Dissertations / Theses on the topic 'Sustainability pathways'

The manual procurement processes used by some private companies result in increased costs and contract fulfillment delays. The focus of this multiple case study was to explore the strategies procurement managers use to reduce costs and contract fulfillment delays. The population for this study was three procurement managers of private plastics companies located at Maitama, in Abuja, Nigeria. Weiss's theory of change was the conceptual framework for this study. Data collection included semistructured face-to-face interviews and an exploration of company archival financial documents. Data were transcribed, coded, and then validated through member checking, resulting in the emergence of 5 themes: change implementation strategies, strategies for reducing cost and contract fulfillment delays, change implementation barriers, employee-focused factors, and strategies for responding to the changing external environmental factors. The 2 most important themes identified from the study were change implementation strategies and strategies for reducing cost and contract fulfillment delays. These strategies could help organizational leaders who desire improved procurement process change to define long-term goals and then map backward to identify preconditions to achieve the preferred change. The implications for positive social change include increased sustainability for companies and the consequent potential to increase employment among youth, improve standards of living of the workforce, and reduce social vices in Abuja, Nigeria.

Community-Led Total Sanitation (CLTS) es un enfoque de saneamiento basado en la facilitación participativa para que las comunidades rurales analicen su situación sanitaria y los riesgos de la defecación al aire libre. Así, se genera un deseo por parte de la comunidad de pasar a la acción y convertirse en un lugar libre de defecación al aire libre (ODF - open defecation free). El enfoque CLTS ha demostrado ser más efectivo que enfoques pasados y se ha expandido rápidamente por todo el mundo. En la India, donde se concentran más de la mitad de los defecadores al aire libre del mundo, el CLTS se enfrenta a ciertas dificultades, principalmente debido a la incompatibilidad con la campaña de saneamiento del gobierno indio, pero existen algunas áreas dónde sí ha podido ser introducido con cierto éxito. Por otro lado, existen evidencias de comunidades ¿tanto en India como en otros lugares¿ que vuelven a defecar al aire libre después de haber sido declaradas ODF. Esto plantea preguntas importantes en relación a la sostenibilidad de los resultados del CLTS. Para arrojar luz sobre estas cuestiones, esta tesis pretende explorar cómo contribuyó la introducción del CLTS en Madhya Pradesh (MP) y Himachal Pradesh (HP) al saneamiento sostenible, teniendo en cuenta tanto el proceso político que determinó la intervención en lo local, como losmecanismos a través de los que dicha intervención contribuyó al saneamiento sostenible. Para ello, utilizo un marco analítico inspirado en el Pathways Approach, donde la sostenibilidad es entendida desde una perspectiva dinámica y nomativa (que se mantenga el estatus ODF con mayor justicia social) y donde se da relevancia a los procesos políticos entorno a la sostenibilidad, incluyendo narrativas, agentes e intereses políticos. Utilizo tres casos de estudio: Khandwa district (MP), Mandi district (HP) y Budni block (MP). La metodología es predominantemente cualitativa, basada en entrevistas a todos los niveles administrativos y en trabajo de campo intensivo, incluyendo visitas cortas a múltiples comunidades y estudios en profundidad en una comunidad en cada caso de estudio. Las evidencias varían para cada caso. En Khandwa district, el CLTS fue introducido en 2007. Pero debido a la presión por parte del estado (MP) para conseguir premios de saneamiento y los intereses creados a nivel local, se acabó utilizando un enfoque mixto, con herramientas participativas del CLTS, pero basado en la construcción de letrinas subsidiadas. El desigual progreso inicial no se mantuvo, y muchas familias volvieron a defecar al aire libre al cabo de un tiempo. Las principales causas fueron la falta de apropiación, la baja calidad de construcción y la falta de interés tras la obtención de los premios y el traslado administrativo de quienes lideraron la introducción del CLTS. En Mandi district, con una política estatal (HP) favorable y el apoyo de una ONG local, autoridades motivadas con el saneamiento iniciaron en 2006 una campaña inspirada en los principios del CLTS, pero usando teatro comunitario y visitas puerta a puerta en lugar de las herramientas del CLTS. El uso de letrinas creció radicalmente y se ha mantenido, cambiando la percepción social sobre el saneamiento. En Budni block (MP), un impulsor del CLTS se convirtió en máxima autoridad administrativa del bloque. Su experiencia y el apoyo de UNICEF contrarrestaron intereses opuestos y permitieron la puesta en marcha a finales de 2010 de una campaña coherente con el CLTS. Se realizaron facilitaciones en numerosas comunidades, que formaron comités de saneamiento para hacer sus comunidades ODF. Aunque aún en una fase inicial, se pudo observar que la campaña estaba contribuyendo al cambio de comportamiento colectivo en una parte considerable de las comunidades. Cabe extraer una serie de conclusiones a partir de estas evidencias. En primer lugar, la campaña de saneamiento de la India se implementa de forma vertical y sin tener en cuenta la demanda local, en contra de las directrices oficiales. Esto se debe a intereses de distintos actores: clientelismo político, inercia tecnocrática o rendición de cuentas mal orientada. Todo ello afecta también al CLTS, haciendo complicada su introducción a escala: los intereses opuestos pueden dar lugar a enfoques mixtos y resultados pobres. Pero cuando los agentes que impulsan el CLTS tienen el poder y el compromiso suficientes, son capaces de lograr intervenciones coherentes, con sobresalientes resultados. Lo que hace que las intervenciones sean exitosas es que las comunidades se apropien del problema del saneamiento, trabajen en comités para acabar con la defecación al aire libre y logren hacer prevalecer la perspectiva colectiva sobre el saneamiento. La facilitación mediante CLTS ¿pero también otras herramientas basadas en las emociones, como el teatro comunitario¿ pueden movilizar a un grupo de personas para formar un comité. Sin embargo, se trata solo de un primer paso dentro del largo y difícil proceso de cambiar la perspectiva social de saneamiento, por lo que dicho comité necesitará un apoyo adecuado. Además, las comunidades suelen presentar diversidad y fuertes brechas sociales, faltando pues un sentimiento de unidad. Así, la inclusión de todos los grupos en la facilitación y en los comités se convierte en un elemento crucial para alcanzar a toda la comunidad. De la misma manera, no se puede dar por descontado que las familias más necesitadas vayan a recibir ayuda de otras familias, sino que se deberá promover. Finalmente, se ha observado que por falta de apoyo técnico existen de diseños de letrina ineficientes que afectan a la sostenibilidad y pueden provocar riesgos sanitarios. En cualquier caso, cuando la perspectiva colectiva de saneamiento se asienta en una comunidad, muchos de los desafíos que aparecen reciben una respuesta adecuada.<br>Hueso González, A. (2013). Pathways to Sustainability in Community-Led Total Sanitation. Experiences from Madhya Pradesh and Himachal Pradesh [Tesis doctoral]. Editorial Universitat Politècnica de València. https://doi.org/10.4995/Thesis/10251/31520<br>Alfresco

After the nuclear fallout in Japan, Germany decided to back out from nuclear energy while at the same time changing the energy supply from fossil to renewable sources. This elaborate plan, known as Energiewende, will require significant economic and structural efforts that will have profound impacts on the environment and society itself. It is therefore crucial to identify possible technological pathways that can lead to a renewable energy supply, while reducing negative impacts on a holistic scope. In order to analyse alternative energy technology scenarios in Germany, this thesis focuses on the development of an indicator-based numerical Sustainable Energy Systems (SEnSys) model approach. Other than previous approaches, the SEnSys model considers full aggregated impacts of technological pathways leading to future configurations. With the help of an exemplary case study on two alternative energy technology scenarios (Trieb1 and Trieb2), the feasibility of the SEnSys model in evaluating sustainability is subsequently assessed. The results can affirm the findings of previous studies concerning lower economic and environ- mental impacts for scenario Trieb2, with small shares of renewable energy imports, compared to scenario Trieb1 based on only local but fluctuating renewables. Additionally, the results are in accordance with other relevant studies, while offering new valuable insights to the topic. Given a comprehensive revision of the identified uncertainties and limitations, it can be stated that the SEnSys model bares the potential for further analysing and improving sustainability of energy technology scenarios in Germany and other countries.

Addressing malnutrition (in all its forms) whilst developing a global food system compatible with environmental sustainability remains one of the most pressing challenges of the 21st century. The current framing of our food systems fails to fully capture the inequities in production, distribution, efficiency and sufficiency of all components necessary to end malnutrition. This research presents a holistic, scalable and replicable framework to model food system pathways (across all essential nutritional components, including macronutrients, micronutrients and amino acids), providing quantification of production, losses, allocation and conversions at all stages of the value chain. Furthermore, this framework attempts to translate current food metrics-often presented in tonnage or absolute terms-into daily per capita figures to provide important context for how this translates into food security and nutrition. This framework can be applied at global, regional and national levels. Here, this model is first presented at a global level and then focuses on India as a national-level example. Results highlight that, at a global level, we produce the equivalent of 5800 kilocalories and 170 grams of protein per person per day through crops alone. However, major system inefficiencies mean that less than half of crop calories and protein are delivered (or converted) for final food supply. Pathway inefficiencies are even more acute for micronutrients; more than 60% of all essential micronutrients assessed in this study are lost between production and consumer-available phases of the food supply system. Globally we find very large inequalities in per capita levels of food production, ranging from 19,000 kilocalories (729 grams of protein) per person per day in North America to 3300 kilocalories (80 grams of protein) in Africa. Large variations are also seen in terms of food system efficiency, ranging from 15-20% in North America to 80-90% in Africa. Understanding regional inefficiencies, inequalities and trade imbalances will be crucial to meet the needs of a growing global population. This case is exemplified in India-specific framework results. India's domestic production capacity would result in severe malnutrition across a large proportion (>60%) of the population (even under ambitious yield and waste reduction scenarios) in 2030/50. This shortfall will have to be addressed through optimised intervention and trade developments. This work also explores a number of solutions which couple improved nutritional outcomes with sustainability. Analyses of global and national nutritional guidelines conclude that most are incompatible with climate targets; the recommended USA or Australian diet provides minimal emissions savings relative to the business-as-usual diet in 2050. Low-cost, high-quality protein will remain a crucial element in developing an effective and sustainable food system. This research explores the potential of two sources. Results find that meat substitute products have significant health and emission benefits, but are strongly sensitive to both price and consumer acceptability. The environmental impact of aquaculture is strongly species-dependent. This study provides the first quantification of global greenhouse gas emissions from aquaculture, estimated to be 227±61 MtCO2e (approximately 3-4% of total livestock emissions). This is projected to increase to 365±99MtCO2e by 2030.

