bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Climate Literacy and Individual Consumption Behavior: An Evaluation of the Indian Experience
Authors: P. Singh Kanwal D. , Mathur Aakriti
Published: December 2019

Climate change education and awareness are essential for any effective action on climate change. While regulatory policies and taxes influence consumer behavior, these measures are significantly more successful when the stakeholders are made aware of the larger policy objective underlying such measures, especially the exact extent and nature of the impact of climate change, if Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions continue unabated as also the significant effect small everyday individual choices can have on reducing the individual GHG emissions. This paper will examine the extent of awareness regarding the causes and consequences of climate change as also the government programs and policies for climate change mitigation and adaptation. It will also evaluate the effect of climate literacy on individual consumption habits and attitudes towards climate change mitigation and adaptation. The methodology adopted in this research paper will be empirical and analytical and the authors will collect primary data through the means of a questionnaire administered to a random sample of 300 respondents belonging to the age group of 18 – 75 years, selected from urban areas in India. The research paper shall show the relationship between lack of climate literacy and high GHG emissions through individual consumption habits and behavior and make recommendations for increasing climate literacy in India through effective outreach programs.Keywords: Climate Literacy, Individual Carbon Emissions, Consumption Behavior, Attitudes to Climate Change
Waste Management and Collaborative Recycling: An SDG Analysis for a Circular Economy
Authors: Durrani Kartikeya
Published: December 2019

The designated proposal has been a rather globally developing topic and factually alarming according to opined and definitive sources as mentioned in my final submission. Primary sources have indicated and formulated a sharp rise in the global waste produce by 70 per cent nearing 2049, along with clogging waterways, drainage passages and damaging waste-transporting infrastructure. Consolidated efforts which are necessary, certain factual implementations are also further mentioned in the submission, citing primary authorities. The collaborative recycling factor being as important as the pummeling of action which, is attributed according to how vicarious liability flows within an organization, contributing to how the most waste producing countries should take charge by coming together and joining forces. This submission also outlines and draws out how organizational-level responsibility must be implemented while accounting and moving forward with responsible waste management. It also highlights Properly disposing waste along with organic solid waste management programs which will work both ways, in the first way, it will help in supporting major waste producing countries through elemental waste reduction and recycling programs, and in the second way, help in educating the uneducated sections of the society on how to properly minimize food waste. Paving smooth budgetary transitions through recycled material and in turn, creating a circular economy which would fund itself, in a glacial but an efficient pace, thus, powering various global waste management.Keywords: recycling, sustainable development, waste, disposal, impact, utensils, biodegradable, clay, plastic, bricks
What is the Connection between Soil Carbon Dioxide Emission, Global Warming and Food Security?
Authors: Toro Agnes , Harsányi Endre
Published: December 2019

In the heart of the western civilization, mainly in the European Union, we are more interested in the quality of the food than in its quantity. Due to our ever-changing world we have to pay more attention to the future of the latter, namely to food security. As food security depends on global warming as well, one of its triggering actors was selected for analysis, the emission of carbon dioxide from the soil. The experiments were set up in the Látókép experimental site, which is situated in the eastern part of Hungary. I have examined the effect of less soil disturbance regarding the CO2 emission, in the case of winter ploughing, strip tillage and subsoiling methods. Measurements were performed with five differently placed and unique cylinders and with the help of the TESTO 535 measuring device. The results confirmed the hypothesis: less emission can help in the fight against global warming, thus it has a direct link to and impact on food security. Keywords: food security, global warming, CO2 emission, tillage methods
Indicator Analysis of the Economic Development of Polish Regions in the Context of the Implementation of the Concept of Sustainable Development
Authors: Barska Anetta , Jędrzejczak-Gas Janina
Published: December 2019

The aim of the article is to present the regional differentiation of indicators characterizing the economic development of Polish regions in the context of the progress made in the implementation of the concept of sustainable development in 2010 and 2017. The authors focused primarily on determining the position of Lubuskie Province on the economic map of Poland. The article proposes a set of indicators monitoring one of the areas of sustainable development - economic development, which also take into account other areas of sustainable development, i.e. social development, environmental development, and institutional-political development. The main criterion for the selection of indicators were substantive premises and their completeness and accessibility across the regions. The analysis and evaluation of the proposed indicators (explanatory variables) were conducted within five thematic areas which mark the economic development of the regions and which are important from the standpoint of the sustainable development concept: 1) Potential of the economy 2) Innovativeness of the economy 3) Economic activity of enterprises, 4) Production and transportation, 5) Economic activity of households. The article consists of two sections. In the first section, based on literature review, the most important issues regarding the concept of sustainable development and the state of scientific research on the indicators of sustainable development at regional level are presented. The second section addresses the concept of indicator analysis on the basis of which an assessment of economic development of 16 Polish regions was carried out and the position of Lubuskie Province was determined against the backdrop of the other regions. The findings prompted an answer to the question concerning the economic development of Polish regions, and in particular of Lubuskie Province, in the context of the concept of sustainable development.Keywords: indicator analysis, region, sustainable development, economic development, Poland
Assessment of the Economic Development of Polish Regions in the Context of the Implementation of the Concept of Sustainable Development - Taxonomic Analysis
Authors: Jędrzejczak-Gas Janina , Barska Anetta
Published: December 2019

