving sustainable urbanization issues through innovative technology, and promoting more effective planning. It not only attempts a novel approach of using spatial statistics to analyze the bibliometric results but also provides valuable information for policymakers and scholars. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Innovation is believed to be a key driver of societal and economic well-being. In many cases, it has also led to more sustainable lifestyles and a more efficient use of natural resources. But despite the relevance of innovation as a tool to support sustainable development, there is a need for research that analyses current trends in order to guide future efforts. The present paper addresses this research need. It examines existing methods and tools for fostering social innovation in matters related to sustainable development, within the framework of the SDGs. By means of an online survey undertaken among sustainability and innovation experts in a sample of industrialised and developing nations, this study has identified some of the means via which social innovation is being pursued, along with its applications and limitations. A number of case studies showing examples of sustainable innovation have been mapped to demonstrate its usefulness. A causal loop diagram, which links the factors associated with social innovation within the context of the UN Sustainable Development Goals, is also presented, offering a greater understanding of their interconnections. The paper concludes by outlining some measures that may help to take better advantage of the many opportunities offered by social innovation that put the principles of sustainable development into practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In 2011, the Government of Québec, Canada announced an ambitious twenty-five-year plan to develop the province's northern region—an area nearly twice the size of France. A centrepiece of the Plan Nord is to integrate the province's various Indigenous peoples in the sustainable development of the region. However, there are early warning signs of the potential for future conflict as some Indigenous groups mobilized opposition against proposed developments. This raises important questions: could the plan enhance prospects for improved cooperation between Indigenous peoples and non-Indigenous groups or is it likely to engender conflict? Which factors explain the diverging levels of support for the plan between the region's principal Indigenous peoples (i.e. Cree, Inuit, Innu)? The paper uses the 'sons of the soil' (SoS) conflict framework to theorize the mechanisms that can give rise to—or prevent the escalation of—Indigenous and non-Indigenous conflict in northern Québec. Though typically applied to case studies in the Global South, the SoS conflict framework provides a novel approach for understanding the contentious politics surrounding land, territory, and natural resource development in settler-colonial contexts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As rapid urbanization becomes a key topic within urban studies and planning particularly in the Global South, it needs to be considered what radical implications to urban environment mean. Reviewing literature on urbanization and its implications on urban environment from within the Global South and on sustainable development research and environmental studies, this article discusses eight implications of urbanization-environmental conundrum: pollution, water resource degradation, urban heat island effect, sea level rise and urban flooding, urban sprawl and slum growth, urban agriculture decline, public health deterioration, and urban wetland destruction that question the ontology of urbanization in Global South cities. Drawing on cases from Saudi Arabian cities, findings indicate that sustainable development agenda is skewed towards socio-economic development with limited focus on environmental issues. This situation is threatening the sustainability of rapidly urbanizing cities. The paper proposes a rhizomatic understanding of environmental importance as a roadmap for sustainable and transformative urbanization in Global South. This ontology changes understandings of what sustainable urbanization should be in rapidly growing Global South cities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The sustainable development goals (SDGs) are intended to make the 17 goals and the 169 targets globally applicable with the necessary contextualisation so as to "leave no one behind" (LNOB). This paper examines how the SDGs can be localised to LNOB in the London boroughs of Newham and Tower Hamlets. These boroughs with one of the most ethnically diverse populations in the country are amongst the high grow boroughs of London but also with one of the highest social and economic deprivations. The research offers insights into how policy framework requires a targeted engagement with marginalised communities. The empowerment of such individuals and communities can in turn enable them to access opportunities that require higher levels of skills in their home boroughs and elsewhere in London. Additionally, the inclusion of cultural norms and practices can further strengthen the process to address the capability deprivations. This approach therefore has wider relevance to achieving the "LNOB" pledge of the SDGs. Globally, in both developed and developing countries, some marginalised communities living with intergenerational deprivations remain untouched by macro-level efforts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper proposes a novel theoretical model for the community-based enterprise, which could assist in achieving UN sustainable development goals within craft communities in developing nations. This model focuses on building enterprise skills in vulnerable communities, sustaining traditional crafts and strengthening community capacity for self-determination. This article distills qualitative