The importance of access to modern energy has been well understood by governments and donor agencies in many developing countries, and significant effort has been made in recent years to address energy access challenges. However, despite these efforts, the International Energy Agency (IEA) has predicted that the energy access problem will remain unresolved by 2030. Therefore, adequate and appropriate action is needed to resolve this problem more quickly. This dissertation analyses policies and their impacts and will help researchers and policy makers in developing countries to (i) understand the impact of policies in the formation of a renewable energy (RE) market, (ii) consider the determinants of technological choices when promoting access to energy services and, (iii) better appreciate the sustainability performance of rural energy. For the purpose of analysis, several country cases from Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa region were carried out as these are the two main regions where the energy access problem are most acute. To understand the impact of policies in the formation of RE based rural electrification market, a case study was conducted in Nepal. The study has shown that rural electrification has been expanding as a consequence of market-oriented policies. When it comes to selection of electrification path-ways, different technological alternatives are analysed in Afghanistan and Nepal, taking levelized cost of electricity (LCOE) as the means to select cost effective options. The analysis has presented best-fit conditions for these various technological pathways in the two countries and verified whether they are following the appropriate and cost effective course in their efforts to expand rural electrification. For understanding the determinants of cooking fuel choices and to analyse policy implications in the transition of large populations from traditional to modern fuels, fuel choices are modelled in the case of China. Choices are modelled (using MESSAGE–ACCESS mod-el) with standard economic variables such as income, technology costs and fuel prices, along with some unique variable such as inconvenience costs. Future access scenarios are designed considering different policy options to accelerate the transition. Sustainability is one of the key concerns in terms of energy access. This dissertation introduces methods for evaluating (i) the sustainability performance of energy technologies and (ii) the status and progress of developing countries in providing sustainable energy access. Different sets of sustainability indicators are considered for the rural energy sector and aggregated to form a single composite index. The energy technology sustainability index (ETSI) is used for assessing the performance of different energy technological systems in the case of India. The analysis reveals that mature technologies such as biomass gasifiers, biogas and micro hydro have relatively better sustainability performance among the options considered, while solar and wind, though showing fairly good improvement in sustainability performance, still have difficulties competing with more mature and conventional technologies without policy support. The Energy Sustainability Index (ESI) has been applied to China, India, South Africa, Sri-Lanka, Bangladesh and Ghana between 1990 and 2010 to evaluate the status and progress made by these countries in rural energy sustainability. The analysis suggests that South Africa’s rural energy sustainability index is highest followed by China, Sri Lanka, India, Bangladesh and Ghana respectively. The rural energy sustainability has improved relatively over time in all countries except Ghana. The dissertation shows that policies are helping the rapid expansion of the RE market though with uneven penetration in rural Nepal. Access to credit and cumbersome subsidy delivery mechanism are perceived as the major factors affecting the expansion of rural electrification, requiring innovation. The electrification pathways taken by Nepal seem functional and moving in the right direction but some flaws in the delivery mechanisms require attention. Meanwhile in Afghanistan, pathways are not well defined and the country lacks a clear-cut national policy framework for the expansion of rural electrification. The analysis on fuel transition shows that even a fast developing country such as China will continue to have serious problems guaranteeing the access to solid fuels for cooking for one third of its rural population by 2030. The problem could be more severe in poorer nations. There-fore, further policy intervention addressing the high implicit discount rate of the poorer section of the population, reducing the upfront cost of more efficient technology (stoves) or the costs of cleaner fuels with subsidies must be considered to promote energy transition. Overall, this dissertation has analysed key issues in the global discussion about sustainable energy access. The methods for sustainability assessment suggested have been specially designed for rural settings in developing countries and are instrumental to assess the performance of rural energy technologies and track the progress of sustainable energy access efforts among rural households.<br><p>QC 20140210</p>

The cultivation and conversion of algae for biofuels emerged as one silver bullet technological solution over the last few years, in order to decrease our dependency from fossil fuels. This thesis is based on an extensive literature review started in 2008 in order to put some clarity in the algae-to-energy sector, to discern overstatements about algae productivity and possible uses and to assess how this technology could contribute to sustainable development. The aim of the thesis is to identify promising technological solutions and algae-based production options, and to assess the viability of different pathways for energy production. The main findings of the review are summarized in the first part of this thesis together with a characterization of promising algae strains. A special focus is given to thermochemical conversion and biorefinery processes, as well as to sustainability impacts. A second part of this thesis is focused on applying this knowledge to a specific case study: the Austrian context. Two promising algae species have been identified and some results of a project comparing different energy production pathways from algae in Austria are reported. Scenarios are drawn for 2020 and 2050. Hydrothermal processes applied to algal biomass such as Scenedesmus obliquus grown in wastewater appears to be a viable solution in the Austrian context, able to achieve a positive energy balance. The main products of the process would be bio-coal and heat or, alternatively, a syngas rich in methane and hydrogen. The research highlights that, although a promising solution, the use of algae for large-scale production of biofuels is still unpractical given some major technological bottlenecks especially at the cultivation and separation phases. The co-production of non-energy products together with bioenergy can improve significantly the overall viability and sustainability of the process but, to this end, their production scales and market potentials must be compatible.

This thesis addresses two research objectives: i).empirically develop a taxonomy based on firms strategic Corporate Sustainable Development (CSD) orientation to better understand and describe their characteristics and business differentials; and ii).develop and empirically test an integrated framework of antecedents and consequences of the strategic CSD, including pathways and contingencies. The full study involves two consecutive steps: a qualitative study using in-depth interviews with senior marketing executives/experts from eight selected organisations; and a quantitative inquiry using an online survey, with a final sample of 183 medium to large Australian companies across manufacturing, mining and utilities/energy industries. Collectively, this two-stage study yields interesting research findings that are of substantial academic and managerial value as follows: The taxonomy analysis identifies three distinct groups: Strategic Achievers, Risk Avoiders and Suspicious Observers, that represent the three levels/stages of CSD adoption from high to low. These three clusters are described by what they do, why they do it, the major barriers and performance differentials. These findings contribute to the classification scheme and may assist managers to determine current levels of CSD, identify possible business opportunities and/or decide on the strategies of CSD adoption. Through developing CSD measures and testing the relationships within the proposed framework, Innovation Capability (IC) is found to be a pathway (mediator) for firms to gain competitive advantage from Corporate Sustainable Development, whereas CSD does not impact on Business Performance directly when IC is absent. This inconsistent mediating effect of IC provides interesting new insight. In addition, CSD exhibits a positive impact on firms Member Organisation Identification, a surrogate measure of corporate reputation from the perspective of employees. As part of the second research objective, this study also conducts the first empirical testing of the Menon and Menon (1997) model, and found that Industry Reputation moderated the Enviropreneurial Marketing and Business Performance relationship. These findings provide new knowledge concerning strategic Corporate Sustainable Development (CSD) orientation as well as the underlying mechanisms, which may inform managers with viable directions for integrating corporate economic benefits with social and environmental considerations.

Many large multinational energy company leaders lack strategies to successfully enter and thrive in bottom of the pyramid (BOP) markets. The purpose of this single case study was to explore strategies using a purposeful selection of 7 senior managers from a U. S. based global multinational energy leader with experience in BOP markets in the Republic of Cameroon. The BOP concept served as the conceptual framework for the study. Data were collected through semistructured interviews with senior managers, relevant websites, and government publications. Several themes emerged that were narrowed through categorical aggregation to identify strategies. Major themes included BOP readiness for social entrepreneurship, field knowledge to facilitate partnerships, and customer service. Findings suggest multinational energy company leaders seeking BOP opportunities should create internal corporate structures dedicated to the BOP markets. Leaders should know how businesses operate and thrive in the BOP, especially when working with BOP governments and a poorly informed population. Equally important is product choice, quality, and reliability for the BOP market. Customer service and satisfaction metrics are necessary to support brands. Participants highlighted the need for positive social change to improve lives, which could occur through capacity building, entrepreneurship, job creation, enhanced governance, increased wealth, and improved quality of life for local people.

