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1
Bello, Dikko. "Cost Reduction and Sustainable Business Practices; A conceptual approach." Journal of Economics and Administrative Sciences 26, no. 118 (April 1, 2020): 78–87. http://dx.doi.org/10.33095/jeas.v26i118.1862.
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An excellent reputation earned by initiating and practicing sustainable business practices has additional benefits, of which are reducing environmental incidents and an improvement in operational efficiency as this has the potential to help firms improve on productivity and bring down operating costs. Taken further, with ever-increasing socially and environmentally-conscious investors and the public alike, this act of natural resources management could have a significant implication on market value and income of the practicing firms.
The above proposition has been supported by sustainable business practices literature that is continuously conversing and deliberating upon the impact of efficient resource deployment and sustainable business practices. This paper aims to add value and contribute by offering inferences on cost reduction possibilities through improved natural resources management. Therefore it is an entirely conceptual level approach that provided potentially efficient tools for business sustainability and profitability
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Egorova, Svetlana, Irina Bogdanovich, Natalia Kistaeva, and Anastasia Kulachinskaya. "Environmental costs as an indicator of sustainable development." E3S Web of Conferences 140 (2019): 09007. http://dx.doi.org/10.1051/e3sconf/201914009007.
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One of the priorities of the modern economy is the optimal use of natural resources in economic activity. This is because the organization and management of production impacts the environment, which in turn affects both the well-being of society and the indicators of economic development. Which is why methodology and practice of public non-financial reporting reflecting indicators related to the conservation and assessment of natural resources, pollution control, waste management and recycling, and creating emission standards are actively developing. Environmental costs are becoming an important tool for making informed management decisions aimed at harmonizing the economy and the environment. At present, despite a large number of methodical developments, there is no solid theoretical basis for the formation of environmental indicators that adequately characterize the interaction of the economy and the environment and economic decision-making at all levels. The article clarifies the content, classification, performance evaluation system, environmental cost assessment methods for their application in management activities for deeper analysis, modelling and predicting economic phenomena and processes within the framework of the concept of sustainable development. The authors show approaches to the valuation of anthropogenic damage to nature, determined by the disproportionateness of natural and value indicators; the lack of prices of non-market goods, great uncertainty about the true value; the duration of the effects of man-made impacts and the long-term investment in environmental protection. Modern approaches to modelling and interpretation of results are generalized, as well as the possibilities of developing new (or improving existing) models for optimizing environmental costs. The direction of analysis of environmental indicators in the existing management system has been defined, in particular, through the study of non-financial reporting, which acts as a basis for calculating resource utilization, environmental quality and sustainability.
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M. Tahat, Monther, Kholoud M. Alananbeh, Yahia A. Othman, and Daniel I. Leskovar. "Soil Health and Sustainable Agriculture." Sustainability 12, no. 12 (June 15, 2020): 4859. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/su12124859.
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A healthy soil acts as a dynamic living system that delivers multiple ecosystem services, such as sustaining water quality and plant productivity, controlling soil nutrient recycling decomposition, and removing greenhouse gases from the atmosphere. Soil health is closely associated with sustainable agriculture, because soil microorganism diversity and activity are the main components of soil health. Agricultural sustainability is defined as the ability of a crop production system to continuously produce food without environmental degradation. Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF), cyanobacteria, and beneficial nematodes enhance water use efficiency and nutrient availability to plants, phytohormones production, soil nutrient cycling, and plant resistance to environmental stresses. Farming practices have shown that organic farming and tillage improve soil health by increasing the abundance, diversity, and activity of microorganisms. Conservation tillage can potentially increase grower’s profitability by reducing inputs and labor costs as compared to conventional tillage while organic farming might add extra management costs due to high labor demands for weeding and pest control, and for fertilizer inputs (particularly N-based), which typically have less consistent uniformity and stability than synthetic fertilizers. This review will discuss the external factors controlling the abundance of rhizosphere microbiota and the impact of crop management practices on soil health and their role in sustainable crop production.
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Sekerez, Vojislav. "Environmental Accounting as a Cornerstone of Corporate Sustainability Reporting." INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MANAGEMENT SCIENCE AND BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION 4, no. 1 (2017): 7–14. http://dx.doi.org/10.18775/ijmsba.1849-5664-5419.2014.41.1001.
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The major objective of this paper is to stress a role of environmental accounting in developing management’s strategic initiatives in the field of environmental protection. The socially responsible behavior of a company implies undertaking various activities for prevention, removal and minimizing the harmful effects on the environment. Such a responsible strategic approach ultimately leads to numerous cost savings, improvement in profitability and reputation and finally enables corporate sustainable development. In order to achieve its goal, this research will be methodologically based on the qualitative approach of published articles’ content analysis and the analysis of corporate practice in designing environmental accounting systems that allow better identification and control of costs and benefits related to environmental protection activities. Analysis of different accounting practices in producing financial and nonfinancial environmental information requires distinction between environmental financial and management accounting, given the fact that they create different types of information intended for internal and external users. Management needs such information for the purposes of identification and control of environmental protection costs, making decisions about the more efficient use of resources, projecting costs and benefits of further activities and attempts to increase company’s value through a socially responsible behavior. The expected results of this research should confirm the premise that increased awareness of the need of environmental protection and achieving sustainable development motivates companies for more frequently producing obligatory and voluntary external and internal reports about their environmental activities. At the same time, environmental accounting is supporting these initiatives, but we expect that in future new tools will be developed that will improve the quality and scope of its informational offer, which may be the area of potential for further research.
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Hu, Xin, Bo Xia, Martin Skitmore, and Laurie Buys. "Providing a sustainable living environment in not-for-profit retirement villages." Facilities 36, no. 5/6 (April 3, 2018): 272–90. http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/f-02-2017-0013.
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Purpose As a viable housing option for older people, retirement villages need to provide a sustainable living environment that satisfies their residents’ needs in terms of affordability, lifestyle and environmental friendliness. This is, however, a significant challenge for not-for-profit developers because of the high upfront costs involved in using sustainable practices. The purpose of this paper is to identify the sustainable features and practices adopted in not-for-profit retirement villages. Design/methodology/approach Because of the lack of quantitative historical data, a case study approach was adopted to identify the sustainable features and practices used in a not-for-profit retirement village in Sunshine Coast, Queensland, Australia. Data were collected based on interviews, direct observation and documentation, and collected data were analysed by using content analysis. Findings The research findings indicate that similar to private developers, not-for-profit developers also have the capability to make their village environment sustainable. In this case, the sustainable practices cover various aspects including the selection of village location, site planning, provision of facilities and services, social life and living costs. Although the associated costs of adopting sustainable features is a concern for both developers and residents, some of the identified sustainable practices in this case do not result in significant cost increase but can improve the residents’ quality of life substantially. Practical implications The research findings provide a number of practical implications on how to deliver sustainable retirement villages in a not-for-profit village setting. Originality/value This paper provides a first look at sustainable features and practices adopted in both the development and operation stages of a not-for-profit retirement village.
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Malarvizhi, P., and Sangeeta Yadav. "Corporate Environmental Disclosures on the Internet: an Empirical Analysis of Indian Companies." Issues In Social And Environmental Accounting 2, no. 2 (December 31, 2008): 211. http://dx.doi.org/10.22164/isea.v2i2.33.
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The impact of industrialization, on natural resources, human health and environment was not clear till 1960s. Rachel Carson for the first time in 1962 raised important questions about human impact on nature in her book, Silent Spring. With the growing awareness towards sustainable<br />development, industries and corporations have a major role in environmental degradation and protection thereof. In the past, accounting theories emphasized primarily on financial performance. This awareness<br />on sustainable development is visible through varied environmental<br />management mechanisms practiced amongst companies across the world. Environmental concerns are addressed by corporate giants through identification and estimation of environmental costs, benefits, investments, assets and liabilities into main stream accounting and reporting practices, for varied managerial decisions. These focused environmental efforts have sharpened and improved the global reporting<br />standards. In India, the incorporation of environmental costs and benefits<br />into mainstream financial reporting is at its nascent stage at present - but it is certain to grow. Indian companies have not yet developed a holistic approach to environmental reporting, as there is lack of environmental reporting guidelines. On the other hand environmental awareness among<br />Indian stakeholders gets strengthened with advancement in communication technology. High propensity of environmental awareness ensures a more cautious approach among Indian corporations to be environmentally responsible. With the advancement of information and communications technologies, global corporate information disclosures<br />have been on rise through the medium of internet, as confirmed by various recent national and international surveys. This research has observed that Indian companies follow diverse reporting practices on the internet viz., stand alone environmental reporting (satellite accounts) or<br />reporting along with the Annual/Financial Reports, or Sustainability Reporting.
