Current Research in Environmental Sustainability最新文献

{"title":"Empowering student-led exchanges in biosphere reserves and geoparks: A policy framework for sustainable education in multiple UNESCO designated areas","authors":"Aida Mammadova ,&nbsp;Denise Margaret Matias ,&nbsp;Bernadette Ekua Bedua Afful ,&nbsp;Racheal Fosu Donkoh ,&nbsp;Seira Harada ,&nbsp;Saku Monden","doi":"10.1016/j.crsust.2025.100332","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.crsust.2025.100332","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>This paper presents a policy framework for student-led exchanges within UNESCO-designated Biosphere Reserves (BRs) and Global Geoparks (UGGps), aiming to enhance Education for Sustainable Development (ESD). Drawing on experiential learning theory, place-based education, and transformative learning, the framework was co-developed during an international symposium held at Kanazawa University in March 2025. It addresses institutional barriers such as administrative complexity and financial constraints, proposing a flexible, low-burden model that supports intercultural dialogue, field-based learning, and community engagement. The framework includes six components: student-led coordination, flexible exchange formats, recognition and learning assessment, sustainable funding, hybrid learning integration, and regional sustainability. Pilot programs across six countries will test the model's feasibility and impact. Student testimonials and institutional feedback highlight the transformative potential of immersive exchanges and the need for inclusive, digitally supported systems. This work contributes to sustainable education policy by offering actionable strategies for integrating youth mobility into UNESCO's MAB and Geopark networks while treating the recommendations as hypotheses under pilot testing rather than proven solutions.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":34472,"journal":{"name":"Current Research in Environmental Sustainability","volume":"11 ","pages":"Article 100332"},"PeriodicalIF":3.8,"publicationDate":"2026-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145897883","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":"Citizen support for policy interventions implemented to achieve more sustainable food consumption: The role of policy design and presentation","authors":"Therese Lindahl","doi":"10.1016/j.crsust.2026.100346","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.crsust.2026.100346","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>This study examines public support for policy packages comprising taxes, subsidies, or both designed to reduce the consumption of animal-based protein (e.g., beef, pork, chicken and cheese). Specifically, we investigate whether support varies depending on how these policy packages are designed and presented. While previous research shows that the design of carbon taxes can influence public acceptance, there is limited evidence on whether similar results apply to policies implemented to promote sustainable diets. Our study addresses this gap. We find significant variation in public support based on the design of taxes and subsidies. The most influential design elements are linked to perceived living costs. In contrast, design elements linked to concerns about a policy's effectiveness or its potential economic impact on the domestic economy appear to play a minor role in shaping support. Additionally, our results suggest that the order in which measures are introduced within a policy package matter and that people tend to be less supportive of policies targeting individual consumption, even when they come in the form of subsidies, compared to those targeting production. While our findings offer novel insights with potential relevance beyond the Swedish context, further research is needed across different domains, economic settings, and political environments to validate and extend these results.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":34472,"journal":{"name":"Current Research in Environmental Sustainability","volume":"11 ","pages":"Article 100346"},"PeriodicalIF":3.8,"publicationDate":"2026-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147600291","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":"Uncovering the German public's perception of agricultural carbon dioxide removal measures - Evidence from deliberative workshops","authors":"Samuel Fischer ,&nbsp;Bartosz Bartkowski ,&nbsp;Klaas Korte ,&nbsp;Erik Gawel","doi":"10.1016/j.crsust.2026.100345","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.crsust.2026.100345","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>While carbon dioxide removal (CDR) policies have recently been discussed in many countries, research on public and local stakeholder perceptions of CDR remains limited. That is, however, important information to design policies that are accepted by people. Through thematic analysis, we examined perceptions toward specific agricultural CDR measures and rewetting in Germany using a sample of 117 participants who engaged in online deliberative workshops. Although conducted in Germany, the study's findings may (partly) be of interest for an international audience, as they examine broadly applied CDR measures and highlight patterns in public engagement, risk perception and preferences that may transcend national boundaries. Our findings indicate that participants do not regard carbon storage as the primary benefit of the proposed CDR measures, but co-benefits such as habitat for biodiversity. Furthermore, agroforestry and afforestation are considered the most beneficial approaches. In contrast, cropping measures have received less attention since people feel they are being implemented already, with perennial crops facing criticism due to, e.g. the expectation of reduced yields, while legumes are regarded favourably. Opinions on short rotation coppices (SRC), rewetting and cover crops were mixed. We also contrasted these implicit lay evaluations of CDR measures to existing literature on the characteristics of those measures finding that (i) as a group, participants' perceptions align pretty much with evidence, but (ii) individual knowledge gaps exist.