Les modèles d’agriculture basés sur un recours massif aux ressources non renouvelables et l’intensification des systèmes de production montrent, des limites susceptibles de remettre en cause l’objectif commun de développement durable. Pourtant ces modèles agricoles se développent dans la plaine du Saïs, notamment dans les exploitations agricoles familiales. Ils apparaissent par le développement de filières rémunératrices conduites intensivement à travers l’irrigation et un faible accompagnement technique. Cette dynamique a conduit à une surexploitation et une pollution des nappes souterraines et à la fluctuation des prix des produits agricoles. La durabilité des exploitations familiales, se trouve ainsi questionnée, d’autant que la politique agricole de l’Etat marocain encourage les agriculteurs à l’intensification. Ce questionnement général a été décliné en trois sous-questions de recherche, abordant chacune la durabilité des exploitations agricoles familiales sous un angle différent. Ces sous-questions ont été explorées sur un même échantillon de 40 exploitations, choisies pour leur diversité de système de production, en mobilisant différents outils d’analyses. La première sous-question analyse la durabilité des exploitations agricoles sous l’angle de leurs dynamiques d’évolution depuis 60 ans. Sept types de trajectoires d’évolution ont été identifiés en fonction de plusieurs moteurs internes et externes aux exploitations. Ces trajectoires ont débouché sur trois principaux types actuels d’exploitations se différenciant par leurs activités de production. T1 regroupe des exploitations proches du système traditionnel initial, sur des terres n’ayant pas d’accès à l’eau; T2 rassemble des exploitations ayant accès à l’irrigation et maintenant une diversité de productions; T3 rassemble des exploitations spécialisées. La deuxième sous-question cherche à évaluer la durabilité des exploitations agricoles familiales et à en formaliser les déterminants, en mobilisant un regard de chercheur. Cette analyse s’est basée sur une méthode d’évaluation de la durabilité (IDEA), adaptée au contexte du Saïs. La durabilité environnementale dépend de la diversification des activités et de l’autonomie de l’exploitation, la durabilité socio-territoriale est liée au degré d’engagement de l’agriculteur dans les dynamiques territoriales, et la durabilité économique est fonction du système de production et des facteurs structurels de l’exploitation. Cependant, la tendance générale montre un antagonisme entre durabilité environnementale et durabilité économique. La troisième sous-question explore les perceptions qu’ont les agriculteurs du concept de durabilité et la manière dont elles se traduisent dans leurs stratégies de gestion. Un premier groupe d’agriculteurs perçoit la durabilité à travers la combinaison entre rentabilité et maintien des ressources naturelles de l’exploitation. Ils mettent en œuvre une stratégie de sécurisation du revenu à l’aide de pratiques peu intensives. Un deuxième groupe lie la durabilité à la rentabilité et l’adaptation aux changements externes à l’exploitation. Ils appliquent une stratégie de valorisation de la flexibilité de l’exploitation pour saisir les opportunités du milieu. Enfin, un troisième groupe perçoit la durabilité à travers la réalisation d’un modèle agricole moderniste. Ils réalisent une stratégie entrepreneuriale par la maximisation de leur revenu. Cette étude montre à la fois des points de divergence et de convergence sur le concept de durabilité et sa mise en œuvre en agriculture, entre chercheurs et agriculteurs par exemple sur les pratiques de production ou l’accès aux ressources naturelles. Pour combler cet écart de perceptions entre les différentes parties prenantes, des mesures de régulation environnementale, de vulgarisation et d’accompagnement doivent être envisagées collectivement, par les agriculteurs, les autorités et la recherche<br>Agriculture based on the massive use of non-renewable resources and the intensification of production systems show its limits, which question this development path. Yet this agricultural model has been developed in the Saïs plain, particularly in family farms. This development has resulted in the development of income-generating sectors that are intensively managed, with few technical supports. This dynamic has led to a groundwater overexploitation and pollution, and price fluctuations of agricultural products. The sustainability of family farms is questioned, especially since Moroccan agricultural policy encourages an intensive development path. This issue has been studied based on three sub-questions, each addressing the sustainability of family farms from a different perspective. These sub-questions were investigated thanks to a sample of 40 farms, chosen for their diversity of production systems. We used different tools for the data analysis.The first sub-question dealt with the sustainability of farms related to their evolving dynamics over the past 60 years. Seven pathways were identified based on several internal and external drivers. These pathways have resulted currently in three main farm types, differing in their production activities. T1 includes farms close to the original traditional system, based on land without a groundwater access; T2 gather farms cultivating a diversity of irrigated productions; T3 gather specialized farms.The second sub-question aims to evaluate the sustainability of family farms and to formalize its determinants, by mobilizing a research viewpoint. This analysis was based on a sustainability assessment tool (IDEA), adapted to the context of Saïs. Environmental sustainability depends on the diversification of activities and farm autonomy degree; socio-territorial sustainability is linked to the degree of farmer involvement in the territorial dynamics; and economic sustainability depends on the production system and the farm’ structural factors. However, general trend shows an antagonism between environmental and economic sustainability.The third sub-question explores farmers' perceptions of sustainability and how these perceptions influence their management strategies. A first group of farmers perceives sustainability through the combination of profitability and farm natural resources preservation. They implement a strategy of income security and low intensive practices. A second group links sustainability to profitability and adaptation to farms external changes. They implement a strategy of farm flexibility to seize opportunities. Finally, a third group perceives sustainability through modernist agricultural model. They implement an entrepreneurial strategy, based on maximization of income.This study shows both divergence and convergence viewpoints of sustainability concept and its implementation in agriculture, between researchers and farmers, for instance on production practices or access to natural resources. To fill this gap between the various stakeholder’s perceptions, environmental regulation, extension and accompanying measures must be considered collectively by farmers, authorities and researchers

The aim of this thesis is to understand what drives the evolution of industrial networks and how such understanding can be used to stimulate sustainable development. A complex adaptive systems perspective has been adopted to analyse the complex interaction between organisational behaviour and industrial network evolution. This analysis has formed the basis for the development of a modelling approach that allows for quantitative exploration of how different organisational perceptions about current and future uncertainty affect their behaviour and therefore the network evolution. This analysis results in a set of potential evolutionary pathways for an industrial network and their associated performance in terms of sustainable development. Subsequently, this modelling approach has been used to explore the consequences of interventions in the network evolution and to identify robust interventions for stimulating sustainable development of industrial networks. The analysis, modelling approach and development of interventions has been developed in the context of a bioenergy network in the region of KwaZulu-Natal in South Africa. Industrial networks are an important aspect of today’s life and provide many goods and services to households and individuals all over the world. They consist of a large number of autonomous organisations, where some organisations contribute by transforming or transacting natural resources, such as oil, agricultural products or water, while other organisations contribute to networks by providing information or setting regulation or subsidies (local or national governments) or by influencing decision making processes of other organisations in networks (advocacy groups). Throughout the process from natural resource to product or service, industrial networks have important economic, environmental and social impacts on the socio-economic and biophysical systems in which they operate. The sum of complex interactions between organisations affects the rate in which natural resources are used, environmental impacts associated with transformation and transaction of resources and social impacts on local communities, regions or countries as a whole. The aim of this thesis is to understand how industrial networks evolve and how they can be stimulated towards sustainable development. The first question that has been addressed in this thesis is how to understand the complex interaction between organisational behaviour and industrial network evolution. Organisational behaviour is affected by many functional and implicit characteristics within the environment in which the organisation operates, while simultaneously the environment is a function of non-linear relationships between individual organisational actions and their consequences for both the function and structure of the network. This thesis has identified four different characteristics of industrial networks that affect organisational behaviour: 1) Functional characteristics 2) Implicit behavioural characteristics 3) Implicit relational characteristics 4) Implicit network characteristics. Functional characteristics are those characteristics that are formally recognised by all organisations within an industrial network and which affect their position within the network. Examples of functional characteristics are the price and quantity of resources available, the location and distance of organisations within a network, infrastructure availability or regulation. Implicit characteristics, on the other hand, are those characteristics that impact the decision making process of organisations, but which are not formally part of the network. From an organisational perspective, implicit characteristics are the rules, heuristics, norms and values that an organisation uses to determine its objectives, position and potential actions. Implicit relational characteristics, most importantly trust and loyalty, affect an organisations choice between potential partners and implicit network characteristics are those social norms and values that emerge through social embeddedness. Collectively, these functional and implicit characteristics and their interactions determine the outcome of organisational decisions and therefore the direction of the industrial network evolution. The complex interaction between these large numbers of characteristics requires quantitative models to explore how different network characteristics and different interactions result in different network evolutions. This thesis has developed an agent-based simulation model to explore industrial network evolutions. To represent the multi-scale complexity of industrial networks, the model consists of four scales. Each scale represents different processes that connect the functional and implicit characteristics of an industrial network to each other. The two basic scales represent the strategic actions of the organisations on the one hand and the industrial network function and structure on the other. The third scale represents the processes that take place within the mental models of organisations describing how they make sense of their environment and inform their strategic decision making process. The fourth scale represents the social embeddedness of organisations and how social processes create and destroy social institutions. The model has been developed such that it allows for exploring how changes in different network characteristics or processes affect the evolution of the network as a whole. The second question that has been addressed in this thesis is how to evaluate sustainable development of different evolutionary pathways of industrial networks. First of all, a systems approach has been adopted to explore the consequences of an industrial network to the larger socio-economic and biophysical system in which the network operates. Subsequently, a set of structural indicators has been proposed to evaluate the dynamic performance of industrial networks. These four structural indicators reflect the efficiency, effectiveness, resilience and adaptiveness of industrial networks. Efficiency and effectiveness relate to the operational features by which industrial networks provides a particular contribution to society. Resilience and adaptiveness relate to the system’s capacity to maintain or adapt its contribution to society while under stress of temporary shocks or permanent shifts, respectively. Finally, different multi-criteria decision analysis (MCDA) tools have been applied to provide a holistic evaluation of sustainable development of industrial networks. The third important question that is addressed in this thesis is how to systematically explore the potential evolutionary pathways of an industrial network, which has led to the development of agent-based scenario analysis. Agent-based scenario analysis systematically explores how industrial network evolutions might evolve depending on the perceptions of organisations towards the inherent uncertainty associated with strategic decision making in networks. The agent-based scenario analysis consists of two steps. Firstly, analysts develop a set of coherent context scenarios, which represents their view on the context in which an industrial network will operate within the future. For a bioenergy network, for example, this step results in a set of scenarios that each represent a coherent future of the socio-economic system in which the network might evolve. The second step is the development of a set of ‘agent scenarios’. Each agent-based scenario is based on a different ‘mental model’ employed by organisations within the network about how to deal with the inherent ambiguity of the future. The organisational perspective towards uncertainty is of major importance for the evolution of industrial networks, because it determines the innovative behaviour of organisations, the structure of the network and the direction in which the network evolves. One the one hand, organisations can ignore future ambiguity and base their actions on the environment that they can observe in their present state. On the other extreme, organisations can adopt a view that the future is inherently uncertain and in which they view social norms and values more important than functional characteristics to make sense of their environment. The mental models are differentiated according to two dimensions: 1) different mental representation of the world and 2) different cognitive processes that can be employed to inform strategic actions. Along these dimensions, different processes can be employed to make sense of the environment and to inform decision making. The thesis has shown that by systematically exploring the different perceptions possible, an adequate understanding of the different evolutionary pathways can be gained to inform the evaluation and development of interventions to stimulate sustainable development. The final part of this thesis has applied the analysis and methodology developed throughout this thesis to a bioenergy network in the province of Kwazulu-Natal in South Africa. The bioenergy network consists of a set of existing sugar mills with large quantities of bagasse, a biomass waste product, available. Bagasse is currently burned inefficiently to produce steam for the sugar mills, but can potentially be used for the production of green electricity, biodiesel, bioethanol or gelfuel. All of these products have important consequences for the region in terms of associated reductions in CO2 emissions, electrification of and/or energy provision for rural households and local economic development of the region. This thesis has modelled strategic decisions of the sugar mills, the existing electricity generator, potential independent energy producers, local and national governments and how their actions and interactions can lead to different evolutionary pathways of the bioenergy network. The agent-based scenario analysis has been used to explore how different perceptions of organisations can lead to different network evolutions. Finally, the model has been used to explore the consequences of two categories of interventions on stimulating sustainable development. The conclusions are that both categories of interventions, financial interventions by national government and the introduction of multi-criteria decision analysis (MCDA) tools to aid strategic decision making, can have both positive and negative effects on the network evolutions, depending on what ‘mental models’ are employed by organisations. Furthermore, there is no single intervention that outperforms the others in terms of stimulating both functional and structural features of sustainable development. The final conclusion is that instead of focusing on individual or collective targets, emphasis should be placed on the development of interventions that focus on evolutionary aspects of industrial networks rather than functional performance criteria. This thesis has also highlighted interesting research questions for future investigation. The methodology developed in this thesis is applied to a single case study, but there are still many questions concerning how different industrial networks might benefit from different organisational perceptions towards uncertainty. Furthermore, the role between the mental models and sustainable development requires further investigation, especially in the light of globalisation and the interconnectiveness of industrial networks in different countries and continents. Finally, this methodology has provided a platform for investigating how new technologies might be developed that anticipate needs of future generations. This thesis has provided a first and important step in developing a methodology that addresses the complex issues associated with sustainable development, benefiting both academics and practitioners that aim to stimulate sustainable development.