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Nazeer, Sabrina Fathima, Thanuja Ramachandra, Sachie Gunatilake, and Sepani Senaratne. "Emerging sustainable facilities management practices in health-care sector." Journal of Facilities Management 18, no. 1 (December 20, 2019): 1–19. http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/jfm-10-2019-0056.
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Purpose Health-care (HC) is one of the most polluting industries and recognised as the second energy-intensive sector, emitting 8 per cent out of total 40 per cent of total carbon emissions. Integrating sustainability to facilities management operations is imperative and could significantly contribute to reducing energy consumption, waste and day-to-day operational costs of buildings. The integration of sustainability into FM practices depends on factors such as facility type, organisational scale, business sector and organisation characteristics. This paper aims to explore the SFM practice with a specific focus on HC-specific FM services and respective sustainable practice that could be integrated into FM operations. Design/methodology/approach A Delphi survey was administered to ten experts in two rounds, who are specialised in FM and sustainable practices in the HC sector. Data gathered from the survey were analysed using the Relative Importance Index to identify the most significant FM services and sustainable practices. Findings The study found 9 significant FM services and 49 sustainable in HC. The top three significant FM services include “building services (BS)”, “space planning (SP)” and “quality management (QM)”. Further, “identifying applications for energy-saving measures” and “ensure onsite, off-site storage and transport of wastes” were found as the topmost significant sustainable practices. The relevancy of these identified sustainable practices to the principles of sustainability was determined. The results showed that 22, 18 and 09 sustainable practices were relevant to environmental, social and economic principles of sustainability, respectively. Originality/value There is a dearth of literature that integrates sustainable FM practices in HC sector, and this study fulfills this research gap. The study is novel in offering a framework to integrate sustainability into FM practice in HC sector.
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Aznar-Sánchez, José A., Juan F. Velasco-Muñoz, Belén López-Felices, and Fernando del Moral-Torres. "Barriers and Facilitators for Adopting Sustainable Soil Management Practices in Mediterranean Olive Groves." Agronomy 10, no. 4 (April 2, 2020): 506. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/agronomy10040506.
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Soil is a fundamental resource, subject to severe and quick degradation processes because of the pressure of human activities, particularly in many regions of the Mediterranean where agriculture is an important economic activity. It has been proven that the use of sustainable soil management practices can potentially give rise to the creation of a carbon sink, an increase of soil organic matter content, the maintenance of crop productivity and a reduction in erosion. Despite the existence of scientific evidence about the benefits generated by the use of sustainable practices on soil, many farmers are reluctant to adopt them. The objective of this study is to identify and give a hierarchical structure to the factors that condition the adoption of sustainable practices in the management of agricultural soil. The case of olive tree cultivation in Southeast Spain has been studied, using a participatory qualitative methodology. The results show a series of seven principal barriers (information, costs, risk aversion, characteristics of the farm and sustainable practices, macro factors, and cultural barriers) and five facilitators (technology, farmer training, awareness, incentives, and social pressure) for the adoption of the proposed sustainable agricultural practices. The principal political and legislative actions proposed to increase the adoption of sustainable agricultural practices include: administrative control, fostering environmental awareness, technical knowledge, and on-farm demonstrations; and, on the economic and financial level, incorporation of both general incentives and subsidizing specific costs. This study contributes to the development and discussion of intervention proposals that are designed to stimulate the implementation of sustainable practices in agricultural soil management.
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Lasley, Paul, Eric Hoiberg, and Gordon Bultena. "Is sustainable agriculture an elixir for rural communities?" American Journal of Alternative Agriculture 8, no. 3 (September 1993): 133–39. http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s088918930000518x.
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AbstractThe transformation of agriculture according to an industrial model has had clear benefits in improving efficiency and lowering production costs, but also has had adverse consequences on rural culture and the environment. Sustainable agriculture offers alternative practices and values intended to promote environmental stewardship, conserve resources, preserve farm traditions, and support rural communities. Strong arguments can be made that it will have these consequences, based on the interactions among agricultural structure, rural community viability, and environmental quality. However, counterarguments can also be made, and the claimed benefits of sustainable agriculture for rural communities must be regarded as not yet demonstrated.
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Bowers, J. "Sustainability, Agriculture, and Agricultural Policy." Environment and Planning A: Economy and Space 27, no. 8 (August 1995): 1231–43. http://dx.doi.org/10.1068/a271231.
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In this paper, the problem of achieving sustainable development in the context of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) and other policy suggestions is examined. Sustainable development is defined as a commitment to conserve necessary biological, cultural, and aesthetic capital for future generations. This is not a costless process. Constraints are required on current economic activity, entailing sacrifices by the current generation, if sustainability requirements are to be met. Specific wildlife sites within the farmed landscape are critical to the sustainability programme. Conservation of these sites entails the continuation of specific and often technically obsolete farming practices. Their conservation cannot be ensured by the practice of efficient sustainable agriculture as advocated by the authors Pretty and Howes. Furthermore, those authors are wrong in believing that such agriculture could be profitable without continuing subsidy. The approach of the CAP is to make payments for the practices necessary to safeguard these sites. However, the economic sustainability of the CAP is doubtful. Its costs are excessive and reforms are not reducing the excessive financial burden and resource costs. Alternative reform packages involving conservation through cross-compliance have even greater resource costs. The ability to safeguard these critical sites in the long run is therefore questionable. This suggests there is a need to rethink sustainability requirements for cultural and biological diversity.
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De Klein, C. A. M., J. J. Drewry Nagels, M. Scarsbrook, R. Collins, R. W. Mcdowell, and R. Muirhead. "Environmental impacts of intensive deer farming in New Zealand - a review." NZGA: Research and Practice Series 9 (January 1, 2003): 79–87. http://dx.doi.org/10.33584/rps.9.2002.3413.
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The New Zealand deer industry is growing rapidly and the development of sustainable management practices for deer farming is becoming increasingly important. The main environmental issues facing the deer industry are the eff ects on soil and water quality, exacerba ted by the behaviour responses of deer to confinement (in particular fence pacing and wallowing). In addition, the projected increase in greenhouse gas emissions from deer farming from about 1.5% of the total emissions in 1990 to an estimated 7% in 2010 is of particular concern if the Kyoto Protocol is ratified. Although the potential effects of deer farming on the environment are well recognised, very little experimental work has qualified the extent of these impacts. The future of intensive deer farming in New Zealand will not only depend on the successful development of sustainable management practices, but also on the implementation and adoption of these practices, which will be influenced by the balance between the costs and the benefits to the New Zealand deer farmer. The development and adoption of sustainable management practices for deer farming requires quantification of rates of sediment, nutrient and faecal contaminant movement to waterways, the impact of soil compaction and greenhouse gas emissions, as well as an assessment of the economic implications. Keywords: deer farming, greenhouse gas emissions, nutrient losses, sediment losses, soil compaction, soil erosion, water quality
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Silveira, Samia, and Thais Alves. "Target Value Design Inspired Practices to Deliver Sustainable Buildings." Buildings 8, no. 9 (August 23, 2018): 116. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/buildings8090116.
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The design of environmentally-friendly buildings relies on the work of interdisciplinary teams who have to look at problems in a holistic way. Teams need to communicate, collaborate, and make decisions not solely based on first cost considerations. For this purpose, Target Value Design (TVD) related practices are being used to deliver green buildings in Southern California while meeting strict code requirements and addressing the needs of multiple stakeholders in a collaborative fashion. This study did not quantify costs associated with design and construction of sustainable buildings. It used an analytical process that compared and contrasted available literature on TVD and interviews with industry practitioners to investigate the use of TVD-inspired practices in the construction industry in Southern California and identify the current use of TVD-inspired practices in the design of green buildings. The study revealed that, even though practitioners might not be aware of how TVD can be fully implemented in these projects, a number of TVD-inspired practices are currently being used. Examples are provided to illustrate their practical use in the design of sustainable buildings and how practice compares to theory regarding TVD implementation.
