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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 Small and Medium-sized Enterprises: Lessons from Mixed Methods Research
by Aharon FactorIndustrialisation has brought great benefits to humankind but now, after 200 years of fossil fuel use, land clearance and pollution, the planet’s boundaries are being stretched to their limits. Going beyond these confines would have severe consequences for humankind. To prevent this from happening, government, corporate and community initiatives must focus on reducing the environmental impact of approximately 400 million small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), given that they produce approximately 70% of the world’s pollution, 60% of carbon emissions and have a significant impact on land. To date, research shows that SMEs have been environmental laggards and more needs to be understood to improve sustainability in the SME sector. Broadening the researcher’s methodological focus, beyond traditional singular approaches, improves knowledge generation and better informs policy and practice. This book paves the way by showing the reader that a mixed method research design is able to provide a deep, diverse and holistic understanding of sustainability and SMEs. Importantly, the book also provides an in-depth mapping of mixed method sustainability and SME research at a regional level. As this book is about environmental sustainability framed in a business context, it will be of interest to researchers, academics, students and those in industry who are enquiring about the environmental sustainability of SMEs.
Sustainability and Smart Manufacturing: The Transformation of the Steelwork Industry (Routledge Advances in Production and Operations Management)
by Radosław Wolniak Bożena Gajdzik Wieslaw Grebski Jan Szymszal Michalene Eva GrebskiThis book discusses three key aspects of business operations: sustainability, human factors, and smart manufacturing, which make up modern business. The authors share their experiences in the transformation of enterprises to Industry 4.0/5.0 and the sustainability of steel production, as well as the reorganization of human factors using the example of the steel sector. The steel industry is covered both from a global perspective (key producers in the global steel market), as well as from a local and sectoral perspective (the companies that make up the sector of metal and metal product producers, using Poland as an example).This insightful book discusses how the steel industry can develop intelligent solutions to enhance sustainable performance and the challenges they must overcome, including policy and regulation. Case studies evaluate how steel companies are investing in new technologies that meet environmental requirements but also human resource development to enhance digital skills and competencies of the workforce.The book will find an audience across disciplines but be of particular value to scholars of industrial, operations, and technology management.
Sustainability and Social Responsibility of Accountability Reporting Systems: A Global Approach (Accounting, Finance, Sustainability, Governance & Fraud: Theory and Application)
by Roshima Said Kıymet Tunca ÇalıyurtThis book explores sustainability and social responsibility from the point of view of accountability reporting systems. The contributions to this volume open up discussions about the theory and application of sustainability and social responsibility across various corporate sectors and assists the reader in applying sustainable corporate social responsibility reporting across those sectors. As a central theme, the book addresses how the theory and application in sustainability and social responsibility has different dimensions and aspects which are impossible to apply across different sectors. This point of view is supported by chapter contributions from countries around the world including Turkey, Serbia, Malaysia, United States, South Africa, Italy, China, Brasil, Romania, Serbia, Puerta Rico, Algeria. Academics worldwide will discover in Sustainability and Social Responsibility of Accountability Reporting Systems: A Global Approach the latest developments about corporate social responsibility and sustainability of accountability reporting systems.
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 and Well-Being: The Middle Path to Environment, Society, and the Economy
by Asoka BandarageA powerful social science analysis and a compassionate philosophical perspective to face the twin challenges of environmental sustainability and human well-being.
Sustainability and Wellbeing: Human-Scale Development in Practice (Routledge Studies in Sustainable Development)
by Mònica Guillen-RoyoThe idea that we can meet human needs and simultaneously conserve and even enhance the natural environment is an attractive one. Since the Brundtland report popularised a definition of sustainable development based on the concept of needs, there has been a widespread belief that it should be possible to achieve a good quality of life without compromising natural ecosystems. Sustainability and Wellbeing fills a gap in sustainable development studies by drawing on a range of case-studies to discuss the challenges and opportunities of using Max-Neef’s Human Scale Development (HSD) framework in practice. The first section presents the theory and the methodology of HSD in the context of related literature on sustainable development and wellbeing. The second section discusses applications of the HSD methodology with three different purposes: the design of sustainable development interventions; the engagement of researchers with communities or groups of people in sustainability processes and the consolidation of sustainable community initiatives. Finally, the third reflects on challenges and limitations of using the HSD approach to define strategies for sustainable development and concludes. This is an invaluable resource for researchers and postgraduate students in wellbeing, sustainability, sustainable development, and human development.
