Frontiers in Sustainability最新文献

{"title":"Buy, Use, Make—A taxonomy of sustainable consumption practices","authors":"Karin Bradley, William Hilliard, Vishal Parekh","doi":"10.3389/frsus.2025.1659040","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3389/frsus.2025.1659040","url":null,"abstract":"In policy debates around sustainable consumption, the term is often associated with buying products or services that have lower environmental impact when compared with mainstream options. This paper contributes to the growing body of research that seeks to nuance understandings of sustainable consumption by providing a taxonomy structured into three ‘types' of sustainable consumption practices: (1) buying, (2) using and (3) making. The taxonomy highlights that sustainable consumption concerns not only the decisions made around the acquisition of a product or service, but also how products and resources are maintained, reused, repaired, shared and enabled—while also considering wider socio-environmental aspects such as community empowerment. The relevance for policy lies in the argument that sustainable consumption goes beyond the buying type—enacted through, for example, public procurement or promotion of eco-labeling—to also include the using and making types, i.e. public policy that facilitates sharing, making and repairing beyond market-relations.","PeriodicalId":253319,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in Sustainability","volume":"6 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-12-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://public-pages-files-2025.frontiersin.org/journals/sustainability/articles/10.3389/frsus.2025.1659040/pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147907867","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":"Connecting consumption and production systems from the perspective of the product user: a foundational multilevel systems model of circularity realized at the economy-scale","authors":"Sahra Svensson-Höglund, Jennifer D. Russell, Jessika Luth Richter, Marianna Lena Kambanou, Anne P.M. Velenturf, Rich Grousset, Leonidas Milios, Sandra Goldmark, Martin Calisto Friant, Alejandro Gallego‐Schmid, Laura Novich, Paul M. Dewick","doi":"10.3389/frsus.2025.1698624","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3389/frsus.2025.1698624","url":null,"abstract":"The Circular Economy (CE) concept continues to garner significant attention from stakeholders. Yet, what a CE entails in its realized state remains insufficiently articulated, particularly for product users. This study introduces a multilevel systems model that conceptualizes an economy-wide, fully implemented CE from the perspective of the product user. The focus is on the foundational tenets of CE theory, namely the flows of materials, products, and components in the specific context of durable consumer products. The model's development follows a sequential method and is empirically tested and refined through a Delphi study involving 14 experts in CE and sufficiency. First, this model clarifies the composition, elements, and structure of the consumption system in a realized CE. Notably, elements often relegated to the background, such as contextual settings, are foregrounded to enable a more comprehensive analysis of factors involved in CE behaviors. The model provides a structured foundation for systematic exploration of potential implications for product users, which can be expanded in future research to include additional dimensions (e.g., social and ecological). Second, the multileveled nature of the model and mapping of the diverse flows and interactions shaping product users' reality in a realized CE allows for systematic integration of consumption (i.e., more concrete from the perspective of the product user) and production (i.e., more abstract) systems. As such, the model introduces an integrated product-system lens for bridging multi- and interdisciplinary areas of sustainable consumption and production. The paper concludes by outlining avenues for future research and potential applications of the model.","PeriodicalId":253319,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in Sustainability","volume":"6 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-12-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://public-pages-files-2025.frontiersin.org/journals/sustainability/articles/10.3389/frsus.2025.1698624/pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147901778","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":"Campus sustainability at Rhodes University, South Africa: perceptions, awareness level, and potential interventions","authors":"Gladman Thondhlana, Baby-Sandile Nkosi","doi":"10.3389/frsus.2024.1390061","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3389/frsus.2024.1390061","url":null,"abstract":"With an increasing environmental footprint due to resource consumption by employees and students, universities have a moral responsibility to integrate sustainability principles in daily university operations as part of broader societal contributions. Understanding perceptions of sustainability and awareness level can inform universities about their performance on sustainability matters, and allocation of financial and human resources needed to help universities achieve their intended sustainability targets. However, studies on perceptions regarding campus daily sustainability practices, organizational culture and role of leadership are scarce. To address this gap, this study examined staff and students’ perceptions of campus sustainability, including their views on daily operations, sustainability priorities, the organization’s level of commitment toward sustainability goals and the role of top management in promoting sustainable practices at Rhodes University, South