The aim of the article is to conduct a multidimensional assessment of the diversification of economic development of Polish regions in the context of the progress made in the implementation of the concept of sustainable development in 2010 and 2017. The authors focused primarily on determining the position of Lubusz Province on the economic map of Poland. Given that economic development is a complex category, taxonomic (synthetic) measures developed on the basis of selected methods of multivariate comparative analysis were used in the research. The synthetic measures were constructed using the proposed partial indicators (explanatory variables), which, according to the authors, best illustrate economic development and the idea of sustainable development at regional level. Based on the constructed measures, a linear ordering of Polish regions by level of economic development in the context of the implementation of the concept of sustainable development was made, and the convergence of the orders was examined. In addition, the regions were grouped by level of economic development. Subsequently, the effectiveness of the obtained groupings was evaluated. The research shows that in 2017, compared to 2010, the overall level of economic development in all Polish regions increased. In what concerns Lubusz Province, a conclusion can be made that its position in the overall ranking is improving.Keywords: Linear ordering; Region; Sustainable development; Economic development; Polish regions
Navigating the Waters of “The Engine of Development”- Small Medium Enterprises (SME‟s) in India
Authors: B. Abiramib B. Vishnupriyaa  A.
Published: December 2019

SMEs are considered to be the spine of the Indian economic structure which has on a continuous basis proved to be the bulwark of the country‟s economy, providing it the resilience to ward of economic shocks and the sustaining capacity in many financial adversities and calamities. These have relentlessly contributed to the overall growth of national GDP and also has generated employment to millions and export to the worldwide economy. While, SMEs are the engines of development in the current scenario, their growth is hindered by factors like low capital basis, availability of low-cost credit, poor technology, lack of quality and sufficiency in material and human resources, infrastructural constraints, lack of market awareness, globalization of trade, increasing competition and timely restructuring when stressed. The motive of this research paper is to analyze and understand the impediments in the growth of SMEs in the Indian context and to suggest solutions to overcome them. The paper also seeks to explore the impact of the growth of these SMEs at a global juncture.
Business Life Expectancy of Manufacturing Sector from Monteria, Córdoba - Colombia
Authors: Chica Urzola Juan Angel , Serna Mendoza Ciro Alfonso
Published: December 2019

The Sustainable Development (SD) of a community is intimately linked to business. This topic turns out to be of great relevance for the economy and sustainability of a certain territory. Companies provide solutions to different factors that take shape within the company, but its origin and consequences are in all dimensions of the SD. The importance of companies in the SD has been recognized by the UN by making them co-responsible 11 of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals, at least - SDGs (UN, 2015). For a company, life expectancy is determined by the different factors that affect it positively or negatively. This is fundamental. What factors influence the duration of the companies? This document presents the results of an investigation to establish the life expectancy of the manufacturing companies of the city of Monteria, Colombia under the period 2013-2018, based on the analysis of the official data contrasted with a hypothesis and interviews with the actors to determine possible causes and relationships.Keywords: Business sustainability, Manufacturing, Business lifetime expectancy
Conquest of Sustainable Development through Reformative Mechanisms of ADR
Authors: Tharakan Rachel Jacob , Lahoti Kanika
Published: December 2019

