Kent A. Williams , Alexander Davis , Rohan Choudhary , Loretta Baidoo , Joyline Makani , Tony R. Walker , Binod Sundararajan , Mariana Sigala
{"title":"From insight to action: Possible pathways for sustainable futures in a Canadian university","authors":"Kent A. Williams , Alexander Davis , Rohan Choudhary , Loretta Baidoo , Joyline Makani , Tony R. Walker , Binod Sundararajan , Mariana Sigala","doi":"10.1016/j.clpl.2024.100091","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.clpl.2024.100091","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>This study examines the impact of the Thriving Futures 2023 event, which engaged the Dalhousie University (DAL) community located in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada, and residents from the broader Halifax area in exploring inclusive sustainable development pathways. Employing a mixed methods approach that included surveys, video interviews, and expressive arts, the research captures diverse perspectives from students, staff, faculty, and community members. Rooted in a transdisciplinary framework, the event wove together the 17 Rooms methodology with Indigenous and local knowledge systems. Through deep dialogues and collaborative activities focused on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the event cultivated meaningful engagement. Key findings reveal a strong enthusiasm and readiness within the academic community to advance sustainability efforts, alongside challenges such as limited structural incentives and insufficient university leadership support. This study underscores the critical role of inter- and transdisciplinary collaboration, inclusive leadership, and the integration of sustainability principles into university curricula and operations. By reflecting on the outcomes of Thriving Futures (2023), the research offers actionable strategies for embedding sustainable practices in higher education and contributes to the broader discourse on applying the SDGs in academic contexts.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":100255,"journal":{"name":"Cleaner Production Letters","volume":"8 ","pages":"Article 100091"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-01-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143147974","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Antonia Pohlmann , Martin Popowicz , Josef-Peter Schöggl , Rupert J. Baumgartner
{"title":"Digital product passports for electric vehicle batteries: Stakeholder requirements for sustainability and circularity","authors":"Antonia Pohlmann , Martin Popowicz , Josef-Peter Schöggl , Rupert J. Baumgartner","doi":"10.1016/j.clpl.2024.100090","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.clpl.2024.100090","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Implementing a Digital Product Passport (DPP) for Electric Vehicle Batteries (EVBs) is crucial for fostering sustainability and circularity within the EVB value chain. While a growing number of related concepts are becoming available, the understanding of DPP-related stakeholder perceptions is limited. Therefore, this study evaluates the information requirements of EVB value chain actors, focusing on the importance, availability, and accessibility of specific information attributes necessary for the DPP. The study follows a mixed-method approach, beginning with qualitative data collection through literature reviews and expert consultations, followed by a survey (n = 46) targeting stakeholders across EVB lifecycle phases and the conduct of an importance-availability analysis. The results cover, firstly, a comprehensive list of 40 information attributes, divided into sustainability and circularity-related information and general information. Secondly, the study reveals the perceived importance and availability of these information attributes through the lens of actors from the Beginning of Line (BoL), End of Life (EoL), and Battery Second Use (B2U) phases. Also, it adds the specific perspectives of individual value chain actors - designers, B2U actors, and recyclers. Thirdly, a ranking of the most important actors for successfully implementing the DPP is presented. The results indicate a critical need for enhanced information availability and accessibility, particularly concerning sustainability and circularity-related data. This study provides theoretical and practical implications for sustainable EVB lifecycle management using DPPs.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":100255,"journal":{"name":"Cleaner Production Letters","volume":"8 ","pages":"Article 100090"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-12-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143147972","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Andreas Roesch , Mélanie Douziech , Stefan Mann , Jens Lansche , Gérard Gaillard
{"title":"Consequences of the use or absence of life cycle assessment in novel environmental assessment methods and food ecolabels","authors":"Andreas Roesch , Mélanie Douziech , Stefan Mann , Jens Lansche , Gérard Gaillard","doi":"10.1016/j.clpl.2024.100087","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.clpl.2024.100087","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Ecolabels and novel environmental assessment methods are increasingly being used to evaluate the environmental impacts of food items. Some ecolabels build on life cycle assessment, a standardised method for the environmental impact assessment of products over their entire life cycle. The major challenges of life cycle assessment include its complexity in application and result communication, as well as its data intensity. The aim of this study was to compare the methods behind ecolabels to traditional life cycle assessments for evaluating the environmental impacts of food products. To this end, we (1) categorised