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)<br>The aim of this thesis is to understand what drives the evolution of industrial networks and how such understanding can be used to stimulate sustainable development. A complex adaptive systems perspective has been adopted to analyse the complex interaction between organisational behaviour and industrial network evolution. This analysis has formed the basis for the development of a modelling approach that allows for quantitative exploration of how different organisational perceptions about current and future uncertainty affect their behaviour and therefore the network evolution. This analysis results in a set of potential evolutionary pathways for an industrial network and their associated performance in terms of sustainable development. Subsequently, this modelling approach has been used to explore the consequences of interventions in the network evolution and to identify robust interventions for stimulating sustainable development of industrial networks. The analysis, modelling approach and development of interventions has been developed in the context of a bioenergy network in the region of KwaZulu-Natal in South Africa. Industrial networks are an important aspect of today’s life and provide many goods and services to households and individuals all over the world. They consist of a large number of autonomous organisations, where some organisations contribute by transforming or transacting natural resources, such as oil, agricultural products or water, while other organisations contribute to networks by providing information or setting regulation or subsidies (local or national governments) or by influencing decision making processes of other organisations in networks (advocacy groups). Throughout the process from natural resource to product or service, industrial networks have important economic, environmental and social impacts on the socio-economic and biophysical systems in which they operate. The sum of complex interactions between organisations affects the rate in which natural resources are used, environmental impacts associated with transformation and transaction of resources and social impacts on local communities, regions or countries as a whole. The aim of this thesis is to understand how industrial networks evolve and how they can be stimulated towards sustainable development. The first question that has been addressed in this thesis is how to understand the complex interaction between organisational behaviour and industrial network evolution. Organisational behaviour is affected by many functional and implicit characteristics within the environment in which the organisation operates, while simultaneously the environment is a function of non-linear relationships between individual organisational actions and their consequences for both the function and structure of the network. This thesis has identified four different characteristics of industrial networks that affect organisational behaviour: 1) Functional characteristics 2) Implicit behavioural characteristics 3) Implicit relational characteristics 4) Implicit network characteristics. Functional characteristics are those characteristics that are formally recognised by all organisations within an industrial network and which affect their position within the network. Examples of functional characteristics are the price and quantity of resources available, the location and distance of organisations within a network, infrastructure availability or regulation. Implicit characteristics, on the other hand, are those characteristics that impact the decision making process of organisations, but which are not formally part of the network. From an organisational perspective, implicit characteristics are the rules, heuristics, norms and values that an organisation uses to determine its objectives, position and potential actions. Implicit relational characteristics, most importantly trust and loyalty, affect an organisations choice between potential partners and implicit network characteristics are those social norms and values that emerge through social embeddedness. Collectively, these functional and implicit characteristics and their interactions determine the outcome of organisational decisions and therefore the direction of the industrial network evolution. The complex interaction between these large numbers of characteristics requires quantitative models to explore how different network characteristics and different interactions result in different network evolutions. This thesis has developed an agent-based simulation model to explore industrial network evolutions. To represent the multi-scale complexity of industrial networks, the model consists of four scales. Each scale represents different processes that connect the functional and implicit characteristics of an industrial network to each other. The two basic scales represent the strategic actions of the organisations on the one hand and the industrial network function and structure on the other. The third scale represents the processes that take place within the mental models of organisations describing how they make sense of their environment and inform their strategic decision making process. The fourth scale represents the social embeddedness of organisations and how social processes create and destroy social institutions. The model has been developed such that it allows for exploring how changes in different network characteristics or processes affect the evolution of the network as a whole. The second question that has been addressed in this thesis is how to evaluate sustainable development of different evolutionary pathways of industrial networks. First of all, a systems approach has been adopted to explore the consequences of an industrial network to the larger socio-economic and biophysical system in which the network operates. Subsequently, a set of structural indicators has been proposed to evaluate the dynamic performance of industrial networks. These four structural indicators reflect the efficiency, effectiveness, resilience and adaptiveness of industrial networks. Efficiency and effectiveness relate to the operational features by which industrial networks provides a particular contribution to society. Resilience and adaptiveness relate to the system’s capacity to maintain or adapt its contribution to society while under stress of temporary shocks or permanent shifts, respectively. Finally, different multi-criteria decision analysis (MCDA) tools have been applied to provide a holistic evaluation of sustainable development of industrial networks. The third important question that is addressed in this thesis is how to systematically explore the potential evolutionary pathways of an industrial network, which has led to the development of agent-based scenario analysis. Agent-based scenario analysis systematically explores how industrial network evolutions might evolve depending on the perceptions of organisations towards the inherent uncertainty associated with strategic decision making in networks. The agent-based scenario analysis consists of two steps. Firstly, analysts develop a set of coherent context scenarios, which represents their view on the context in which an industrial network will operate within the future. For a bioenergy network, for example, this step results in a set of scenarios that each represent a coherent future of the socio-economic system in which the network might evolve. The second step is the development of a set of ‘agent scenarios’. Each agent-based scenario is based on a different ‘mental model’ employed by organisations within the network about how to deal with the inherent ambiguity of the future. The organisational perspective towards uncertainty is of major importance for the evolution of industrial networks, because it determines the innovative behaviour of organisations, the structure of the network and the direction in which the network evolves. One the one hand, organisations can ignore future ambiguity and base their actions on the environment that they can observe in their present state. On the other extreme, organisations can adopt a view that the future is inherently uncertain and in which they view social norms and values more important than functional characteristics to make sense of their environment. The mental models are differentiated according to two dimensions: 1) different mental representation of the world and 2) different cognitive processes that can be employed to inform strategic actions. Along these dimensions, different processes can be employed to make sense of the environment and to inform decision making. The thesis has shown that by systematically exploring the different perceptions possible, an adequate understanding of the different evolutionary pathways can be gained to inform the evaluation and development of interventions to stimulate sustainable development. The final part of this thesis has applied the analysis and methodology developed throughout this thesis to a bioenergy network in the province of Kwazulu-Natal in South Africa. The bioenergy network consists of a set of existing sugar mills with large quantities of bagasse, a biomass waste product, available. Bagasse is currently burned inefficiently to produce steam for the sugar mills, but can potentially be used for the production of green electricity, biodiesel, bioethanol or gelfuel. All of these products have important consequences for the region in terms of associated reductions in CO2 emissions, electrification of and/or energy provision for rural households and local economic development of the region. This thesis has modelled strategic decisions of the sugar mills, the existing electricity generator, potential independent energy producers, local and national governments and how their actions and interactions can lead to different evolutionary pathways of the bioenergy network. The agent-based scenario analysis has been used to explore how different perceptions of organisations can lead to different network evolutions. Finally, the model has been used to explore the consequences of two categories of interventions on stimulating sustainable development. The conclusions are that both categories of interventions, financial interventions by national government and the introduction of multi-criteria decision analysis (MCDA) tools to aid strategic decision making, can have both positive and negative effects on the network evolutions, depending on what ‘mental models’ are employed by organisations. Furthermore, there is no single intervention that outperforms the others in terms of stimulating both functional and structural features of sustainable development. The final conclusion is that instead of focusing on individual or collective targets, emphasis should be placed on the development of interventions that focus on evolutionary aspects of industrial networks rather than functional performance criteria. This thesis has also highlighted interesting research questions for future investigation. The methodology developed in this thesis is applied to a single case study, but there are still many questions concerning how different industrial networks might benefit from different organisational perceptions towards uncertainty. Furthermore, the role between the mental models and sustainable development requires further investigation, especially in the light of globalisation and the interconnectiveness of industrial networks in different countries and continents. Finally, this methodology has provided a platform for investigating how new technologies might be developed that anticipate needs of future generations. This thesis has provided a first and important step in developing a methodology that addresses the complex issues associated with sustainable development, benefiting both academics and practitioners that aim to stimulate sustainable development.

