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The Romanian Danube Valley is an integral part of the Danube Region. According to the EU Strategy for the Danube Region (EUSDR), a healthy and well‐educated population is the key issue for sustainable and coherent development of this territory. This paper aims to explore, at micro‐scale level (Local Administrative Units 2 – LAU2), the population's responsivity to health care and education provision according to the demographic characteristics. By using the official statistical data available at a local level and the results provided by the TEMPO‐Online time‐series published by the National Institute of Statistics in 2015, the study assesses current education and health care provision in the Romanian Danube Valley, following the micro‐scale responsivity of the population. The authors have selected some specific statistical indicators in order to highlight education and health care provision and the population's responsivity. The indicators are normalised and gathered in the Education and Health Care Provision Index and the Education and Health Care Responsivity Index. This study shows that the majority of the Danubian LAU2 registered more users of the education and health care services than being available along the Valley. It also highlights the interrelation between low education and health care provision level and poor social and economic opportunities, and therefore the loss of market efficiency, marginalising some groups and reinforcing existing inequalities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Well‐established bodies of scholarship that inform contemporary global debates on gender, environment and health are fundamentally based on dualistic representations of women, such as First/Third World, rich/poor and victim/polluter. In this paper, we argue that recent socioeconomic transitions — affluence in the global South and rising inequality in the global North — demand the development of gender analytical frameworks that better recognize the diversity of roles that women play in the changing global social order that impact on their health. Our paper (a) critiques the dualisms found in three influential bodies of scholarship, namely gender, environment and development, science, technology and society, and sustainable development; and (b) through our critique, conceptually develops an ‘interconnectedness’ perspective that focuses on the increasingly shared lived realities of women in the North and the South, to understand the emerging complex relationships between gender, environment and health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pursuing economic targets of job creation, growth, and innovation while tackling global environmental challenges, has long been seen as impossible. However, any long-term economic competitiveness and security depends on the extent to which natural resources are used sustainably. Therefore, the European Union is investing in nature-based solutions to achieve this double goal. The difference between the prevailing economic model and a sustainable resource use has long seemed insurmountable. While many debates are paralyzed or radicalized, nature-based solutions could offer a transition path with realistic, incremental steps toward a sustainable economy as envisaged by the EU Horizon 2020 vision. This paper outlines the basics of a nature-based scenario for Europe, and proposes criteria to focus, guide, and evaluate the implementation of nature-based solutions, geared at production of wide socioeconomic benefits, provision of jobs, and low-carbon technology innovations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Conventional shipping is increasingly unable to address the social and economic needs of remote and underprivileged coastal and island communities. Barriers include rising fuel costs affecting the viability of on-water activities, which are compounded by the challenges presented by a lack of deepwater ports and related infrastructure that prevent docking by larger more fuel-efficient vessels. The environmental externalities of shipping-related fossil-fuel consumption, which harbour both local pollution and anthropogenic climate change impacts, adversely affect these communities. Amid limited research on strategies to address the challenges presented by conventional shipping methods to small island developing States ( SIDS), this paper proposes the adoption of policy initiatives for the adoption of small, modern non-fuel vessels that could assist these important yet underserved niches. One of several initiatives developing renewable-energy based shipping solutions is the Greenheart Project, an international non-profit organization in the process of developing an open-source hybrid solar-sail cargo vessel conforming to the conditions faced in coastal and island communities. This paper discusses the socio-economic and environmental challenges presented by conventional shipping with reference to SIDS and the potential of non-fuel shipping. Policy proposals to facilitate the beneficial adoption of such vessels in developing communities will also be offered. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper we consider the evolution of quantitative accounting of social indicators for measuring societal progress and sustainable development, with particular reference to economic analysis and social indicators. We examine the use of the System of National Accounts and introduce the concept of using input-output analysis for the development of social indicators. The use of satellite accounts for input-output analysis of environmental impacts and the development of environmental footprints has been well documented. The novelty of this paper is the use of a methodology frequently used to develop environmental indicators to quantify social impacts and to further the development of social footprints. We provide a case study of the use of social satellite accounts for labour, using multi-regional input-output analysis to develop a global inequality footprint for labour embodied in trade, and argue the case for the development of a system of social economic accounts, similar to the System of Environmental-Economic Accounts adopted by the United Nations Statistical Commission in 2012. This work contributes to the development of social valuation metrics as a means for measuring societal progress and developing sustainability indicators for use in management and decision-making. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