An ever booming world population in the recent years have made a significant impact on the environment and a proportional rise in environmental issues. Amicable dispute settlement in environmental conflicts seem a far-fetched dream with the vastly different judicial systems of countries worldwide and thus, there exists a need for reinventing dispute resolution mechanisms to achieve the Sustainable Development Agenda. Goal 16 of the Sustainable Development Agenda calls for peace, justice and strong institutions and in furtherance of the same, The United Nations Environment Programme have discussed Alternative Dispute Resolution in Environmental Disputes as a part of Access to Justice. Like any other system, ADR also has its barriers to practical implementation. Moreover on a philosophical level, it is significant to question the ethics of environmental ADR as a form of restorative justice. With the help of this paper, the authors aim to examine and reconcile the identified benefits and issues of environmental ADR while focusing on the aspect of sustainable development. The authors also aim at evaluating the effectiveness of ADR on a global level and bring out the practicality of the mechanism in the same domain before concluding the paper with derived and intended suggestions.Keywords: Alternate Dispute Resolution Mechanism, Environmental Conflict, Sustainable Development, United Nations Environment Programme
Eco-Psychological and Phenomenological Approach to Sustainability
Authors: Riggs Larry W. , Hellyer-Riggs Sandra
Published: December 2019

Our purpose is to show the value of eco-psychology and phenomenology for a cognitive paradigm fostering sustainable development. Our hypothesis is that those fields help lay the groundwork for truly sustainable development. Our method is a review of scholarly and theoretical work on the origins of the modern paradigm that has governed conceptions of development, and on eco-psychology, phenomenology, cognitive science, and sustainable development. Our contribution is a fully informed understanding of psychological and socio-cultural issues relevant to sustainability. The prevailing conception of development derives from the origins of modern science in seventeenth-century Europe. Francis Bacon and René Descartes elaborated a vision of development, or material progress, based on exploitation of a nature without inherent value, as a source of raw materials for human purposes. Eco-psychology aims to repair the rift between humanity and nature. Our dominant idea of development implies the alienation from nature that makes it difficult to prioritize authentic sustainability. Maurice Merleau-Ponty makes the crucial point that “we can never grasp the world in its totality but we grasp it according to the mode in which we inhabit it” (Merleau-Ponty, 1962, as cited in Buckley, 2013). What will we sustain? How will we negotiate the socio-cultural and psychological obstacles and achieve reconciliation? What are some examples of meaningful, practical movement toward sustainability?Keywords: eco-psychology, phenomenological, sustainability, mindset/paradigm, mindfulness, emotions, healing
Development of an Integrated Game Based Assessment Approach – The Next Generation of Psychometric Testing
Authors: Alina Stanciu Cătălin Gabriel Ioniță , Dan Florin Stănescu Adrian Toșcă
Published: December 2019

Game-based assessment have received a lot of attention in the last decade. In a recent study of human resources practitioners, 75% of participants indicated that they would consider using gamification as part of their own recruitment and selection strategy in the near future. Following the methodological approach previously used in educational environment, two approaches to building and using GBA in the organizational environment can be distinguished: gamified assessment – by gamifying (already existing) psychometric test; psychometric play - use of a game to gather evaluation data. Previous studies highlighted that those applying for a job are eager to use game-based assessment for self-evaluation, especially when these games are available for free. Game-based assessments can also help maintain a high commitment during the evaluation, which reduces the likelihood of some candidates dropping out in the process and also increases the amount of time that data can be collected. Current paper aim at presenting the preliminary efforts made to gamify two psychometric tests, namely spatial and verbal reasoning.Keywords: Game based assessment; recruitment; spatial reasoning; verbal reasoning
Empirical Research on the Latent Factors that Facilitate the Individuals’ Interaction with the Community
Authors: Cristina State Ion Tudor , Nicolae Valentina
Published: December 2019

The communion of interests and the open, voluntary membership which characterise social economy enterprises are a challenge we will be trying to deal with in this paper. Our dilemma regarding the existence of some conditionality between the individuals’ expectations from their community and their availability to get involved in solving community problems has become the main objective of the study. Solving this dilemma came as a natural consequence of the initiation of a questionnaire-based study, including separate sets of questions concerning the perception of the participants about how the community meets their expectations, combined with questions about their availability to act to the benefit of the community. The work hypotheses were tested with the IBM Statistics and Microsoft Excel applications. The results obtained after testing the hypotheses signal two important aspects: on the one hand, the availability of the participants in the study to act for the benefit of their communities is not conditional on the expectations they have from the community and, on the other hand, at the time of the survey, the preference of the study participants to act for the benefit of the community is not sufficiently well defined.Keywords: communities, social economic enterprise, solidarity, social implication
New Fiscal Package in Kosovo and Its Impact on Economy
Authors: Nimani Artan , Kukaj Halil
Published: December 2019