ecolabels, (2) identified criteria describing the suitability of existing ecolabels in evaluating the environmental impacts of food labels, (3) identified main challenges of the methods underlying ecolabels, and (4) evaluated the challenges based on the criteria to answer the research question. Among the challenges, we found that merging results obtained by different methods, such as life cycle impact assessment and bonus/malus point systems, to build a composite score can risk double counting. Furthermore, certain agricultural production methods are sometimes assumed to be more environmentally friendly than others without evidence. Environmental labels focusing on one or a few selected aspects of sustainability while ignoring other relevant issues can lead to burden shifting and should be avoided. Based on our findings, we conclude that ecolabels help consumers make more sustainable purchasing decisions and create business cases for companies as an incentive to mitigate impacts, while complex research questions should be addressed based on life cycle assessment.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":100255,"journal":{"name":"Cleaner Production Letters","volume":"8 ","pages":"Article 100087"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-12-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143147977","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
John Garvey , Vasilis Grigoriadis , Darragh Flannery , Edward Knapp , Elizabeth Gold , George Hutchinson , Lynn J. Frewer , Paul Brereton , Kenneth A. Byrne
{"title":"Designing financial instruments for land-based ecological restoration: A review and future research Agenda","authors":"John Garvey , Vasilis Grigoriadis , Darragh Flannery , Edward Knapp , Elizabeth Gold , George Hutchinson , Lynn J. Frewer , Paul Brereton , Kenneth A. Byrne","doi":"10.1016/j.clpl.2024.100089","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.clpl.2024.100089","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Land restoration requires innovative approaches to prevent ongoing degradation and increase the functionality of land use. While land restoration has been studied extensively from the perspective of ecologists and local communities it is a topic that remains at the periphery of the financial economics literature, despite the global financial system’s centrality to the problem. This paper reviews the literature on financial instruments that are designed for land-based ecological restoration, extracts key learnings from this literature and deploys a functional perspective to better understand how financial instruments that aim to scale up land restoration activities can be mainstreamed within the global financial system. This paper presents a framework that promotes public channels to best direct public and private capital towards land restoration projects. Matching the supply of capital with a pipeline of spatially explicit and sometimes unique restoration solutions requires an architecture that can implement this coordination and aggregation function. This has the potential to mitigate transaction costs and improve transparency issues associated with monitoring and reporting. This framework is illustrated for an actual land restoration program underway in Europe.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":100255,"journal":{"name":"Cleaner Production Letters","volume":"8 ","pages":"Article 100089"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-12-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143147973","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Dorothea M. Ramizo, Helen Cabalu, Mark Harris, Julian Inchauspe
{"title":"The environmental impact of green trade and circular trade: Does urbanization matter?","authors":"Dorothea M. Ramizo, Helen Cabalu, Mark Harris, Julian Inchauspe","doi":"10.1016/j.clpl.2024.100086","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.clpl.2024.100086","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Urban areas are responsible for approximately two-thirds of global energy consumption and over 70% of greenhouse gas emissions, making them pivotal in addressing the global climate crisis. International efforts to achieve decarbonization have emphasized the role of trade in circular economy goods (or circular trade) and green trade composed of environmental goods and low-carbon technologies. Despite their significance, there is limited empirical evidence on how such trade impacts environmental outcomes, particularly when considering urbanization. This study addresses this research gap. Drawing on data from 54 economies between 2000 and 2018, the research employs a panel model incorporating theoretical transmission mechanisms and non-linear threshold effects. The findings reveal that while circular trade reduces environmental degradation, green trade initially exacerbates it. However, interaction models show that urbanization mitigates these negative impacts, enabling green trade to deliver better environmental outcomes. Panel threshold analysis supports these findings. These results challenge the prevailing narrative that green trade mitigates environmental degradation, shedding light on the complex dynamics between trade, urbanization, and environmental sustainability. This study highlights the need for tailored policies that consider a country’s urbanization level to maximize the environmental gains of green and circular trade.