Identifying pathways of agricultural development that enable substantial productivity improvements is of prime importance for food security and human development across Sub-Saharan Africa. To ensure long-term welfare for its people and landscapes, it is imperative that such agricultural transformations are environmentally sustainable. This study explores the case of Ethiopia and aims to assess constraints and opportunities for a sustainable agricultural transformation, by analysing a) the governance context, b) narratives of agricultural development, and c) strategies employed by “green” non-state actors in the agricultural sector to lever change in the direction they perceive as desirable. By assessing the governance structure, the study finds that many non-state actors face significant legal and practical barriers to action, and that the strong government domination and rigid structures provide limited opportunities for influence. Further, the study finds that agricultural policy is dominated by a “Green Revolution”-inspired narrative focused on production and productivity, although food security and environmental rehabilitation narratives exist alongside. Issues of agricultural production and natural resource management are found to be largely decoupled in policy, which constitutes another barrier for green non-state actors working across the divide. Given these challenging conditions, green non-state actors in Ethiopia choose a strategy of close collaboration with government institutions, which, while offering the possibility of large-scale impact, may also reduce the prospects for more radical change. Applying current theories of sustainability transformations to a new type of system, the study concludes with a call for new conceptualisations of endogenous and exogenous change in future research to ensure that the theory fits a broader range of social-ecological realities.

Dissertação de Mestrado em Política Social<br>O problema social complexo das Crianças de Rua está presente na maioria das cidades do mundo e tem vindo a transformar-se em função da evolução e da própria dinâmica das sociedades. Nesta investigação pretendemos estudar as crianças em situação de rua da cidade de Lisboa, através da metodologia de intervenção desenvolvida pelo Instituto de Apoio à Criança. Neste sentido, o foco central da nossa investigação é a avaliação do Projecto “Trabalho de Rua com Crianças em Risco ou Situação de Marginalidade”; atualmente designado por Projecto Rua “Em Família para Crescer”. Na procura de um conhecimento sobre o legado que o Projecto Rua deixa à sociedade portuguesa, procuramos estabelecer a ligação entre a missão do Instituto de Apoio à Criança – Projecto Rua, a sua proposta pedagógica, o papel dos diferentes interventores sociais e a realidade das crianças e jovens em situação de rua. Através de uma pesquisa exploratória de estudo de caso único, apoiada numa abordagem qualitativa teórico/analítica, optou-se por uma análise aprofundada do desenvolvimento do projecto que visa a compreensão do seu papel na construção de percursos de inclusão, em torno das seguintes dimensões: como Observatório Social da problemática, como Laboratório Social, como Serviços de Cuidados de Proximidade e enquanto contributo para a adequação das Políticas Públicas.<br>The complex social problem of street children is present in the majority of cities in the world and has been changing depending on the evolution and the dynamics of societies. In this investigation we will study about the street children on the streets of Lisbon, through the intervention methodology of the Instituto de Apoio à Criança (Child Care Institute). In this sense, the central focus of our research is the assessment of the Project "Working with street children at risk or marginal situation", currently known as Projecto Rua “Em Família para Crescer” (Street Project “A family to grow up”). In the search for knowledge about the legacy that Street Project leaves the Portuguese society, we seek to establish the link between the mission of Child Care Institute - Street Project, its pedagogical proposal, the role of different social stakeholders and the reality of children and adolescents on the street. Through an exploratory research of a single case study, based on a analytical and theoretical qualitative approach, it opted for an in-depth analysis of the project development aimed at understanding its role in building inclusive paths, taking into consideration the following dimensions: as a Social Observatory of the problem, as a Social Laboratory, as a Community Care Service, and to what extent does the project contributes to the improvement and adequacy of the Public Policies.

Throughout this thesis I have laid out several factors that have contributed to the sustainability of shrimp farming in Thailand, and if sustainability whilst maintaining production can ever be achieved. To find out the current situation of shrimp farming in Thailand, the history of global and Thai shrimp farming is described. The social and environmental problems of the unsustainable history of shrimp farming in Thailand is then considered. Solutions to these effects conclude that it is up to the consumer to demand for better regulations from the government and the shrimp companies to ensure a sustainable future for shrimp farming both globally and in Thailand.

Great research efforts have been made during the last decades for the development and production of sustainable energy through renewable sources.Hydrogen has been considered a clean fuel and it can be produced from biomass,whose pyrolysis leads to the production of bio-oil that contains many components,which are the most renewable energy carriers.Phenol is the major component of the bio-oil and its catalytic steam reforming provides a promising technique for hydrogen production.The present work provides an extensive kinetic study of the mechanisms that occurs in the PSR,where the effect of temperature,space-time and partial pressure of the reactants(phenol and water)is investigated using two different catalysts over the same support.Due to the good metal-support interaction,Rh and Ni-Co active metals and γ-Al2O3 support have been selected and they were found to be appropriate catalysts with long-term stability for the hydrogen production via PSR,with Rh presenting the better performance in respect to transient metal-based catalysts.Identification of primary and secondary products revealed the reaction mechanism to be affected by the metal.On Rh, phenol is adsorbed with its aromatic ring in parallel with Rh,suggesting that the C-C bond activation is leading the reaction mechanism;on Ni-Co is observed the phenol dissociative adsorption producing phenoxyl and benzene species,suggesting the O-H and C-O bond activation happens first,followed by decomposition and reforming reactions.At lower temperatures,phenol dehydrogenation,dehydroxylation and decomposition were found to be the main reaction pathways,whereas at higher temperatures reforming and water gas shift reactions became enhanced.The excess of water was able to promote the WGS reaction.Time-on-stream studies at 500°C revealed Rh/γ-Al2O3 to have a good balance between stability,activity and selectivity.Oxidation of spent catalysts were also performed,in order to identify the type of carbonaceous deposits.

La cacaoculture est aujourd'hui considérée comme un des principaux facteurs de déforestation en milieu tropical. Dans de nombreux pays, elle repose en effet sur un modèle technique peu durable de monoculture intensive impliquant le déplacement des zones de production. Souvent délaissés par la recherche en raison de leurs faibles rendements en cacao marchand, les systèmes agroforestiers à base de cacaoyer apparaissent aujourd'hui comme une alternative crédible pour faire face aux nouveaux enjeux de la cacaoculture mondiale. Au Centre-Sud du Cameroun, la cacaoculture repose en grande partie sur des cacaoyères agroforestières anciennes, ce qui pose l'hypothèse qu'un modèle de cacaoculture durable basé sur des systèmes de culture agroforestiers est possible. Notre objectif est de mieux comprendre le fonctionnement de ces systèmes agroforestiers à base de cacaoyer, à travers leurs caractéristiques, leurs évolutions et leurs déterminants, ainsi que les conditions de leur production en cacao marchand sur le long terme. Notre démarche articule à la fois une évaluation des systèmes agroforestiers complexes à l'échelle de la parcelle et une analyse compréhensive des pratiques techniques sur le temps long. La thèse repose sur un dispositif de recherche mis en place dans la région du Centre, dans trois zones de culture différenciables par leurs conditions pédo-climatiques (Bokito, Zima et Ngomedzap). Une enquête d'agriculteurs a été réalisée à grande échelle (1 171 exploitations regroupant 1 638 cacaoyères), complétée par des observations spécifiques réalisées dans un réseau de 61 cacaoyères exploitées par 40 agriculteurs. Résultats. (1) Nos résultats d'enquête, complétés par des observations spécifiques, ont confirmé la durabilité des systèmes agroforestiers à base de cacaoyer aux plans agro-écologique et socio-économique. (2) Dans la zone de transition forêt-savane, considérée comme sub-optimale pour la cacaoculture, nous avons montré que le modèle technique adopté par les agriculteurs leur permet d'installer sur savane des cacaoyères viables sur le long terme. (3) Une méthode participative de quantification de la valeur d'usage des espèces par les agriculteurs, appliquée sur le réseau d'observation, a confirmé la multifonctionnalité des systèmes agroforestiers et mesuré la place qu'y occupe la composante cacaoyère. (4) L'évaluation des peuplements cacaoyers, réalisée en adaptant la méthode de diagnostic agronomique régional aux systèmes complexes, a permis d'identifier les facteurs limitant le rendement en cacao marchand. Celui-ci s'avère étroitement lié à la structure des peuplements cacaoyers et à celle des peuplements associés. (5) Enfin, l'analyse compréhensive des pratiques des agriculteurs sur le long terme, en lien avec l'évolution technique des peuplements cacaoyers a confirmé la flexibilité des systèmes agroforestiers à base de cacaoyer. Cette flexibilité peut être traduite par des trajectoires d'évolution des pratiques et des trajectoires de structures spécifiques. Ce travail fournit une nouvelle base méthodologique pour l'analyse et l'évaluation des systèmes agroforestiers complexes. L'ensemble des résultats et des connaissances produites dans ce travail permet de formuler des propositions pour la mise au point d'un nouveau modèle technique en cacaoculture<br>Cocoa cultivation is generally considered as one of the main deforestation factors in the Tropics. Indeed, in many countries it is based on a low-sustainability technical model of intensive monocrops with shifting production zones. Cocoa agroforests, which are often neglected by research due to their low fermented dried cocoa yields, now appear to be a credible alternative for taking up the new challenges facing world cocoa production. In Centre-South Cameroon, cocoa cultivation is largely based on old cocoa agroforests, which suggests that a sustainable cocoa growing model based on agroforestry systems is possible. Our aim was to more effectively understand how these cocoa agroforests function, through their characteristics, their evolution and their determinants, along with the conditions for their long-term fermented dried cocoa production. Our approach consisted of an evaluation of cocoa agroforests on a plot scale and a comprehensive analysis of technical practices over the long term. The thesis is based on an experimental design set up in the Centre region, in three growing zones that could be differentiated through their pedo climatic conditions (Bokito, Zima and Ngomedzap). A large-scale survey was undertaken (1,171 farms grouping 1,638 cocoa plantations) completed by specific observations collected in a network of 61 cocoa agroforests managed by 40 farmers. Results. (1) Our survey results, completed by specific observations, confirmed the sustainability of the cocoa agroforestry systems from an agro ecological and socio-economic viewpoint. (2) In the forest-savannah transition zone, which is considered sub-optimum for cocoa cultivation, we confirmed that the technical model adopted by the farmers enabled them to set up cocoa agroforests on savannah that were viable over the long term. (3) In the network, a participatory method applied to quantify the use value given to the species by the farmers confirmed the multi-functionality of cocoa agroforests and measured the place occupied in it by cocoa. (4) The evaluation of the cocoa tree stands, achieved by adapting the regional agronomic diagnosis method to complex systems, revealed the factors limiting cocoa yield. It was proved that cocoa yield is closely linked to the structure of the cocoa tree stand and that of the intercropped stands. (5) Lastly, a comprehensive analysis of farmer practices over the long term, in association with the evolution of the technical management of the cocoa tree stands, confirmed the flexibility of cocoa agroforestry systems. This flexibility was reflected in the evolution pathways for specific practices and structures. This work provides a new methodological basis to assess the performance of complex agroforestry systems. All the results and knowledge produced by this work make it possible to draw up proposals for developing a new technical model for cocoa growing