In order to create a more flexible system for citizens and businesses in Kosovo, the Government of Kosovo made a decision by which from 1 April 2014 increased the salaries for 25% for employees receiving salaries and pensioner compensation and other social categories from the Kosovo budget. This Government decision carries some problems with regard to public finance management and impact on the country's economy by creating a new reality in the payroll and public spending. Direct impact of this document: Decision No: 01/176. 10 March 2014, are: First, the increase in wage expenditures was not planned in the Medium Term Expenditure Framework 2014-2016 and this has given an indication of macroeconomic inefficiency (Assessed by the Kosovo Finance Ministry). Secondly, this increase decreases capital investment costs, which have the greatest potential to generate economic growth. Thirdly, wage growth along with spending on the Pristina-Skopje highway is expected to increase the  budget deficit over the fiscal rule. Such a situation was also present at the time of investments in the Motorway Vermicë - "Nations connection way". In order to balance the increase of budget expenditures with revenues, the International Monetary Fund (IMF), at the conclusion of the Kosovo visit in March 2015, suggested to the Government of Kosovo that in the continuation of the increase of the various excise duties to see the possibilities for growth Value Added Tax (VAT) which would bring a substantial increase in budget revenues. At the 20th meeting of the Government of Kosovo, dated 24 March 2015, during this IMF visit, the Government took a series of decisions on fiscal changes. Among other things, these decisions have to do with the approval of new draft laws: 1. Changes in Value Added Tax (VAT); 2. Changes in Corporate Income Tax; 3. Changes in Personal Income Tax; and 4. Changes in excises duties of cars, tobacco, and alcoholic beverages etc. Based on the analysis of these changes and their effects, one can make an assessment of the economic and fiscal effects of the aforementioned laws. Some of the key findings of this study-analysis section show that small businesses will be negatively impacted by lowering the VAT threshold, while the abolition of VAT on machinery and raw materials will lower the cost of production and potentially increase investments in manufacturing sectors. Reform in fiscal policy encourages greater investment in production and at the same time improves business liquidity. According to an estimate by the Ministry of Finance, businesses will have about 27.6% cheaper start of production process. Keywords: Kosovo budget.,VAT, Tax, IMF, Ministry of  Finance, fiscal
Volunteering – An Efficient Collaborative Practice for the Local Communities Sustainability. Empirical Study
Authors: Predețeanu-Dragne Daniela , Popescu Dan , Nicolae Valentina
Published: December 2019

The scientific research we have conducted concerns volunteering as a collaborative practice and as a basis for the sustainable development of local communities. Identifying the suitable practices capable of transforming a group of individuals into a prosperous and sustainable collaborative community has became our priority concern. Therefore, the main objective of the study was outlined as a response to the question: “which are the tangible and intangible effects of the acts and facts of the collaboration identified in the communities where the participants in the study came from?”. The answer was prefigured as the outcome of an exploratory analysis that also revealed to us the motivation, satisfaction and results obtained by the participants in the survey, as a consequence of their personal experience in relation to their community. The quantitative analysis of collected data was performed in IBM SPSS software and the qualitative analysis with the Atlas Ti application. Despite the poverty of information sources in the field, our exploratory research has succeeded in highlighting the role of volunteering as a factor of sustainable social cohesion and practice in local communities. And this is at least one of our reasons useful to continue our theoretical and applied researches related to the emergence and sustainable development of collaborative communities.Keywords: exploratory analysis; collaborative community; sustainability; social economy enterprise; social innovation
Digital Exclusion in the Labour Market in European Countries: Causes and Consequences
Authors: Czaja Izabela , Urbaniec Maria
Published: December 2019

Changes in the labour market in Europe, as well as globally, evolve and are caused by many factors, the impact of which is difficult to predict. Technological changes, the universality of communication, and control solutions requiring new skills and advanced IT knowledge on programming of cooperating devices result in the exclusion from the labour market of people unable to handle advanced machines and devices. Accelerating technological changes may increase the number of those excluded. The purpose of this article is to identify the causes and effects of technological exclusion on the labour market in European countries. In order to achieve this research goal, a review of mainstream literature will be conducted followed by document-based research and statistical databases. The results of this analysis show that digital exclusion may result not only from lack of individual access to technology, but also from lack of skills or the ability to use technology, which leads to social exclusion or no access to jobs. This proves that attitudes towards modern technologies on the labour market in the context of finding or creating jobs and sources of income are varied and dependent on various factors.Keywords: labour market, digital divide, digital exclusion, digital skills, causes, consequences, DESI
Level of Sustainable Green Practices at Pantai 2 Sewage Treatment Plant, Klang Valley, Malaysia
Authors: Mariyappan Raman
Published: December 2019