data from case studies, participatory action research workshops and field observations within traditional handloom craft communities in Sri Lanka. It explores the prevailing status of community-based entrepreneurship practices and argues that under current practices, entrepreneurial culture is not deeply embedded in community life, leading young people to move away from the traditional way of life and damaging the cohesion of traditional communities. This study establishes the need to sustain levels of social capital, support family networks, and encourage innovation to develop enterprise in craft communities. We recommend various strategies for overcoming structural and socio-cultural barriers to enterprise and to establish community-based sustainable development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Technological Innovation Systems (TIS) framework has become popular for analyzing innovation dynamics and as a systematic approach to understanding the development of new technologies. This paper aims to identify the main drivers and issues faced by EdTech startups and the entrepreneurs' innovation role within Kazakhstan's entrepreneurial ecosystem using the TIS framework, but from the role of the entrepreneur as the main actor, as opposed to systems. This study offers relevant information for new entrepreneurs in the EdTech field aiming for similar goals and potentially facing similar challenges faced by current entrepreneurs in that country. Data were collected from an online survey and semi-structured interviews using a quasi-quantitative and qualitative approach. The main research findings include identifying critical categories of risks and success indicators for Kazakhstan's EdTech startup entrepreneurs, including the ability to attract foreign and local investments, risk management, monetization strategies, developing trends, and government support. A total of 30 companies were analyzed, with findings suggesting that the quality of the entrepreneurial ecosystem reflects the level of economic development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper is aimed at identifying constructs that influence sustainable road infrastructure project implementation (SRIPI) in developing countries and to predict which of these constructs determine SRIPI outcomes. A sequential mixed-method approach comprising Delphi study and questionnaire survey was conducted amongst road infrastructure development professionals. Multiple regression was utilized in predicting the effects of the 12 constructs in determining SRIPI outcomes. The study established nine constructs (Social sustainability; cultural sustainability; Economic Sustainability; Environmental Sustainability; Institutional Sustainability; Health & Safety; Project Management; Resource Utilization and Management; and Engineering Performance) from literature and three new constructs (public participation, climate change response and stakeholder management) as influential in SRIP implementation in developing countries. The results revealed that eight of the constructs contributions are not significant in predicting SRIPI outcomes. The other four constructs (Stakeholder management; Public participation; Project management; and Resource utilization and management) make a significant unique contribution in predicting SRIPI outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Capacity-building is acknowledged as an essential requirement for addressing environmental and developmental challenges in developing countries. In particular, the capacity to manage technological change is an important prerequisite for climate change mitigation, adaptation and green growth. Despite the importance of such capacity, there are surprisingly few empirical accounts unpacking its different dimensions and exploring how it might be built in developing countries in the context of climate and sustainable development challenges. In this paper, we contribute to this sparse literature through an in-depth qualitative case study on energy efficiency in India. Specifically, we take a systemic and evolutionary perspective to investigate how the Bureau of Energy Efficiency developed and implemented its programs to promote energy efficiency in household appliances, light-emitting-diode lamps and energy-intensive industries – and how in doing so, both drew upon existing capacity within and outside the country, and also built new capacity, to achieve significant energy savings. Key policy insights Since the capacity to manage technological change is distributed among a range of actors, policymakers require the ability to understand capacity needs from multiple actors' perspectives. Policymakers need to respond to evolving capacity needs over the course of a program – from strategic program design, trust-building and resource mobilization in early stages, to administration in later stages. 'System operators/integrators' can play a crucial role during the early stages of a program by helping develop capacity and sustaining it by creating a demand for such capacity, as well as bringing together actors, enabling coordination, and building coalitions among them. Preliminary analysis suggests that the Bureau of Energy Efficiency programs investigated in this paper resulted in significant energy savings and CO2 emission reductions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper looks at the role, evolution, and regional coverage of the system of multilateral and national development banks (MDBs and NDBs). It analyzes the roles that development banks should play to correct the market failures that characterize financial systems, particularly in emerging and developing countries. It concludes that MDBs should be capitalized to better support emerging and developing countries' recovery after the COVID-19 crisis. They should also be aligned with the Sustainable Development Goals, and enhance their role in promoting innovation and structural