Highlights of Sustainability最新文献

{"title":"Sustainable Development and Underexplored Topics in Canada’s Energy Transition","authors":"Michael Benson","doi":"10.54175/hsustain3020012","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.54175/hsustain3020012","url":null,"abstract":"Canada’s energy system is undergoing a fundamental shift, which will change how Canadians produce and consume energy. The success of Canada’s energy transition will be influenced by the ability of energy practitioners to manage the tensions and trade-offs in a variety of topics. The purpose of this research was to identify topics that are relevant to Canada’s energy transition and to identify the concepts that energy practitioners are using to manage the tensions and trade-offs in these topics. According to in-depth interviews with Canadian energy practitioners in 2021, the two most important topics in Canada’s energy transition are climate change and reconciliation with Indigenous Peoples. In addition, according to a 2021 focus group with Canadian energy practitioners, three relevant and underexplored topics in Canada’s energy transition are environmental rights, a systemic reduction in energy consumption, and learning from the energy transition in other countries, notably, Germany. These three underexplored topics were studied by completing additional in-depth interviews in 2022 and 2023, and a causal loop analysis in 2023. This research suggests that the concepts of sustainable development and multi-level perspective are complementary, can increase understanding of important and underexplored energy transition topics, and can generate solutions to complex sustainability challenges.","PeriodicalId":259912,"journal":{"name":"Highlights of Sustainability","volume":"18 3","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-05-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141022515","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":"Circular Business Model Frameworks: A Review","authors":"Md Tasbirul Islam, U. Iyer-Raniga, Amjad Ali","doi":"10.54175/hsustain3020010","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.54175/hsustain3020010","url":null,"abstract":"The circular business model (CBM) concepts are vast, interconnected, and emerging. Research to date has been somewhat fragmented, and there would be value in focusing on the systemic identification of the connectivity of the topics around CBM. Furthermore, the business model innovation (BMI) process and business model implementation were identified as two separate spectra of research that should be seen collectively and added to the literature. This article reviewed 256 articles (solely focusing on “CBM frameworks”) published between 2007 and mid-2022, collected from the Scopus database, and analyzed using the content analysis method to identify the research gap/s. Results showed that under circular business model innovation (CBMI), the innovation process and their associated process modeling, archetypes, tools, experimentation, digitalization, and innovation via the inclusion of circular economy (CE) principles and sustainability in BMI were highlighted. From the CBM adoption/implementation perspectives, business ecosystem, technological innovation, product lifecycle management, CBM value dimensions (e.g., value proposition, value creation, and delivery), organizational capabilities, and dynamics were investigated. Topics around sustainability and circularity principles, strategies and organizational performance, CBM value streams, digitalization, and product-service systems were topical issues of the circular supply chain (CSC). A conceptual framework for gaining circular competencies integrating all elemental issues throughout the CBM development process (e.g., innovation, adoption within CSC) has been progressed. Based on the review, this article defined a circular business model as a business model that fundamentally applies one or more of the principles of CE at various product/service/material lifecycle stages, for which sustainability-focused technological innovation, collaboration among business ecosystem partners, and enhanced dynamic capabilities of any organization are prerequisites. Several research gaps were identified with potential avenues for future research directions, which will be helpful for policymakers, business organizations, and researchers.","PeriodicalId":259912,"journal":{"name":"Highlights of Sustainability","volume":" 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-04-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140686034","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":"Economic Development, Industrialization, and Poverty Eradication: A Benchmarking Analysis of Developing, Emerging, and Developed Countries","authors":"Afonso Delgado, Paulo Caldas, Miguel Varela","doi":"10.54175/hsustain3010007","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.54175/hsustain3010007","url":null,"abstract":"This study utilizes benchmarking techniques to monitor productivity change in relation to Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) 1, 8, and 9, addressing the challenges faced by countries in interpreting measures. The first SDG 1, “No Poverty”, aims to completely eliminate poverty. The objective of SDG 8, “Decent Work and Economic Growth”, is to foster comprehensive economic advancement. Finally, SDG 9, “Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure”, focuses on the creation of durable and sustainable infrastructure, as well as promoting innovation to drive economic progress. Economic development, job creation, wealth creation, and poverty eradication are crucial for sustainable development. However, there is no other study estimating the evolution of countries’ performance in terms of these SDGs, whether countries have converged or not, and how each of these SDGs contributes to this performance development. This is the main goal of the present study, which compares 85 countries (2010–2020) from different profiles (developing, emerging, and developed) in terms of several SDG indicators. We applied data envelopment analysis (DEA) and Malmquist productivity indices that quantify changes in efficiency and technology over time to assess productivity dynamics and improvements. Results showed that emerging countries showed the highest productivity development, followed by developing countries and finally developed countries. The slower productivity development in developed countries indicates