Sustainability and the Art of Long-Term Thinking (Routledge Studies in Sustainability)
by Thomas Petersen Bernd Klauer Reiner Manstetten Johannes SchillerDealing with time is intimately linked to sustainability, because sustainability, at its core, involves long-term ethical claims. To live up to them, decision and policy-making has to consider long-term development of society, economy, and nature. However, dealing with time and such long-term development is a notoriously difficult subject, both in science and, in particular, in practical decision and policy making. Rooted in philosophical and scientific reasoning, this book explores how the concept of time can be incorporated into effective practical action. The book describes a system and uses case studies to help sustainability practitioners and researchers consider the long-term consequences of our actions in a methodical way. The system integrates scientific and practical knowledge about time and temporal developments to help break down the sometimes overwhelming complexity of sustainability issues. Combining theoretical conceptual thinking and practical applications, this book will be of great interest to students and researchers of sustainability science, environmental sciences, sustainable development, environmental economics, political sciences and practical philosophy.
Sustainability and the Automobile Industry in Asia: Policy and Governance (Routledge Studies in Sustainability)
by Suwa Aki Iguchi MasahikoThis book provides a wealth of information and a critically required framework for sustainable automobile policy development in major Asian countries. It also gives wide-ranging policy options, ranging from technological to institutional solutions to automobile emission problems, based on empirical case studies and comparative policy and regulatory analysis. It is a useful reference with valuable insights on how rapidly changing economies are adopting their policy and regulatory structures to cope with the progressively severe environmental impacts of automobile increase.
Sustainability and the Fashion Industry: Can Fashion Save the World? (Responsible Fashion)
by Annick Schramme Nathalie VerbovenThere is widespread rhetorical agreement that the fashion industry must get itself onto a more ethical and sustainable footing. What does this mean in practice, and how can this be achieved in different regions around the world?This book brings together expert scholars and reflective practitioners via a network of dialogue and exchange to help drive forward an ethical and sustainable future for the fashion industry. With insights from fashion design, management, sociology, philosophy, education, heritage studies and policy, the book asks whether or not fashion can save the world.Enriched with illuminating case interviews and the perspective of experts, this book will be of interest to researchers and scholars in the fields of sustainable business and the fashion industry, and provides a unique resource for readers seeking to understand more about the need for responsible fashion.
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 Rod Taylor Stephen J. WilliamsThis 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 Political Economy of Welfare: Perspectives, Policies And Emerging Practices (Routledge Studies in Ecological Economics)
by Max Koch Oksana MontWelfare is commonly conceptualized in socio-economic terms of equity, highlighting distributive issues within growing economies. While GDP, income growth and rising material standards of living are normally not questioned as priorities in welfare theories and policy making, there is growing evidence that Western welfare standards are not generalizable to the rest of the planet if environmental concerns, such as resource depletion or climate change, are considered. Sustainability and the Political Economy of Welfare raises the issue of what is required to make welfare societies ecologically sustainable. Consisting of three parts, this book regards the current financial, economic and political crisis in welfare state institutions and addresses methodological, theoretical and wider conceptual issues in integrating sustainability. Furthermore, this text is concerned with the main institutional obstacles to the achievement of sustainable welfare and wellbeing, and how these may feasibly be overcome. How can researchers assist policymakers in promoting synergy between economic, social and environmental policies conducive to globally sustainable welfare systems? Co-authored by a variety of cross-disciplinary contributors, a diversity of research perspectives and methods is reflected in a unique mixture of conceptual chapters, historical analysis of different societal sectors, and case studies of several EU countries, China and the US. This book is well suited for those who are interested in and study welfare, ecological economics and political economy.
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 the U.S. EPA
by Committee on Incorporating Sustainability in the U.S. Environmental Protection AgencySustainability is based on a simple and long-recognized factual premise: Everything that humans require for their survival and well-being depends, directly or indirectly, on the natural environment. The environment provides the air we breathe, the water we drink, and the food we eat. Recognizing the importance of sustainability to its work, the U. S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has been working to create programs and applications in a variety of areas to better incorporate sustainability into decision-making at the agency. To further strengthen the scientific basis for sustainability as it applies to human health and environmental protection, the EPA asked the National Research Council (NRC) to provide a framework for incorporating sustainability into the EPA's principles and decision-making. This framework, Sustainability and the U. S. EPA, provides recommendations for a sustainability approach that both incorporates and goes beyond an approach based on assessing and managing the risks posed by pollutants that has largely shaped environmental policy since the 1980s. Although risk-based methods have led to many successes and remain important tools, the report concludes that they are not adequate to address many of the complex problems that put current and future generations at risk, such as depletion of natural resources, climate change, and loss of biodiversity. Moreover, sophisticated tools are increasingly available to address cross-cutting, complex, and challenging issues that go beyond risk management. The report recommends that EPA formally adopt as its sustainability paradigm the widely used three pillars approach, which means considering the environmental, social, and economic impacts of an action or decision. Health should be expressly included in the social pillar. EPA should also articulate its vision for sustainability and develop a set of sustainability principles that would underlie all agency policies and programs.