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":100255,"journal":{"name":"Cleaner Production Letters","volume":"8 ","pages":"Article 100086"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-12-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143147975","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Actor-network theory-based applications in sustainability: A systematic literature review","authors":"Kadia Georges Aka","doi":"10.1016/j.clpl.2024.100084","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.clpl.2024.100084","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Sustainability is a multifaceted endeavor that underscores the interdependence between society and nature. Its complexity arises from a delicate balance among four sustainability dimensions: economic, environmental, social, and durational. Achieving this equilibrium requires socio-technical changes, where actors and networks play pivotal roles. Actor-network theory is essential for addressing these aspects of sustainability, but a comprehensive overview of its contribution to sustainability literature is lacking. This paper provided the first systematic literature review of actor-network theory-based applications in sustainability, shedding light on current and future research directions. A bibliometric analysis of the literature from 1999 to 2024 using VOSviewer software and the Scopus database was conducted. The analysis of 197 relevant articles utilized performance metrics (productivity and citations) and science mapping techniques (co-citation analysis, bibliographic coupling, and co-word analysis). The findings reveal significant growth in publications, particularly in the last decade, as scholars have studied actor-network theory’s heterogeneity and symmetrical principles, along with the theory’s relational perspective in sustainability. The study specified four knowledge foundations of actor-network theory-based applications in sustainability, namely the nature-science perspective, multi-level perspective, cosmopolitan perspective, and meta-theoretical perspective, as well as four thematic clusters: urbanization, practices/tools, transitions, and industry. Future actor-network theory research in sustainability could emphasize the durational and socio-psychological dimensions, and focus on the field of social science computing. This paper significantly contributes to theory-based applications in sustainability and aids scholars in understanding actor-network theory while exploring critical unanswered questions about sustainability challenges and issues.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":100255,"journal":{"name":"Cleaner Production Letters","volume":"8 ","pages":"Article 100084"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-12-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143147978","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Murilo de Carvalho Marques , Abdoulaye Aboubacari Mohamed , Paulo Feitosa
{"title":"Sustainable development goal 6 monitoring through statistical machine learning – Random Forest method","authors":"Murilo de Carvalho Marques , Abdoulaye Aboubacari Mohamed , Paulo Feitosa","doi":"10.1016/j.clpl.2024.100088","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.clpl.2024.100088","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Global reports from the United Nations project significant deficits in achieving water and sanitation targets by 2030, emphasizing the need for advanced methodologies in ecosystem monitoring. This study examines the integration of the Random Forest machine learning algorithm with freely available satellite imagery and open-source tools to monitor Permanent Protected Areas (PPAs) in the Distrito Federal, Brazil, contributing to Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 6, which prioritizes clean water and sanitation. The research adopts a methodological approach that classifies land use changes within PPAs, with a focus on riparian zones along riverbanks, utilizing high-resolution Sentinel-2 satellite data processed through the Google Earth Engine platform. The findings indicate a 6% increase in native vegetation within PPAs from 2015 to 2022, highlighting the utility of machine learning technologies in environmental monitoring. The Random Forest algorithm demonstrated robust performance, with classification accuracy rates ranging from 83% to 88% and Kappa coefficients between 0.73 and 0.84. These results underscore the method's ability to enhance data granularity and reliability, supporting informed decision-making in ecosystem management. This research contributes to advancements in environmental monitoring methodologies and aligns with international efforts to achieve SDG targets. Further studies should investigate the incorporation of additional machine learning models to improve monitoring accuracy and support sustainable development initiatives.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":100255,"journal":{"name":"Cleaner Production Letters","volume":"8 ","pages":"Article 100088"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-12-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143147976","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Martinus Franciscus Mohandas van Uden, Johannes Wilhelmus Franciscus Wamelink, Ellen Maria van Bueren, Erwin Wilhelmus Theodurus Martinus Heurkens