stagnation, allowing emerging countries to converge in terms of wealth creation, distribution, and poverty reduction.","PeriodicalId":259912,"journal":{"name":"Highlights of Sustainability","volume":"1 3","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-02-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140424834","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":"Achieving Sustainability: Energy and Emission Metrics in the European Union, Bulgaria, Hungary, Italy, Poland and Romania’s Fossil Fuel-dependent Transportation","authors":"G. Dumitrescu","doi":"10.54175/hsustain3010006","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.54175/hsustain3010006","url":null,"abstract":"Given the transport sector’s significant contribution to global greenhouse gas emissions and pollution, sustainable transportation is essential in mitigating climate change and environmental degradation. This study examines the final energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions from fuel combustion in the transport sector of the European Union (EU), Bulgaria, Hungary, Italy, Poland, and Romania. It aims to offer a concrete tool for assessing the impact of transport on emissions by employing a quantitative analysis and ordinary least squares (OLS) models. Only the EU, Hungary and Romania’s results met the assumptions necessary for a valid linear regression model, thus elucidating the complex relationships between the analysed indicators.","PeriodicalId":259912,"journal":{"name":"Highlights of Sustainability","volume":"230 ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-02-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139836656","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":"Achieving Sustainability: Energy and Emission Metrics in the European Union, Bulgaria, Hungary, Italy, Poland and Romania’s Fossil Fuel-dependent Transportation","authors":"G. Dumitrescu","doi":"10.54175/hsustain3010006","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.54175/hsustain3010006","url":null,"abstract":"Given the transport sector’s significant contribution to global greenhouse gas emissions and pollution, sustainable transportation is essential in mitigating climate change and environmental degradation. This study examines the final energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions from fuel combustion in the transport sector of the European Union (EU), Bulgaria, Hungary, Italy, Poland, and Romania. It aims to offer a concrete tool for assessing the impact of transport on emissions by employing a quantitative analysis and ordinary least squares (OLS) models. Only the EU, Hungary and Romania’s results met the assumptions necessary for a valid linear regression model, thus elucidating the complex relationships between the analysed indicators.","PeriodicalId":259912,"journal":{"name":"Highlights of Sustainability","volume":"30 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-02-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139777072","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":"Examining Air Travellers’ Willingness to Pay for Non-voluntary Environment-related Fees: The Case of SAF Surcharge and Carbon Taxes","authors":"Tsz Hin Hui, N. Itani, John F. O’Connell","doi":"10.54175/hsustain3010005","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.54175/hsustain3010005","url":null,"abstract":"This study aims to investigate air travellers’ Willingness to Pay (WTP) for green premiums, specifically focusing on their contribution to reducing carbon emissions generated by air travel. The research integrates the Theory of Planned Behaviour (TPB) and the Contingent Valuation Method (CVM) to estimate the monetary value that air passengers would be willing to pay for environmental initiatives. The TPB provides a theoretical framework to understand the psychological factors influencing individuals’ intentions and behaviours, while the CVM allows for the estimation of the economic value of environmental goods. Drawing on the TPB, this study examines the influence of attitudes, subjective norms, and perceived behavioural control on air travellers’ WTP for green premiums, while considering the determinants and barriers related to ecological goods, and sustainable consumption. The study investigates the potential economic implications of air travellers’ willingness to pay for green premiums, particularly in the context of sustainable aviation fuel options and carbon-related fees. The findings of the survey of a sample of 248 respondents suggest a general willingness among passengers to pay for environmental premiums, notably carbon taxes, with variations in WTP influenced by demographics, travel preferences, environmental values, and awareness. Notably, younger travellers exhibit the highest WTP which is negatively related to the air ticket price. Higher environmental consciousness correlates with greater WTP. The impact of price perception and perceived efficacy of environmental initiatives were also found significant. Financial constraints and scepticism about the credibility of such premiums, however, limit some passengers’ willingness to contribute.","PeriodicalId":259912,"journal":{"name":"Highlights of Sustainability","volume":"31 29","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-02-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139795634","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":"Examining Air Travellers’ Willingness to Pay for Non-voluntary Environment-related Fees: The Case of SAF Surcharge and Carbon Taxes","authors":"Tsz Hin Hui, N. Itani, John F. O’Connell","doi":"10.54175/hsustain3010005","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.54175/hsustain3010005","url":null,"abstract":"This study aims to investigate air travellers’ Willingness to Pay (WTP) for green premiums, specifically focusing on their contribution to reducing carbon emissions generated by air travel. The research integrates the Theory of Planned Behaviour (TPB) and the Contingent Valuation Method (CVM) to estimate the monetary value that air passengers would be willing to pay for environmental initiatives. The TPB provides a theoretical framework to understand the psychological factors influencing individuals’ intentions and behaviours, while the CVM allows for the estimation of the economic value of environmental goods. Drawing on the TPB, this study examines the influence of attitudes, subjective norms, and perceived behavioural control on air travellers’ WTP for green