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":34472,"journal":{"name":"Current Research in Environmental Sustainability","volume":"11 ","pages":"Article 100345"},"PeriodicalIF":3.8,"publicationDate":"2026-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147600293","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":"Bridging the gap between knowledge and practice: The mediating role of attitudes in energy efficiency behaviour in Tanzania","authors":"Frank Lujaji","doi":"10.1016/j.crsust.2026.100348","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.crsust.2026.100348","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>While supply-side investments dominate energy planning in sub-Saharan Africa, the role of demand-side behaviour remains a critical, yet under-quantified, component of the energy transition. This study investigates the cognitive and attitudinal drivers of energy curtailment in the United Republic of Tanzania (URT), examining how technical literacy relates to everyday conservation practices. Drawing on cross-sectional survey data (<span><math><mrow><mi>N</mi><mo>=</mo><mn>314</mn></mrow></math></span>), we employed structural equation modelling with the robust WLSMV estimator to test a Knowledge–Attitude–Practice (KAP) framework. The analysis reveals a significant positive pathway from energy knowledge to pro-efficiency attitudes and subsequently to self-reported practice. Notably, we also identify a robust direct association between knowledge and practice, suggesting that factual understanding empowers individuals to manage consumption independent of their attitudinal orientation. However, the model explains approximately 19<!--> <!-->% of the variance in practice, indicating that while human agency is relevant, it operates within a landscape defined by significant structural constraints. These findings suggest that policy interventions in the URT should treat energy literacy as a mechanism for building instrumental capability, while recognising that information alone cannot overcome the material barriers that limit the scope of household energy action.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":34472,"journal":{"name":"Current Research in Environmental Sustainability","volume":"11 ","pages":"Article 100348"},"PeriodicalIF":3.8,"publicationDate":"2026-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147740089","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":"From experience to action: Correlates of Lithuanian citizens' engagement in climate adaptation","authors":"Aiste Dirzyte ,&nbsp;Aelita Skaržauskienė ,&nbsp;Aleksandras Patapas","doi":"10.1016/j.crsust.2026.100335","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.crsust.2026.100335","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><div>Climate adaptation requires action at institutional and individual levels. Citizens' engagement differs widely across sociocultural and geographic contexts and remains under-researched.</div></div><div><h3>Aim</h3><div>The purpose of the study was to examine correlates of Lithuanian adults' adaptation actions, using a nationally representative survey adapted from Brink and Wamsler's instrument (2019) in Sweden.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>Data were collected via face-to-face interviews in Lithuania (October–November 2023; <em>N</em> = 1013). Measures included climate-related hazard experience (recent 5 years and lifetime), climate change concern (single item), cultural worldviews, adaptation motivation, and self-reported adaptation actions. We tested measurement structure with CFA, used Independent-samples <em>t</em>-tests for group differences (gender; hazard experience), and estimated multivariate associations using multiple regression and an exploratory SEM summarizing hazard experience–concern–action associations.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>Independent samples' <em>t-</em>test showed that individuals with prior climate-related hazard experiences (<em>n</em> = 259, 26%) in comparison to individuals who have never experienced a climate-related hazard (<em>n</em> = 754, 74%), scored overall higher on climate change concern, motivation to adapt, and adaptation actions (<em>p</em> &lt; .001). Women reported slightly higher climate concern than men (d = 0.17), while men reported slightly more technical actions (d = 0.22). Using exploratory structural equation modeling (SEM), it was found that recent hazard experience showed the strongest association with adaptation actions in multivariate models (standardized β ≈ 0.30, <em>p</em> &lt; .001), while concern showed a small association with actions when considered alongside experience and motivation (standardized β ≈ 0.08–0.12).</div></div><div><h3>Conclusions</h3><div>In Lithuania, recent lived experience with climate-related hazards and stronger motivation are robust correlates of adaptation actions, whereas climate concern alone is a comparatively weak correlate once other factors are considered. The findings are correlational and should be interpreted as associations rather than evidence of causal direction.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":34472,"journal":{"name":"Current Research in Environmental Sustainability","volume":"11 ","pages":"Article 100335"},"PeriodicalIF":3.8,"publicationDate":"2026-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146078652","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":"Decoding the impact of green investment on environmental pollution in China: A cross-regional examination","authors":"Yanlu Huang ,&nbsp;Jiacheng Liu","doi":"10.1016/j.crsust.2026.100338","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.crsust.2026.100338","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>China has become the world's largest source of green investment, yet its environmental returns remain contested. Using provincial panel data for 30 Chinese provinces from 2004 to 2023, this study examines the pollutant-specific, regional, and spatial effects of green investment within a simultaneous-equations framework to address endogeneity. We find that green investment significantly reduces CO₂ and PM2.5 emissions, with the carbon abatement effect strengthening after 2019. The environmental returns to green investment are highly heterogeneous. Carbon mitigation is concentrated in western provinces, while particulate reductions are strongest in eastern and western regions but absent in central provinces. Mechanism analysis shows that green investment operates partly through human capital accumulation, regulatory reinforcement, fiscal capacity, and increased government and social environmental attention. We further document significant cross-regional spillovers, indicating that green investment generates pollution-reduction benefits beyond provincial boundaries. Overall, green investment delivers a robust carbon dividend but its effectiveness depends on pollutant type, regional structure, and institutional complements. These findings call for geographically targeted and pollutant-specific policy design rather than uniform national subsidies.