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Kareiva, Peter M., Brynn W. McNally, Steve McCormick, Tom Miller, and Mary Ruckelshaus. "Improving global environmental management with standard corporate reporting." Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 112, no. 24 (June 16, 2015): 7375–82. http://dx.doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1408120111.
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Multinational corporations play a prominent role in shaping the environmental trajectory of the planet. The integration of environmental costs and benefits into corporate decision-making has enormous, but as yet unfulfilled, potential to promote sustainable development. To help steer business decisions toward better environmental outcomes, corporate reporting frameworks need to develop scientifically informed standards that consistently consider land use and land conversion, clean air (including greenhouse gas emissions), availability and quality of freshwater, degradation of coastal and marine habitats, and sustainable use of renewable resources such as soil, timber, and fisheries. Standardization by itself will not be enough—also required are advances in ecosystem modeling and in our understanding of critical ecological thresholds. With improving ecosystem science, the opportunity for realizing a major breakthrough in reporting corporate environmental impacts and dependencies has never been greater. Now is the time for ecologists to take advantage of an explosion of sustainability commitments from business leaders and expanding pressure for sustainable practices from shareholders, financial institutions, and consumers.
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Palomo-Lovinski, Noël. "Sustainable retail system: Proposal for closed-loop fashion." Fashion, Style & Popular Culture 7, no. 2 (March 1, 2020): 193–206. http://dx.doi.org/10.1386/fspc_00014_1.
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Abstract The fashion industry is at a turning point due to the increased unsustainability of current economic, environmental and social practices requiring a new set of best practices throughout the supply and value chains. Retailers and manufacturers seek profit in a consumer market that increasingly expects more product and services for less money at a quicker rate of turnover. Scarcity of resources, from natural materials to affordable labour, will only intensify rather than be ameliorated in the current system. Concurrently, increasing awareness of environmental and social harm will make negotiations between price and availability all the more acute. The consumer expectation of environmentally friendly practices does not necessarily translate into acceptance of higher costs in the marketplace. The fashion industry therefore must reconsider the role of the designer, the use of technology, long-term responsibility for all products sold and how to engage the consumer beyond the confines of the traditional point of sale. Designers, manufacturers and retailers will have to reconfigure the supply chain process and expand the possibilities of experiential retail to accommodate increased consumer demand of getting what they want when they want it, all while affording confidence and trust. This article is a proposal for a Closed-Loop Sustainable Product Service System and Retail construct. The proposal suggests a national network of design, retail and manufacturing sites specific to a community or region. Specific technology would support small batch production geared to the requirements of a community or locality while taking responsibility for all waste. A supporting literature review will be provided reinforcing the assertions and suggestions made by the author.
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Dallimer, Martin, Lindsay C. Stringer, Steven E. Orchard, Philip Osano, George Njoroge, Cheng Wen, and Patrick Gicheru. "Who uses sustainable land management practices and what are the costs and benefits? Insights from Kenya." Land Degradation & Development 29, no. 9 (May 22, 2018): 2822–35. http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/ldr.3001.
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Orr, Madeleine, Xinyi Qian, Ingrid Schneider, Michelle Heyn, and Patrick Simmons. "Perceptions vs. Practice: A Longitudinal Analysis of Energy-Efficient and Energy Conservation Practices in Minnesota’s Tourism Industry." Sustainability 11, no. 23 (November 28, 2019): 6741. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/su11236741.
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The importance of adopting sustainable practices in the tourism industry is well established. This project assessed tourism professionals’ perceptions of constraints and benefits to sustainable practices as well as actual implementation of energy practices across time. Adopting a longitudinal approach, perceptions and practices were tracked through an Internet-based questionnaire administered among tourism professionals in 2007, 2010, and 2013 in a Midwestern U.S. state. Professionals consistently agreed that attracting new clientele, improving consumer perceptions, and organizational image were benefits of sustainable practices, while initial financial costs constrained implementation. The most frequently implemented energy practices were using daylight and compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs). Only the use of two energy practices increased across time: using CFLs and Energy Star equipment. Overall, the adoption of sustainable practices was varied, and implementation rates remained minimally changed between 2007 and 2013. Reasons for the varied adoption and lack of changes in practice implementation may be explained by perceived barriers to implementation, lack of perceived benefits, and socio-economic contextual factors. With consideration to institutional theory and organizational capacity, industry and organizational-level implications are presented.
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Fisher, Jonathan. "Impacts of Environmental Regulation on Sustainable Economic Growth." Journal of Business and Economics 9, no. 9 (September 22, 2018): 749–73. http://dx.doi.org/10.15341/jbe(2155-7950)/09.09.2018/001.
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There is considerable concern and debate about the economic impacts of environmental regulations. Jonathan Fisher, former Economics Manager at the Environment Agency in England and Wales, reviews the available evidence on this subject. Section 2 presents estimates of the costs and benefits of environmental regulations. Section 3 examines the impacts of environmental regulations on economic growth, innovation and technical change as well as impacts on competitiveness and any movement of businesses to less pollution havens. He questions call for greater certainty regarding future environmental regulations, whereas in fact there should be calls for less uncertainty. This section then suggests how this could be achieved. This section then finishes with an overview of the available evidence. This includes an examination of the Porter Hypothesis that environmental regulations can trigger greater innovation that may partially or more than fully offset the compliance costs. Section 4 then sets out principles for how better environmental regulation can improve its impacts on sustainable economic growth and illustrates how the European Union (EU) Water Framework Directive is a good example of the application of these principles in practice. Section 5 reviews current and recent political perspectives regarding developments in environmental regulations across the EU and shows how the United Kingdom (UK) has successfully positively managed to influence such developments so that EU environmental regulations now incorporate many of these principles to improve their impacts on economic growth. Section 5.1 then examines the implications of Brexit for UK environmental regulations. Finally, Section 6 sets out some best practice principles to improve the impacts of environmental regulation on sustainable economic growth, innovation and technical change.
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Sambell, Ros, Lesley Andrew, Stephanie Godrich, Justin Wolfgang, Dieter Vandenbroeck, Katie Stubley, Nick Rose, Lenore Newman, Pierre Horwitz, and Amanda Devine. "Local Challenges and Successes Associated with Transitioning to Sustainable Food System Practices for a West Australian Context: Multi-Sector Stakeholder Perceptions." International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health 16, no. 11 (June 10, 2019): 2051. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/ijerph16112051.
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Large-scale food system practices have diminished soil and water quality and negatively impacted climate change. Yet, numerous opportunities exist to harness food system practices that will ensure better outcomes for human health and ecosystems. The objective of this study was to consider food Production, Processing, Access and Consumption domains, and for each determine the challenges and successes associated with progressing towards a sustainable food system. A workshop engaging 122 participants including producers, consultants, consumers, educators, funders, scientists, media, government and industry representatives, was conducted in Perth, Western Australia. A thematic analysis of statements (Successes (n = 170) or Challenges (n = 360)) captured, revealed issues of scale, knowledge and education, economics, consumerism, big food, environmental/sustainability, communication, policies and legislation, and technology and innovations. Policy recommendations included greater investment into research in sustainable agriculture (particularly the evidentiary basis for regenerative agriculture), land preservation, and supporting farmers to overcome high infrastructure costs and absorb labour costs. Policy, practice and research recommendations included focusing on an integrated food systems approach with multiple goals, food system actors working collaboratively to reduce challenges and undertaking more research to further the regenerative agriculture evidence.
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Moran, Emilio F., Maria Claudia Lopez, Nathan Moore, Norbert Müller, and David W. Hyndman. "Sustainable hydropower in the 21st century." Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 115, no. 47 (November 5, 2018): 11891–98. http://dx.doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1809426115.