The level of sustainable green practices (energy efficiency, indoor environmental quality, sustainable site planning & management, materials & resources, water efficiency and innovation) among developers is indeed an aspect that needs immediate attention in the non-residential projects in the Klang Valley, Malaysia. Sustainable green practices promotes positive activities that will ensure energy efficiency, water efficiency, fairness, effectiveness, divergence, less disparity, less discrimination, inexpensive, reasonable priced, pleasant design, serenity, mutual comfort and many other characteristics to the future for the construction industry. The developer must converge at a point where no one is short changed due to limitation in the implementation mechanism of sustainable green practices in the non-residential projects. The aim of this research is investigate the extent of sustainable green practices in the Pantai 2 Sewage Treatment Plant. In order to achieve the research aims, the specific objectives of this research is divided into the following sequential steps: identification of the existing sustainable practices implemented in Pantai 2 STP ; Model, assess and compare against common benchmarks the Energy Efficiency for the administrative building; Model, assess and compare against common benchmarks the Water Efficiency for the administrative building; and assessment of the replicability of the sustainable practices for other STP plants. Quantitative and qualitative design were used, in which a total of 381 public respondents with systematic random sampling were employed and a total of eight organizational sampling were used. Briefly the result shows evidence of existing level of energy efficiency, solar power panels for the parking bays, water efficiency from rain water harvest and the utilization of eco-park for public activities. Surprisingly, 87 percent of the respondents reported of not knowing the existence of underground sewage treatment plant at Pantai 2.Keywords: sustainable green practices, non-residential projects, developer, energy efficiency, water efficiency
The Impact of Building Regulation Contravention on Rapid Urbanisation: Case of Kano Metropolis
Authors: Fnia Sani Khalil Ibrahim,
Published: December 2019

An increasingly urbanizing world has made building regulation central to the organized development of cities world-wide. It is noted that half of the world’s population is now living in cities. The world urban population is expected to increase by 84% by 2050, from 3.4 billion in 2009 to 6.3 billion and will happen in developing countries. Also projected in the next 20 years, over 95% of this population growth will occur in urban areas. Kano is among the fast urbanizing cities in the West African sub region. This paper focuses on the implication of building regulation contravention in Kano metropolis and its impact on the sustainability in mixed land-use areas. It identifies and documents the key drivers of contravention. The findings are expected to create the platform for developing a conceptual framework that might improve compliance to sustainable development regulation regime in Kano metropolis. The significance of the findings is expected to form the foundation towards development compliance procedures for a more sustainable urbanization process in the sub-region. Like Kano, Cities play vital role globally and nationally, as economic, social, cultural and political centers. To successfully achieve this, urbanization should sustainably be driven. Data was collected through Visual survey, interview and questionnaires and subjected to descriptive analysis. Preliminary findings indicate negative perception of current building approval and enforcement procedures in Kano.Keywords: Building Regulations, Contraventions, Sustainable Development, Compliance Procedures and Enforcement
A Political Economy Analysis of Public Spending Distribution for Disaster Risk Reduction in Bangladesh
Authors: Islam Shafiqul , Chu Cordia , Smart James C. R.
Published: December 2019

Bangladesh is one of the resource-scarce countries most vulnerable to climate-related disasters, particularly flood and cyclone. Based on the semi-structured in-depth interviews of 38 stakeholders and literature review, this study examined the public spending distribution process in DRR. This paper demonstrates how the processes of political economy- enclosure, exclusion, encroachment, and entrenchment occurs in the Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) efforts of Department of Disaster Management (DDM), particularly the distribution of flood shelters. Enclosure occurs when DRR projects are allocated to less vulnerable areas or broaden the influence of dominant actors into the public spending. Exclusion happens when DRR efforts reduce vulnerable people‟s access to public funds or marginalize disadvantaged stakeholder in decision-making process. Encroachment occurs when the distribution of DRR projects and selection of location and issues increase the environmental hazards or lead to other forms of disaster risk. Entrenchment happens when DRR projects aggravate the injustice or increase the grabbing of resources by the elites and increase inequality a community. This research explored that exclusionary forms of fund distribution of DRR happen locally and nationally. DRR related distribution have encroached through DRR project distribution without discussing local needs. Most severely, DRR related unequal distribution have entrenched social class making the backward communities vulnerable to climate-related disasters. Influencing practitioners of DRR need to take necessary actions to eliminate the potential risks from the processes of enclosure, exclusion, encroachment, and entrenchment happens in DRR related project fund allocations.Keywords: Bangladesh, Disaster Risk Reduction, Fund Distribution, Political Economy
Values Congruence on CSR and Its Impact on Corporate Reputation
Authors: Li Songdi , Spry Louise , Woodall Tony
Published: December 2019

Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) is increasingly accepted by decision makers and implemented in businesses, because it is beneficial to an organization’s profit and influence and also the perceptions and commitment of its stakeholders.  Therefore, doing CSR is largely related to building a good reputation. Although the individual values of managers is more and more regarded as a driver CSR, and as the congruence between corporate values and employee values is known to impact CSR activities, the link between individual values and Corporate Reputation (CR) is an understudied topic. The purpose of this article is to propose how to investigate this issue in a higher education context.  Exploring, a) to what extent university top managers and middle managers values concur in respect of CSR, and b) how this might impact on the CR which is perceived by other stakeholders are its chief focus. The proposed study is to be based on two case study universities, one in the UK and one in China. Both semi-structured interviews and surveys are proposed, representing a mixed methods approach to a complex problem. This study will benefit university top management in its CSR decision making. Keywords: personal values, organisational values, values congruence, CSR, corporate reputation
Chances for Socially Sustainable Development in Guam as One of the Remaining Colonies
Authors: Nennstiel Ulrike
Published: December 2019

While colonialism might have some positive effects on the economy in the short term, it definitely impedes socially and ecologically sustainable development. Based on expert interviews with representatives of various NGOs and university professors, the paper discusses the chances of socially sustainable development in Guam as one of the colonies left today. The results show that colonialism today is having no less negative impacts on sustainable development than in the past. The economic conditions may have improved for some people, but socioeconomic inequalities have hardly decreased. Within former communities as well as among newcomers, many families are disrupted, addiction and suicide have spread particularly among youths and the number of homeless people is increasing. It becomes very clear that colonial and postcolonial conditions have to be overcome as a precondition to sustainable development.Keywords: Colonialism, social and ecological sustainability, Pacific islands
Toward LCA-lite: A Simplified Tool to Easily Apply LCA Logic at the Early Design Stage of Building in Australia
Authors: Tabrizi Toktam B. , Brambilla Arianna
Published: December 2019

Life Cycle Assessment (LCA), developed over 30 years ago, has been helpful in addressing a growing concern about the direct and indirect environmental impact of buildings over their lifetime. However, lack of reliable, available, comparable and consistent information on the life cycle environmental performance of buildings makes it very difficult for architects and engineers to apply this method in the early stages of building design when the most important decisions in relation to a building’s environmental impact are made. The LCA quantification method with need of employing complex tools and an enormous amount of data is unfeasible for small or individual building projects. This study discusses the possibility of the development of a tool that allows building designers to more easily apply the logic of LCA at the early design stage. Minimising data requirements and identifying the most effective parameters that promise to make the most difference, are the key points of simplification method. The conventional LCA framework and knowledge-based system are employed through the simplification process. Results of previous LCA studies in Australia are used as the specific knowledge that enable the system to generate outputs based on the user’s inputs.Keywords: Life Cycle Assessment (LCA), early design stage, most effective parameters, life cycle environmental performance
Social Enterprising Observance among B40 Urban Women for Socioeconomic Sustainability
Authors: Rokisa Rohaiza
Published: December 2019

This article explores the enterprising capabilities of economically challenged women in the urban city of Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. The study assumes that entrepreneurial awareness and entrepreneurial intention are good predictors of women who are socioeconomically sustainable. The study sample comprises the B40 women in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. The B40 group refers to the "bottom 40 percent" members of the population, with a monthly household income of RM3,855 and below (USD9451 and below). A total of 404 B40 urban women are drawn from a clustered random sample of four so-called "poor" municipal residents in Kuala Lumpur. A questionnaire survey is used to study their levels of entrepreneurial awareness and intention, administered via the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) Version 22. The data are analysed using descriptive statistics, ANOVA and Pearson Correlation. The findings indicate a significant relationship between their levels of entrepreneurial awareness and entrepreneurial intention with being socioeconomically sustainable. Four important indicators are deduced: 1) upholding economic justice for B40 urban women; 2) reducing urban poverty concentration among women; 3) innovating new working avenues for women homemakers in the informal work sector; and 4) enhancing moral responsibility towards sustaining the natural environment. Based on these empirical outcomes, the research also recommends a suitable approach to social entrepreneurship among women of different ethnic groups. Significantly, it will contribute to the pursuit of community development and national unity.Keywords: B40 women, Entrepreneurial awareness, Entrepreneurial intention, Malaysia, Social enterprising, Sustainability, Urban poverty
An Analytical View to Environmental Quality of Life in the European Union Countries
Authors: Huttmanová Emília , Novotný Roman , Valentiny Tomáš
Published: December 2019