After the 1997 Asian markets crash, the theory of the 'sufficiency economy' altered the discourse of development in Thailand. Emphasizing Buddhist notions of moderation and 'enough' sufficiency recast development as a means to temper socio-economic volatility by reforming consumer affect. Sufficiency theory pinned the nation's economic upheaval on excessive desires, attempting to intervene in these impulses through projects rooted in personal moderation and communality. In this article, I explore the relationship between politics, citizenship, and sufficiency. Through ethnographic analysis of cases from urban squatter settlements taking part in state-driven participatory urban planning policies, I argue that sufficiency has become central to debates over citizenship in contemporary Thailand. Urban planners use sufficiency to attempt to produce what they term 'personal development' and to attempt to defuse political claims by training the poor to moderate their demands by learning 'enough.' I also show how residents of squatter communities use the language and practices of sufficiency to make political claims and to demonstrate their legitimacy as citizens with rights to the city. In doing so, I demonstrate how notions of sustainable development tied to moderation extend and potentially interrupt social inequalities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The division in approaches to education for sustainable development (ESD) as described by Vare and Scott is revisited. A strong bias in ESD towards personal behaviour change and aspirations to ‘making a difference’ (ESD1) is contrasted with systems level or more creative and critial approaches (ESD2). The lack of balance is further revealed when a critical eye is cast on familiar ideas such as recycling, efficiency saving (energy), ‘small steps add up’, reducing consumption, etc. Some ideas/contexts identified as central are identified as not discussed at all until very recently, e.g. the role of money created as debt. The suggestion is made that although exploring values is said to be of importance in ESD this does not extend to the underlying values represented by linear/mechanistic worldviews in contrast to a more contemporary systems worldview. The evidence is that teaching of many of the most familiar topics or themes is resolutely based on a linear worldview and thus fails badly and continually on a simple intellectual level. ESD is a prime candidate if ever there was one for what is essentially a systems perspective and an ESD which hardly touches this base is incomplete – being heavily biased towards social and environmental contexts to the downplaying of the economic – and is badly in need of review. The author's personal journey away from ESD as commonly understood – despite 20 years of work in the arena – towards the broader discussion now described as the circular economy, is summarised. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The article discusses economics and sustainability in terms of international trade governance, focusing on the implications of moral philosophy for the green economy. Economic thinkers such as Amartya Sen and Adam Smith are quoted on topics related to globalization of markets and technological innovation. The impact of rising living standards on environmental conditions are discussed, and the interactions between social and economic policies are analyzed. Modes of production and cross-border transactions are also discussed.

Kaunas is the second largest city in Lithuania and has strong links with its large rural hinterland. Working from the ideas and examples in ‘Learning Cities for a Learning Century, (Longworth, 1999) and through contact with other cities that have already implemented lifelong learning concepts, the city has, since 2001, started out on the journey to become a ‘sustainable learning city.’ The process is a long, and not always a smooth, one, but the partnership between university, city administration, the learning providers and the citizens has provided insights whereby economic, social and environmental capital can grow when these stakeholders work together to improve the learning of both organisations and people. This article is the story of that journey so far, the rationale for making it, the actions the city has undertaken, the results of the research that has been carried out and the benefits that have so far accrued. The voyage is by no means over—indeed it is constantly continuing, much in the same way that a learning organisation can never stop learning lest it ceases to be one and loses its dynamic. But we believe that it is the right one for Kaunas and sets an example for others. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article demonstrates Gamson's claimthat behind the apparent agreement implied by ''consensus frames'' lies considerable dissensus. Ironically, the very potency of consensus frames may generate contested claims to the ownership of a social problem. Food security is a potent consensus frame that has generated at least three distinct collective action frames: food security as hunger; food security as a component of a community's developmental whole; and food security as minimizing risks with respect to an industrialized food system's vulnerability to both ''normal accidents'' as well as the ''intentional accidents'' associated with agriterrorism. We show that each collective action frame reflects internal normative variation identified here with Goffman's ''keying'' concept. These keys suggest power differentials in the endorsement or critique of dominant institutional practices. Each frame and associated keys reflect distinct sets of interests by collective actors, such as demands for substantively different applications of science and technology. The prognostic framing of the community food security movement coincidentally