Africa. The findings show low and varied level of sustainability awareness between stakeholders and a disconnect between campus sustainability efforts and priorities, suggestive of a policy-implementation gap. The respondents cited lack of funding, cooperation, and commitment from top leadership as the key barriers to campus sustainability. The findings point to the need to rethink the sustainability challenges universities face and ways of addressing them. Possible strategies for improving perceptions include raising awareness on campus sustainability through engagements, engendering a sustainability culture, clearly defining responsibilities for overseeing sustainability matters, co-designing sustainability goals and implementation strategies, and the need to monitor and report progress made toward achieving sustainability goals.","PeriodicalId":253319,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in Sustainability","volume":"46 33","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-08-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141924303","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"PET and polyolefin plastics supply chains in Michigan: present and future systems analysis of environmental and socio-economic impacts","authors":"Utkarsh S. Chaudhari, Kamand Sedaghatnia, Barbara K. Reck, Kate Maguire, Anne T. Johnson, David W. Watkins, Robert M. Handler, Tasmin Hossain, Damon S. Hartley, Vicki S. Thompson, Alejandra Peralta, Jenny L. Apriesnig, David R. Shonnard","doi":"10.3389/frsus.2024.1405427","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3389/frsus.2024.1405427","url":null,"abstract":"Many actions are underway at global, national, and local levels to increase plastics circularity. However, studies evaluating the environmental and socio-economic impacts of such a transition are lacking at regional levels in the United States. In this work, the existing polyethylene terephthalate and polyolefin plastics supply chains in Michigan were compared to a potential future (‘NextCycle’) scenario that looks at increasing Michigan’s overall recycling rate to 45%. Material flow analysis data was combined with environmental and socio-economic metrics to evaluate the sustainability of these supply chains for the modeled scenarios. Overall, the NextCycle scenario for these supply chains achieved a net 14% and 34% savings of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and energy impacts, when compared with their respective baseline values. Additionally, the NextCycle scenario showed a net gain in employment and wages, however, it showed a net loss of revenue generation outside of Michigan due to the avoided use of virgin resins in Michigan.","PeriodicalId":253319,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in Sustainability","volume":"114 18","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-05-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141106168","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Strengthening resilience: decentralized decision-making and multi-criteria analysis in the energy-water-food nexus systems","authors":"Maryam Haji, Sarah Namany, Tareq Al-Ansari","doi":"10.3389/frsus.2024.1367931","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3389/frsus.2024.1367931","url":null,"abstract":"The Energy-Water-Food (EWF) nexus is a complex and multidimensional system, in which the energy, water and food resources are strongly interconnected. EWF nexus systems are seriously threatened by natural hazards (e.g., climate change and extreme weather events) along with other human-driven threats, including rapid population growth, urbanization, terrorism, and geopolitical uncertainty. As such, integrated analysis, as encouraged by the EWF nexus can facilitate the identification of essential connections and potential conflicts that may arise in the planning and operation of resource systems. Moreover, in order to consider immediate shocks and long-term pressures, it is imperative to prioritize the strengthening of EWF system resilience by incorporating robust and efficient resource management strategies, which consider various dimensions of sustainability and security such as technical, environmental, economic, and societal aspects. Decentralization is one concept that has the potential of improving the resilience of nexus systems faced to the multiple risks governing them through reducing single points of failure and enabling swifter responses to sudden shocks and continuous volatilities. However, in order to achieve a holistic system resilience through decentralization, the assessment of the different risks impacting each nexus sector is fundamental, yet it can be particularly challenging. Therefore, the objective of this study is to review the currently available resilience assessment methods for the EWF nexus system. The systematic literature review will connect various assessment methods used within decentralization studies that are applied to improve the resilience performance of the EWF nexus system. A total of 84 journal papers were evaluated. The review demonstrates that the deployment of multi-criteria decision-making framework based on composite indicators can be effective in addressing risks and uncertainties within EWF systems. Furthermore, findings of this review illustrate complementary connections between decentralization and resilience concepts, which when integrated with the EWF nexus approach, can be effectively utilized for integrated sustainable resource management.","PeriodicalId":253319,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in Sustainability","volume":"12 11","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-05-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141110154","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"COP28 