This thesis proposes a framework to design and analyze sustainability within complex urban transportation systems. Urban transit systems have large variability in temporal and spatial resolution, and are common in lifecycle analyses and sustainability studies. Unlike analyses with smaller scope or broader resolution, these systems are composed of numerous interacting layers, each intricate enough to be a complete system on its own. In addition, detailed interaction with the system environment is often not accounted for in lifecycle studies, despite its strong potential effects on the problem domain. To manage such complexity, this thesis suggests a methodology that focuses on integrating existing modeling constructs in a transparent manner, and capturing structural and functional relationships for efficient model reuse. The Systems Modeling Language (OMG SysML ) is used to formally implement the modeling framework. To demonstrate the method, it is applied to a large scale multi-modal transportation network. Analysis of key network parameters such as emissions output, well-to-wheel energy use, and system capacity are presented in a case study of the Atlanta, Georgia metropolitan area. Results of the case study highlight several areas that differ from more traditional lifecycle analysis research. External influences such as regional electricity generation are found to have extremely large effects on environmental impact of a regional mobility system. The model is used to evaluate various future scenarios and finds that existing policy measures for curbing energy use and emissions are insufficient for reducing impact in a growing urban region.

This project proposes the restoration of Vinterviken’s contaminated grounds, a legacy of Nobel’s dynamite production. How can we live with toxicity? The design sows phytoremediating meadows, extracts toxins, harvests, decomposes, burns, and grows new crops. Elevated pathways offer a procession through the site, to green roofs, mountain paths, an open kitchen &amp; hearth, a floating barge with biopools &amp; a sauna. As the fields are healed, the structures move into the barge and sail to other polluted sites.<br>Projektet är ett förslag till återställandet av Vintervikens förorenade marker, ett arv från Nobels dynamitproduktion. Hur kan vi leva med toxicitet? Modellen sår fytoremedierande ängar, skiljer ut gifter, skördar, bryter ned, bränner, och odlar nya grödor. Förhöjda stigar erbjuder en gångväg genom området, till gröna tak, bergsstigar, ett öppet kök och härd, en flytande pråm med biopooler och en bastu. När områdena har läkts, flyttar strukturerna in i pråmen och seglar till andra förorenade platser.

Over the last two decades, sustainability has matured to become a societal imperative and is at the forefront of UK government policy and industry strategy. For example, the Strategy for Sustainable Construction (BERR, 2008) and Low Carbon Construction (BIS, 2012) reports have focused on encouraging more sustainable construction through reductions in energy, water and resource use. In response to such demands, the UK precast concrete industry developed a sector sustainability strategy and subsequently chose to continue activities in this area through an Engineering Doctorate (EngD) research project. The project focused on the scope for applying the principles of product stewardship (PS) as a means to mitigate environmental impacts associated with precast products, throughout the entire life-cycle of their use. Numerous PS schemes have been adopted in other industrial sectors, such as chemicals, electronics and product manufacture. One of the distinguishing features of PS is that multiple stakeholders need to take responsibility for their ‘share' of environmental impacts, and that life-cycle thinking should pervade the value chain. Hence, through PS, the precast industry might be able to address not only the impacts within cradle-to-gate phases, but also develop a framework to positively act on broader, cradle-to-grave impacts. The aim of this research was to develop a framework for embedding the principles of PS more deeply into the precast industry, creating a novel pathway towards more sustainable construction. The research commenced with a literature review to understand the key sustainability issues affecting the industry, followed by an analysis and synthesis of industry key performance indicator (KPI) data from 2006–2012. Industry participation in the research was facilitated through a questionnaire survey and interviews with senior staff within UK precast businesses. Evidence of PS practices was found to exist within the industry through responsible sourcing schemes, implementation of Environmental Management Systems and through the mitigation of various specific impacts. However, the coordinated communication of such initiatives was found to be lacking and with the advent of new European standards around Environmental Product Declarations (EPD) for construction, it was decided that the precast industry would benefit from a sector-specific EPD framework to capture and communicate its PS credentials. An EPD framework and tool was therefore developed and validated through a focus group, to establish whether an EPD can be used successfully to deliver environmental information and refine an approach such that it would accord with the principles of PS. Further research and development arising from this research could focus on implementation and evaluation of the industry-specific EPD scheme, a mechanism to communicate and share life-cycle information amongst upstream and downstream stakeholders and a means through which stakeholder responsibility can be attributed and managed effectively. The key findings of this research have been presented in four peer–reviewed papers (one of which is in draft) which are presented in the Appendices.

Background: End-of-life care has become a priority at local, regional and national level and thus creative approaches to evaluating how to successfully implement tools such as the Liverpool Care Pathway (LCP) are required to enable generalist staff to improve care for patients and their families at the end of life. Aims: To determine the processes and underlying influences that facilitate or hinder appropriate implementation of the LCP. Method: The study was an organisational case study using realistic evaluation designed to identify, test and refine programme theories of what will facilitate success. Semi-structured interviews were used to illuminate the differing viewpoints of key stakeholders involved in the implementation of the LCP in one health and social care trust in Northern Ireland. Results from the National Care of the Dying Audit Hospitals pertaining to the organisation provided data on both intended and unintended outcomes. Analysis was guided by the realistic evaluation maxim "what works, for whom, and in what circumstances?" to help explore context-mechanism-outcome patterns. Results: Key resource inputs included facilitation and education for generating tension for change; clarification of goals; visible benefits and communication skills. The key enabling contexts were the priority of LCP implementation; consistent senior management support; appropriate training for facilitators; palliative care team support; presence of LCP link nurses; positive peer influence among medical teams; robust ongoing education and training; and effective multidisciplinary working. Conclusion: This research provided the opportunity to look beyond the question of whether the intervention was successful or not, and to examine the processes involved. Whilst the overall consensus of respondents was that the LCP was a good idea, in practice there were many underlying social, organisational and individual influences that hindered successful implementation and sustainability of the pathway. This research provides transferable lessons for the future implementation of end-of-life care pathways.

The current work has for object the improvement and the maintenance of the School of Engineering and Architecture in Via Terracini 28 (Bologna), with the prospective to maximize the operative efficiency reducing to the minimum the environmental impact and the costs. In order to realize this work the LEED certification has been used. LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) is a certification system of the buildings. It was born in United States by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC)