Sustainability at IKEA Group
by V. Kasturi Rangan Vincent Dessain Jerome Lenhardt Michael W. ToffelBy 2014, IKEA Group was the largest home furnishing company, with EUR28.5 billion of sales, and planned to reach EUR50 billion by 2020, mainly from emerging markets. At the same time, IKEA Group had adopted in 2012 a new sustainability strategy that focused the company's efforts on its entire value chain from its raw materials sourcing to the lifestyle of its end consumers. The plan especially centered on wood, which represented 60% of IKEA Group's total procurement in volume and constituted a key lever for the company to increase its positive impact on sustainability. IKEA Group Management therefore had to decide how to manage its portfolio of wood sustainability initiatives, especially in the context of the company's aggressive growth plan.
Sustainability at Millipore
by Katharine Lee Michael W. ToffelThis case describes Millipore Corporation's approach to becoming a more environmentally sustainable company. As he prepared for his quarterly meeting with the CEO, the Director of Sustainability needed to develop positions on several issues. Tactically, he needed to recommend whether the company should purchase carbon offsets to help meet its aggressive greenhouse gas reduction targets, and whether to continue publicly reporting its greenhouse gas emissions and strategies despite recent problems. On a more strategic level, he needed to recommend how to take the company's Sustainability Initiative to the next level and consider whether changes were needed to its organizational structure. Finally, he needed to develop a more systematic approach to prioritizing investments in various projects being proposed to improve environmental performance.
Sustainability at Siemens
by Amy C. Edmondson Emer Moloney Daniela Beyersdorfer V. Kasturi RanganDescribes sustainability efforts at Siemens since arrival of Chief Sustainability Officer, Barbara Kux, in 2008. Asks students to evaluate success of those efforts and outline what the company should do going forward.
Sustainability at Work: Careers That Make a Difference
by Marilyn WaiteSustainability at Work is a compelling guide for anyone who seeks both a successful career and a career that makes a positive difference in society.Containing career advice of great value to students and professionals, and explaining how one can integrate sustainability into future roles, this book’s appeal extends far beyond those well versed in sustainability thinking. The text includes an easy-to-follow structure—the SURF Framework—that anyone wondering how they can make a difference in the workplace can apply. In this thoroughly revised new edition, Marilyn Waite builds upon recent career trends to include two all-important themes that are redefining sustainability: justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion and climate-related career pathways. In addition, practical advice for finding and creating roles that correspond to one’s preferences and purpose is elaborated. The book explains how real people in a plethora of sectors can have a positive impact on people and planet. Professionals from a variety of backgrounds and locations explain how they brought a sustainability approach to various sectors, including agriculture, business, economics, and financial services, education and research, entertainment and media, health care, law and policy, and science and technology. The breadth of stories covers individuals working on five continents in various levels of responsibility.Through inspiring narratives and a structured framework, Sustainability at Work illustrates how sustainability can be incorporated into every imaginable career to impact the quadruple bottom line: environment, economy, society, and future generations.
Sustainability at Work: Careers that make a difference
by Marilyn WaiteSustainability at Work is a compelling guide for everyone who wants to have both a successful career and a career that makes a positive difference in society. Containing career advice of great value to students of sustainability, and explaining how they can apply their knowledge to their future careers, its appeal extends well beyond the classroom. Sustainability at Work includes an easy-to-follow framework that anyone wondering how they can make a sustainable difference in the workplace can apply. Professionals from a variety of backgrounds and territories explain how they brought a sustainability approach to various sectors: agriculture, health care, business, economics, and financial services, education and research, law and policy, science and technology, and entertainment and media. Through inspiring narratives and a structured framework, Sustainability at Work illustrates how sustainability can be incorporated into every imaginable career to impact the quadruple bottom line: environment, economy, society, and future generations.
Sustainability by Design: A Subversive Strategy for Transforming Our Consumer Culture
by John R. EhrenfeldJohn Ehrenfeld challenges conventional understandings of solving environmental problems and offers a radical set of strategies to attain sustainability.
