- Table View
- List View
Sustainability Analytics Toolkit for Practitioners: Creating Value in the 21st Century
by Renard SiewThis book solicits meaningful contributions from key experts and practitioners that have been dealing with the emerging area of sustainability analytics. In doing so, readers would understand the cost, impact and performance of their sustainability initiatives. The book covers current analytical tools (eg: frameworks, standards, ESG indexes) to measure sustainability, and how these tools embed the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). In addition to that, a part of the book is also dedicated to the application of sustainability analytics, highlighting key challenges as well as the importance of engagement and communication in shaping the future direction of sustainability assessments. This book will be extremely useful to both researchers and practitioners who are looking for best--in-class practices to create value from their sustainability initiatives.
Sustainability and Corporate Performance in Health Care: ESG Implications for the European Industry (CSR, Sustainability, Ethics & Governance)
by Paolo CandioThis book explores the multifaceted relationship between sustainability and corporate performance in health care by providing a review of the relevant policy and academic literature, together with novel quantitative evidence to support strategic and managerial decision-making. The book uniquely investigates whether and how improvements in sustainability-related activities and reporting, and respective ESG scores assigned by international rating agencies, are related to corporations’ economic and market performance. The potential development and expansion in private health care services and products, accelerated by the COVID-19 pandemic, calls for a new paradigm in the health care industry. After introducing the reader to the social and policy context for sustainable development and to various normative and market instruments used to assess sustainability and corporate performance, the book presents the results of statistical analyses conducted on a representative sample of top health care companies listed in European capital markets and draws conclusions about the profitability and effectiveness of sustainability- and ESG-related investments. There’s a current debate about whether investing in sustainability not only fulfills ethical obligations but also drives long-term value. The empirical literature often presents conflicting findings, particularly when it comes to scholars’ relatively limited evaluation of the health care industry. The book sheds new light on this proposition and offers guidance on sustainable decision-making in health care, making it relevant for researchers and professionals.
Sustainability and Energy Politics: Ecological Modernisation and Corporate Social Responsibility (Energy, Climate and the Environment)
by Giorel CurranThe author explores the fraught politics of energy transitions in an age of climate change. She does so through an ecological modernisation and corporate social responsibility lens which she contends shapes and underpins sustainability today. Case studies cover climate policy, unconventional gas and renewable energy.
Sustainability and Financial Risks: The Impact of Climate Change, Environmental Degradation and Social Inequality on Financial Markets (Palgrave Studies in Impact Finance)
by Marco Migliorelli Philippe DessertineDespite growing discussions on the relationship between sustainability and finance, so far little attention has been given to the relation linking sustainability-related risks and financial risks. Climate change, environmental degradation and social inequality, among others factors, may indeed have considerable adverse impacts on financial actors and markets, and even have the potential to harm financial stability. Shedding light on the importance of the nexus between sustainability and financial risks, this book addresses the need for new industry and policy approaches. With insights from a skilled set of scholars in the finance field, this edited collection explores the effects of climate risks on the banking and insurance industries, the problem of stranded assets, the possible corporate risk management frameworks that could be used to control sustainability-related risks, the role of non-financial disclosure in fostering market discipline, and the policy actions needed to integrate sustainability considerations into prudential supervision. Tackling an interdisciplinary topic, this book will appeal to academics and practitioners within the finance, business and sustainability fields.
Sustainability and Global Challenges: Analysis by Mathematics of Uncertainty (Intelligent Systems Reference Library #256)
by John N. Mordeson Sunil MathewThis book focuses on the relationship between Artificial Intelligence (AI) and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). One of the most important issues the world is facing is sustainability. All members of the United Nations adopted Agenda 2030 and the Sustainable Development Goals. Associated with the SDGs are many serious global problems. These problems include climate change, global poverty, global hunger, human trafficking, homelessness, biodiversity, extinction, and terrorism. The author’s purpose is to develop a textbook concerning the SDGs and how they relate to these problems. A recent issue has emerged. That is Artificial Intelligence. AI has tremendous potential to do both good and harm. The book is designed in such a way that it can be used as an undergraduate textbook on sustainability. Consequently, the mathematics involved is kept at a reasonable level. One of the author’s goals is to prepare the reader to further their study of global issues. In particular, to provide them the background needed to examine the three books in the Springer Series Studies in Systems, Decision and Control, volumes 299, 353, and 391. Exercises are provided in the text as well as an instructor's manual. Some topics examined in the book include country achievement of the SDGs, the relationship between human trafficking and the SDGs, climate change, and global problems mentioned above.