transformation, and supporting climate change mitigation and adaptation. It underscores that the development banks should work as a system and that better networking between MDBs and NDBs is essential and should be systematically monitored. Finally, it points out that MDBs should support the development of strong NDBs in the regions where these institutions are underrepresented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper provides an in-depth analysis of the European Commission's trade and sustainable development discourse from 1993 to 2022. By employing a discursive institutionalist framework and examining a comprehensive corpus of over 1,400 press documents, this study traces the discursive process that has created both significant changes to, and persistent elements in, the Commission's trade-sustainability agenda. The analysis reveals noteworthy shifts within the discourse, notably a transition from a primary concern with labour and human rights during the 1990s to an increased focus on economic development and poverty reduction in the early 2000s. This was followed by a discernible move towards more stringent differentiation among developing countries and an amplified emphasis on reciprocity. In recent years, we are witnessing a strong focus on environmental and climate protection, labour rights, and enforceability. The findings underscore the enduring presence of trade-sustainability ideas within EU trade policy and their gradual evolution over time, while contributing to the literature on the role of ideas in shaping the Union's external policies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Proper integration of low-carbon development (LCD) considerations into policies, plans and programmes (PPPs) using strategic environmental assessment (SEA) is increasingly considered crucial to achieving sustainable development. However, there is little empirical evidence, especially from the developing world, on whether and how SEA is accomplishing this task. This paper analyses five case SEA reports of plans and programmes in Tanzania using a multi-case study design. The aim is to understand how the integration of LCD considerations has played out in practice. A report evaluation framework defined by five review areas and twenty four review questions was used to evaluate the quality of the SEA reports. The results reveal that the integration is patchy across the five cases, with serious deficiencies in conceptualization, scientific assessments, guidelines for implementation, monitoring and follow-up mechanisms and public participation. The average SEA report quality score is 21.6 out of 50 points. The low performance is evidence of a missing link between climate policy and regional/sectoral development planning supported by SEA in Tanzania, reinforcing the urgent need for improvement. Lessons from the Tanzanian cases are broadly relevant for addressing LCD opportunities and challenges in other developing countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper explores the effect of government supervision on the development of FFBS by analyzing massive travel information data. Our identification strategy exploits a natural experiment focusing on Mobike in Chengdu. We find that supervision does not necessarily suppress the development of FFBS. It also allows FFBS to increase its focus on alleviating the pressure of public transport and reducing the consumption of public resources. Moreover, we identify that the impact of government supervision on weekends is considerably more significant than on weekdays given that government supervision has a significant suppression effect on the FFBS travel behavior of scattered parking, leisure, and long distance. In contrast, the effect of government supervision on the FFBS travel behavior of commuting and schooling is not significant. We finally present implications for government and operators of FFBS, especially in developing countries, on the sustainable development of FFBS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The goal of this article is twofold: first, it assesses the current state of collaboration between institutionalist economics and the academic degrowth discourse on the topic of global inequalities. Since a systematic literature review of the current degrowth discourse shows that the level of such collaboration is limited, the second goal of the article is to outline avenues through which institutionalist scholars could contribute to the current academic degrowth discourse. These include the provision of theories of institutional change, a methodological reflection of selected formal models, and substantive insights on the co-evolution of institutions and technological change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Increasing climate vulnerability in developing countries impedes inclusive and sustainable development. The paper examines the linkages between official development assistance (ODA) and climate vulnerability while analysing the mediating role of adaptation readiness in 119 developing countries using a panel correlated standard error estimator. The study also investigates the relationship between ODA's sectoral composition and climate vulnerability. The findings reveal that ODA is positively associated with climate vulnerability across all models and regions. However, ODA disbursement according to governance readiness criteria is associated with low vulnerability. The sectoral analysis reveals that the share of social infrastructure, humanitarian, and debt assistance is more in highly vulnerable countries. In contrast, these countries receive less aid specific to production, economic infrastructure, and multi-sector, and donors commit most climate-related ODA in these sectors. Overall, findings suggest a lack of adaptation mainstreaming into ODA disbursements. Furthermore, it calls for exploiting unexplored opportunities for vulnerability reduction through ODA in those sectors