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Universities are rethinking their teaching and research programs and their whole third mission in response to the framework provided by the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). But how do universities walk the talk? What are the main strategies and activities undertaken by universities to implement the 2030 Agenda? While the higher education literature has documented the growing number of practices and strategies around SDGs, there have been few attempts to synthesize these scholarly resources. Moreover, the knowledge base revolves around an array of activities, which makes the literature seem fragmented. To fill this gap, the present paper conducts a systematic literature review and derives a method of categorizing activities that can support further knowledge growth. We classified 130 selected papers based on the type of university activities considered (research, teaching, third mission, and managing operations) and the level of the implemented action (macro, meso, and micro). Subsequently, we identified the main gaps in the literature and discussed future research avenues for addressing higher education's role in accomplishing SDGs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Local governments play a crucial role in the fight for a more sustainable world and, therefore, in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), as they are the closest public entities to citizens and best know their needs. Local governments should be the driving force behind integrating the different areas of sustainability in their municipalities, especially in social services, which is the focus of this paper. However, these governments have limited resources, making it necessary to provide public services as efficiently as possible. To present a complete picture of the factors that affect efficiency in social service provision, we have taken into account the SDGs related to the social sphere of sustainability (SDG 1, SDG 2, SDG 5, and SDG 10), in addition to the determinants usually collected in studies on efficiency in local governments. For a sample of Spanish municipalities, we found that local governments that have made more progress in achieving SDG 2 are more efficient. In contrast, municipalities that have worked the most to reduce gender inequalities (SDG 5) are less efficient in providing social services. The other SDGs do not influence the efficiency analysed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years, the concepts of circular economy and sustainable lifestyle have taken concrete form. The United Nations has outlined a set of targets, called Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), through which the level of development of society can be more easily analysed. By following the 17 development directions, lifestyles can be improved, with an appropriate relationship with the rest of society. The current situation of food waste is reflected in at least five of the SDGs, to eradicate hunger, to improve climate actions by minimizing greenhouse gas emissions, to facilitate safe drinking water, for the conservation and sustainable use of oceans, seas, and marine resources, for restoring, and promoting sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems and for responsible consumption on households and corporate level. The paper aims to highlight, incorrect practices and conventional and technologically innovative solutions to minimize food waste as much as possible, as these activities can reduce the carbon footprint and support existing models of a sustainable green economy. The results will highlight the critical intersection of circular economy principles, sustainable living, and the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in the context of food waste. By examining current practices and proposing both conventional and technologically innovative solutions, the study underscores actionable measures. [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]

While the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) were inclusive in their design, the reliance on official measurement infrastructures has upheld narrow definitions of both the terms of sustainability and development. Indigenous and non-Indigenous "governance beyond the state" approaches call these definitions into question. They highlight that disaggregated official data are unable to fully reflect alternative grounds and aspirations of living sustainably with the environment and non-human world. Relational Indigenous epistemologies and practices contribute to alternative epistemic infrastructures. In this paper, three examples from the Andean-Pacific region provide an alternative lens through which to reconceptualize and remake the SDG landscape. Together this suite of cases highlights the importance of bottom-up articulation processes, knowledge inclusion, and alternative epistemic harmonization for operationalizing the SDGs. In particular, we highlight the urgent need to renegotiate the relationship between Indigenous communities and the global measurement infrastructure in order to pursue and realize sustainability globally. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A significant challenge facing companies is to identify and implement sustainable best practices within their corporate strategies in order to align with the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). This study aims to assess companies' perspectives on sustainable development and their approaches to its integration, focusing in particular on the social dimension. The research aims to examine the reporting of the SDGs adopted and implemented by four listed companies. Using a case study methodology, this article analyses the sustainability reports of OMV Petrom, One United Properties, Sphera Franchise Group and Alro for the year 2022. In addition to sustainability disclosure requirements, these reports provide information on the impact of companies on environmental, social and governance factors. Specifically, the inclusion of information related to the SDGs in the sustainability reports of these four companies differentiates them, as they represent a minority among Romanian companies in reporting such data. The novelty of the study consists in its contribution to the existing literature by providing an insight into the sustainability practices adopted and implemented by major Romanian companies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Research on sustainable finance has experienced significant growth in recent years, but the exploration from a comprehensive perspective is still in its nascent stages. As of July 2023, our research revealed that this area remains relatively underexplored in the existing body of knowledge, leading to a notable lack of comprehensive research analyzing the current state‐of‐the‐art in the social finance arena. To address this gap, our study takes a pioneering approach by utilizing scientometrics and network analysis techniques, specifically employing VOSviewer and Bibliometrix in conjunction with Web of Science and Scopus databases. By merging data from both sources and removing duplicate entries, we established a consolidated database of 401 relevant