Sustainability and Health Informatics: A Systems Approach to Address the Climate Action Induced Global Challenge (Advances in Geographical and Environmental Sciences)
by Gaurav Tripathi Achala Shakya Shruti Kanga L. T. Sasang Guite Suraj Kumar SinghThis book offers a comprehensive overview of the latest research, technologies, and applications of health informatics to promote sustainability and address climate change. The book focuses on the complex and multi-faceted challenge induced by climate change — a challenge that requires a systems approach at the global, national, and local levels. It explores the ethical and social implications of health informatics and climate change solutions, including issues related to data privacy, equity, and access to healthcare. The book primarily fills the gap in the available literature on the subject by bringing together the concepts, theories, and practical experiences of specialists and professionals in one volume. In addition, examples of successful health informatics and climate change solutions from around the world are showcased, including innovative approaches to data collection, analysis, and dissemination. The book is an essential resource for researchers, practitioners, and policymakers in the fields of health informatics, sustainability, and climate change.The interconnected challenges of climate change and human health require a multidisciplinary and integrated approach that includes the use of health informatics tools and methods. By leveraging the power of informatics, we can develop innovative solutions to mitigate the impacts of climate change on human health and to build more resilient and sustainable communities.
Sustainability and Human Resource Management: Developing Sustainable Business Organizations
by Wes Harry Klaus J. Zink Ina EhnertThe role of HRM in developing sustainable business organizations is increasingly attracting attention. Sustainability can be used as a principle for HRM itself and the tasks of Sustainable HRM are twofold. On the one hand it fosters the conditions for individual employee sustainability and develops the ability of HRM systems to continuously attract, regenerate and develop motivated and engaged employees by making the HRM system itself sustainable. On the other hand Sustainable HRM contributes to the sustainability of the business organizations through cooperation with the top management, key stakeholders and NGOs and by realising economic, ecological, social and human sustainability goals. This book provides a comprehensive review of the new area of Sustainable HRM and of research from different disciplines like sustainable work systems, ergonomics, HRM, linking sustainability and HRM. It brings together the views of academics and practitioners and provides many ideas for conceptual development, empirical exploration and practical implementation. This publication intends to advance the international academic and practice-based debates on the potential of sustainability for HRM and vice versa. In 19 chapters, 26 authors from five continents explore the role of HRM in developing economically, socially and ecologically sustainable organizations, the concept of Sustainable HRM and the role of HRM in developing Sustainable HRM systems and how sustainability and HRM are conceptualized and perceived in different areas of the world.
Sustainability and Human Settlements: Fundamental Issues, Modeling and Simulations
by Mani Monto L S Ganesh Koshy VargheseThis book—an outcome of the authors’ ongoing research on the complex relationships between humans and water in an urban context—presents an integrated model for assessing and forecasting the sustainability of human settlements, particularly urban communities. After introducing the conceptual and contextual dimensions of sustainability through an extensive review of the literature on the subject, the authors go on to explain their model. They then elaborate on the methodology for its formulation, development and implementation. This model has also been used to analyse changes in the availability of water and open spaces, and variations in lifestyles, community attitudes and living conditions including sanitation practices, and waste generation and its disposal.
Sustainability and Innovation in Manufacturing Enterprises: Indicators, Models and Assessment for Industry 5.0 (Advances in Sustainability Science and Technology)
by Anca Draghici Larisa IvascuThis book informs and educates readers about sustainable development management, approaches and applications in manufacturing processes and presents the trends to the next economic and social paradigm: the Industry 5.0 and Society 5.0. Educational aspects, case studies from various companies, together with the analysis and synthesis of the literature and empirical experiences, define the content of the eleven chapters. Thus, this material could be considered as a starting point and foundation for researchers and practitioners interested in the present state and the evolution of the manufacturing systems. The book offers various points of view regarding the actual digital transformation of the manufacturing system.