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Hydropower has been the leading source of renewable energy across the world, accounting for up to 71% of this supply as of 2016. This capacity was built up in North America and Europe between 1920 and 1970 when thousands of dams were built. Big dams stopped being built in developed nations, because the best sites for dams were already developed and environmental and social concerns made the costs unacceptable. Nowadays, more dams are being removed in North America and Europe than are being built. The hydropower industry moved to building dams in the developing world and since the 1970s, began to build even larger hydropower dams along the Mekong River Basin, the Amazon River Basin, and the Congo River Basin. The same problems are being repeated: disrupting river ecology, deforestation, losing aquatic and terrestrial biodiversity, releasing substantial greenhouse gases, displacing thousands of people, and altering people’s livelihoods plus affecting the food systems, water quality, and agriculture near them. This paper studies the proliferation of large dams in developing countries and the importance of incorporating climate change into considerations of whether to build a dam along with some of the governance and compensation challenges. We also examine the overestimation of benefits and underestimation of costs along with changes that are needed to address the legitimate social and environmental concerns of people living in areas where dams are planned. Finally, we propose innovative solutions that can move hydropower toward sustainable practices together with solar, wind, and other renewable sources.
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Fitria Ningsih, Desy, Asriani Junaid, and Mursalim Mursalim. "Environmental audit analysis to support Sustainability Development." Point of View Research Accounting and Auditing 1, no. 3 (July 31, 2020): 101–9. http://dx.doi.org/10.47090/povraa.v1i3.48.
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The focus of this study is to determine how the implementation of environmental audits based on triple bottom line theory and to determine the application of environmental audits to support sustainability development at the Bahteramas Regional Hospital. This research uses primary and secondary data. Primary data in the form of direct interviews with the company designated as an informant, while secondary data in the form of data obtained from company internal data. The method used is a qualitative method based on the interpretive paradigm. The results of the study found that the Bahteramas Hospital had the maximum in expressing costs to the environment in detail in the financial statement notes, but the costs incurred were still included in the maintenance burden category. The accounting practices that have been applied by Bahteramas Hospital have been maximized in implementing environmental audits. Activities that have been carried out by the company in terms of the environment, economy, and social aspects can already be said to support sustainable development.
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Gambiza. "Permaculture: Challenges and benefits in improving rural livelihoods in South Africa and Zimbabwe." Sustainability 11, no. 8 (April 12, 2019): 2219. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/su11082219.
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Feeding a growing global population using conventional agricultural practices is leading toadverse environmental impacts. There is a call for alternative forms of agriculture that address social,economic, and environmental aspects of sustainability. Permaculture is a holistic design frameworkthat incorporates sustainable agricultural practices, potentially improving livelihoods. This studylooked at the challenges and benefits of permaculture in improving rural livelihoods in Zimbabweand South Africa. We used semi-structured interviews to collect data. Permaculture contributed over40% to total income for participants in both countries. However, permaculture was not the dominantsource of income and periodically straddled multiple livelihood strategies. The main benefits ofpermaculture were identified as improved human health, increased resilience to environmentalchanges, and reduction of input costs. The key challenges included high labour input, infestationof pests and diseases, and lack of knowledge on permaculture practices. Although permaculturepresents significant challenges, its integration with other forms of sustainable agricultural practicescan contribute to improved rural livelihoods.
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Darras, Anastasios I. "Implementation of Sustainable Practices to Ornamental Plant Cultivation Worldwide: A Critical Review." Agronomy 10, no. 10 (October 15, 2020): 1570. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/agronomy10101570.
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Ornamental production worldwide has changed dramatically in the past 20 years. A globalized scene has shifted production to new countries from Africa, Asia, and South America. Sustainability is the major challenge for ornamental production, and the life cycle assessment (LCA) provides insights on environmental contributions from production to handling and transportation and highlights the problematic issues that need improvement. For example, greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and the production costs of roses in different parts of the world may vary dramatically between different production processes (e.g., heated or non-heated greenhouses, with or without air transportation, etc.). On the other hand, the production of landscape plants has the lowest environmental impact of all floricultural products. Their long production period offers carbon sequestrations that reduce the total GHG emissions. Sustainability is achieved via critical adjustments on cultivation by minimizing fuel and electricity use, adopting integrated nutrient management (INM) and integrated pest and disease management (IPDM), and using recyclable materials and peat-alternative growing compounds. In this review, two possible scenarios were proposed for ornamental production. Scenario I suggests conventional, protected cultivation under controlled environments (i.e., greenhouses), which can be sustainable after implementing appropriate adjustments to reduce environmental outputs. Scenario II suggests the cultivation of native and specialty ornamental crops, which may serve as eco-friendly alternatives. Combinations between the two scenarios are also possible in view to implement sustainable practices and meet future consumer needs.
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Kölbel, Julian F., Florian Heeb, Falko Paetzold, and Timo Busch. "Can Sustainable Investing Save the World? Reviewing the Mechanisms of Investor Impact." Organization & Environment 33, no. 4 (June 25, 2020): 554–74. http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/1086026620919202.
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This article asks how sustainable investing contributes to societal goals, conducting a literature review on investor impact—that is, the change investors trigger in companies’ environmental and social impact. We distinguish three impact mechanisms: shareholder engagement, capital allocation, and indirect impacts, concluding that the impact of shareholder engagement is well supported in the literature, the impact of capital allocation only partially, and indirect impacts lack empirical support. Our results suggest that investors who seek impact should pursue shareholder engagement throughout their portfolio, allocate capital to sustainable companies whose growth is limited by external financing conditions, and screen out companies based on the absence of specific environmental, social, and governance practices that can be adopted at reasonable costs. For rating agencies, we outline steps to develop investor impact metrics. For policy makers, we highlight that sustainable investing helps diffuse good business practices, but is unlikely to drive a deeper transformation without additional policy measures.
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Suvorov, Nicolae, and Alina Mădălina Stancu. "Climate-Smart Approach for Sustainable Agriculture." International Journal of Sustainable Economies Management 10, no. 2 (April 2021): 46–57. http://dx.doi.org/10.4018/ijsem.2021040104.
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The 21st century comes with a great challenge in terms of sustainable agriculture and food security, which is also a worldwide debated issue due to problems such as population growth, degradation of natural resources including loss of biodiversity and considerable soil degradation, and last but not least, climate change. In fact, climate change poses the greatest threat to agricultural systems and the health of ecosystems and natural balance. The green revolution comes as a lifesaver for the environment, streamlining the allocation of natural resources but at the same time involves huge costs in term of money, time, and labor. Due to the intensive use of fossil fuels, chemical treatments in agriculture, and animal husbandry, environmental problems such as climate change tend to become more pronounced resulting in negative environmental externalities globally. A smart approach to sustainable agriculture is to reinvent and innovate traditional agricultural practices in order to identify ways and possibilities to reduce the risks related to the use of pesticides in close connection with the health of ecosystems.
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Burrell, Darrell Norman, Aikyna Finch, Eugene J. M. Lewis, Maurice Dawson, and Karen D. Bovell. "How Sustainable Marketing Strategies Apply Digital Economy Innovations in Cyber Marketing and Digital Communications for Colleges." International Journal of Innovation in the Digital Economy 12, no. 2 (April 2021): 32–47. http://dx.doi.org/10.4018/ijide.2021040103.
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Cyber marketing, digital communications, and social media practices for branding and marketing purposes have allowed colleges and universities to engage in sustainable/green marketing. For colleges, this means reducing advertising, marketing, and promotions costs in conjunction with lessening previous environmental impacts of printing, paper waste, mailing brochures, and college recruiter travel and transportation. Digital economy innovations in cyber marketing create channels for advertising and promotion without the carbon footprint issues of previous recruiting approaches. This paper uses a content analysis of the literature to explore how sustainable marketing approaches apply digital economy innovations in cyber marketing and digital communications for student global student marketing and recruiting. The goal is to gain actionable and applied knowledge about how sustainable marketing strategies apply digital economy innovations in cyber marketing and digital communication can influence the world of practice.
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Kapembwa, Matildah, and Kabwe Harnadih Mubanga. "Sustainable Household Practices for Environmental Sustainability in Informal Settlements: Insights From Kanyama Ward 10, Lusaka, Zambia." Journal of Environment and Ecology 12, no. 1 (January 27, 2021): 1. http://dx.doi.org/10.5296/jee.v12i1.18257.