Quality of life and health is very closely linked to the environmental quality. However, the environmental quality is not only perceived as a determinant of quality of life, but it is an internal part of (sustainable) development, in terms of the green growth concept, at these days. The concept of green growth is one of the newer ways to ensure economic and social development in the context of sustainable development. Economic and social development, as well as ensuring and preserving the environmental quality, has its important place in the green growth concept. Green growth requires a new view on management of economic and social development. This article is focused on the evaluation of interregional disparities in selected areas of sustainable development. The aim of the paper is to evaluate the environmental quality of life in European Union countries using the selected indicators of green growth in the context of sustainable development.Keywords: Environment, Quality of life, Green growth, Indicators, European Union countries
The status quo’s role in improving the estimation of willingness to pay in choice experiments
Authors: MAXIM Alexandru , ROMAN Teodora
Published: December 2019

European household consumers have seen a gradual increase in the cost of their electricity bill, partly due to ambitious support policies for the development of renewable energy. Some consumers may have a higher willingness to pay (WTP) for clean energy, which could constitute a competitive advantage for electricity suppliers branding themselves as “sustainable”.A discrete choice experiment has been used in order to estimate the WTP of households for renewable energy. For the last decade, researchers have debated whether to add a “status quo” / “not willing to pay for changes” option in the experimental design, as this may generate complications and not add sufficient benefits.In this paper we use an original approach based on two parallel model estimations applied to the same sample of respondents in order to demonstrate the effect of adding a “status quo” option. Our results show that not including it would have led to an overestimation of about one third of the respondents‟ WTP.While more research on the topic is needed, we demonstrate the risk of simplifying the experimental design and propose a facile method of enhancing the experiment with a dual model design.Keywords: discrete choice experiment, status quo, renewable energy, household consumers, willingness to pay
Rainfall in Bangladesh: Is Rainwater Harvesting a Sustainable Approach for Governing Rainwater?
Authors: Islam M. Rafiqul
Published: December 2019

Global environmental change affects the intensity and frequency of rainfall that increases the necessity for sustainable management of rainwater. It is more important for rain intensive country like Bangladesh otherwise it creates further problems like water logging, flood, soil erosion, and water borne diseases. Based on the survey of 80 rainwater harvesters in the Coastal Bangladesh in 2017, this paper evaluates whether rainwater harvesting is sustainable approach to govern rainwater or not by using social and ecological performance measures of Social Ecological System (SES) of Elinor Ostrom. This study found that rainwater harvesting does not affect environment, it is an acceptable approach in family and society, help to develop biodiversity condition, create resilience to climate change impact, improve equitable access to water, efficient use of rainwater, improve women performance regarding water supply to the family, contribute in achieving sustainable development goal, and do not overharvest of rainwater that could create environmental problem. Beyond these measures, it needs rainwater harvesting controlling mechanism like formal operation rule or policy to avoid overharvesting and ensure more sustainability in governing rainwater.Keywords: Accountability; Biodiversity; Efficiency; Resilience; Equity; Global environmental change; Rainwater harvesting; Sustainable approach; Sustainable development goals; Sustainable management of rainwater
Comparative Analysis of Sharing Bike Systems Based on Sustainability Indicators
Authors: HAN Yurui , ROHMER Serge
Published: December 2019

With the growing importance and widely application of the sharing bike system in public transportation systems in cities, many relevant problems emerged, which brought serious influence to the sustainable development of the system. The aim of this paper is first to research the existing sustainability indicators of urban mobility system through literature reviews, next it is to redefine and select the related indicators of sharing bike system through deeply understanding the evolution of bike sharing systems in cities from a sustainable point of view. Then, indicators are selected and applied to better understand the generations of sharing bike systems after the description of the different generations of sharing bike systems. The comparison highlights which characteristics of sharing bike system should be considered to adopt to a sustainable urban development and which features of the sharing bike system could need improvement and change to cater to active demand of the city development.Keyword: sustainability, urban mobility, sharing bike system, indicators,
Diachronic Analysis of Florianópolis Urban Morphology and the Impact on Urban Mobility Related to Brasília
Authors: Machado da Silva Caroline , Heiki Matsunaga Lucas , Luiza Neto Ingrid , Günther Hartmut
Published: December 2019

