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Considering the importance of the road freight transport sector on the sustainability debate, the purpose of this paper is to present a comprehensive review of the road freight transport literature to provide key information on the role that this field of knowledge must play in contributing to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). To accomplish this, we performed a state-of-the-art review via systematic literature on 86 documents published during 2015–2020, with an emphasis on environmental, economic, and technical studies. Ultimately, this paper seeks to uncover research gaps and to suggest means in which the freight transport literature and the 17 SDGs may be faced by this field in future studies. the results showed that the SDGs were not target by the analyzed papers, and the sustainable development goals were not quoted at all. The only SDG fully contemplated was number 7—affordable and clean energy. The findings of this study suggest that this field should add research of SDGs 2, 3, 7, 9, 11, 12, 13, and 17 as priority areas to be further developed by the RFT literature to achieve SDGs goals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Companies around the world are facing global challenges, such as internationally interwoven crisis situations and conflicts, climate change, the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, and technological disruptions. While the UN has developed a global agenda (namely, the SDGs) to drive sustainability, at a political and economic level, global players seem to have a rather heterogeneous understanding of the situation. How can companies successfully adapt to the resulting turbulent market environments? Design Thinking, a method for finding answers to complex and wicked problems, is experiencing a renaissance wherein it is being used not only as a tool for product innovation but also for organizational and strategic transformation. By incorporating the principles of Industry 5.0 into company visions and integrating Design Thinking and ecodesign at the level product innovation, Design Thinking can help strengthen the adaptability of companies and create sustainable innovations in these VUCA environments. However, the factors that are necessary to realize the full potential of Design Thinking for sustainable business transformation remain unclear in science. This paper presents a case study that shares key factors, including a company DNA that consists of a targeted orchestration of diversity and the company's Love–Trust–Do mantra that, in combination, work transnationally in the company organization and can utilize the full potential of Design Thinking to foster sustainable innovation and thus strengthen the company's resiliency in times of VUCA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper investigates the level of sustainability awareness among university students in the UAE. This research proposed and implemented an experimental digital awareness platform to educate students and citizens in the United Arab Emirates on the 17 goals of sustainability. This study presents the survey results before and after using the proposed mobile application focused on sustainability. We demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed digital platform in increasing awareness by conducting experiments using the platform and analyzing the survey results. Our survey results indicate that a large proportion of the participants, 49%, had no idea what the 17 SDGs are. The user experience of our digital platform showed that 93% of participants became aware of the 17 SDGs and were willing to contribute to achieving one or more SDGs. Additionally, the use of our platform encouraged 75% of the participants to be actively involved in SDG activities and events. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper delves into the multifaceted concept of sustainability, covering its evolution, laws, principles, as well as the different domains and challenges related to achieving it in the modern world. Although capitalism, socialism, and communism have been utilized throughout history, their strengths and drawbacks have failed to address sustainable development comprehensively. Therefore, a holistic approach is necessary, which forms the basis for a new development model called sustainalism. This study proposes a new socio-economic theory of sustainalism that prioritizes quality of life, social equity, culture, world peace, social justice, and well-being. This paper outlines the six principles of sustainalism and identifies sustainalists as individuals who embrace these new concepts. This study also explores how to attain sustainalism in the modern world through a sustainable revolution, representing a step toward a sustainable era. In conclusion, this paper summarizes the key points and emphasizes the need for a new approach to sustainalism in the broader sense. The insights provided are valuable for further research on sustainalism and sustainability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The main objective of this paper is to understand and characterize the healthy work environment of organizations during the COVID-19 pandemic. The study was carried out in 2021 including organizations from different sectors at the national level and involved 460 participants, 50.3% of which were female. The workers' ages ranged between 18 and 67 years, with a mean of 44 years and a standard deviation of 11.36. The Healthy Workplaces Ecosystems Tool was used. Data was collected online from professionals in the organizations who agreed to participate in the study. Our results show that organizational culture has a strong relationship with the other components of a healthy work environment. Values, policies, and practices related to leadership engagement and professional involvement are related to the psychosocial