Sustainability and Life Cycle Assessment in Industrial Biotechnology (Advances in Biochemical Engineering/Biotechnology #173)
by Magnus Fröhling Michael HieteThis book reviews the assessment of industrial biotechnology products and processes from a sustainable perspective. Industrial Biotechnology is a comparably young field which comes along with high expectations with regard to sustainability issues. These stem from the promise of reducing greenhouse gas emissions and replacing fossil resources in the near or later future and using green technology, i.e. more environmentally friendly technologies. The intended economic, ecological and social benefits, however, need to be proven, resulting in a variety of challenges, both from a methodological and application point of view. In this book, specific assessment and application topics of industrial biotechnology are addressed, highlighting challenges and solutions for both developers and users of assessment methods. In twelve chapters, experts in their particular fields define the scope, characterize industrial biotechnology and show in their contributions the state of the art, challenges and prospects of assessing industrial biotechnology products and processes.The chapter 'Societal and Ethical Aspects of Industrial Biotechnology' of this book is available open access under a CC BY 4.0 license at link.springer.com
Sustainability and Resilience Planning for Local Governments: The Quadruple Bottom Line Strategy (Sustainable Development Goals Series)
by Haris AlibašićThis book details a process of creating a long-term sustainability and resilience plan for local governments to use in designing and implementing sustainability and resilience-related policies, initiatives, and programs. It offers guidance and methods in applying sustainability and resilience strategies to attain the prosperity of organizations and communities. The recommendations in this book are based on the author's years of experience in directing applied resilience and sustainability planning for a local government, and years of research covering diverse aspects of sustainability and resilience from climate change, climate preparedness and readiness, quadruple bottom line strategy, greenhouse gas emission reduction policies, climate adaptation and mitigation to sustainable energy policies and initiatives. Chapter one defines terms related to sustainability and resilience and addresses how the topics reshape local governments and communities. Chapter two maps out the sustainability and resilience process for organizations and communities, determining the appropriate steps to be taken at each level of sustainability and resilience planning. Chapter three identifies community and organizational level engagement, with internal and external stakeholders, including designs necessary throughout these processes. Chapter four contains measuring, tracking, monitoring and reporting methods using the quadruple bottom line strategy, and developing a sustainability and resilience progress report to ensure accountability, transparency, and good governance. Then, chapter five details the implementation of a sustainability and resilience plan once it is established, describing potential programs and initiatives to achieve sustainable and resilient communities. Chapter six describes the intersection between sustainability and resilience, and chapter seven examines the tools and resources available to create a practical sustainability and resilience plan. Chapter eight concludes the text by addressing the future of sustainability and resilience, and complexities of the modern dynamics of the interconnected systems in cities, counties, and organizations, and recommends how local government administrators in their planning methods and strategies must consider these challenges.
Sustainability and the Humanities
by Walter Leal Filho Adriana Consorte McCreaThis book explores the strong links between sustainability and the humanities, which go beyond the inclusion of social sciences in discussions on sustainability, and offers a holistic discussion on the intellectual and moral aspects of sustainable development. The contributions from researchers in the fields of education, social sciences, religion, humanities, and sustainable development fulfill three main aims:They provide university lecturers interested in humanities and sustainable development with an opportunity to present their work;foster the exchange of information, ideas and experiences acquired in the execution of teaching and research; anddiscuss methodological approaches and projects that provide a better understanding of how the humanities can contribute to the debate on sustainable development. Prepared by the Inter-University Sustainable Development Research Programme and the World Sustainable Development Research and Transfer Centre, the book reiterates the need to promote integrated approaches to sustainable development. Including practice-based lessons learnt that can be replicated further, it is a valuable resource for scientists and practitioners working in the humanities and sustainable development.