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This study on sustainable household practices for transforming environmental concerns into environmental solutions in informal settlements was conducted in Kanyama Ward 10, Zones 98 and 100, Lusaka District. The study identified household practices among residents that could contribute to enhancing household environmental sustainability and assessed the costs and resident’s willingness to pay for household greening. Data were collected using structured interviews administered to 145 residents and interview guides for 11 key informants. Quantitative data were analysed using chi-square, two-sample t-test and the Pearson Product Moment correlation, while qualitative data was analysed using thematic analysis. The results showed that the major environmental concerns in Zones 98 and 100 of Kanyama Ward 10, prioritised from the resident’s point of view included waste management with 79 % in Zone 100 and 82 % in Zone 98, flooding 67 % in Zone 100 and 80 % in Zone 98 and poor drainage system 51% in Zone 100 and 59 % in Zone 98. Some of the household practices by residents capable of enhancing environmental sustainability were identified as maintaining sanitary home environment at 42 % in Zone 98 and 61% in Zone 100, disposing waste in bins 11 % in Zone 98 and 15 % in Zone 100 and planting trees/vegetables 7 % in Zone 98 and 24 % in Zone 100. Results show that more sustainable household practices in Zone 100 resulted in reduced environmental concerns. There was a significant positive correlation between household practice cost incurred for greening and average monthly income earned by respondents (r = 0.500; p <0.05). This meant that households with higher monthly household incomes spent more on household greening. Furthermore, household income levels had an insignificant effect on the resident’s willingness to pay for household greening (𝑋2=0.781, p = 0.321).In conclusion, resident’s engagement in sustainable household practices and willingness to pay for greening in informal settlements was significantly influenced by their levels of household income as there was a relationship between the level of income and cost of environmental sustainability. Residents’ attitudes towards household greening and levels of income could prove to be either a hindrance or motivating factor in achieving environmental sustainability. As such, the study recommended sensitization, providing entrepreneurship skills and behavioural change campaigns in the area in order to instil the importance of household greening and improve their levels of income.
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Brumfield, Robin G., Laura B. Kenny, Alyssa J. DeVincentis, Andrew K. Koeser, Sven Verlinden, A. J. Both, Guihong Bi, Sarah T. Lovell, and J. Ryan Stewart. "Analysis of Economic and Social Costs of Growing Petunia ×hybrida in a Greenhouse Production System Using Alternative Containers." HortScience 53, no. 8 (August 2018): 1179–85. http://dx.doi.org/10.21273/hortsci13044-18.
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Greenhouse growers find themselves under increasing pressure to respond to consumer preferences to use environmentally sustainable practices and materials while maintaining profitable operations. These consumer preferences reflect a mounting awareness of the environmental issues, such as climate change and their associated social costs. Ideally, sustainable horticultural production accounts for both traditional economic considerations and such social costs, some of which can be explained through the calculation of global warming potential (GWP). An obvious candidate for a sustainable intervention is the traditional plastic pot, which growers can replace with alternative biocontainers with varying degrees of GWP. This study calculates the variability of direct costs of production using alternative containers to offer a comparison of social and economic costs. We evaluated these direct costs of producing petunia (Petunia ×hybrida) grown in pots made of traditional plastic, bioplastic, coir, manure, peat, bioplastic sleeve, slotted rice hull, solid rice hull, straw, wood fiber, and recycled reground plastic containers used in a previous assessment of GWP. Our analysis of the costs when using a traditional plastic pot showed that the highest contributors to GWP were different from the highest contributors to direct costs, revealing that the price does not reflect the environmental impact of several inputs. Electricity, the plastic shuttle tray, and the plastic pot contributed most to GWP, whereas labor, the plastic container, and paclobutrozol growth regulator contributed most to direct cost of production (COP). At 64% of total cost, labor was the most expensive input. Watering by hand added another $0.37–$0.54 per plant in labor. When we analyzed input costs of each alternative container separately, container type had the largest impact on total direct costs. Before adding container costs, the direct COP ranged from $0.56 to $0.61 per plant. After adding containers, costs ranged from $0.61 to $0.97 per plant. Wood fiber pots were the most expensive and recycled reground plastic pots were the least expensive in this study. Based on our assessment and the observed small variation in GWP between alternative containers, growers would benefit from selecting a container based on price and consumer demand. Some social costs that we are not aware of yet may be associated with some or all biocontainers.
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SHTIZA, Aurela. "Extractive industry a burden or an opportunity for sustainable development?" European Journal of Sustainable Development 2, no. 4 (April 1, 2013): 199. http://dx.doi.org/10.14207/ejsd.2013.v2n4p199.
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The shortage of raw materials in global markets and the sky rocketing of commodityprices, have induced European authorities to take initiatives to improve innovation inEurope by creating the European Innovation Partnership on Raw Materials (2012) and make inventory of the existing European raw materials. Albania is a rich country in natural raw materials, such as chromium, copper, ferronickel, coal, bitumen as well ascrude oil which might supply primary and secondary raw materials for some of the European needs. This literature review discusses the role of the Albanian institutions, the natural resources industry, potential investors and stakeholders in order to provide a setof indicators and platforms that can help to develop the extractive industry in Albania and monitor amelioration within sustainable development principles. A map with the potential prospects of the natural resources will be a first step in identifying the further potential for exploitation. Mineral resource policies and governance, sustainable processing and supply chain as well as environmental management information system (EMIS) are some of the crucial tools identified, which will help to set up the indicators and quantify the achievements in environmental management in Albania. Moreover, the integration of practices that will support institutional capacity building; follow-up practices; the mainstreaming of global environment into planning; and the compliance monitoring process will additionally improve the environmental situation in Albania. Aligning business strategy with environmental policy, socio-economic analysis, environmental auditing are decisive tools in order to provide the Albanian authorities with a clear overview of the economic costs and the social benefits for sustainable development of the extractive sector in Albania.
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Lee, John E., and Kenneth Baum. "Implications of low-input farming systems for the U.S. position in world agriculture." American Journal of Alternative Agriculture 4, no. 3-4 (December 1989): 144–52. http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s0889189300002988.
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AbstractThe adoption of sustainable farming system practices by U.S. producers could affect the international competitive position of many agricultural commodities, including livestock. The adoption of such practices over the next several decades will depend on commodity policy legislation, environmental regulation, commodity price and acreage diversion incentives, and the success of ongoing GATT negotiations and trade liberalization. However, the extent and magnitude of these effects are dependent on the internalization and recognition of social costs of agricultural production by farmers and explicit tradeoffs between environmental degradation and agricultural profitability. Environmental externalities include soil loss, surface and ground water contamination by agricultural residuals, loss of wildlife habitat, and diminished aesthetic amenities. In effect, both public and private concerns about the marginal social environmental costs associated with production, when present, will influence the shape and location of commodity supply curves and the U.S. export capability. In turn, these supply curves, which define the production capacity of the U.S. to meet domestic and export demand, will determine our comparative competitive positions for different commodities in world markets.
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Tepes, Alina, Ibon Galarraga, Anil Markandya, and María José Sanz Sánchez. "Costs and benefits of soil protection and sustainable land management practices in selected European countries: Towards multidisciplinary insights." Science of The Total Environment 756 (February 2021): 143925. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.143925.
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Xuan, Bui Bich, and Erlend Dancke Sandorf. "Potential for Sustainable Aquaculture: Insights from Discrete Choice Experiments." Environmental and Resource Economics 77, no. 2 (August 4, 2020): 401–21. http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10640-020-00500-6.
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Abstract The growth in global aquaculture production may address the lack of sustainability in wild fisheries, alleviate poverty in rural and coastal areas, and help meet the worldwide increase in demand for animal protein. However, there is an ongoing debate about the severity of the environmental impact of aquaculture production. Investing in new high-tech production systems can address both productivity growth and the environmental externalities, but high investment costs hinder adoption of high-tech production methods. We investigate the potential of a payment for environmental services program easing access to capital for producers to increase willingness-to-invest in more sustainable aquaculture practices in Vietnam. We conducted two discrete choice experiments to explore the supply and demand side of the policy. First, we elicited the public’s willingness-to-pay to reduce the environmental impact of conventional shrimp aquaculture, and second, we elicited farmers willingness-to-accept a credit subsidy to invest in high-tech production methods. Our results show that the public care about reduced environmental impacts, while farmers strongly prefer increased productivity. Furthermore, the public’s willingness-to-pay for reduced environmental impacts exceeds producer’s willingness-to-accept a subsidy to invest under most scenarios. This implies a potential for more sustainable aquaculture production in Vietnam.
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Opoku, De-Graft Joe, Joshua Ayarkwa, and Kofi Agyekum. "Barriers to environmental sustainability of construction projects." Smart and Sustainable Built Environment 8, no. 4 (September 2, 2019): 292–306. http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/sasbe-08-2018-0040.