work environment, the physical work environment, the social responsibility, heath, and stress management resources. The results confirm that an organizational culture that values the well-being and health of the organization's professionals has a positive relationship with the psychosocial environment, the physical environment, and the relationship with the community and has more resources for professionals' health. It was also found that an organizational culture mediated by the psychosocial environment is associated with more effective stress management. Management can use this model and this tool for systemic assessment of healthy workplace ecosystems within organizations, thus contributing to continuous monitoring improvements, helping to face the challenges proposed by the Sustainable Development Goals of the United Nations' 2030 Agenda, namely the SDG3, Good Health and Wellbeing and Decent Work; SDG5, Gender Equality; and SDG 10, Sustainable cities and communities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in the coming years is a very important milestone for the sustainability of the planet. In order to achieve these objectives, it is essential that current students, who will be the workers of the future, know the SDGs and are aware of their importance. Therefore, it is necessary to know what is the knowledge and awareness that current students have and their perception regarding the relationship of their future profession with the achievement of the SDGs. In this way, actions can be proposed and implemented that can improve students' perception and knowledge of the SDGs. This paper presents an investigation that identifies the knowledge and awareness that university students have about the SDGs and the opinion they have regarding how their professional practice can help achieve them. This research is carried out by analyzing the opinion of students of various degrees and master's degrees from a Spanish University. Based on this, a series of teaching–learning activities are proposed that are capable of improving the degree of knowledge and awareness of the students, as well as the perception that they may have of how their profession can help achieve the SDGs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Attracting resources to achieve established goals makes social reporting necessary in relation to an organization's stakeholders, and reports on the social impact of resource use and activities have an essential role in increasing stakeholder satisfaction and trust. The COVID-19 pandemic emphasized the importance of sustainable development goals and transparent social reporting for different categories of stakeholders. This paper aims to identify the social reporting dimensions that influence the satisfaction and trust of the primary stakeholders of non-profit organizations in an emerging market (Romania), i.e., managers, employees, members, volunteers, donors, and collaborators. The results reveal the positive influence COVID-19 reporting had on stakeholder satisfaction. The lack of formal reporting has a weak yet statistically significant negative influence on stakeholder satisfaction, thus positively influencing the perceived need for external and internal auditing. Stakeholder trust in an organization is strongly and positively influenced by satisfaction with the organizational activity and internal auditing and is negatively influenced by a lack of formal reporting. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this paper was to examine whether the COVID-19 epidemic has slowed the fulfilment of one of the core tasks of the energy sector "Ensure Access to Affordable, Reliable, Sustainable and Modern Energy for All" (SDG7) taking into account corporate social responsibility. Four research questions and hypotheses were posed, relating to the perspectives of local authorities, the activities of large energy companies, the impact of the epidemic on the implementation of the SDG7 and, in addition, to the understanding of CSR principles from the point of view of ordinary entrepreneurs. A qualitative descriptive analysis based on two reliable databases and a survey procedure (Question 4) was used to answer the research questions posed. The goal was achieved by positively confirming three hypotheses and testing one negatively, relating to COVID-19's slowing role in SDG7 implementation. The analysis showed that the 2020–2021 epidemic in Poland has led to more initiatives in this area, contrary to expectations. However, they were linked to the simultaneous implementation of other SDGs, which distorted their importance for achieving Goal 7. In summary, although energy companies were more active than expected during the epidemic, they had a low contribution to SDG 7. This also applies to local authorities. An analysis of the knowledge about CSR in a group of entrepreneurs from the Lublin district (case study) confirmed the opinion appearing in the literature about the lack of understanding of the concept and the need for its application. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Botanic gardens are increasingly important agents of plant research and conservation. A large number of botanic gardens have been established throughout the globe since the mid-20th century to pursue new socio-environmental missions. Others, with histories that span centuries, have also undergone a deep transformation in the context of growing attention to matters of sustainability. Bridging key aspects of the scholarly literature on the genesis of the botanical garden institution in Europe and its legacy, this article presents the re-invention of these gardens as institutions of conservation, sustainability, and social engagement as they renew their relevance in the contemporary world. This article proceeds by covering three focal points. First, it summarizes the scholarly literature on the emergence of botanical gardens in Europe and their association with the rise of modern science, the nation-state, colonialism, and empire-building. Second, it presents accounts of current scientific and biodiversity conservation endeavours as reflexive engagements with these historical legacies, decolonization initiatives, and new socio-environmental missions. Third, this article points beyond its focus on the historical transformation of the European botanical garden institution, by identifying a more widely encompassing body of scholarship that puts forth frameworks for understanding the current role of botanic gardens on a global scale. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses issues related to the effectiveness of implementing sustainable development in the African Sahel region, with a particular focus on the third goal of this concept: good health and well-being. The study analyzes indicators characterizing Goal 3: "Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages". Within this scope, nine specific objectives or tasks were identified, contributing to the overall objectives of the area. The research aims to assess the spatial differentiation of Sahel-region countries dynamically in terms of sustainable development indicators. In conclusion, the Sahel region requires clear support from the international community, and it is commendable that the UN Support Plan for the Sahel aims to intensify efforts for shared prosperity and lasting peace by implementing priorities to achieve the 2030 Agenda for sustainable development in the Sahel countries and the broader region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To achieve sustainability and fulfill sustainable development goals, the digitalization of the power sector is vital. This study aims to examine how blockchain can be integrated into and enrich smart grids. In total, 10 research questions are explored. Scopus and Web of Science (WoS) were used to identify documents related to the topic. The study involves the analysis of 1041 scientific documents over the period 2015–2022. The related studies are analyzed from different dimensions including descriptive statistics, identification of the most common keywords and most widely used outlets, examination of the annual scientific production, the analysis of the most impactful and productive authors, countries, and affiliations. The advancement of the research focus and the most popular topics are also examined. Additionally, the results are analyzed, the main findings are discussed, open issues and challenges are presented, and suggestions for new research directions are provided. Based on the results, it was evident that blockchain plays a vital role in securing smart grids and realizing power sector digitalization, as well as in achieving sustainability and successfully meeting sustainable development goals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article provides a comprehensive examination of sustainable 6G wireless communication systems, addressing the urgent need for environmentally friendly and energy-efficient networks. The background establishes the broader context and significance of the study, emphasizing the escalating concerns surrounding the environmental impact and energy consumption of wireless communication systems. The purpose of this study is to explore and propose sustainable solutions for 6G networks. The methods employed in this research encompass an analysis of various strategies and technologies, including energy-aware network design, dynamic power management, energy harvesting, and green infrastructure deployment. The main findings of this article highlight the effectiveness of these approaches in enhancing energy efficiency, reducing carbon footprint, and optimizing resource management in 6G networks. The conclusions drawn from this study emphasize the importance of sustainable 6G wireless communication systems in achieving a more eco-friendly and energy-efficient future. It is crucial to adopt these sustainable practices to minimize environmental impact and address the increasing energy demands of wireless communication networks. The article provides valuable insights to researchers, industry practitioners, and policymakers, aiding in the development and implementation of sustainable practices for 6G wireless communication systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With increased participation in telework expected to continue, in the aftermath of COVID, it will be important to consider what long-term impact this practice could have on sustainability outcomes. This paper describes a scoping review and identifies connections between telework and sustainability outcomes from previous academic studies. These connections were categorised, and are discussed, based on their contributions to different United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. Most research was found to focus on countries classified as having a very high human development index status. The SWOT matrix technique was used to illustrate the strengths and weaknesses identified in the existing literature, and the threats and opportunities for future work. This aims to ensure policy coherence so that strategies to promote one outcome, such as economic productivity improvements, do not undermine another, such as improved health. Practical implications and research opportunities were identified across a range of SDG impact areas, including good health and well-being, gender equality, reduced inequality, climate mitigation, sustainable cities, and resilient communities. Overall, our impression is that increased rates of telework present an important opportunity to improve sustainability outcomes. However, it will be important that integrated and holistic policy is developed that mitigates key risks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Post-consumer wastes from the textile industry are generally landfilled