Sustainability and the New Economics: Synthesising Ecological Economics and Modern Monetary Theory
by Stephen J. Williams Rod TaylorThis multidisciplinary book provides new insights and hope for sustainable prosperity given recent developments in economics – but only if swift and strong actions consistent with Earth’s biophysical limits and principles of justice are universally taken. It is one thing to put limits on resource throughput and waste generation to conform with the ecosphere’s biocapacity. It is another thing to efficiently allocate a sustainable rate of resource throughput and ensure it is equitably distributed in the form of final goods and services. While the separate but interdependent decisions regarding throughput, distribution, and allocation are the essence of ecological economics, dealing with them in a world that needs to cure its growth addiction requires a realistic understanding of macroeconomics and the fiscal capacity of currency-issuing central governments. Sustainable prosperity demands that we harness this understanding to carefully regulate the rate of resource throughput and manipulate macroeconomic outcomes to facilitate human flourishing. The book begins by outlining humanity’s current predicament of gross ecological overshoot and laments the half-century of missed opportunities since The Limits to Growth (1972). What was once economic growth has become, in many high-income countries, uneconomic growth (additional costs exceeding additional benefits), which is no longer advancing wellbeing. Meanwhile, low-income nations need a dose of efficient and equitable growth to escape poverty while protecting their environments and the global commons. The book argues for a synthesis of our increasing knowledge of the ecosphere’s limited carrying capacity and the power of governments to harness, transform, and distribute resources for the common good. Central to this synthesis must be a correct understanding of the difference between financial constraints and real resource constraints. While the latter apply to everyone, the former do not apply to currency-issuing central governments, which have much more capacity for corrective action than mainstream thinking perceives. The book joins the growing chorus of authoritative voices calling for a complete overhaul of the dominant economic system. We conclude with policy recommendations based on a new economics that, if implemented, would come close to guaranteeing a sustainable and prosperous future. Upon reading this book, at least one thing should be crystal clear: business as usual is not a viable option.
Sustainability and the Philosophy of Science (Routledge Focus on Environment and Sustainability)
by Jeffry L. RamseyThis book demonstrates how the philosophy of science can enhance our understanding of sustainability and the practices we use to enact it. Examining assumptions about concepts, theories, evidence, and the moral ideals of sustainability can better orient us as we pursue this urgent and important goal. The book applies perspectives and tools from the philosophy of science – construed broadly to include portions of science and technology studies, history of science, and philosophy more generally – to sustainability discourse. It argues that widely held assumptions regarding the meaning of concepts, methods of theorizing and inferential practice, evidential structure, and ethics limit our understanding and practice of sustainability. It offers philosophical alternatives that capture more fully the confusing, wicked nature of sustainability challenges. The alternatives draw attention to existing but often undervalued frameworks in sustainability discourse. This book is aimed towards academics, researchers, and post-graduates working in sustainability, as well as philosophers of science and environmental philosophers interested in the philosophical issues raised by the pursuit of sustainability.
Sustainability and the Sustainable Development Goals in Cultural Clusters: A Comparative Analysis of Concepts, Influences, and Attainability (Sustainable Development Goals Series)
by Jang SinghThis book examines the three pillars of sustainability (physical environment, social issues, and economic justice) and the progress and achievability of the United Nations’ (UN) 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in Canada, Guyana, India, Sri Lanka, and the USA. It presents data from interviews with 41 political and business leaders in these five countries to examine the political and professional effects on sustainability. In addition to the three pillars of sustainability, the author briefly examines the role of religion in sustainability as a potential fourth pillar. The UN SDGs represent minimum targets for the global environmental, economic, and social pillars that underpin a sustainable future for our planet. The data presented in this book combined with the themes uncovered with the SDGs adds to our understanding of how we can potentially influence and achieve these targets and create a sustainable future for the world.
Sustainability and Water Footprint: Industry-specific Assessments and Recommendations (Environmental Footprints and Eco-design of Products and Processes)
by Subramanian Senthilkannan MuthuThis volume offers background and a variety of cases dealing with the concept of water footprint. The first chapter provides an introduction to the concept of water footprint and how it can be used to evaluate efforts toward sustainability, conservation, and environmental cleanup and remediation. Special focus is given to wastewater treatment from housing and construction, agriculture, and other industries. This book will be useful to academics, professionals, and students who are striving to make industrial use of water and cleanup of byproducts more sustainable.
Sustainability Appraisal: Quantitative Methods and Mathematical Techniques for Environmental Performance Evaluation
by Paulina Golinska Marina G Erechtchoukova Peter A KhaiterOne of the most important issues in developing sustainable management strategies and incorporating ecodesigns in production, manufacturing and operations management is the assessment of the sustainability of business operations and organizations' overall environmental performance. The book presents the results of recent studies on sustainability assessment. It provides a solid reference for researchers in academia and industrial practitioners on the state-of-the-art in sustainability appraisal including the development and application of sustainability indices, quantitative methods, models and frameworks for the evaluation of current and future welfare outcomes, recommendations on data collection and processing for the evaluation of organizations' environmental performance, and eco-efficiency approaches leading to business process re-engineering.