studies. Through our analysis, we have identified prominent authors, sources, and the most influential studies in the social finance arena. Additionally, we examined the coupling of studies and authors to ascertain their significance in this emerging domain. The results have unveiled several prominent further research, including mainly social banking, Islamic finance, social innovation, the impact of the COVID‐19 pandemic, impact investing, social impact bonds, and Sustainable Development Goals. By shedding light on the current landscape, our findings comprehensively understand the field's progress and potential directions. This insight is valuable for market participants, researchers, policymakers, and decision‐makers seeking to navigate and contribute to the evolving landscape of sustainable finance with a social focus. Furthermore, our innovative use of scientometrics and network analysis sets a precedent for future research exploring the complex interplay between finance, development, and sustainability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The COVID-19 pandemic and the current food, energy, and safety crisis caused by the war in Ukraine strongly affected the existing gap in Sustainable Development Goals funding. Restoring global sustainability progress and the 2030 Agenda requires reshaping responsible investment architecture and rethinking the role of sovereign wealth funds as the largest investors in this process. The current study explores the ways in which the most transparent sovereign wealth funds act towards sustainability values and incorporate environmental, social, governance, and ethical criteria (ESGE) into their investment strategy, portfolio, and reporting. Also, 16 high-ranked funds by the Sustainability Transparency Index (Cavagnetto et al., 2022) were investigated by using the case study and benchmark analysis. Study results demonstrate the similarity of all funds disclosure within some questionnaire criteria like sustainability policy, scoring (voting) rules for decision-making, ESGE criteria, stakeholder engagements, and assurance of the financial information disclosed. Nevertheless, qualitative differences were identified between the sustainability transparency criteria of A and B-ranked funds. There is also huge variation in the implementation of funds’ ethical criteria, sustainability coherence, relevance of sustainability goals, disclosure of specific climate-related goals, and foundation membership criteria. Policy implications derived from the differences in sovereign funds' benchmarks are aimed at enhancing the sustainability context in funds’ operating frameworks, developing impact measurement metrics, prioritizing the most material stakeholder requests, sustainability verification procedures, and standardizing funds’ sustainability reporting. Specific channels, instruments, and regulatory measures towards greater funds’ sustainability transparency and their involvement in bridging the sustainable development funding gap may be the subject of further investigation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Integrating sustainability literacy into vocational education is vital for preparing students to tackle 21st-century sustainability challenges. This study conducts a comprehensive bibliometric analysis to map existing literature on sustainability literacy in vocational education, revealing trends, gaps, and themes. Using the Systematic Literature Network Analysis (SLNA) approach, it combines bibliometrics with systematic literature review (SLR). The customized SLR process identifies relevant Scopus articles from 2018 to 2023 with specific keywords. The analysis identifies eight main topic clusters, including environmental literacy as a key theme. Other clusters cover sustainability literacy, education approaches, vocational training, higher education, and country-specific case studies. The study indicates growing interest in sustainability literacy, seen in the rising publications since 2017. The findings emphasize the need for targeted pedagogical strategies and a more cohesive research landscape to enhance sustainability literacy's impact in vocational education. This research serves two purposes it offers insights into current trends, and inform about the importance of sustainability literacy in vocational education and how it can be implemented. In conclusion, this analysis provides a comprehensive view of sustainability literacy research in vocational education, guiding researchers, policymakers, and educators to improve sustainability education and ready students for sustainability-focused industries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With nearly 70% of the world population expected to live in cities by 2050, assessing the sustainability of urban systems, both existing and future ones, is becoming increasingly relevant. Making cities more sustainable is a global priority, which is highlighted by 'Sustainable Cities and Communities' being listed as one of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) adopted by United Nations Member States in 2015. This Virtual Special Issue (VSI) explores the implementation and assessment of policies and technologies that contribute to the transition to a sustainable, energy efficient and regenerative society. We organized the issue according to four main research themes: 1) Renewable Energy Systems (i.e., different types of systems, qualitative assessments and public acceptance); 2) Sustainable Built Environment (which includes construction, operation and refurbishment); 3) Multi-Scale Models (considering urban sustainability transition from building to districts, or cities and regions to multi-country comparisons and their scaling across different countries); and 4) Governance and Policy (climate change mitigation and adaptation plans/policies that are reported across countries, urban services and infrastructures). This paper serves two purposes. The first is to provide an analysis about patterns, correlations and synergies found across the different topics that have been addressed over the last 20 years in the literature about cities' sustainability paths. A bibliometric analysis and a contingency matrix show the degree of correlation between scientific journals and main topics addressed by published articles. Secondly, the paper acts as an Editorial to the VSI, introducing the wealth of research articles and topics included in it. Both the bibliometric analysis and the papers published in this VSI demonstrate the interconnectedness of energy consumption, pollutant emissions and the competition for finite resources. The aim is to present advances and challenges of this exciting and ever-evolving research field to inform and guide future studies of urban sustainability. • We carried out a bibliometric analysis of the literature using the Cortext Manager platform· Using network analysis of a corpus of paper spanning 20 years we identified 8 major clusters. • The paper serves also as editorial for a virtual special issue dealing with urban sustainability pathways. • The virtual special issue is organised in four main themes, which touch upon different Sustainable Development Goals. [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]