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Purpose The construction industry plays an important role in the achievement of the 11th and 15th of the Sustainable Development Goals. Efforts have been made by most developing and developed economies toward the achievement of these goals. Despite the efforts being made by the construction industry toward the achievement of these goals, there are still barriers that prevent built environment consultants from advancing environmental sustainability (ES) of construction projects. The purpose of this paper is to identify barriers to ES of construction projects. Design/methodology/approach An extensive literature review on barriers to the adoption of ES was conducted and face-to-face semi-structured interviews of purposively selected built environment consultants in Ghana were carried out. Thematic template analysis of qualitative data was conducted. Findings The key findings from the study include perceived initial costs, lack of knowledge on ES, technological difficulties, external pressures in adopting ES practices and environmental conditions in developing countries. Originality/value The outputs of this study offer strategies which are very significant to the construction industry in embracing ES. Further, the findings contribute to knowledge on achieving the sustainable development agenda.
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Varaksa, Natalia, Maria Alimova, and Sergey Alimov. "Eco-oriented management accounting system as a tool for sustainable functioning of an economic entity." E3S Web of Conferences 291 (2021): 07013. http://dx.doi.org/10.1051/e3sconf/202129107013.
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Modern challenges of a global nature, as well as dependence on environmental impacts, dictate the need to determine environmental costs for economic entities, as well as account, analyze and control them. In this regard, the system of environmental management accounting is one of the tools that ensure the sustainable functioning of the enterprise. The article examines the categorical apparatus of an eco-oriented management accounting system in order to study the presented topic. The paper propose a system of information support for environmental management accounting for the purpose of improving environmental safety and leveling existing environmental risks. The main objects of environmental management accounting are identified and the reflection of payments in the environmental sphere on a separate account with the necessary level of detail for the effective functioning of the system is justified. The paper also formulates problems for further research of the environmental management accounting system using advanced achievements and practices in the world scientific arena.
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Ayers, Robert L. "Towards sustainable development: catalysts for change in industrial water management." Water Science and Technology 43, no. 4 (February 1, 2001): 121–27. http://dx.doi.org/10.2166/wst.2001.0197.
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“Business as usual is not an option.” Water management practices are changing too slowly and the global 'fresh water gap' continues to grow. Actions as must be taken by government and civic leaders. Industry also has a responsibility to act, but its inability to adequately meet the challenge to date points to the need for additional stimuli. The current water crisis can be mitigated by changes in behaviour and perceptions. This presentation will argue that specific catalysts are required to encourage and support a dramatic shift of behaviours and perceptions by industry leaders. The catalysts include: establish clear and objective rules; introduce water pricing; recognize 'life cycle' costs; prioritize needs; reward small-scale solutions; nurture innovations; spread global best practices. With the help of the catalysts described herein, industry can take its place as a leader in effective water management in the 21st Century. In partnership with governments, international organizations and civic organizations, industry leaders can help meet the challenge of the water crisis while creating sustainable economic growth.
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Okazaki, Yuichi. "Microfactories -A New Methodology for Sustainable Manufacturing-." International Journal of Automation Technology 4, no. 2 (March 5, 2010): 82–87. http://dx.doi.org/10.20965/ijat.2010.p0082.
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The microfactory concept advocates miniaturizing production equipment and systems to match product dimensions. This offers advantages environmentally by minimizing the physical factory footprint, economically by cutting investment and running costs, technically by refining machinery specifications, and personnel-wise by minimizing the need for specialized skills. Introducing a paradigm shift in manufacturing, the microfactory arose in the early 1990s, and has enjoyed significant advances through different sectors and diversified approaches targeting practical manufacturing applications. This paper discusses the microfactory concept and significance, its history, the range of potential applications, and some of the advances that have been made since the concept’s inception. It also suggests practices and applications in sustainable manufacturing for the future.
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Schmidt, Emily, and Fanaye Tadesse. "Sustainable agriculture in the Blue Nile Basin: land and watershed management practices in Ethiopia." Environment and Development Economics 19, no. 5 (December 16, 2013): 648–67. http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s1355770x13000570.
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AbstractThe trade-off between short-term welfare and long-term agricultural development in the highlands of Ethiopia represents a challenge to successful economic development in a predominantly agriculture-based economy. We employ nearest neighbor and kernel-based matching techniques to measure the impact of sustainable land and watershed management (SLWM) on the value of production at the plot level. Analysis suggests that plots that received SLWM investments (terraces, bunds, check dams) within the first study period (1992–2002) had a 24 per cent higher value of production in 2010. In addition, continuous treatment effects analysis provides a robustness check and suggests that plots with existing SLWM infrastructure have a positive and increasing value of production seven years after construction. Although value of production increases over time, net benefits may not outweigh costs, and mechanisms to incentivize maintenance may be needed.
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Fiksel, Joseph. "Emergence of a sustainable business community." Pure and Applied Chemistry 73, no. 8 (August 1, 2001): 1265–68. http://dx.doi.org/10.1351/pac200173081265.
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Global population and environmental pressures are challenging multinational companies to develop new business strategies founded upon the principles of sustainabilityassuring that they can meet the needs of both present and future generations of customers and stakeholders. Corporate sustainability requires understanding the "triple bottom line", which includes economic, societal, and ecological performance. It involves designing products and processes with a full awareness of their life-cycle costs and benefits, and seeking new technologies to create more value with fewer resources. To put sustainability into practice, companies are beginning to transform their core business processes and develop environmentally and socially responsible products and services. Many are adopting the concepts of industrial ecology and green chemistry in an effort to transform their operations from a linear to a closed-loop business model. This changing climate is creating new opportunities for breakthrough research and development, ranging from nanotechnology to green chemistry.
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Zapata, Oscar. "Industrial Wastewater Treatment and Reuse in a Developing Country Context: Evidence at the Firm Level from Ecuador." Water Economics and Policy 04, no. 02 (April 2018): 1750005. http://dx.doi.org/10.1142/s2382624x17500059.
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Wastewater reuse constitutes an alternative supply source of water. It not only increases the amount of water available but also reduces water pollution. The benefits and costs of this practice, and the public perception of reuse are the focus of several studies. However, the evidence on industrial wastewater reuse at the firm level remains scant. This paper is aimed at filling this gap by presenting evidence on the determinants of both wastewater treatment and reuse practices in a developing country context. I use firm level data from the Survey on Firms’ Environmental Practices of Ecuador. My results show that wastewater management in general, and reuse in particular, are still limited practices in the industrial sector of the country. My results suggest that firm’s decisions to treat and reuse depends on long-term firm’s characteristics, such as annual investment, the nature of the production process and local conditions, as well as the scale of production and water consumption. Volumes of wastewater treated and reused depend positively on the amount of water used in the production process and the firm’s annual level of investment or expenditure. The cost of the practice only affects the volume treated. The results suggest that targeting water-intensive industry sectors and the costs of wastewater treatment can play an important role for a more sustainable use of water in the industrial sector of Ecuador.
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Midgett, Chelsea, Cynthia S. Deale, Alleah Crawford, Melvin Weber, and Joshua Bendickson. "A cross-case analysis of barriers to sustainability in small tourism accommodation enterprises in Dare County, North Carolina." Tourism and Hospitality Research 20, no. 2 (February 21, 2019): 144–56. http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/1467358419831425.
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Sustainability, focusing on economic, environmental, and social dimensions, is important to many organizations, especially hospitality and tourism organizations. Yet, for several reasons these organizations may not incorporate sustainable practices. This study expands sustainability knowledge, advertising, education, and barriers. To address these topics, 20 small tourism accommodation enterprise owner/operators were interviewed. A cross-case analysis, using quantitative and qualitative data, comprised the unique methodology of the study. Findings indicated that the majority of small tourism accommodation enterprises had low levels/degrees of understanding about sustainable practices. It is also reasonable to conclude that there was a lack of incorporating sustainability in small tourism accommodation enterprises due to four barriers which included owner/operator’s knowledge, costs, a lack of awareness regarding outside forces, and availability due to location. Implications for the hospitality and tourism industry are discussed.
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Pereira, Vitor, Graça Miranda Silva, and Álvaro Dias. "Sustainability Practices in Hospitality: Case Study of a Luxury Hotel in Arrábida Natural Park." Sustainability 13, no. 6 (March 13, 2021): 3164. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/su13063164.