{"title":"Crossovers between Sustainability Transitions Research and Social Practice Theory: A Systematic Literature Review","authors":"Martinus Franciscus Mohandas van Uden, Johannes Wilhelmus Franciscus Wamelink, Ellen Maria van Bueren, Erwin Wilhelmus Theodurus Martinus Heurkens","doi":"10.1016/j.clpl.2024.100083","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.clpl.2024.100083","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Researchers employ many different approaches to study transitions towards more sustainable futures, of which Sustainability Transitions Research and Social Practice Theory are often used. These approaches offer complementary concepts that are helpful to analyse, explain, forecast, and drive sustainability transitions, e.g. heuristics on changing institutions (Sustainability Transitions Research) or dynamics to change behaviour through practice development (Social Practice Theory). However, despite first attempts, it remains unclear how the approaches can be used together. Therefore, the aim of this paper is to expose crossover frameworks in which these approaches are used together, elaborating on conditions that make this possible, and the strengths and weaknesses of specific crossover frameworks. A systematic literature review has been conducted, investigating the potentials and the limitations for crossovers between Social Practice Theory and Sustainability Transitions Research by analysing the approaches according to the different ontologies and theories and then analysing frameworks that have been created so far. This research elaborates on six crossover frameworks that have been created that all have diverse strengths, such as the ability to conceptualize early transitional changes or finding points of resistance in transitions. All the found crossover frameworks made use of either the multilevel perspective or transition management. Other frameworks of transition research have not been found. This research shows that there has been surprisingly little research to crossover frameworks that incorporate an element of time. The exposition following from this study is interesting for researchers and policymakers working on sustainability transitions and sets an agenda for further framework development.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":100255,"journal":{"name":"Cleaner Production Letters","volume":"7 ","pages":"Article 100083"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-12-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142747417","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Environmental, social and governance aspects and financial performance: A symbiotic relationship in Indian manufacturing","authors":"Umakanta Gartia , Ajaya Kumar Panda , Apoorva Hegde , Swagatika Nanda","doi":"10.1016/j.clpl.2024.100076","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.clpl.2024.100076","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Studying Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) aspects and firm performance is crucial for globally understanding how sustainable practices drive long-term profitability and competitiveness in diverse markets. The research gap lies in the need to empirically test the influence of ESG disclosure on corporate performance through the lens of institutional theory and signaling theory. The study aimed to examine the time-variant impact of ESG on the financial performance (FFP) of Indian manufacturing firms from 2019 to 2022. For the study's analysis, we utilized a variant of structural equation modelling called the ‘cross-lagged panel model’. The cross-lagged panel analysis measured the association of aggregate ESG and its dimensions with FFP. Our findings suggested that the investment in the aggregate ESG commitment increased the firms' financial performance among our sample companies. Regarding the individual aspects of ESG, the environmental and societal obligations of the firms had a positive impact on the firms' earnings, whereas the governance aspect harms the FFP. This study provides beneficial recommendations to policymakers, investors, and portfolio managers based on the analysis.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":100255,"journal":{"name":"Cleaner Production Letters","volume":"7 ","pages":"Article 100076"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-12-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143167413","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Incorporating creative problem-solving skills to foster sustainability among graduate students in education management","authors":"Pengfei Chen, Yuan-Cheng Chang","doi":"10.1016/j.clpl.2024.100082","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.clpl.2024.100082","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Sustainability is increasingly becoming a strategic focus in management education, highlighting the need for creative problem-solving skills to prepare students for environmental and social challenges. Although creative problem-solving is regarded as effective for addressing sustainability issues, empirical research on its impact in enhancing sustainability awareness and problem-solving skills among management students is limited. This study aimed to integrate the creative problem-solving instructional approach with the development of sustainability awareness among graduate students in education management. A mixed-method approach guided the research, utilizing a non-equivalent quasi-experimental design with questionnaires and interviews for data collection. Purposive sampling was used to select 75 master's students, with 39 in the experimental group and 36 in the control group. The intervention consisted of 15 lessons conducted over three months. Pre-tests and post-tests on creative problem-solving and sustainability were administered before and after the intervention, and in-depth interviews were conducted to assess learning effectiveness and gather feedback. The results showed that the thematic coding of the interviews was consistent with the statistical findings, demonstrating that creative problem-solving training not only improved specific skills but also fostered a broader commitment to sustainability. The study concludes that creative problem-solving training is essential for promoting sustainability and creativity among students in higher education.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":100255,"journal":{"name":"Cleaner Production Letters","volume":"7 ","pages":"Article 100082"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-11-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142703069","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}