or incinerated. The dumping of large amounts of textile waste has resulted in severe environmental problems. Advancements in technologies have called for textile recycling; however, the level of embracement made by the textile industry towards textile recycling is hampered by myriad factors. The scope of this study lies in identifying and analyzing multiple barriers to implementing textile recycling in India, encompassing all subsets of sustainability, i.e., social, economic, and environmental. The barriers are then evaluated using a Multiple Criteria Decision Making (MCDM) approach to identify the significant barriers. A trapezoidal fuzzy-DEMATEL methodology was executed to not only find the most influential barriers but also to find the cause-effect nature between every barrier. The outcome of the study indicates a lack of successful recycling business models, poor demand for recycled textiles goods, recycled products may not replace new products, lack of support for waste management in the industry, and absence of tax relief and rewarding policies as the top five barriers to textile waste recycling. This insight could help influence the decision of future policymakers in the field. Another aspect of the issue of pollution in the textile industry is the recent trend of fast fashion and the enormous amount of waste produced by overconsumption. The Sustainability Development Goal (SDG) 12 which is to ensure responsible production and consumption plays a key role in this sector. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The evolution of the digital transformation presents new challenges and many new opportunities, and provides unique solutions to individual issues, both for sectors and regions. The challenges posed by the digital world have a significant impact on social and economic processes, as well as our environment. This paper aims to provide an indicator-based understanding of the main characteristics of digitalization promoting sustainable development in the member countries of the Visegrad Cooperation. The main goal of this research is to study the relationship between digitalization transformation and sustainability together. One of the basic indicators of the article is the Digital Economy and Society Index (DESI). We examined interconnections between the dimensions of the DESI index and the indicators of the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) targets together in the V4, presented the change, evaluated the selected countries based on these aspects, and set up their ranking. Competitiveness performance data shed light on the situation in Hungary within the V4 countries, pointing out the strengths and shortcomings. The results show the extent of digital performance in each country and the relationship between their digital performance and sustainability indicators. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper reflects on criticisms raised in the literature on the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). These have been criticized as creating a dichotomy between the environment and human beings that fails to address the multiple interconnections between the two. This paper focuses on SDG7—“affordable and clean energy”—and suggests that there is in fact a tripartite distinction between the environment, human beings and technology underlying the SDGs. This distinction, we argue, does not adequately represent the multiple interconnections among the various SDGs and hampers their implementation. We contend that the formulation of SDG7 produces a circular definition of sustainability, a difficulty that is currently resolved at the level of the targets and indicators in a way that regards energy technologies primarily as artifacts. By contrast, the literature on ethical aspects of energy systems largely agrees that energy is a paradigmatic example of a sociotechnical system. We contend that, by not considering this sociotechnical nature, the SDGs run the risk of implicitly defending a certain variant of technological optimism and determinism. We argue that this is disadvantageous to the environment, human well-being and technological development. In line with recent critical evaluations of the SDGs, we argue that these (and other) shortcomings can be addressed by better connecting the SDGs to human well-being. Building on recent literature that expands the scope of the Capability Approach as an alternative measure of well-being so as to include considerations of sustainability, we articulate a framework that allows us to elucidate this connection and thus to take advantage of synergies between human well-being and the environment. On the basis of the Capability Approach, we argue that equating sustainable energy with renewable energy—as is done in the transition from SDG7’s goal to its targets—is indefensible because, as part of the overarching energy systems, energy technologies cannot be classified as simply right or wrong. Rather, the indicators and targets within a framework focused on sustainability need to be (more) context sensitive, meaning that, among other things, they may vary by country and with the available technology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The world has great expectations for how the private sector, both companies and investors, can support the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). In fact, it is generally believed that these goals cannot be achieved without strong support from the private sector. But will making the world a better place hurt financial returns? The answer is “No” if companies focus on the SDGs and their associated targets that benefit from strong performance on the material environmental, social, and governance (ESG) issues that matter to investors. In this paper we map the 30 generic ESG issues identified by the Sustainability Accounting Standards Board (SASB) to the SDGs and their targets. We