Sustainability Assessment of Renewables-Based Products
by Jo Dewulf Steven De Meester Rodrigo A. AlvarengaOver the past decade, renewables-based technology and sustainability assessment methods have grown tremendously. Renewable energy and products have a significant role in the market today, and the same time sustainability assessment methods have advanced, with a growing standardization of environmental sustainability metrics and consideration of social issues as part of the assessment. Sustainability Assessment of Renewables-Based Products: Methods and Case Studies is an extensive update and sequel to the 2006 title Renewables-Based Technology: Sustainability Assessment. It discusses the impressive evolution and role renewables have taken in our modern society, highlighting the importance of sustainability principles in the design phase of renewable-based technologies, and presenting a wide range of sustainability assessment methods suitable for renewables-based technologies, together with case studies to demonstrate their applications. This book is a valuable resource for academics, businesses and policy makers who are active in contributing to more sustainable production and consumption. For more information on the Wiley Series in Renewable Resources, visit www.wiley.com/go/rrs Topics covered include: * The growing role of renewables in our society* Sustainability in the design phase of products and processes* Principles of sustainability assessment* Land use analysis* Water use analysis* Material and energy flow analysis* Exergy and cumulative exergy analysis* Carbon and environmental footprint methods* Life Cycle Assessment (LCA), social Life Cycle Assessment and Life Cycle Costing (LCC)* Case studies: renewable energy, bio-based chemicals and bio-based materials.
Sustainability: The Basics (The Basics)
by Peter JacquesSustainability is a pressing concern for people and governments around the world, but it is also an essentially contested concept that requires an understanding of the stakes, trade-offs, and complex politics at play. Sustainability: The Basics offers an accessible and interdisciplinary introduction to the concept, and discusses key questions such as: What are the core principles of sustainability? What are the key ethical considerations for questions of sustainability? How do we measure sustainability? What are the critical obstacles to achieving global sustainability? What happens when societies fail to observe principles of sustainability? Fully updated in its second edition, Sustainability: The Basics now includes coverage of the Sustainable Development Goals, a global range of case studies and explores the complex social dynamics of Earth system changes that affect our critical life supports. The second edition also proposes a new, "sustainable humanism" that animates much of our work to make a better, more humane world. As the world reels from the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic, this book is an ideal starting point for anyone who wants to know more about what we need to do to sustain civilization, humanity, and the world we live in.
Sustainability Challenges and Delivering Practical Engineering Solutions: Resources, Materials, Energy, and Buildings (Advances in Science, Technology & Innovation)
by Gasim Hayder Ahmed Salih Rashid A. SaeedThis book highlights the recent findings and advances in science engineering technology and sustainability issues. It aims to discuss, reflect and share experience in addressing the findings in science engineering technology and sustainability. The book aims to report the various interrelated disciplines from different institutions to discuss, reflect and share technology and experience in addressing new findings and strategies. This book presents the proceedings of the Science Engineering Technology and Sustainability International Conference (SETS2021) which was held virtually—as sustainable virtual conferences become the new normal—during December 23–25, 2021. This book is presenting latest research findings, and it is suitable for researchers, postgraduate students, professionals and experts. The book includes interesting and top research in fuzzy modeling and decision-making applications in computer science. Several chapters address trending research about bioremediation and phytoremediation. There are mainly three research findings that cover artificial intelligence, sustainability and new technologies.
Sustainability Challenges in Sub-Saharan Africa I: Continental Perspectives and Insights from Western and Central Africa (Science for Sustainable Societies)
by Alexandros Gasparatos Abubakari Ahmed Merle Naidoo Alice Karanja Kensuke Fukushi Osamu Saito Kazuhiko TakeuchiThe aim of this 2-volume book is to highlight how Sustainability Science approaches can help solve some of the pervasive challenges that Africa faces. The volumes collect a number of local case studies throughout Africa that adopt transdisciplinary and problem-oriented research approaches using methodologies from the natural and the social sciences. These are put into perspective with chapters that introduce key sustainability challenges such using a regional focus. Through this multi-scale and inter/transdisciplinary approach the proposed volume will provide an authoritative source that will pack in a single volume a large amount of information on how Sustainability Science approaches sustainability challenges in African contexts. While there have been general books about sustainability science, none has had a strong African focus. As a result the 2-volume set fills a major gap in the Sustainability Science scholarship. This volume sets the stage for the series. Part I introduces key sustainability challenges in Africa. Parts II‐III highlights specific case studies related to these challenges from West and Central Africa.