where the share of ODA is high in vulnerable countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Climate change is almost unanimously perceived to be one of the greatest environmental and developmental challenges of this century. Implementing climate change response requires not just huge and prudent utilization of financial resources, but also highly efficient financing institutions and systems especially in developing countries where underlying development issues such as poverty, health, etc. exist. This paper attempts to evaluate the operationalization of the Indonesian Climate Change Trust Fund (ICCTF) as a climate financing prototype in terms of fund mobilization, nature of projects, equity and inclusion, alignment and mainstreaming. This study was conducted through review of relevant and recent literature on climate change governance and financing, supported with information retrieved from relevant official documents as well as interviews of key persons. Our study found the ICCTF most effective in alignment with national development plans and Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). It has implemented climate change adaptation programmes with the principles of equity and inclusion of various stakeholders. The ICCTF has however struggled to efficiently mobilize funds owing largely to technical ambiguities especially in its legal and institutional frameworks, it therefore yet to be utilized to its maximum potentials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Capacity building is defined as a process by which stakeholders increase their knowledge, skills and resources in order to improve their ability to adapt in a fast-changing world. Universities play a key role in the promotion of sustainability and implementation of the 2030 United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) through capacity building. However, universities in developing countries face significant challenges in the implementation of capacity building programmes for sustainability given the lack of procedures that facilitate the systematic integration of multiple stakeholderś epistemologies, methodologies and objectives. In this paper, we present a capacity building approach as a problem-focused process that follows a multi-domain/multi-stakeholder scheme, and provides alignment with the functions and responsibilities of different sectors of society. The approach involves the use of a decision-support tool for sustainability that enables stakeholders to actively participate in decision-making processes. We illustrate the implementation of the capacity building approach through two case studies and show how general and specific capacities tailored to the different stakeholders can be developed. Our approach to capacity building accentuates the role of universities in Mexico, Central America and the Caribbean as research and innovation hubs that could help design and implement flexible, transparent and robust strategies towards achievement of sustainability in the region. Key policy insights Capacity building to address the sustainable development goals should aim to develop sets of interlinked capacities for sustainability across stakeholder groups. Capacity building should take into account the regional institutional contexts in which universities in Mexico, Central America and the Caribbean are embedded. Effective implementation of capacity building must be tailored to the different roles and functions of the actors involved. Thematic, technical, evaluative and procedural domains provide a comprehensive framework to build capacities, which can be continuously adapted according to the functions and responsibilities of the actors. Capacity building approaches to address climate change vulnerability require decision-support tools to inform policy-making. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research investigates factors influencing students' commuting choices to university campuses, focusing on the post-COVID-19 era, attitudes, and socio-economic variables. The study includes original data collected from a total of 785 participants who were surveyed at Shiraz University, located in Iran. The study results indicate that while public transportation and university shuttle buses continue to be widely used for transportation, a considerable proportion of students prefer personal cars, mostly driven by favourable impressions. The closeness to the campus is a crucial factor in this regard, as the students residing within a distance of 3 km exhibit a preference for walking. Moreover, the significance of bio-security factors such as cleanliness and the effective control of crowds for modal choice in the post-COVID-19 era. The study's findings give valuable insights for service providers and university administrators in the development of sustainable commuting programmes that align with the university's environmental goals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this article, which seeks to check the supposed potential of public social services to promote sustainable and equitable well-being, we assess, on the one hand, the magnitude of unmet social needs in Brazil in terms of additional public spending on education and health, and, on the other hand, the economic, social, and environmental benefits that might accrue from meeting these needs. Estimating the size of unmet social needs reveals abysmal distances between current service provision and a set of benchmarks. The huge size of these gaps reflects the lack of priority given to these services in the various national development projects of the past. In turn, the measurement of benefits, carried out with the help of the 2019 Brazilian Input Output Tables (IOTs), and the generation of an environmental matrix based on the IOTs, reveals that investments in these areas are key opportunities for promoting sustainable development. The greater capacity for galvanizing the economy and generating formal