Sustainability for Healthcare Management: A Leadership Imperative
by Carrie R. Rich J. Knox Singleton Seema S. WadhwaSustainability is not unique to health, yet sustainability is a unique vehicle for promoting healthy values. This book challenges healthcare leaders to think through the implications of our decisions from fiscal, societal and environmental perspectives. It links health values with sustainability drivers in order to enlighten leadership about the value of sustainability as we move toward a new paradigm of health. Fully updated for the second edition, the book now includes case studies about: Waste disposal and cost Chemicals of concern Cost of water Green building ratings This book is a unique resource for researchers, students and professionals working in health and healthcare management because the book connects key concepts of environmental sustainability with healthcare operations. Readers will gain an appreciation for translating leadership priorities into sustainability tactics with beneficial operational outcomes.
Sustainability for SMEs: Competitive Advantage Through Transparency (Doshorts Ser.)
by Philip Wolfe Elaine Cohen Alexandra McKaySustainability for SMEs offers a comprehensive introduction to the key business cases and techniques for putting sustainability at the heart of your business strategy.Small businesses make a significant collective impact on the environment and society – but only a tiny percentage of SMEs complete a sustainability report. Sustainability Reporting for SMEs will enable any SME to get up to speed on sustainability reporting and plot a course of action for their business. Elaine Cohen distils the latest and best thinking on sustainability reporting for SMEs, and offers a process for reporting that will deliver significant business advantage, both in terms of more effective internal processes and in terms of reputation, customer loyalty and business-building.In many SMEs sustainability is one person’s passion and responsibility. A large part of their job becomes selling sustainability to other people in the business. Strategic Sustainability offers arguments, information and tactics that will help that person get the buy-in they need to move sustainability forward in their business. Sustainability is of strategic importance to a business. This book makes an airtight case for why action is essential and how sustainability can help a business not only survive but thrive in competitive marketplaces.The major environmental impact of most businesses derives from energy usage. There are many ways to make your organisation's energy usage more sustainable. In Sustainable Energy Options for Business, Philip Wolfe outlines the best available options for (1) reducing energy use and (2) improving the sustainability of energy supply. After an introduction to regulatory drivers and management issues, Wolfe looks at energy opportunities in five key areas.
Sustainability for a Warming Planet
by Humberto Llavador Joaquim Silvestre John E. RoemerHuman-generated greenhouse gas emissions imperil a global resource: a biosphere capable of supporting life as we know it. What is the fair way to share this scarce resource across present and future generations, and across regions of the world? This study offers a new perspective based on the guiding ethics of sustainability and egalitarianism.<P><P> Sustainability is understood as a pattern of economic activity over time that sustains a given rate of growth of human welfare indefinitely. To achieve this, the atmospheric concentration of carbon must be capped at some level not much higher than exists today, and investments in education and research should be higher than they currently are. International cooperation between developing and developed nations is also vital, because economic growth and the climate problem are intertwined.<P> The authors propose that the guiding principle of bargaining should be that the dates at which developing countries' living standards catch up with those of developed countries should not be altered by the agreement. They conclude that developed economies would have to agree not to exceed 1 percent growth in per capita GDP annually, while developing nations should grow at a faster rate, but still lower than current projections, until they converge. The authors acknowledge that achieving such a dramatic slowdown would carry political and economic challenges.
Sustainability in Agribusiness: The Impact of Societal Challenges, Technological Advancements, and Development Goals (Routledge Studies in Agricultural Economics)
by Maria Carmela Annosi Federica Brunetta Francesco Paolo AppioAccomplishing sustainability in the agribusiness sector is a significant, yet time-sensitive, challenge, especially when balanced with the need to grow sufficient quantity and quality of food to keep the growing global population healthy. Through both quantitative and qualitative methods, this book explores the extent to which the agribusiness sector is already evolving to become sustainable and the ways in which innovation in the industry can help address sustainable development goals, particularly around zero hunger, gender equality, decent work, responsible consumption and production, and climate action. The contributors to this volume address the following key questions: What are the drivers and barriers for the agribusiness sector to become sustainable? Which business models best facilitate the implementation of sustainable goals? How can we measure the extent to which the agribusiness sector is becoming more sustainable? How can the agribusiness sector leverage recent technological advancements to achieve its sustainability goals? The analysis of the sustainability challenges for the sector ranges across various facets of the industry including employment, pre-production industries, agriculture, food processing, distribution, and trade. This book will be of significant interest to readers in agribusiness, innovation management, and sustainability.