Growing ecological challenges [1][2][3] can be addressed by the media industry through proactive engagement with holistic sustainability transformation that covers all activities within their value-chain. With at least 60% of vertebrate species already lost [1] and 40% of insect species at risk of the same [2], the time for business-as-usual has past [4][5][6][49]. In order to mitigate negative, and accelerate positive, impacts on global biodiversity integrity, media companies need to look beyond direct impacts, carbon, and segmented actions to a more holistic understanding and approach of sustainability transformation. This study focused specifically on the Nordic region (Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Finland) and the largest incumbent companies within that region (Schibsted, MTG, Bonnier, Egmont and Sanoma) [7][8], to find what actions and pathway are necessary to protect both people and planet [10]. Through understanding the drivers of biodiversity loss, as well as the proposed sustainability transformation roadmaps from the research community, and by quantitatively analyzing how these five companies understand and prioritize sustainability, this study developed a visual Pathway Lens consisting of Seven Focus Areas (SFAs) to enable media companies to look holistically at their activities and value-chain. The SFAs need to be approached holistically, similar to the 17 SDGs (Agenda 2030) [4]. Since incumbent Nordic media companies are not currently looking at impacts on biodiversity integrity, nor focusing on a holistic approach to sustainability, the SFAs of the Pathway Lens are a tool to better understand their unique opportunity to accelerate sustainable lifestyles through their content, marketplaces, products and events, which in turn address impacts on biodiversity integrity. The media industry also shares in the collective opportunity to accelerate sustainable value-chains through prioritizing self-transcendence values, resources, responsible operations, circular business models, iterative stakeholder engagement, and external partnerships. Since the drivers of biodiversity loss are complex and interconnected [3], protecting both people and planet requires complex and interconnected solutions.<br>Växande ekologiska utmaningar [1][2][3] kan adresseras av medieindustrin genom proaktivt engagemang i holistisk hållbarhetstransformation som täcker alla aktiviteter i värdekedjan. Då minst 60% av arterna bland ryggradsdjur redan har försvunnit [1] och 40% av insektsarterna riskerar att försvinna [2], har tiden för konventionellt företagande (business-as-usual) passerat [4][5][6][49]. För att minska negativa effekter, och accelerera positiva effekter, vad gäller den biologisk mångfaldens integritet, måste företagen se bortom direkta effekter, koldioxidutsläpp, och isolerade åtgärder för en mer holistisk förståelse av och ett mer holistiskt angreppssätt vad gäller hållbarhetstransformation. Denna studie har fokuserat specifikt på Norden (Sverige, Norge, Danmark, Finland) och de största etablerade företagen inom denna region (Schibsted, MTG, Bonnier, Egmont och Sanoma) [7][8], för att ta reda på vilka åtgärder som behövs för att skydda både människor och planeten [10]. Genom att förstå drivkrafterna bakom förlusten av biologisk mångfald, såväl som de föreslagna färdplanerna för hållbarhetstransformation ifrån forskarsamfundet, och genom att kvantitativt analysera hur dessa fem företag förstår och prioriterar hållbarhet, har denna studie utvecklat en visuell lins [Pathway Lens] bestående av sju fokusområden (Seven Focus Areas, SFAs), för att möjliggöra för medieföretag att titta holistiskt på deras aktiviteter och värdekedja. De sju fokusområdena (SFAs) för hållbarhetstransformation måste hanteras holistiskt, likt FN:s 17 globala mål för hållbar utveckling (Agenda 2030) [4]. Eftersom etablerade nordiska medieföretag i dagsläget inte tittar på påverkan på den biologiska mångfaldens integritet, och inte heller fokuserar på ett holistiskt angreppssätt vad gäller hållbarhet, är de sju fokusområdena [SFAs] av den visuella linsen [Pathway Lens] ett verktyg för att bättre förstå deras unika möjlighet att accelerera hållbara livsstilar genom deras innehåll, marknadsplatser, samt produkter och events, vilka i sin tur adresserar påverkan på den biologiska mångfaldens integritet. Medieindustrin delar också den kollektiva möjligheten att accelerera hållbara värdekedjor genom att prioritera värderingar som transcenderar jaget (self-transcendence), resurser, ansvarsfulla verksamheter, cirkulära affärsmodeller, iterativt intressentengagemang, och externa partnerskap. Eftersom drivkrafterna bakom förlust av biologisk mångfald är komplexa och sammankopplade [3], krävs komplexa och sammankopplade lösningar för att skydda både människor och planeten.

abstract: Driven by concern over environmental, economic and social problems, small, place based communities are engaging in processes of transition to become more sustainable. These communities may be viewed as innovative front runners of a transition to a more sustainable society in general, each one, an experiment in social transformation. These experiments present learning opportunities to build robust theories of community transition and to create specific, actionable knowledge to improve, replicate, and accelerate transitions in real communities. Yet to date, there is very little empirical research into the community transition phenomenon. This thesis empirically develops an analytical framework and method for the purpose of researching community transition processes, the ultimate goal of which is to arrive at a practice of evidence based transitions. A multiple case study approach was used to investigate three community transitions while simultaneously developing the framework and method in an iterative fashion. The case studies selected were Ashton Hayes, a small English village, BedZED, an urban housing complex in London, and Forres, a small Scottish town. Each community was visited and data collected by interview and document analysis. The research design brings together elements of process tracing, transformative planning and governance, sustainability assessment, transition path analysis and transition management within a multiple case study envelope. While some preliminary insights are gained into community transitions based on the three cases the main contribution of this thesis is in the creation of the research framework and method. The general framework and method developed has potential for standardizing and synthesizing research of community transition processes leading to both theoretical and practical knowledge that allows sustainability transition to be approached with confidence and not just hope.<br>Dissertation/Thesis<br>M.S. Sustainability 2011

<p>This work presents the cell-free transcription-translation (TX-TL) system as a research and development platform for renewable synthesis and molecular discovery. TX-TL is easy to use and provides a biomolecular breadboard for the rapid prototyping and engineering of biosynthetic pathways. This work has validated the capabilities of the cell-free TX-TL system for simultaneous protein expression and chemical synthesis. Specifically, this work shows that TX-TL supports the conversion of intermediates from carbohydrate metabolism and amino acids into valuable compounds. Metabolic flux through cofactor dependent pathways confirms that active cofactor metabolism is occurring in TX-TL. This work has also demonstrated the industrial relevance of TX-TL through exploring design space of a biosynthetic pathway for improved product yield and expanding substrate scope of another biosynthetic pathway.</p> <p>Current methods for assembling biosynthetic pathways in microorganisms require a process of repeated trial and error and have long design-build-test cycles. We describe the use of a cell-free transcription-translation (TX-TL) system as a biomolecular breadboard for the rapid engineering of the 1,4-butanediol (BDO) pathway. In this work, we have verified enzyme expression and enzyme activity and identified the conversion of 4-hydroxybutyrate to downstream metabolites as the pathway bottleneck. We demonstrate the reliability of using linear DNA in TX-TL as a tool for engineering biological systems by undertaking a careful characterization of its transcription and translation capabilities and provide a detailed analysis of its metabolic output. Pathway constructs of varying pathway enzyme expression levels are tested in TX-TL and in vivo to identify correlations between the two systems, and we find that the production of BDO is correlated to the expression of enzyme ald in both systems. The use of TX-TL to survey the design space of the BDO pathway enables rapid tuning of pathway enzyme expression levels for improved product yield. Different pathway combinations are also tested in TX-TL for its application in pathway ranking. Leveraging TX-TL to screen enzyme variants for improved catalytic activity accelerates design iterations that can be directly applied to in vivo strain development.</p> <p>TX-TL simulates a customizable cellular environment that can be controlled by manipulating pH, changing cellular components, or adding exogenous substrates. By adding linear DNA encoding individual enzymes of the violacein pathway and tryptophan analogs in TX-TL reactions, we have discovered new violacein analogs. TX-TL enables rapid production of natural product analogs with diverse substitution, which allows small-scale biosynthesis of potential drug candidates and offers a new platform for drug discovery. This work also presents TX-TL as a platform for protein engineering. Residues targeted for site-saturated mutagenesis were identified with protein-ligand docking. Linear DNAs of individual enzyme mutants were added into TX-TL reactions to screen for improved enzyme variant. Screening result indicates vioE mutant Y17H reduces byproduct formation and redirects metabolic flux towards target metabolites. Protein engineering for improved enzyme activity can further expand the substrate scope of a natural product pathway and result with more natural product analogs that can be applied for medical applications.</p> <p>This work demonstrates that the cell-free TX-TL system can become a valuable tool that complements the process of engineering biosynthesis in the whole cell in vivo system or the purified protein in vitro system. Future engineering and development of the TX-TL system can further expand the chemical space for biosynthesis.</p>

Conference Theme: The congress theme ‘Educational pathways towards sustainability’ foregrounded the current ‘state of play’ in environmental education / education for sustainability, at the start of the UN Decade of Education for Sustainable Development (DESD), and drew attention to the role of education in creating pathways towards sustainability. Mario Solomone, convenor of the congress, in his orientation to the congress describes the congress as being about ‘cultural changes and cultural forces for change’, highlighting the role of education, training and communication in redirecting values, knowledge and behaviour to construct a human society ‘that is fairer and more aware of the equilibrium of a beautiful and fragile planet’ (Salomone, 2005: 6). To facilitate deliberations during the conference a set of interrelated themes were established which included: communication and the environment; paths to sustainability; research and assessment in environmental education; sustainable education; training the trainers; community awareness; promoting participation and governance and creating a network; economics and ecology; environment and health; farming and related issues; ethics; and emotional involvements. These congress themes, together with an impressive array of keynote papers kept congress participants actively engaged with the question of the DESD.

abstract: Criticisms of technocratic and managerial sustainability responses to global environmental change have led scholars to argue for transformative shifts in ideology, policy, and practice favoring alternative, plural transformation pathways to sustainability. This raises key debates around how we build transformative capacity and who will lead the way. To further this critical dialogue, this dissertation explores the potential for sustainability experiential learning (SEL) to serve as a capacity building mechanism for global ecological citizenship in support of transformation pathways to sustainable wellbeing. In the process it considers how the next generation of those primed for sustainability leadership identify with and negotiate diversity—of perceptions, values, agency, and lived experiences—in what constitutes sustainable wellbeing and the approaches needed to get there. Inspired by the STEPS (Social, Technological and Environmental Pathways to Sustainability) Centre’s transformation pathways approach, this research proposes a Transformative Capacity Building model grounded in a Transformation Pathways to Sustainable Wellbeing framework that integrates and builds upon tenets of the original pathways approach with transformative learning, Value-Believe-Norm, and global ecological citizenship (eco-citizenship) theories and concepts. The proposed model and framework were applied to an in-depth ethnographic case study of sustainability experiential learning communities formed within the four Summer 2015 Global Sustainability Studies (GSS) programs at Arizona State University. Using mixed methods, including semi-structured interviews, participant observation, and Photovoice, this study examines the values, perceptions, and perceived agency of participants post-program in relation to the knowledge-making and mobilization processes that unfolded during their international GSS programs. Of particular interest are participants’ cognitive, moral, and affective engagement as SEL community members. Through multi-level thematic analyses, key values, perceptions, agency and engagement themes are identified and influencing relationships highlighted across the different SEL communities and programs. Implications of these factors and their relationships for capacity building for eco-citizenship and future program development are considered. The dissertation concludes by translating study findings into actionable pathways for future research AND practice, including the proposal of program development and implementation recommendations that could enable future sustainability experiential learning programs to better contribute to transformative capacity building for eco-citizenship.<br>Dissertation/Thesis<br>Doctoral Dissertation Anthropology 2018