employment, and the smaller carbon footprint of public education and health services when compared to the average for the economy, stand out. Additionally, in comparison with the private social services provision network, public services stand out in terms of average wages, collection of taxes and contributions, formal employment, income multipliers and formal employment, and greenhouse gas emissions per unit of wage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Developing nations face higher stakes in the race towards a cleaner energy future, where it's a matter of life, wealth, and basic human needs. Using Tanzania Panel Survey data, this study examined urban households' cooking energy choices and their impact on reducing poverty. Employing advanced statistical models, it found that traditional energy sources still dominate cooking methods, and households relying on them are more likely to be trapped in poverty. Clean energy sources, on the other hand, reduce poverty prevalence. Education and income diversification programs can facilitate an immediate shift towards clean energy and achieve Sustainable Development Goals. This study highlights the urgency of the situation and the need for decisive action towards a cleaner, equitable world for all. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of the study is to deep dive into the potential of green entrepreneurship and its drivers in a time of multiple challenges when green growth seeks to reconcile economic and sustainable development goals. The need for responsible business models has become evident in recent years, and companies that offer green products or services are creative, eco-friendly growth incubators and important economic actors that can change the future of society. We used a logistic regression model for 7326 companies from 36 European countries to identify what influences the decision to go green, including supply and demand factors, measures for resource efficiency and targeted policies. We found that the company's age, its financial performance, the country's level of development, as well as the incentive measures have a significant potential of stimulating green entrepreneurship. Our results highlight the overwhelming importance of financing. Firms in less developed countries face difficulties in developing green products and services, so support programs are needed to build green entrepreneurship in some regions. Many entrepreneurs in less developed countries are highly educated, creative, and innovative, so they can successfully run sustainable business models if the transfer of good practices is accompanied by an infusion of capital. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Green finance provides an important impetus to green innovation and sustainable development. This study investigates the connection between green finance and green innovation using cross-country panel data that cover 75 developing countries from 2000 to 2019. First, we find that green finance significantly boosts the number of green patent applications in developing countries, which is crucial for promoting green development. Second, we divide countries according to whether they are members of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership or the Belt and Road Initiative, and their environmental performance. Heterogeneity results show in countries with poor environmental performance, non-RCEP member countries, and non-BRI member countries that the contribution of green funding is more obvious and significant. Furthermore, we consider several cross-items to explore how green finance influences green innovation differently depending on the circumstance, such as the degree of corruption, political stability, and government effectiveness. Overall, our findings highlight the key role that green finance plays in advancing green innovation, particularly for emerging economies that urgently need a policy foundation for green innovation and sustainable development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Indiscriminate waste disposal practices and open defecation put pressure on environmental and human health in developing countries. Environmental sanitation laws have been enacted in those countries in an attempt to change sanitation behavior, but enforcement has been weak. This study examined the causes of poor enforcement of environmental sanitation laws in Ghana and the effects of the phenomenon on environmental and public health. Qualitative data were collected from 83 sanitation-related experts, informants, and workers, and analyzed using the thematic approach. It became evident that the main causes were the weak political will of the government, low commitment of enforcement institutions, mild sanctions regime, inadequate funding for enforcement, pervasive corruption, poor sanitation culture, and low capacity of the enforcement institutions. The environmental health effects were polluted air and water bodies, choked drainage systems, seasonal flooding, and dirty community landscapes. The public health effects were the incidence of diseases including, diarrhea, malaria, typhoid, and neglected tropical diseases. The government should build a mix of committed political, cultural, religious, legal, and social institutions, comprising relevant sector ministries and local governments, traditional authorities, churches and mosques, sanitation tribunals, vibrant civil society organizations, and mass media for enforcement management through advocacy and public education on sanitation and the laws. The government should provide funding, fight corruption, equip the relevant institutions, and hold the frontline enforcement institutions—sector ministries and local governments—accountable for the lapses in enforcement. The socio-cultural behavior change approach to enforcement should be strengthened in support of the traditional prosecutorial and sanctions regime. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this study is to examine the effect of financial development on access to safe water and sanitation. Using panel data from a sample of 106 developing countries over the period 2000–2019, empirical results based on two-step system generalised method of moments suggest that financial development improves access to drinking water and sanitation for the total population and for both urban and rural populations. In addition, financial development reduces the gap between urban and rural populations in terms of access to these two basic services. Further analysis also suggests that the financial market and financial institutions, as well as their sub-indices (financial depth, financial access, and financial efficiency), also improve access to water and sanitation. These results underscore the need for continued efforts to design and implement policies that promote financial development. In addition, given the greater impact of financial institutions, we suggest that reforms to improve the financial system should be more oriented towards the development of financial institutions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Some democratic governments prefer a more ambitious and generous development policy than others. These governments hold stronger preferences for realizing the sustainable development goals defined by the UN, including the eradication of poverty, the right to education, the protection of human rights, and the safeguarding of the environment in developing countries. Yet, the extent to which democratic governments can realize their preferred development policies varies significantly. In this article, I analyze the discrepancies between governments' development policy preferences and the level of official development assistance (ODA) they provide. On the theoretical side, I analyze governments' discretion to increase their level of ODA. Specifically, I argue that unified governments that face weak institutional constraints find it easier to transfer their ambitious development policy preferences into higher levels of ODA. On the empirical side, I study the level of ODA in 33 OECD countries over a period of 23 years. Analyzing speeches at the UN General Assembly, I apply an innovative operationalization of governments' concern for global development. My findings support the argument that governments' discretion in domestic politics facilitates an increase of ODA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In forest communities of the developing world, reconciling the need to exploit non-timber forest products (NTFPs) and the concurrent need to preserve the same is a classic hallmark of sustainable development. Hence, the influence of pro-sustainability orientation on the exploitation of NTFPs in communities adjoining a forest reserve in the tropical rain forest region of southwestern Nigeria was examined. Proportional representation influenced the process of selecting 190 respondents from eight communities. Spearman rank correlation coefficient (r) was used to analyze data. Results indicate that an overwhelming majority (83.7%) of respondents exploited firewood. Edible foods (75.8%), fodder (67.4%), medicinal plants (65.8%), small animals (62.1%) and food wrappings (66.3%) were among the NTFPs that respondents exploited the most. The exploitation of 9 of 13 NTFPs yielded an inverse relationship with pro-sustainability orientation, suggesting that these relations are sustainability-enhancing. The exploitation of 4 of 13 NTFPs yielded positively significant relations with pro-sustainability orientation, which is not in favor of sustainability. These NTFPS includes firewood, edible foods, medicinal plants, and food wrappings. The exploitation of subsistence-required-NTFPs is a huge limitation to sustainable exploitation. This populates a subsistence-exception theory of NTFP exploitation that embosses the need-for-sustenance determinism of unsustainable natural resource use. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To achieve development in a state of insecurity is a mirage. Africa is caught in this web, as every sub-region faces security challenges. The Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) were developed as frameworks to fast track development in developing countries and sustain it in developed countries through global partnerships. This study is an advocacy to reinvent the role development partners can play to prevent and contain insecurity in the continent. It examines insecurity and development scenarios of countries in Africa, relying on the analysis of secondary data. Based on the triangulation of the Development Partnership Approach and Structural-Functional Approach as the framework for the study analysis, the findings suggest that development partners need to do more to prevent and contain insecurity in the region. The study proposes ways the development partners can achieve these. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Energy loss is one of the significant challenges in the Electric power industry and demands severe reduction methods. Therefore, this article aimed to illustrate the energy-saving in Iran using Long-Range Energy Alternative Planning model for sustainable development in developing countries. The scenarios, such as the reference scenario, the transmission and distribution losses reduction scenario, and efficiency improvement and losses reduction scenario, are also evaluated in this article, along with their impact on fuel consumption in Iran's thermal power plants. The results for power plants, fuel consumption in Reference, Transmission and Distribution Losses Reduction, and (Efficiency Improvement and Losses Reduction) scenarios were estimated at 260.6, 223.0, and 110.3 Bcm for 2040. According to the fuel type, the fuel consumed in power plants is -37.5 Bcm in the case of the Reference scenario compared with the Transmission and Distribution Losses Reduction scenario. In addition, fuel consumed in power plants is -131.5 Bcm in the case of the Reference scenario compared with the Ideal Efficiency scenario as 131.5 Bcm would be saved based on the fuel type. The savings will increase as 2040 draws closer. Also, the saved fuel by the Reference scenario was 150.2 Bcm compared to the efficiency improvement and losses reduction scenario for the final year. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article presents a critical analysis of tourism employment and sustainable development in the context of regional inequality, poverty alleviation and internal migration with special references to Turkey. It was found that although Turkey has experienced rapid tourism growth in terms of volume and value, it has contributed little to reduce unemployment and poverty rates among regions, and migration from relatively less developed regions to more developed regions for seeking a better job opportunity. It concludes that benefiting from tourism as a developmental instrument in this context is an enormously difficult task to achieve owing to the prevailing socio-economic conditions in the developing world, and thus necessitates reconfiguring hard political and economic choices, and decisions based upon complex socio-economic trade-offs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Multinational financial corporations are key to sustainability by implementing practices disclosed through sustainability reports. This is where research has been focused, leaving a gap concerning their sustainability foci on developing countries. This article studies the largest financial corporations from developed and emerging countries identifying the SDGs on which they focus in developing countries, the evolution of their contributions and differences in the SDGs, and where their focus is in the developing world. The largest multinational financial corporations were selected, their sustainability reports assessed, and mixed methods conducted finding that the foci of those from developed countries vary across SDGs, countries of origin, impacted developing countries, and since the launch of the SDGs. Findings highlight the SDGs on which financial corporations focus, with those from developed countries implementing more practices than those from emerging economies, and that the contributions of multinational financial corporations have not affected the progress of the SDGs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The goal of this study is to explore the emergence of different Frames for innovation policy in relation to social and environmental challenges like those posed by the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). We suggest and use an analytical framework based on the three Frames for Innovation Policy proposed by Schot and Steinmueller (2018a, "Three frames for innovation policy: R&D, systems of innovation and transformative change." Research Policy 47 (9): 1554–1567) to analyse two specific dimensions of innovation policy: the justification for policy intervention (type of failure) and the focus of intervention (mechanism for change). The shift from R&D and regulation towards system transformation is illustrated through a case study of a local agri-food industry in the Global South: the Mayan octopus fishery in the Yucatan region of Mexico. The case study evidence suggests that the emergence of different Frames did not follow a linear sequence and there are overlapping and 'hybrid' policies. The findings also suggest that Frame 3 initiatives require or emerge from Frame 1 or Frame 2 policy interventions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Global Land Cover (GLC) maps have been extensively used as background data for numerous applications such as land-use planning, climate change monitoring, and urban planning. While countries in Europe and North America have greatly developed land cover maps, several developing countries in Asia and Africa lack such vital data sources. GlobeLand30's 30 m resolution dataset has the potential to meet the mapping needs of these developing regions. However, differences in accuracy of the dataset between countries can be significant making it unsuitable to adopt regional accuracy directly for assessing individual country's accuracy level. Therefore, it is critical to develop reliable localized assessments. This research assesses the accuracy of GlobeLand30 for Malaysia using multiple evaluation approaches. Seven classes of land cover data were evaluated using 197 samples in the country. An overall accuracy of 63.45% and 65.70% was obtained from the Error Matrix using sample counts and the new unbiased area estimator respectively. We conclude that the overall accuracy of GlobeLand30 in tropical developing countries like Malaysia is generally lower than the accuracy in developed countries and arid developing countries thereby requiring significant improvement for optimal use. However, despite the errors due largely to misclassification, the GlobeLand 30 data has the potential to complement other LULC data to estimate and monitor vital land-use changes in Malaysia and the ASEAN region in general for sustainable development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Studies from the Global South on resettlement have focused on compensatory issues, with a little emphasis on socio-cultural, economic, and environmental impacts. The present study therefore focused on exploring the socio-cultural, economic, and environmental impacts of the Bui-Dam project in five resettled communities in Ghana. We used mixed methods to analyse household and qualitative in-depth interviews with institutions. We found that while resettlement projects offer positive benefits, they also yield negative impacts on the socio-cultural, economic, and environmental aspects of the resettled population. It is therefore important that policymakers carefully review and systematically integrate these concerns into resettlement plans. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) have incorporated late industrialization once more into the global development agenda. Nonetheless, the importance that is given to WTO's rules in the SDGs makes it pertinent to re-examine the debate about the 'policy space' in which developing countries pursue late industrialization. The premise in the SDGs is that WTO's rules will demarcate the policy space developing countries will have to pursue industrial policies. This article argues that the WTO could demarcate the 'policy space' only if developing countries lack access to non-conditional external finance. The accessibility of low-conditionality sources of external financing permits countries to avoid conditionalities and hence widen the space to use policy instruments inconsistent with the neo-liberal rational the SDGs industrial agenda vindicates. Argentina's re-industrialization programme (2003–2015) is used to illustrate how having access to low-conditional external finances allowed Argentina to escape WTO's rules to implement State-led industrial policies after a default. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Energy transitions in the Global South are typically said to sit somewhere between autocratic mega-projects with considerable fallout for local communities on the one hand, and promissory projects to foster a better, sustainable and more inclusive future on the other. Morocco's ambitious energy strategy entails the construction of 20 concentrated solar power (CSP) plants across the country and aims to provide energy security and position Morocco as an exporter of green energy. While energy transitions usually reflect existing power hierarchies, this article focuses on the dynamics Morocco's energy transition plan has set in motion at the local level in affected communities. Based on fieldwork in the province of Tata, where two CSP plants are planned, the article argues that the promising yet elusive vision of solar energy has created a space for political articulation and agency at the grassroots level. Morocco's energy transition is conceptualised in terms of an imaginary of 'green modernisation' that operates in two diverging dimensions: as an ideological glue legitimising and reproducing the regime's existing power by 'greening' its political-economic system; and as a site for novel forms of activism to problematise power structures and articulate demands for political participation, inclusion and public infrastructural investments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since 2015, when the United Nations (UN) established the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) for the period 2015–2030, global attention has turned to sustainable development. However, few studies have focused on how countries can achieve sustainable development using comprehensive perspectives and quantitative approaches. In response to this gap, the current study adopts the Inclusive Wealth Index (IWI), which comprehensively evaluates the values of produced, natural, and human capitals that clearly contribute to the sustainable development of nations. By utilizing the IWI, this research carefully explores whether developing countries in the ASEAN region developed in a sustainable way during the period 1990 to 2014. We show that ASEAN countries with rich natural resources had difficulty developing sustainably. In contrast, other countries were able to overcome obstacles to sustainable development by enhancing produced capital, which was partly reflected in their relatively high GDP. To conserve wealth for the future generations, the management of capital resources in a way that reflects regional heterogeneity is key to achieving the SDGs in the ASEAN region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite the neo-industrial marathon of most developed countries, Russia, China, India, and other developing countries will determine the trend of the world economy in this century. Exogenous factors influence the development of national economic systems, which are particularly significant in the context of the intensification of globalization processes. This study identifies and analyzes the most important new trends in the world economy and investigates the effect of these key trends for the economy and society. The authors emphasize the importance of fifth-generation networks as a digital breakthrough for the connectivity of devices. The authors then investigate the effect of the development of artificial intelligence as one of the key elements of the new technological revolution. Following this, the factors and preconditions behind the emergence of new trends in the world economy are presented, and these trends' interrelationship and impact on the future of the world economy as part of neo-industrialization are investigated. To this end, a system analysis and economic and statistical methods are used to identify new trends. The identified trends shape the strategy of the economic development of many countries, including Russia, which is highly exposed to external factors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

While most developing countries are devising strategies to attract more Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) inflows, the effect of FDI on sustainable economic development remains debatable, with very little known on its health effects. Using data from 1980 to 2018 on 43 African countries, this study therefore, investigates the effect of FDI on health outcomes (life expectancy and the death rate) by employing the panel fixed effects estimator. The study finds that, FDI improves health outcomes even after robustness checks using different estimator and specification. The implication is that, efforts toward attracting more FDI into Africa as well as making optimum use of the advantages that accompany FDI, should be deepened given its health enhancing effects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]