premiums, while considering the determinants and barriers related to ecological goods, and sustainable consumption. The study investigates the potential economic implications of air travellers’ willingness to pay for green premiums, particularly in the context of sustainable aviation fuel options and carbon-related fees. The findings of the survey of a sample of 248 respondents suggest a general willingness among passengers to pay for environmental premiums, notably carbon taxes, with variations in WTP influenced by demographics, travel preferences, environmental values, and awareness. Notably, younger travellers exhibit the highest WTP which is negatively related to the air ticket price. Higher environmental consciousness correlates with greater WTP. The impact of price perception and perceived efficacy of environmental initiatives were also found significant. Financial constraints and scepticism about the credibility of such premiums, however, limit some passengers’ willingness to contribute.","PeriodicalId":259912,"journal":{"name":"Highlights of Sustainability","volume":"146 7","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-02-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139855672","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":"Assessing Profitability and Environmental Impact of Cleantech Start-up Business Models: A Monte Carlo Simulation","authors":"Nipun Goyal, Mahdi Mahmoudzadeh","doi":"10.54175/hsustain3010004","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.54175/hsustain3010004","url":null,"abstract":"The clean technology (cleantech) industry is an exponentially growing sector aimed at producing sustainable products of services that are good for the environment. While these start-ups are producing cutting-edge research with real-world implications, their path to financial and environmental success is tenuous and heavily dependent on their choice of business model. Due to high uncertainty in parameter values and variables pertinent to decision-making, stimulation analyses need to be performed to discuss such choices. We construct a Monte Carlo simulation to evaluate and compare the financial and environmental outcomes of two competing business models: a Business Owned and Operated (B.O.O.) model and a licensing model. The results showed that while a licensing model consistently delivered more environmental benefit, it was also 10% less profitable than a B.O.O. model at their expected values. The analysis identified three main decision points for cleantech start-ups with varying levels of compromise between financial and environmental outcomes. The simulation model is easily adjustable for future cleantech decision-makers, allowing them to choose the right business model and increase their chances of financial and environmental success.","PeriodicalId":259912,"journal":{"name":"Highlights of Sustainability","volume":"11 5","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-02-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139869710","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":"Assessing Profitability and Environmental Impact of Cleantech Start-up Business Models: A Monte Carlo Simulation","authors":"Nipun Goyal, Mahdi Mahmoudzadeh","doi":"10.54175/hsustain3010004","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.54175/hsustain3010004","url":null,"abstract":"The clean technology (cleantech) industry is an exponentially growing sector aimed at producing sustainable products of services that are good for the environment. While these start-ups are producing cutting-edge research with real-world implications, their path to financial and environmental success is tenuous and heavily dependent on their choice of business model. Due to high uncertainty in parameter values and variables pertinent to decision-making, stimulation analyses need to be performed to discuss such choices. We construct a Monte Carlo simulation to evaluate and compare the financial and environmental outcomes of two competing business models: a Business Owned and Operated (B.O.O.) model and a licensing model. The results showed that while a licensing model consistently delivered more environmental benefit, it was also 10% less profitable than a B.O.O. model at their expected values. The analysis identified three main decision points for cleantech start-ups with varying levels of compromise between financial and environmental outcomes. The simulation model is easily adjustable for future cleantech decision-makers, allowing them to choose the right business model and increase their chances of financial and environmental success.","PeriodicalId":259912,"journal":{"name":"Highlights of Sustainability","volume":"52 3","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-02-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139809846","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":"Should We Pursue Green Economic Growth?","authors":"Manuel Rodeiro","doi":"10.54175/hsustain3010003","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.54175/hsustain3010003","url":null,"abstract":"Environmentalists have long claimed it is unjust for the state to prioritize economic interests over environmental ones by sacrificing ecosystem integrity and functioning to unsustainably expand the economy. Recently, mainstream environmentalists have moved to a more conciliatory approach highlighting the common ground between environmental and economic goals. They today claim processes of economic growth and development can be made just if they become green. This paper explores the question: should states pursue “green growth”? Although some critics claim green growth is impossible, I maintain it is. I theorize three conditions that must be met for an instance of growth to be truly considered green. That a development project is green, however, does not automatically ensure it is just. Justice considerations remain in adjudicating the competing interests of different groups of stakeholders. I then examine four reasonable approaches to resolving controversies over the pursuit of green growth: cost-benefit analysis, sufficientarianism, democracy, and pluralism. I conclude a liberal pluralist form of decision-making is best for ensuring fairness.","PeriodicalId":259912,"journal":{"name":"Highlights of Sustainability","volume":"11 2","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-01-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140488666","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}