holds potential for reducing not only the accidental risks of productivist agriculture but also the uncertainty induced by the risk of terrorist exploitation of those vulnerabilities. The article explores power differentials and variable levels of oppositional consciousness as mechanisms by which keys generate contentious politics within frames while serving as potential bridges between frames. This contested ownership of food security has implications for the associated movements' and organizations' capacity to influence the structure of the agrifood system as well as the broader socioeconomic organization of rural regions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is a surprising gap in the economic literature on social capital. First, we lack studies addressing the effects of social capital on those facets of development that can contribute in making growth more sustainable in the long run, like, for example, human development and social cohesion. Second, it is still unclear what type of networks may exert a positive effect on the different dimensions of development. In particular, the literature has not yet provided a rigorous assessment of the role of strong family ties, that are generally referred to as a form of bonding social capital causing backwardness. This paper investigates the relationship between the three types of social capital so far identified by the literature (i.e. bonding, bridging and linking), and the “quality” of economic development, as expressed by human development and an index of social well-being summarizing the state of health of urban ecosystems, public services, gender equality, and labour markets. The empirical analysis is articulated in two stages carried out by means of a multivariate analysis and of a structural equations models analysis. The results suggest that the linking social capital shaped by voluntary organizations has significantly positive effect on human development, but is irrelevant for social well-being. The bonding social capital shaped by strong family ties negatively affects human development, but significantly fosters the quality of life, mainly through a reduction of workers' precariousness. The bridging social capital of weak ties connecting friends and acquaintances follows the pattern of bonding social capital: it is reinforced by strong family ties and has significantly negative effect on human development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The gradual upward changes of standards in normal everyday life have significant environmental implications, and it is therefore important to study how these changes come about. The intention of the article is to analyze the social construction of normal expectations through a case study. The case concerns the present boom in bathroom renovations in Denmark, which offers an excellent opportunity to study the interplay between a wide variety of consumption drivers and social changes pointing toward long-term changes of normal expectations regarding bathroom standards. The study is problem-oriented and transdisciplinary and draws on a wide range of sociological, anthropological, and economic theories. The empirical basis comprises a combination of statistics, a review of magazine and media coverage, visits to exhibitions, and qualitative interviews. A variety of consumption drivers are identified. Among the drivers are the increasing importance of the home as a core identity project and a symbol of the unity of the family, the opportunities for creative work, the convenience of more grooming capacity during the busy family's rush hours, the perceived need for retreat and indulgence in a hectic everyday life, and the increased focus on body care and fitness. The contours of the emerging normal expectations are outlined and discussed in an environmental perspective. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Financial accounting methods fall short of fully accounting for the relative sustainability of college and university operations. Management of social, environmental, and economic performance will be aided by changes to and new developments in financial accounting practices to complement other indicators of sustainability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents an historical analysis (1974–97) of associations between land-cover change and socio-economic factors for three villages in a former bantustan region of South Africa. The notion of social–ecological systems is used as the conceptual framework for this analysis, in which the former bantustan region of Bushbuckridge is posited as a cultural landscape. The local landscape showed distinctive modifications over the study period, broad trends including the growth of human settlements and the decrease in woodland cover. However, changes were not uniform across sites, and the direction and magnitude of changes in land cover were often nonlinear and site-specific. Analysis of associations between biophysical and socio-economic changes at different scales revealed a range of important interacting forces such as population growth, drought, shortages of land, grazing and wood resources, weakening institutional governance of natural resources, and the diversification of livelihood strategies, including the sale of fuelwood, concurrent with declining employment security and cattle ownership. Evidence suggests a possible erosion of resilience in these social–ecological systems at various scales, with important implications for socio-economic development and sustainable resource management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article reports on national sustainable development strategies. A sustainable national development strategy addresses the challenge of evaluating and managing the complex interrelationships among economic, social and environmental objectives over the long term. The 2005 World Summit reaffirms the importance of national sustainable development strategies (NSDS). It brought together 170 Heads of State to the United Headquarters in New York. The Philippines is one of the first countries to develop a national sustainable development strategy with its adoption of Philippines Agenda 21 (PA 21).