Sustainability Challenges in Sub-Saharan Africa II: Insights from Eastern and Southern Africa (Science for Sustainable Societies)
by Alexandros Gasparatos Merle Naidoo Abubakari Ahmed Alice Karanja Kensuke Fukushi Osamu Saito Kazuhiko TakeuchiThe aim of this two-volume book series is to highlight some of the most pervasive sustainability challenges that Sub-Saharan Africa faces. The two volumes contain 20 chapters that illustrate very diverse sustainability challenges throughout the continent, adopting interdisciplinary and problem-oriented research approaches, and methods from the natural and the social sciences. The very diverse case study chapters are put into perspective with chapters that introduce key sustainability challenges using a regional focus. Through this multi-scale and interdisciplinary approach the two volumes provide an authoritative source about the major sustainability challenges in the continent, and how to mobilise such perspectives to develop appropriate solutions. The two volumes have a uniquely broad focus that fills a major gap in the emerging Sustainability Science scholarship. Parts I-II highlight specific case studies on major sustainability challenges from Eastern and Southern Africa. Part III synthesizes the main lessons learnt from the chapters in the two edited volumes.
Sustainability Challenges in the Fashion Industry: Civilization Crisis, Decolonization, Cultural Legacy, and Transitions (Sustainable Textiles: Production, Processing, Manufacturing & Chemistry)
by Miguel Ángel Gardetti Rosa Patricia Larios-FranciaFashion, and the growth of fashion, are presented as the manifestation of a process of civilization, within a capitalist culture (capital understood as material possessions) that has become global and imperialist, of which - in an economic sense - the industry (or the fashion system?) functions as one of its main instruments of exploitation. And with respect to design, Arturo Escobar said: "Can design detach itself from its roots in modernist practices of unsustainability and defuturization and reorient itself towards other commitments, practices, narratives and ontological enactions? Moreover, can design be part of the toolkit for the transition to the pluriverze (i.e. a world in which many worlds can fit)?" This book presents the importance of cultural sustainability in the textiles and fashion industry, decolonizing fashion system and promotes the design for transitions.
Sustainability Challenges of Brazilian Agriculture: Governance, Inclusion, and Innovation (Environment & Policy #64)
by Niels Søndergaard Camila Dias de Sá Ana Flávia Barros PlatiauWith contributions from a wide range of thematic areas, this book provides a diverse perspective on the contemporary environmental challenges of Brazilian agriculture. Assessing existing experiences of governance interventions, implementation of inclusive and sustainable production practices, as well as technical innovations, this edited volume presents the reader with a nuanced perspective on sustainable future pathways for Brazilian agriculture. In many cases, actors within the agricultural sector stand in a key position to address environmental concerns, which often has generated important breakthroughs and improvement of production practices. Drawing on contributions from authors within a variety of fields, this contribution presents a trans-disciplinary perspective on the problems and pathways through which multi-level interventions can lead to sustainable solutions within the Brazilian agricultural and livestock sector. This book hereby constitutes an informed and timely contribution to the important debates about Brazil’s potential role in confronting environmental problems. More broadly, this volume also sheds light on the process of agricultural transitions in the Global South, and how food security concerns may be reconciled with sustainable production.
Sustainability Communication
by Gerd Michelsen Jasmin GodemannModern and professional communication is required to realise the goal of sustainability in society. This book develops a theoretical and empirical framework, integrating interdisciplinary perspectives from communications theory, psychology, sociology, educational sciences, systems theory and constructivism. Its aim is to inform the establishment of sustainability communication. Complementing this theoretical framework, the book provides methods and concepts in a range of fields such as corporate practice, education and media. The book addresses the scientific community and students as well as communicators in all categories of sustainability communication.