and the global stocktake: a weak attempt to address climate change","authors":"Kizito Aidam","doi":"10.3389/frsus.2024.1388266","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3389/frsus.2024.1388266","url":null,"abstract":"The seminal outcome of COP28 was the Global Stocktake (GST), which referenced transitioning for the first time among all the United Nations’ climate agreements. While the GST’s attempt at energy transition is welcomed, it is deficient. In this paper, the historical challenges of international climate policymaking and implementation has been explored. The challenges that undermined previous UN agreements will likely hinder the global stocktake. Moreover, the GST’s failure to use more forceful language could be a fatal flaw. Furthermore, the GST did not sufficiently define key terms like net zero and energy transition. Likewise, it did not give due consideration to energy justice. The GST missed the opportunity to take strategic advantage of state actors while creating an ecosystem for non-state actors to contribute to the fight against climate change. The GST should have taken advantage of the avalanche of scientific knowledge available on energy transition to mandate timely climate mitigation plans. Subsequent GSTs must proactively address the shortcomings of the first GST if the current generation, which is touted as the generation with the last chance to combat climate change, hopes to achieve the primary goal of the Paris Agreement.","PeriodicalId":253319,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in Sustainability","volume":"40 3","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-05-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141109495","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Quality education for all: a case study of success for a neurodivergent learner","authors":"Glenys Ker, Rachel van Gorp","doi":"10.3389/frsus.2024.1399361","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3389/frsus.2024.1399361","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":253319,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in Sustainability","volume":"98 40","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-05-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141122447","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Tomato disease detection with lightweight recurrent and convolutional deep learning models for sustainable and smart agriculture","authors":"An Thanh Le, Masoud Shakiba, Iman Ardekani","doi":"10.3389/frsus.2024.1383182","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3389/frsus.2024.1383182","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":253319,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in Sustainability","volume":"25 20","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-05-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141119280","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Integrated techno-economic and life cycle assessment of hydroformylation in microemulsion systems","authors":"Johannes Wunderlich, Philipp Kretzschmar, Reinhard Schomäcker","doi":"10.3389/frsus.2024.1405471","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3389/frsus.2024.1405471","url":null,"abstract":"This paper presents the first integrated techno-economic and life cycle assessment of microemulsion systems being applied for rhodium-catalyzed hydroformylation of long-chain alkenes at industrial scale. The case study describes a projected 150 kt/a production of tridecanal (US gulf coast, 2019). The industrial success of the hydroformylation of short-chain alkenes lies in the continuous recycling of the rhodium-containing water phase. Microemulsion systems can be applied to transfer this concept to long-chain alkenes by overcoming the miscibility gap between the aqueous catalyst phase and the unipolar alkene phase and, moreover, by generating a temperature-induced multi-phase system enabling the immobilization of the catalyst and its continuous recycling, as demonstrated in miniplant operations with dodecene and rhodium/SulfoXantPhos. Customizable simulation models have been developed for scale-up and assessment of the miniplant data. Surprisingly, a profitability-driven sensitivity study indicates a base case optimum at low residence time with low alkene conversion leading to large throughput streams and high raw material purge rates. The comparison to the industrial cobalt-based benchmark system shows an economic advantage regarding net present value (Rh: 68 M$; Co: 62 M$), while about half of the environmental indicators are in favor or equivalent. In a best-case scenario considering zero leaching of expensive rhodium the net present value increases by almost 40% accompanied by a shift to overall lower environmental impacts than the benchmark. In conclusion, the investigated miniplant data suggest microemulsion systems to be competitive when applied in continuous processes at a large scale.","PeriodicalId":253319,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in Sustainability","volume":"1 5","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-05-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140962178","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Editorial: Future perspectives on separation technologies","authors":"Eric C. D. Tan, E. Favvas, Adele Brunetti","doi":"10.3389/frsus.2024.1411937","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3389/frsus.2024.1411937","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":253319,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in Sustainability","volume":"7 18","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-05-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141126945","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}