show that some SASB issues are more material for a given SDG than others. We also show that some SASB issues are more important to the SDGs in general than others. We also map the material ESG issues for each of SASB’s 79 industries to the SDGs and to their targets. For each sector, there are particular SDGs where it has high impact and for each SDG there are particular sectors that have a high impact on it, and some sectors are more important to the SDGs in aggregate than others. The same is true at the target level. This mapping can be used as a guide for both companies and investors who want to understand how value-creating ESG performance can contribute to the SDGs. This paper is divided into four parts. Part I explains the motivation for this study. Part II explains our methodology and Part III the results. Part IV concludes with a summary of our results and some reflections on how our mapping methodology can be improved. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study unpacked the key sustainability drivers for successful social enterprises or community-based tourism enterprises (CBTEs), based on a study of a Thailand's Best Responsible Tourism award-winner at Sapphaya Community in Chai Nat Province. Using a grounded-theory qualitative case study, our key research objective is to gain insights into how community and enterprise leaders of a national award-winning CBTE in Thailand can generate value by revalorizing its cultural heritage and local assets to achieve sustainable community-based tourism. The research also explores how the CBTE can increase local engagement with multi-stakeholders. Our findings indicated two key sustainability drivers, including leadership and local engagement, for sustainable social enterprises. An emergent model of leadership and local engagement in driving the sustainability of CBTEs is proposed. It implies an importance of CBTE leadership as a critical factor that helps preserve community endowments (e.g., historical sites and cultural heritage) as well as develops social capital. The local engagement with a good sense of ownership and community participation is the key enabler toward sustainable tourism. The results also suggest how-to processes in cultivating sustainable social enterprises in practice and toward policy implications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the forthcoming years Portugal expects to be an increasingly hot and dry country dealing with the risk of water scarcity. According to the Portuguese Institute for Sea and Atmosphere data, annual precipitation values have decreased 20 mm/decade. On the other hand, it is also verified that the periods of rain occur in a shorter interval, although more intensively. Water scarcity is one of the major challenges reflected in the UN 6th Sustainable Development Goal. Higher Education Institutions (HEIs), as places of responsibility in preparing future leaders, must have strong sustainability policies, namely through the implementation of water efficiency measures on their campi. The main aim of this work was to evaluate water consumption and the good practices that the different HEIs have implemented on their campi to improve and promote green and sustainable behaviors, and to calculate water efficiency indicators associated with each HEI. The data were collected through a survey completed by eight HEIs distributed throughout the country. The results show that some institutions have already been implementing measures for water efficiency and have developed some activities with the academic and surrounding community. The range of values calculated for the indicators is large and there is not a strong correlation between them. Per capita consumption values vary between 1.8 and 23.5 L/(person·day), the differences being explained mostly by campus characteristics, namely: green areas; water sources for irrigation; age of buildings; and the existence of facilities on campus such as residences and sports facilities. Nevertheless, the consumption per capita values are generally lower than those found in the literature for equivalent institutions. Given the growing concern with water scarcity, sharing this kind of information among institutions may contribute to improving water efficiency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) purport to report holistically on progress towards sustainability and do so using more than 231 discrete indicators, with a primary objective to achieve a balance between the environment, social and economic aspects of development. The research question underpinning the analyses presented in this paper is: are the indicators in the SDGs sufficient and fit for purpose to assess the trajectory of natural resources towards sustainability? We extracted the SDG indicators that monitor the state of natural resources, or alternately support policy or governance for their protection, and determined whether these are adequate to provide the essential data on natural resources to achieve the aims of the SDGs. The indicators are clustered into four natural resource categories—land, water (both marine and freshwater), air and biodiversity. Indicators for monitoring land resources show that the most comprehensive land resource indicator for degraded land is not fully implemented and that missing from land monitoring is an evaluation of vegetation health outside of forests and mountains, the condition of soils, and most importantly the overall health of terrestrial ecosystems. Indicators for monitoring water resources have substantial gaps, unable to properly monitor water quality, water stress, many aspects of marine resources and, most significantly, the health of fresh and salt water ecosystems. Indicators for monitoring of air have recently become more comprehensive, but linkage to IPCC results would benefit both programs. Monitoring of biodiversity is perhaps the greatest weakness of the SDG Agenda, having no comprehensive assessment even though narrow aspects are monitored. Again, deliberate linkages to other global biodiversity programs (e.g., CBD and the Post-2020 Biodiversity Framework, IPBES, and Living Planet) are recommended on condition that data can be defined at a country level. While the SDG list of indicators in support of natural resource is moderately comprehensive, it lacks holistic monitoring in relation to evaluation of ecosystems and biodiversity to the extent that these missing but vital measures of sustainability threaten the entire SDG Agenda. In addition, an emerging issue is that even where there are appropriate indicators, the amount of country-level data remains inadequate to fully evaluate sustainability. This signals the delicate balance between the extent and complexity of the SDG Agenda and uptake at a country level. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The implementation of the bioeconomy, i.e., the conversion of an economic system from fossil to biogenic, renewable resources, is seen as an important component of sustainable development by many bioeconomy strategies. What has hardly been taken into account and investigated are the spatial requirements for a sustainable transition to this new system. In order to clarify this, bioeconomy related strategies and policy papers were analyzed thematically. It was shown that spatially relevant issues are addressed to very different extents. Some strategies have a clear technological and economic orientation, while other documents point to the importance of the regional and local levels and the use of spatial planning measures to successfully and sustainably implement a bioeconomy. Overall, the picture emerged that many strategies are still a long way from mainstreaming Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), as set out by the United Nations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Stakeholder engagement is a central tenet for understanding and solving sustainability challenges. Given the existing stakeholder knowledge base and the fact that practitioners mostly focus on the engagement of high-power and salience stakeholders, the interests of low-power and vulnerable stakeholders are often manipulated. Therefore, this research is devoted to the engagement of low-power and vulnerable stakeholders. Grounded in the stakeholder theory and the results of two illustrations, we demonstrate how the physical proximity of vulnerable stakeholders influences salience patterns in a multi-stakeholder engagement context. The contribution of the study is the conceptualisation of proximity as a stakeholder attribute, in addition to power, legitimacy, and urgency, to help managers identify and appropriately engage with vulnerable stakeholders. Thus, we extend stakeholder typologies by incorporating proximity into the existing attribute model. The proposed model addresses the paradoxical nature of stakeholder salience and engagement theories and furthers the sustainability agenda. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Both the sustainability discourse and the debate on citizen science are strongly focused on the natural and technical sciences. Yet, numerous participatory research activities can be identified in the social sciences and humanities that address sustainability issues of various kinds. These have hardly been studied so far, and their contribution to addressing sustainability challenges is poorly known. The study investigates which sustainability topics are taken up by citizen science in the humanities and social sciences, which factors influence the choice of topics, and their implications. For this purpose, the concept of Citizen Social Science (CSS) is taken up and sustainability is operationalized via the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) and its specific targets. Based on a collection of CSS activities in Germany, the addressed sustainability topics are identified accordingly. It is then analyzed how these patterns depend on the main characteristics of CSS projects. The findings indicate a focus on three SDGs related to education, sustainable cities, and partnerships for the Goals, while at the same time the project consortia are very heterogeneous. CSS shows particular strengths here through its multi-stakeholder approach. Going forward, the linkage of Citizen Science to the SDGs needs to be further formalized so that its transformative effects can be incorporated into SDG monitoring and the scientific institutions need additional incentives to participate in CSS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The ever-increasing impacts of the last mile delivery sector on the environment and the quality of life of the urban population, such as increased congestion, demand best practices to be incorporated by companies to reduce impacts such as emission of air pollutants and Greenhouse Gases (GHG) and depletion of natural resources, among others. However, a myriad of strategies has been developed for this purpose but there is a lack of methodologies that allow the choice of the best ones for a specific case. Therefore, this study looks for those best practices to be employed through an innovative methodology that consists of SWOT analysis (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats), a map of strategies of the delivery service, and using the Sustainability Balanced Scorecard (SBSC) and the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP), with the differential of considering the peculiarities of each company. The results applied in a Brazilian last mile delivery service company show that best practices such as route optimization, implementation of new infrastructure and business models for urban deliveries, and use of information systems for fleet tracking and monitoring contribute significantly to improving performance indicators and achieving the sector's goal to become more sustainable, and especially meeting the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) 8, 9, 11, and 17. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This work develops a systematic literature review on the B Corp movement. Fifty articles were identified in the Web of Science and Scopus databases until 2020. Results show that it is an incipient field with great potential. There are two topics repeatedly addressed in the analyzed publications: the motivations of companies to be certified, and the economic and social effects that occur after certification. Sustainability is currently the reference journal in the field, since it has published a total of five articles. Finally, several lines of future work are proposed, such as the contribution of B Corp companies to the SDGs; the development of case studies on the certification process itself; and the development of methods for measuring social impact. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Frugal innovations are often associated with sustainable development. These connections, however, are based on anecdotal assumptions rather than empirical evidence. This article evaluates the sustainability of four frugal innovations from water and energy sectors. For the purposes of the evaluation, a set of indicators was developed. Indicators are drawn from sustainable development goals by the United Nations and they encompass central dimensions of sustainability: ecological, social and economic. In this article, frugal innovations are compared to solutions that are currently used in similar low-income contexts. Studied frugal innovations were found more sustainable in terms of energy production and water purification capacity than the existing solutions. In terms of social sustainability, larger differences between innovations were found. For example, business models of frugal energy solutions focus on capacity building and the inclusion of marginalized low-income people, whereas business models of water purification solutions focus on more traditional corporate social responsibility activities, such as marketing awareness campaigns and cooperation with non-governmental organizations. Three major sustainability challenges for frugal innovators were identified: (1) the proper integration of material efficiency into product or service systems; (2) the patient promotion of inclusive employment; and (3) the promotion of inclusive and sustainable local industrialization. The article concludes that despite indisputable similarities between frugality and sustainability, it is problematic to equate the two conceptually. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The current situation of global change, caused by our way of life and our consumption habits, has negative effects on the social, economic and environmental spheres. To alleviate these changes, from the field of education, various actions focused on sustainability are being carried out. Knowledge of sustainable environmental development is essential in the formation of citizenship, and therefore in education. That is why the purpose of this work is to introduce future primary school teachers to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development established by the UN, as an educational tool for teaching and learning sustainability in classrooms. The 4th Degree of Primary Education students worked at designing a didactic intervention, based on the development of Education for Sustainable Development Competencies (ESDC), complemented with the dissemination on Instagram of visual creations on the SDGs designed for primary education students. As a result, 5 didactic proposals and 84 posts were generated on Instagram with 1131 comments. In conclusion, in teacher training, it is necessary to become familiar with the scientific contents and the various ways of working on them in the classroom, to enable the necessary didactic transfer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This presented study discusses problems related to the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goal 1: No Poverty, aimed at eliminating poverty, based on the example of the Visegrad Group (V4) countries. The introduction addresses the general characteristics of the V4 and attempts to define the concept of sustainable development, with particular emphasis on its complex nature and importance for future generations. The purpose of the research was to assess the diversity within the Visegrad Group countries in the years 2005–2018 in terms of poverty and sustainable development level in the No Poverty area and also to identify the impact of the socioeconomic development level in the studied countries on sustainable development in the No Poverty area. Taking into account the analysis of poverty indicators in the Visegrad Group countries, the best results were recorded for Czechia. The second part of the conducted analyzed allowed us to conclude that Czechia definitely presents the highest level of sustainable development, followed by Slovakia. The highest average dynamics of changes occur in Poland and Hungary, which result in the gradual elimination of the existing disproportions. Among other research results, it is worth highlighting that the V4 countries show significant, however, decreasing differences regarding the indicators describing poverty in relation to sustainable development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The university is a key agent in the process of transformation towards sustainability within the framework of the 2030 Agenda. This study aims to analyze the usefulness of the collaborative learning methodology through a serious game (SG) in the university environment to increase the level of knowledge and the importance given to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by students. Through ex ante and ex post questionnaires, the degree of