The diachronic analysis allows evaluating the evolutionary process of the cities and the diverse interconnections that constitute and qualify the main structuring networks using axial maps. This study aims to analyse the urban evolution, and the impact on urban mobility, of two Brazilian cities (Florianópolis and Brasília) using the Social Logic of Space Theory (SLST). Florianópolis is located on an island in the south of Brazil and Brasília is located in the centre of the country,planned in the 1960's to be the Brazil’s capital. Both cities have a dispersed system of road networks, where the districts are separated from each other and by their form of implantation, being horizontal and dispersed. This causes the local population to take long daily commutes to reach the centralities of the cities, overloading the transport networks, either by the use of public transport or individual private transport. The strategy of analysis is applicable to the context of both Florianópolis and Brasília, since it has the possibility of identifying the local and global centralities, more accessible routes and better options for spatial syntax based on the SLST. Also, it subsidies the identification of the intervention points and the promotion of more sustainable transport systems.Keywords: Urban mobility, Florianópolis, Brasília, Theory of Social Logic of Space, Sustainability, Axial maps
Contributions of Trade Unionism to Sustainable Development: The Case of the IPLIDO-UTHGRA
Authors: Césari María Susana , Bonelli Johanna Maldovan , Russak Mariana , Eggers Jörg
Published: December 2019

For several decades it has been internationally recognized the role of unions in promoting sustainable development goals, especially in its economic, social and cultural dimensions. While the commitment to free association, social dialogue and collective bargaining are some of the main aspects of their actions, trade union organizations also work in other key areas to achieve social justice, such as access to information, education, health and gender equity. The Institute for Equal Opportunities (IPLIDO) of the Union of Tourism, Hotel and Gastronomy Workers of the Argentine Republic (UTHGRA) is a paradigmatic case on this path. In order to ensure equal opportunities for all people (based on the equal participation of men and women in the labor, economic, political, cultural and family) the IPLIDO has carried out several actions aimed at: strengthen ties in the community; build networks among non-governmental organizations, trade unions and public institutions; promote gender equality; disseminate information and train in pressing issues such as addictions, grooming and gender violence; and participate in the design and implementation of laws and public policies, among others. This paper addresses the strategies and actions carried out by the IPLIDO since its creation -in 2006-, highlighting its interaction with the public sector, international and civil society organizations, in order to promote rights and values in the trade union sphere and the community in general.
Will Curtains Come Down for the Sustainable Theatre – Evaluating Growth Challenges from an Island Nation
Authors: Tan Seck
Published: December 2019

Sustainable development (as defined by The Brundtland Report, 1987) points to development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own. However, sustainable development denotes different perspectives to different audience; and for development to be truly sustainable, growth must be inclusive and demands equal attention to the tri-nexus of economy, society and the environment. Unfortunately, this is far from reality. In an effort to continue growing, economies pedestalize economic progress where attention is skewed towards economic performance with an intentional disregard of the environment and to the degradation of the environment. For the purpose of this paper, sustainable development focuses on debates between the twin-nexus of economy and the environment. This paper highlights sustainable development challenges for Singapore (an island nation). While most studies centered on Singapore‟s miraculous growth, few have examined the island‟s use of its environmental capital for economic growth. Island economies face similar development challenges like most global economies; the difference lies in their natural endowments (or the lack of). This underlines the need for policies to advance ecosystem preservation in land-scarce Singapore. With the use of a simple environmental valuation framework, it is demonstrated that the island nation has not fared too badly in protecting its environmental capital.Keywords: Ecosystem, Environmental Capital, Island Nation, Singapore, Sustainable Development
The Energy from Renewable Sources in the European Union: Achieving the Goals
Authors: Angheluta Sorin Petrica , Burlacu Sorin , Diaconu Amelia , Curea Cristina Stefania
Published: December 2019

The existence and continuity of life on Earth is based on the existence of an ecological balance. Under the influence of pollution, the quality of the natural environment gradually degrades. Thus, pressures are exerted on the environment, including from energy production and consumption activities. The different phenomena of pollution, associated with the destruction of the environment, have made the sources of energy production diversified. Sustainable development can be achieved through the use of technologies that protect the environment. Within the electricity sector, energy from renewable sources has grown significantly in recent years. Energy production from Renewable energy reduces the use of fossil fuels, but also influences the process of reducing greenhouse gases. The article starts from the analysis of the current situation of renewable sources in the member countries of the European Union. With support of the comparative analysis of existing data at European level, the stage of achieving the European Union's objectives on renewable energy is presented. Also, comparative analyses of data on the share of renewable energy in final energy consumption are presented. Lack of emissions of pollutants, and the fact that they are inexhaustible, make, on the whole of electricity production, the share of renewable sources increases. Keyword: Renewable energy, European Union, electricity production