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The agenda of researchers and practitioners in the tourism industry has focused on the demand for sustainable practices. Luxury hotels have also followed this trend, although studies are still limited. The aim of this study is to understand what environmental and social sustainability practices luxury hotels are adopting and how their management perceive the benefits and results from their adoption. This empirical research is based on a case study that triangulates data from semi-structured interviews, document analysis, and observation. The results show that luxury hotels have implemented environmental practices that address energy efficiency measures that reduce water consumption, waste, and carbon emissions and that control, protect, and maintain fauna and flora to promote of unique natural landscapes. They have focused on social practices that address the relations with charitable institutions, provide consumers high-quality services, and create a safe and healthy work environment. Luxury hotels have successfully implemented these practices to reduce operational costs. The study’s findings provide practical guidance for hotel managers who seek to implement sustainability practices.
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Shen, Li-yin, Hongping Yuan, and Xiangfei Kong. "PARADOXICAL PHENOMENON IN URBAN RENEWAL PRACTICES: PROMOTION OF SUSTAINABLE CONSTRUCTION VERSUS BUILDINGS’ SHORT LIFESPAN." International Journal of Strategic Property Management 17, no. 4 (December 9, 2013): 377–89. http://dx.doi.org/10.3846/1648715x.2013.849301.
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The current urban renewal programs in some developing countries, such as China, are at the expense of demolishing a huge number of existing buildings without distinction. As a consequence, the buildings’ short lifespan due to premature demolition and resultant adverse impacts on environment and society have been criticized for not being in line with sustainable development principles. This study therefore examines impacts of urban renewal practices on buildings’ lifespan by referring to a typical urban renewal region in western China – the Gailanxi region of Chongqing city which is considered representative. Findings show in current practices, little consideration is given to the implications of building demolitions across economic, social and environmental horizons collectively. As a result, premature demolition due to requirements of urban renewal has been a major factor leading to the significantly short lifespan of buildings. This is against the core intention of implementing urban renewal, which is promoting sustainability of the cities. Particularly, buildings’ short lifespan results in consequences against sustainable construction principles, such as energy and resources waste, construction waste generation, environmental pollution, and higher lifecycle costs of buildings. Furthermore, building demolitions without distinction lead to losses of valuable historic buildings. Therefore, the urban renewal process presents a paradoxical phenomenon: the promotion of sustainable construction versus buildings’ short lifespan. The dominance of economic consideration in the decision-making on buildings is considered as the underlying reason to the paradox. The learned experience presented in this study should be built into the decision-making process for carrying out future urban renewal programs.
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Cejuela, Eduardo, Vicente Negro, Jose María del Campo, Mario Martín-Antón, M. Dolores Esteban, and Jose Santos López-Gutiérrez. "Recent History, Types, and Future of Modern Caisson Technology: The Way to More Sustainable Practices." Sustainability 10, no. 11 (October 23, 2018): 3839. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/su10113839.
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The construction of caisson breakwaters dates from ancient times (Brindisi battle and Caesarea Maritima, Roman Empire) of yore but has evolved with regards to technology and the materials available at all times (wood, gravel, and rubble mound). The growth in draught in vessels searching for deep water depths for berthing plus environmental problems have led to the 20th century facilitating the boom in vertical types and concrete caissons built in different ways (dry and floating techniques). Furthermore, structural criteria gave way to functional, environmental, and aesthetic criteria. The search for new, more efficient forms led to the construction of increasingly more complex elements including many that still require an economically viable construction system. To where will this search for new materials and forms take us? The use of composite materials could be considered, at the moment, as too expensive, but analyzing the cost with a wider approach, as Life Cycle Assessment, shows us that caissons in composite materials are cost effective and could be a solution. Furthermore, the possibility of using recyclable composites opens up big opportunities of using these materials at affordable costs. Caissons in composites or recycled composites are then a real alternative to concrete caissons. In Spain, two examples can be observed: a berthing area in Canary Island (Puerto del Rosario, South Atlantic Ocean) and a crown wall in Cartagena using polyester fiber bars (Mediterranean Sea). European policy in matters of sustainability promotes the circular economy, which means not only consider construction of caissons in recycled composites should be considered but also the comparison of all materials and construction procedures. Lastly, the calculation of the Environmental Product Declaration (EPD) should be promoted.
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Dansereau, Jean-Pierre, and Peter deMarsh. "A portrait of Canadian woodlot owners in 2003." Forestry Chronicle 79, no. 4 (August 1, 2003): 774–78. http://dx.doi.org/10.5558/tfc79774-4.
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Woodlots have been a prominent part of the Canadian rural landscape since the European settlement of Canada. In addition to their social and economic importance, woodlots contribute significantly to the environment. Their importance varies widely among provinces but nearly 10% of Canadian non-reserved productive forests are woodlots. Woodlots belong to over 450 000 families whose reasons for owning them are diverse. The annual average revenue from a woodlot is low but, as a whole, they play a valuable economic role in the forest industry's wood supply. Total woodlot owner annual revenues are estimated at $1.5 billion (Canadian). Managing a private woodlot in a sustainable way is a challenge with economic and environmental dimensions, which is easier met with support from society. Three types of tools have been developed to support the stewardship commitment of woodlot owners: woodlot owner organisations, laws and regulations (including tax legislation) and incentive and support programs. It is difficult to foresee what the future holds for woodlot owners but important issues are identified: expansion of regulations, limits to market access and prices that do not reflect the costs of sustainable practices, growing fragmentation of woodlots and an increase in single-use ownership, decline of the contribution of woodlots to the economy and a less active contribution to environmental services. Potential outcomes are explored. With a complete, widely available set of financial and educational tools, owners will increase the production of a range of goods and services. Provincial government policies that offset market distortions, that provide financial support for silviculture and the costs of environmental services and natural disasters, and income and property tax policies that encourage sustainable practices will be essential tools in supporting the efforts of woodlot owners to realize the full potential of the forest resource they collectively own. Key words: Canada, private woodlots, stewardship, sustainable forest management, woodlot owner organizations, government programs and services.
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Brown, R. R., and M. A. Farrelly. "Challenges ahead: social and institutional factors influencing sustainable urban stormwater management in Australia." Water Science and Technology 59, no. 4 (February 1, 2009): 653–60. http://dx.doi.org/10.2166/wst.2009.022.
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In a time of climate uncertainty and drought in Australia, improved urban stormwater quality management practices are required not only for protecting waterway health, but also as a fit-for-purpose supply source. To conceive of urban stormwater as an environmental threat as well as a water supply source requires a substantial shift in our traditional linear supply and wastewater structures towards more hybrid and complex infrastructure systems. To understand what drives and limits treatment technology adoption for stormwater management, over 800 urban water professionals in three Australian capital cities completed an online questionnaire survey in November 2006. Using the conceptual framework of receptivity assessment, the results revealed the professional community to be highly associated with the importance of improving stormwater quality for receiving waterway health, yet they do not consider that politicians share this perspective by placing a substantially lower level of importance on stormwater quality management. Significant acquisition barriers within each city, including institutional arrangements, costs, responsibilities, and regulations and approvals processes were all identified as constraining more sustainable practices. Capacity building programs, fostering greater socio-political capital and developing key demonstration projects with training events are recommended as useful policy interventions for addressing current institutional impediments.
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Kang, Qi. "Library directors’ concerns and attitudes towards going green and sustainability in China: An unexplored area." Journal of Librarianship and Information Science 52, no. 2 (December 27, 2018): 382–98. http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/0961000618818874.
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Environmental issues are one of today’s growing concerns. Numerous associations, organizations and individuals are waging an active world preservation campaign. The purpose of this pilot study is to examine an important aspect of library directors’ attitudes towards environmental protection and the level of their concerns and green practices regarding sustainable development that has generally been overlooked in the literature. Multiple means of data collection (interviews, observation and document analysis) involving 14 libraries in China were conducted between March and May 2015; seven main thematic areas emerged from the data, such as: levels of awareness and commitment to sustainability issues in Chinese libraries are relatively low, and the current efficiency of facilities and operations have been seriously wasted. These findings indicate that the main priority of the library has been to attain economic and social development rather than environmental sustainability, while ignoring the energy costs and serious waste to some extent in the rapid development process of the Chinese library. The author notes just from observation of daily practices that there is definitely room for improvement to minimize the negative impact of their activities on the environment. This paper discusses for the first time the library directors’ concerns and attitudes towards “going green” and sustainability. The ideas are expected to inform and improve library directors’ environmental consciousness and sustainable practices, as well as open new vistas for research into the economic, social and environmental sustainability of library information services. How to achieve the social, economic and environmental requirements of present and future generations from libraries, especially library environmental sustainability is discussed intensively.