variation in the knowledge acquired and importance given to the SDGs was measured. To compare the midrange of these two samples and determine whether differences existed, we applied the Student and Wilcoxon t-tests. The results indicate that the methodology used produced an improvement in knowledge about the SDGs. Therefore, it is concluded that the university should promote this type of workshop and SG activities to contribute to the achievement of the SDGs, both in the Bachelor's Degree in Primary Education and in degrees of other disciplines. Moreover, we have encouraged active learning of the SDGs through collaborative workshops using the design thinking method and an SG called "The Island", which, based on certain economic, social and environmental information, puts students in a position to govern resources to meet the needs of its population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Social Economy entities have been recognized as key agents for achieving the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) of the 2030 Agenda. To reach that, indicators are required to guide decision-making and facilitate accountability to citizens. Substantial progress has been made for the economic and environmental dimensions, but not for the social one, which is a particularly serious deficiency to support the social value that the Third Sector entities' have for the society. The objective of this study is to advance in this line, taking two organizations of the Social Economy that operate in the rural and marine environments of an important international tourist destination in Spain, the Canary Islands. The achieve this goal, the study uses the Social Value Polyhedral Model (SPOLY) of Social Accounting in the framework of the SDG to generate a system of relevant indicators that makes possible to project the particular contribution of these social actors, guide their action towards the global objectives, and render accounts in a transparent and understandable way to their stakeholders. The results show a common ground of contribution for both organizations (goals 8 and 17), but also the influence of the sphere of activity and the connections with the community. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Animal manure is a source of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and other pollutants and nuisances such as ammonia and odors. There are several technologies to reduce emissions on animal farms including manure additives; however, few have been proven effective and easy to apply to dairy lagoon systems. The present research aimed at testing the ability of the commercial additive "SOP LAGOON" to reduce emissions of GHGs (i.e., carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4) and nitrous oxide (N2O)), as well as ammonia (NH3) and odors from lagoon stored liquid manure. Emissions of GHGs, NH3 and odors were measured in the laboratory from barrels filled with 65 L of manure treated with SOP LAGOON or left untreated as a control. Manure was collected from a commercial dairy that is located in Solano County, California. Emissions of GHGs and NH3 were continuously measured for one week using flux chambers placed on top of the barrels and connected to a mobile air emissions laboratory. The effects of the untreated control, versus the two respective treatment additive doses of 30.8 and 61.6 g/m3 of manure were compared to each other. The low dose was selected based on the manufacturer recommendation and the high dose was selected by doubling the low dose. Results showed that SOP LAGOON applied at the high dose (61.6 g of SOP LAGOON per m3 of manure) versus the control greatly reduced (p < 0.05) emissions of CO2, CH4, N2O and NH3 by 14.7%, 22.7%, 45.4% and 45.9%, respectively. Furthermore, the high dose of SOP LAGOON treated samples versus the control samples showed less odor intensity (p < 0.05). There was no significant effect of the low dose of SOP LAGOON on the emissions of different gases. The HIGH dose of SOP LAGOON might decrease the number of methanogens and hydrolytic microorganisms and their excreted enzymes during manure storage. Further studies are needed to investigate the mechanism of emission reduction using SOP LAGOON. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) have been in effect since 2015 to continue the progress of the Millennium Development Goals. Some of the SDGs are expected to be achieved by 2020, while others by 2030. Among the 17 SDGs, SDG 15 is particularly dedicated to environmental resources (e.g., forest, wetland, land). These resources are gravely threatened by human-induced climate change and intense anthropogenic activities. In Bangladesh, one of the most climate-vulnerable countries, climate change and human interventions are taking a heavy toll on environmental resources. Ensuring the sustainability of these resources requires regular monitoring and evaluation to identify challenges, concerns, and progress of environmental management. Remote sensing has been used as an effective tool to monitor and evaluate these resources. As such, many studies on Bangladesh used various remote-sensing approaches to conduct research on the issues related to SDG 15, particularly on forest, wetland, erosion, and landslides. However, we lack a comprehensive view of the progress, challenges, concerns, and future outlook of the goal and its targets. In this study, we sought to systematically review the remote-sensing studies related to SDG 15 (targets 15.1–15.3) to present developments, analyze trends and limitations, and provide future directions to ensure sustainability. We developed several search keywords and finally selected 53 articles for review. We discussed the topical and methodological trends of current remote-sensing works. In addition, limitations were identified and future research directions were provided. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]