Considering its specific economic, social, environmental and political features, the status and evolution of the Mediterranean have always been of great interest to its countries and concerned partners. From the protection of the sea against pollution, the interest was progressively expanded to land based development and its impacts on environment, to coastal management and finally to sustainable development with the establishment of the Mediterranean Commission on Sustainable Development (MCSD). Cumulated knowledge, coupled with political support and commitment to a common vision, has prepared the ground for the preparation of a regional strategy for sustainable development. Its preparatory process, coordinated by the MCSD Secretariat, has been very interactive, involving various stakeholders. The strategy, adopted in 2005, has raised awareness and induced the preparation of national sustainable development strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Over the last five decades, Malaysia has undergone rapid economic, social and environmental change, a process which is still continuing. The pursuit of socio-economic progress has been accompanied by an unprecedented rate of change in the natural environment. In parallel to this development, governmental responses have also adapted over time to address emerging environmental situations. This article views the recent history of Malaysia's evolving policy response to development needs and environmental change as consisting of four distinct stages. Despite an impressive array of policy statements and strategies to implement sustainable development, many challenges remain today. A clear articulation of normative principles of sustainable development is of paramount importance, as is the monumental task of policy implementation. The article argues that the trajectory of Malaysia's policy on natural resources and environmental issues bears the characteristics of path-dependent evolution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ecosystem restoration in highly complex, human-dominated estuaries rests on a strong conceptual foundation of sustainability, ecosystems, and adaptive management of human-induced environmental impacts. Successful application involves evaluating uncertainty, incorporating place-based information, and engaging diverse constituencies in the planning process. That means integration of technical knowledge with an understanding of the“cultural milieu” inherent in all estuaries, that is, the intensity of human activity and impacts plus socioeconomic factors relevant to restoration goals. Operational definitions of what constitutes acceptable ecosystem conditions and current baselines are critical yet rest in large measure on cultural values and socioeconomic considerations. Resources for long-term monitoring and research to assess performance and ecosystem condition are paramount. Unprecedented population growth promises additional stressors on estuarine environments worldwide, making maintenance of present conditions difficult. The art of good, practical ecosystem restoration as a management tool at multiple geographic scales promises to play a crucial role in sustainability goals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recent contributions by geographers on the relationships between states and citizens have documented the rise of rolled-out neoliberalism. Development agendas are, it is argued, increasingly dominated by the principles of market-driven reforms, social inequality, and a drive towards enhancing the economic competitiveness of the supply side of the economy. However, at the same time, a parallel set of discourses has emerged in the development literature which argues that it is principles ofsustainable developmentthat have, in practice, become dominant. The emphasis is, instead, on democratic empowerment, environmental conservation, and social justice. This paper examines the relationships between these ostensibly very different interpretations of contemporary development with an assessment of one of the Labour government's most ambitious planning agendas—the publication in February 2003 of the documentSustainable Communities: Building for the Future. The proposals are promoted as a“step change” in the planning system with a new emphasis on tackling shortages of housing in the South East and reviving the economy of the Thames Gateway area. The paper assesses the different ways in which such programmes can be interpreted and argues that contemporary development practices in countries such as Britain are constituted by a hybridity of approaches and rationalities and cannot be reduced to simple characterisations of rolled-out neoliberalism or sustainable development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Even in an increasingly polarized climate of global policy-making, the ideal of “sustainable development” retains currency across a remarkably broad swath of the political spectrum in debating alternative scenarios for the future. By adapting Weber's classic categories of value spheres and collective rationality, I distinguish contemporary approaches to operationalizing the concept of sustainability and elucidate the practical implications of each. For some, the social, ecological, and economic dimensions of sustainability are synergistic components of a single meaningful goal, pursued by either an overarching technique or a unifying ethic. In contrast to these unifying models, one may conclude that the dimensions of sustainable development invoke values that inevitably conflict in any complex social interaction to derive strategies for collective action. Framing the concept in such terms, as a dialogue of values, highlights the need to adapt social institutions to mediate value conflict at different scales, and points to opportunities for engaging development debates through applied research on comparative governance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article focuses on several initiatives in Europe for the sustainable improvement of food security in face of climate change. It says that Europe, as a global leader in greenhouse gas emission policy, is capable of addressing issues of food insecurity and natural resource preservation. It mentions the Joint Programming Initiative on Agriculture, Food Security and Climate Change (FACCE-JPI), joined by 21 European countries that will tackle with the said issues. It cites various factors to consider for the achievement of goals such as connecting to models of agro-ecology and socioeconomics.

This article presents author's views on the meaning and scope of sustainability. The author contradicts views of researchers J.L. Newton and E.T. Freyfogle about the meaning of sustainability. From the viewpoint of a social scientist, the author suggests that the concept of sustainable development is centered in economics, public policy, and ethics rather than in the biological sciences. This view of sustainability, as largely a concept in the social sciences, involves the reconceptualization of economic efficiency and productivity and helps advance, according to the idea of material sufficiency. The efficiency aspect of sustainability assesses the production of human well-being per unit of extraction from, or imposition upon, nature. The author comments that sustainability also serves several positive functions that Newton and Freyfogle understandably do not fully appreciate. One is that this amorphous concept directs attention to the stark fact that much of what we humans have created in recent centuries depends on energy sources that are both finite and ecologically problematic.