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Demartini, Melissa, Claudia Pinna, Bahar Aliakbarian, Flavio Tonelli, and Sergio Terzi. "Soft Drink Supply Chain Sustainability: A Case Based Approach to Identify and Explain Best Practices and Key Performance Indicators." Sustainability 10, no. 10 (October 1, 2018): 3540. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/su10103540.
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Environmental regulations and sustainable developments are forcing industries to assess, optimize and improve their processes to minimize costs and increase the efficiency of industrial sustainability dimension. This effect is more evident in the food industries due to the high impact that this sector has on environmental and economical sustainability, considering the primary role of packaging systems, the huge water consumption both for the production and the cleaning processes or the energy utilization related to the treatment plant or to the raw material production. Thus, the aim of this study was to review the current state of soft drink supply chains with respect to industrial sustainability issues. For this reason, a comprehensive literature review was performed to understand what sustainable best practices and key performance indicators are largely applied to soft drink supply chains and then a comparison with two soft drink case studies was proposed to identify if there is a positive correlation between the literature and practical activities. The proposed case studies were thoroughly analyzed highlighting how the production process impacts on sustainability and pointing out potential best practices and key performance indicators. The key conclusion of this study is, on the one hand, to depict the current set of sustainable best practices and key performance indicators which companies performed according to the literature review and, therefore, revise the actual body of the literature, and, on the other hand, to figure out which of these best (or proper) practices and key performance indicators are also implemented in the real world, helping companies to make decisions.
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Wang, Na, Pytrik Reidsma, Ziquan Wang, Xiaohan Zhou, Corné Kempenaar, Dianqiu Lv, and Martin K. van Ittersum. "Enhancing Sustainable Potato Production—A Case Study in Northern China." Agronomy 11, no. 7 (June 29, 2021): 1322. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/agronomy11071322.
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Potato is the fourth most important staple crop in China. To meet the increased demand and environmental objectives, potato production should be enhanced by sustainable practices that aim to maximize yield and resource use efficiencies and minimize environmental impacts. Most experiments so far have taken place on experimental stations, while on-farm experimentation is needed to evaluate, demonstrate and scale more sustainable practices. On-farm field experiments were conducted in two years (2017, 2018) in northern China to investigate and demonstrate the effects of different nitrogen (N) fertiliser and irrigation input levels on potato yield, quality, resource use efficiency and environmental impacts. The 2017 experimental results on one farmer’s field showed that under irrigated conditions, adding N fertiliser (from 0 to 267 kg ha−1) did not increase yield due to the high soil N supply, rather it reduced tuber quality. The 2018 experimental results, in which four additional farmers were involved, indicated that, under irrigated conditions, reducing N fertiliser from the current rates (189–252 kg ha−1) to lower levels (109–181 kg ha−1) did not affect yield nor quality; while further reducing N fertiliser inputs (to 9–117 kg ha−1) resulted in a yield reduction (18% on average) in some fields. In both years, irrigation improved tuber yield and quality compared to that under rainfed conditions. The nitrogen use efficiency was improved and N surplus was reduced by applying irrigation and reducing N fertiliser input. Farmers expressed they were willing to reduce N fertiliser input by 10–20%, and indicated that a widespread adaptation of drip irrigation is hindered by the high costs and labor requirements. Site-specific recommendations on optimum N fertiliser and irrigation management must be provided, which should preferably be based on regular quantitative monitoring of soil N supply and soil moisture content.
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Boroff, Craig, Jason Eickmeier, Kali Eklund, Cynthia Garcia, Scott Miller, Benjamin Newton, Brian Pecka, Toby Samuelson, Joanell Staab, and Olivia Whittaker. "COMMUNITY, CAMPUS, AND CLIMATE AT CENTRAL COMMUNITY COLLEGE—3C INITIATIVE." Journal of Green Building 13, no. 1 (January 2018): 139–56. http://dx.doi.org/10.3992/1943-4618.13.1.139.
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INTRODUCTION Central Community College (CCC) has multiple campuses and centers in rural agricultural communities throughout Central Nebraska and College President, Dr. Greg Smith, was an early adopter to the vision of economic and environmental sustainability. Central Community College has been a Cum Laude Leader since 2011 and signatory of the Climate Commitment as part of the Climate Leadership Network (previously the ACUPCC). CCC made a commitment to educate, implement and model the practices needed for a sustainable future. For our communities and ultimately globally, we believe environmental sustainability is important and necessary for healthy communities, people and economic sustainability. Each CCC campus and center also has available land to commit to renewable energy, typically not available in most major metropolitan campuses. The State of Nebraska is a late adopter to renewable energy, but with the potential for reduced operating costs, is now embracing sustainable development with CCC and providing leadership with our 3C initiative and Environmental Sustainability Action Plan.
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Yin, Yulong, Rongfang Zhao, Yi Yang, Qingfeng Meng, Hao Ying, Kenneth G. Cassman, Wenfeng Cong, et al. "A steady-state N balance approach for sustainable smallholder farming." Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 118, no. 39 (September 23, 2021): e2106576118. http://dx.doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2106576118.
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Hundreds of millions of smallholders in emerging countries substantially overuse nitrogen (N) fertilizers, driving local environmental pollution and global climate change. Despite local demonstration-scale successes, widespread mobilization of smallholders to adopt precise N management practices remains a challenge, largely due to associated high costs and complicated sampling and calculations. Here, we propose a long-term steady-state N balance (SSNB) approach without these complications that is suitable for sustainable smallholder farming. The hypothesis underpinning the concept of SSNB is that an intensively cultivated soil–crop system with excessive N inputs and high N losses can be transformed into a steady-state system with minimal losses while maintaining high yields. Based on SSNB, we estimate the optimized N application range across 3,824 crop counties for the three staple crops in China. We evaluated SSNB first in ca. 18,000 researcher-managed on-farm trials followed by testing in on-farm trials with 13,760 smallholders who applied SSNB-optimized N rates under the guidance of local extension staff. Results showed that SSNB could significantly reduce N fertilizer use by 21 to 28% while maintaining or increasing yields by 6 to 7%, compared to current smallholder practices. The SSNB approach could become an effective tool contributing to the global N sustainability of smallholder agriculture.
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Prokop, Viktor, Jan Stejskal, Petr Hajek, and Ondrej Kuba. "Creating Eco-Innovations for Sustainable Entrepreneurship and Development within European Countries." European Journal of Sustainable Development 8, no. 3 (October 1, 2019): 183. http://dx.doi.org/10.14207/ejsd.2019.v8n3p183.
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There is no doubt that innovations represented key source of competitive advantage in the last years. Therefore, firms were forced to come up with new or significantly improved goods, services as well as organizational and marketing practices. However, countries, firms and policy makers are facing great environmental challenges for sustainable development and entrepreneurship, which create large demand for Eco-innovations with environmental benefits nowadays. For these reasons, we are analyzing different factors influencing creation of firms´ Eco-innovations in the EU. To obtain an interpretable model of firms´ Eco-innovations and their determinants, we use fuzzy rule-based classification models and latest available data form Community Innovation Survey 2012-2014 created by Eurostat. Our results show that firms´ Eco-innovations are influenced by different factors according to the nature of innovation (product, process, organizational, marketing) in the EU. Public financial subsidies and firms´ environment (e.g. existing environmental regulations, taxes, charges or fees, market demand, and costs of inputs) play key role in the process of creation Eco-innovation with environmental benefits. These results show possible ways how support sustainable entrepreneurship and regional (national) development not only within analyzed countries. We provide initial analysis dealing with different kinds of Eco-innovations and its determinants that could help firms to develop and enhance their corporate innovation and environmental policies. These results could also inspire policy makers at different levels because we propose some practical implications. Keywords: eco-innovations, sustainable development, environmental benefits, entrepreneurship