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At a rhetorical level, the SDGs provide a unified global agenda, and their targets and indicators are believed to drive action for social and environmental transformation. However, what if the SDGs (and their specific goals and indicators) are more of a problem than a solution? What if they create the illusion of action through a depoliticised and technical approach that fails to address fundamental dilemmas of politics and power? What if this illusion continues to reproduce poverty, inequality, and environmental degradation? This paper addresses these questions through a focus on SDG 6.5.1 – the implementation of integrated water resources management (IWRM), measured on a 0-100 scale through a composite indicator. The paper presents an empirical analysis of SDG 6.5.1 reporting in Colombia, Ethiopia, India, Malaysia, and the UK, drawing on research from the Water Security and Sustainable Development Hub. An evidence review and series of expert interviews are used to interrogate the local politics of IWRM measurement, specifically three dilemmas of global composite indicator construction: (1) reductive quantification of normative and contested processes; (2) weak analysis of actually existing institutional capability, politics, and power; and (3) distracting performativity dynamics in reporting. The paper concludes that SDG 6.5.1 is an example of a 'fantasy artefact', and that in all countries in this study, IWRM institutions are failing to address fundamental and 'wicked' problems in water resources management. We find little evidence that these numbers, or the survey that gives rise to them, drive meaningful reflection on the aims or outcomes of IWRM. Instead, they tend to hide the actually-existing political and institutional dynamics that sit behind the complexity of the global water crisis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Malaysian oil palm industry is one of the important contributors to the national economy, which improves the socio-economic of people, source of employment and eradicating poverty, but the industry is always scrutinised on its sustainability performance related to the human well-being and social issues. One of the approaches to address the associated social impacts in the oil palm industry is through social life cycle assessment (S-LCA). S-LCA was developed by the United Nations Environmental Programme and Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry (UNEP/SETAC) to assess positive and negative social impact along the supply chain. The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) also has set the social criteria to move society towards the improvement of the well-being of people and surroundings. This study aims to assess the social impacts of the workers in the Malaysian oil palm industry using S-LCA and to indicate their connection with relevant SDGs. The system boundary of this study was from nursery, plantation up to palm oil mill where the worker's stakeholder categories were chosen. The S-LCA methodology was adopted from the UNEP/SETAC guidelines for the subcategory lists and the methodological sheet for indicators development. Out of eight worker subcategories, only six subcategories were assessed. The method assessment of this study using performance reference point using five classifications of level which are 1 - Excellent, 2 - Above average, 3 - Average, 4 - Below average and 5-Extremely poor) to gauge the organisation performance. The subcategory results ranged between 1 - 3 and indicated that some improvements are required for certain subcategories. Linking with SLCA and SDG showed that 6 out of 17 SDGs are relevant. LCA can be a tool to support oil palm businesses to achieve SDGs, but further explanation is needed to link LCA with SDGs since SDGs are conceptualised at the country or regional level whereas LCA is mainly used to gauge the impacts of products or services at the micro or business level. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Malaysia has committed to reduce its greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by up to 45 % by the 2030. With increasing urbanisation and living standards of people in Malaysia, there is certainty that there will be a substantial increase in human activities hence mobility via networks of the highway. Rest and Service Area (RSA) is one important facility of the highway network that operates 24 hours and utilises significant amount of energy for its lighting, cooling, and the restaurants activities. A substantial amount of carbon is emitted from the RSA due to electricity usage, water consumption, solid waste and wastewater, as well as fuel consumption from staff commuting and transportation of goods. The objective of this study is to identify the sources and estimate the operational carbon footprint at RSA Highway Malaysia. The collected data questionnaire was analysed using Microsoft Excel. As expected, the amount of CO2 emissions from electric consumption for each selected RSA about 90 to 94 % of carbon release compare to other sources. As a conclusion, the investments including a more efficient HVAC system and more efficient lighting, could make the building more energy efficient and may induce greater use. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Palm oil is the most commonly used vegetable oil and is found in consumer products ranging from soap and chocolate to cooking oil. Approximately 90 % of global palm oil is supplied by Malaysia and Indonesia. In 2018, Malaysia and Indonesia set a target to increase their palm oil production to approximately 37.8 Mt and 20.5 Mt. It is anticipated that the palm oil residues generated from the production process will also increase. Palm oil mill residues such as oil palm fronds, oil palm trunks, palm oil mill effluent (POME), mesocarp fibres, palm kernel shells and empty fruit bunches have emerging potential to be converted into value-added products. This study focuses on POME because it has the potential to be used for the generation of renewable energy and Malaysia aims to utilise a greater amount of affordable, clean energy in line with the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals. To this end, this study analyses and compares the CO2 equivalent (CO2-eq) of two palm oil mills (POMs 1 and 2) that use different POME treatment technologies, namely the covered lagoon bio-digester (CLB; POM 1) and the continuous stirred tank reactor (CSTR; POM 2) systems. The results of the analysis show that POM 1 produces 1,077.67 kg CO2-eq, which is lower than that produced by POM 2 which emits 1,429.28 kg CO2-eq. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents a study on the performance of an Aerobic Submerged u-shaped membrane bioreactor (ASMBR) in treating sulfidic spent caustic (SSC) in terms of mixed liquor suspended solid (MLSS) concentration and solid retention time (SRT). SSC wastewater is categorized as high strength wastewater and consists of high inorganic and organic matter. U-shape membrane bioreactors have a higher tendency to foul compared to other types of MBR. MLSS concentration and SRT are the major parameters when operating membrane bioreactor. In this study, COD removal recorded reduction of more than 95% for average MLSS concentration runs and 90% for SRTs runs. Meanwhile, sulfide was removed 99%, and formed up to 79% of sulfate. The biofouling for MLSS concentration and SRTs were observed through TMP rate change and TMP average performance, TMP trend and SMP and EPS trends. Biocake layer and biolayer deposited on membrane surface was found influenced by biomass, the inert particulate biomass products accumulating in the reactor. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]