abstract: During the months from June to November 2012, the city of Bangalore was faced with a serious solid waste management (SWM) crisis. In the wake of the upheaval, the state court declared source segregation to be mandatory. Yet, while the legislation was clear, the pathway towards a course of action for the transition was not clear and hence, Bangalore was stuck in a state of limbo. The objectives for this thesis spiraled organically from this crisis. The first objective was to examine the gaps in Bangalore's transition to a more sustainable SWM system. Six particular gaps were identified, which in essence, were opportunities to re-shape the system. The gaps identified included: conflicting political agendas, the exclusion of some key actors, and lack of adequate attention to cultural aspects, provision of appropriate incentives, protection of livelihoods and promotion of innovation. Opportunities were found in better incentivization of sustainable SWM goals, protecting livelihoods that depend on waste, enhancing innovation and endorsing local, context based SWM solutions. Building on this understanding of gaps, the second objective was to explore an innovative, local, bottom-up waste-management model called the Vellore Zero Waste Model, and assess its applicability to Bangalore. The adaptability of the model depended on several factors such as, willingness of actors to redefine their roles and change functions, ability of the municipality to assure quality and oversight, willingness of citizen to source segregate, and most importantly, the political will and collective action needed to ensure and sustain the transition. The role of communication as a vital component to facilitate productive stakeholder engagement and to promote role change was evident. Therefore, the third objective of the study was to explore how interpersonal competencies and communication strategies could be used as a tool to facilitate stakeholder engagement and encourage collective action. In addressing these objectives, India was compared with Austria because Austria is often cited as having some of the best SWM practices in the world and has high recycling rates to show for its reputation.<br>Dissertation/Thesis<br>M.S. Sustainability 2013

The current paradigm in the field of architecture today is one of degeneration and obsolete building technologies. Regenerative architecture is the practice of engaging the natural world as the medium for, and generator of the architecture. It responds to and utilizes the living and natural systems that exist on a site that become the “building blocks” of the architecture. Regenerative architecture has two focuses; it is an architecture that focuses on conservation and performance through a focused reduction on the environmental impacts of a building. This paper introduces regenerative architecture as a means for architectural design. I present the Nine Principles of Regenerative Architecture and Place Analysis Criteria, which I developed in order to provide a logical and succinct means for creating regenerative architecture. These are employed and embedded in the creation of the R_Urban Intervention Dwelling model and tested on the Coop House design project. The result was an architectural design in which the Nine Principles of Regenerative Architecture are embodied through the application of the Place Analysis Criteria process. Though the process underwent many mutations through its infancy, the final product has proven to work in producing successful and potentially regenerative architecture as described in part 1 of this paper.

University of Technology Sydney. Institute of Sustainable Futures.<br>Sanitation in rapidly growing cities of developing Asian countries is a complex problem that often appears intractable and unyielding to standard problem-solving approaches. In this thesis, I provide a conceptual foundation aligned with sustainability to provide fresh guidance towards resolving this problem. I frame urban sanitation in developing Asian countries as a ‘messy’ planning-related problem, characterised by associations with multiple perspectives, key uncertainties and conflicting interests. In recognition that ‘messy’ problems cannot be confined within traditional disciplinary boundaries, the research uses transdisciplinarity as a guiding principle and methodology. It explores how new processes and complex systems ideas relevant for ‘messy’ problems can be applied to resolving urban sanitation. To ground the work in a real context, much of this work is explicated with reference to Colombo, Sri Lanka. My research highlights the role of dominant perspectives and worldviews in the organisation of sanitation practice. A review of sanitation history exposes changing paradigms, and the potential for developing Asian countries to move to radically different practices aligned with sustainability. I demonstrate that conceptions of costs and cost recovery for sanitation depend on perspective, by comparing how neoclassical economics’, ecological economics’ and Buddhist economics’ perspectives indicate different approaches to these, with different alignments with sustainability. By arguing that these perspectives are complementary rather than mutually exclusive, I integrate them to propose necessary principles for sustainable sanitation, namely, that: arrangements for sanitation should emphasise cooperation between stakeholders; efficiency goals should include entropy considerations; society as a whole should live within its means; and ethics and ‘goodness’ should underpin decision processes and choices. The thesis proposes a framework for participation to support decision-makers in resolving problematic sanitation. This supports the principle of cooperation between stakeholders, and the sustainability discourse’s emphasis of democracy and participation in decisions that affect them. It is a learning process based on soft systems methodology, bringing participants with specialist knowledge, stakeholder interests and broader societal values into dialogue that is explicitly designed to be deliberative, that can lead to a path to resolving the problem. Finally, I explore how ethics and ‘goodness’ can be woven into the provision of sanitation services, particularly with private sector actors who can potentially play a key role. I propose that their representation as metaphorical persons within current legal structures be extended so their behaviour is guided by a moral framework like real people in society. I propose that Buddhist economics can provide such a framework, raising expectations of behaviour grounded in ethics and goodness.

University of Technology Sydney. Institute of Sustainable Futures.<br>Sanitation in rapidly growing cities of developing Asian countries is a complex problem that often appears intractable and unyielding to standard problem-solving approaches. In this thesis, I provide a conceptual foundation aligned with sustainability to provide fresh guidance towards resolving this problem. I frame urban sanitation in developing Asian countries as a ‘messy’ planning-related problem, characterised by associations with multiple perspectives, key uncertainties and conflicting interests. In recognition that ‘messy’ problems cannot be confined within traditional disciplinary boundaries, the research uses transdisciplinarity as a guiding principle and methodology. It explores how new processes and complex systems ideas relevant for ‘messy’ problems can be applied to resolving urban sanitation. To ground the work in a real context, much of this work is explicated with reference to Colombo, Sri Lanka. My research highlights the role of dominant perspectives and worldviews in the organisation of sanitation practice. A review of sanitation history exposes changing paradigms, and the potential for developing Asian countries to move to radically different practices aligned with sustainability. I demonstrate that conceptions of costs and cost recovery for sanitation depend on perspective, by comparing how neoclassical economics’, ecological economics’ and Buddhist economics’ perspectives indicate different approaches to these, with different alignments with sustainability. By arguing that these perspectives are complementary rather than mutually exclusive, I integrate them to propose necessary principles for sustainable sanitation, namely, that: arrangements for sanitation should emphasise cooperation between stakeholders; efficiency goals should include entropy considerations; society as a whole should live within its means; and ethics and ‘goodness’ should underpin decision processes and choices. The thesis proposes a framework for participation to support decision-makers in resolving problematic sanitation. This supports the principle of cooperation between stakeholders, and the sustainability discourse’s emphasis of democracy and participation in decisions that affect them. It is a learning process based on soft systems methodology, bringing participants with specialist knowledge, stakeholder interests and broader societal values into dialogue that is explicitly designed to be deliberative, that can lead to a path to resolving the problem. Finally, I explore how ethics and ‘goodness’ can be woven into the provision of sanitation services, particularly with private sector actors who can potentially play a key role. I propose that their representation as metaphorical persons within current legal structures be extended so their behaviour is guided by a moral framework like real people in society. I propose that Buddhist economics can provide such a framework, raising expectations of behaviour grounded in ethics and goodness.

The energy system is an essential part of nowadays society. The concept of “energy system” commonly refers to the energy-supply chain as the whole system consisting of the energy conversion devices as well as storage units from the energy resources to the final user demands. In the 1900’s, energy has been commonly provided by large generation power plants operating in a central location and transmitted to consumers via transmission and distribution networks. In a typical centralized energy system, a large number of end-users is located within a large area. A Distributed Energy System (DES) can be regarded as the opposite of a centralized energy system, where the term “distributed” illustrates how single energy conversion devices and storage units are integrated into the whole energy system. Therefore, a DES refers to an energy system, where energy is made available close to energy consumers, typically relying on a number of small-scale technologies. In recent years, developing DESs has attracted much interest, since these systems have been recognized as a sustainability-oriented alternative to conventional centralized energy systems. In general, sustainability means an equitable distribution of the limited resources and opportunities in the context of the economy, the society, and the environment, aiming at the well-being of everyone, now and in future, thereby guaranteeing that needs of future generations may be completely satisfied as happens today. One of the main benefits of DESs is the possibility to integrate different energy resources, including renewable ones, as well as to recover waste heat from power generation plants for thermal purposes. This benefit allows to enhance sustainability of the energy supply through a more efficient use of the energy resources as well as a reduced environmental impact, as compared with conventional energy supply systems. Through an appropriate planning, DESs may exhibit even better performances than a single polygeneration system, such as Combined Cooling Heating and Power systems or conventional energy supply systems. The optimal planning of DESs is not a trivial task, as integration of different types of energy resources and energy conversion devices as well as storage units may increase the complexity of the system. Moreover, generally different stakeholders participate in DESs development and management. Hence, objectives can be defined from different perspectives, such as the developers and operators of DESs, or the civil society, ideally represented by the regulator. Some of the DESs planning objectives are naturally conflicting. Consequently, there is not a single planning solution, which can satisfy all the stakeholders. For instance, society interest in sustainable energy supply systems, and with low environmental impacts, might conflict with the economic interest of the developers and operators of DESs. A multi-objective approach helps to identify compromise solutions, which benefit all the stakeholders. This thesis presents an original tool based on a mathematical programming approach, to attain the optimal operation planning of DESs through multi-objective criteria, by considering both short- and long-run priorities. Multi-objective optimization problems are formulated to find the optimized operation strategies of DESs in order to take into account short-run priorities characterized by the crucial economic factor, as well as long-run priorities in terms of sustainability. This latter is attained through exergy concepts as well as environmental impacts assessments.