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":34472,"journal":{"name":"Current Research in Environmental Sustainability","volume":"11 ","pages":"Article 100338"},"PeriodicalIF":3.8,"publicationDate":"2026-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147421140","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":"A simple yet holistic approach for assessing systemic change in sectoral zero-carbon transitions: The case of electricity in Europe","authors":"Germán Bersalli ,&nbsp;David Gottheit ,&nbsp;Johan Lilliestam","doi":"10.1016/j.crsust.2026.100342","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.crsust.2026.100342","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Many countries are seeking to accelerate their transitions to a zero‑carbon energy system in line with their commitments under the Paris Agreement. In energy policy analysis, transition progress and policy success are often measured by trends in emissions and renewable energy deployment. While these outcome metrics are important, they provide limited insight into the broader systemic changes, as they overlook the underlying drivers and processes. Moreover, existing evaluation frameworks often lack theoretical grounding, leading to an incoherent set of indicators. Here, we assess transition progress from a system-change perspective by developing a theory-driven evaluation framework and applying it to the electricity sectors of four European transition “leaders”: the UK, Germany, Denmark, and Norway. Unlike existing frameworks, our approach is rooted in sustainability transitions literature, improving interpretability while maintaining a focused set of systemic change indicators. Our analysis reveals significant progress in scaling up renewables and phasing out carbon-intensive technologies. However, persistent challenges—particularly in electricity grid infrastructure and regulatory adaptation—continue to hinder full decarbonization, especially in the UK and Germany, which are not on track towards zero‑carbon power. The Norwegian and especially Danish electricity transitions are progressing well, not only in terms of emissions and technology deployment, but the underlying systemic measures make their transition policies credible. Our findings highlight the importance of including systemic metrics, going beyond emissions and renewables deployment metrics, and illustrate the feasibility of a “policy turn” in transition studies through forward-looking analytical tools.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":34472,"journal":{"name":"Current Research in Environmental Sustainability","volume":"11 ","pages":"Article 100342"},"PeriodicalIF":3.8,"publicationDate":"2026-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147421245","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":"Exploring the feasibility and usefulness of a digital twin in the valorization of organic waste streams in Uganda","authors":"Esther Ronner ,&nbsp;Oana Butuc ,&nbsp;Gerrie van de Ven ,&nbsp;Petronella Margaretha Slegers","doi":"10.1016/j.crsust.2026.100354","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.crsust.2026.100354","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Valorization of organic waste streams receives growing attention to improve resource efficiency and support a circular economy. One potential valorization option is converting organic waste into biofertilizers, but logistical challenges around waste availability, consistency and transportation hinder its potential. Digital twins—virtual models integrating real-time data—could enhance decision-making for waste valorization, but their application remains limited to data intensive, controlled environments. In this exploratory study we applied the Motivation-Opportunity-Ability framework and an infological approach to assess stakeholder perspectives and feasibility of the digital twin concept in a relatively complex and data-scarce environment: the valorization of organic waste in Uganda. Findings indicate that actors are Motivated to valorize waste for sustainability and economic benefits, but limited waste availability and predictive capacity to optimize the valorization process restrict Opportunities and Ability. Composting of wet coffee pulp with black soldier fly larvae emerged as a promising valorization case, in which a digital model could support decision-making towards improved yields of larvae and frass (output), based on amount, quality and the costs of different waste streams (input). Limited automation, data sharing and value creation make the development of a fully integrated digital twin unlikely in the near future. In the resource-constrained setting of our study, relatively simple digital models that can gradually be advanced based on technical feasibility, perceived importance of parameters and resources available are required instead. To ensure a successful implementation, a user-driven design approach focusing on practical decision-problems rather than on technological potential alone is key.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":34472,"journal":{"name":"Current Research in Environmental Sustainability","volume":"11 ","pages":"Article 100354"},"PeriodicalIF":3.8,"publicationDate":"2026-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147850110","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":"Challenges of creating climate-friendly schools: How barriers develop out of organising processes at schools and prevent them from adopting transformative measures","authors":"Nina Liebhaber ,&nbsp;Melanie Frick ,&nbsp;Johanna Trummer ,&nbsp;Gerd Michelsen ,&nbsp;Lars Keller","doi":"10.1016/j.crsust.2026.100343","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.crsust.2026.100343","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The urgency of cutting carbon emissions and the lagging implementation of transformative, climate-friendly measures has been firmly expressed by climate scientists. In this context, schools are called upon to organise processes which can lead to more climate-friendly schools. In search of solutions to this challenging task, high school students, teachers and the research team in the transdisciplinary project k.i.d.Z.21_aCtiOn2 sought to reduce carbon emissions in partner schools in Germany and Austria. The collaboration built on the young people having previously been involved in a climate change education programme which prepared them to become agents of change in their schools. Alongside the project's attempts to transform the schools into more climate-friendly organisations, various hindering aspects have been identified through Situational Analyses, a qualitative approach building on Grounded Theory which made use of participants' and researchers' mappings of situations. The mappings captured all involved actors, their roles in the transformation processes, carbon emission sources, the students' proposals and to what extent these were considered or implemented. Overall, this situated, participatory approach identified 15 types of barriers. Building on previous organisational research on schools, a coupling theory approach has been adopted to analyse the extent to which the interrelations of involved actors contributed to these barriers. The study provides detailed descriptions of how barriers to carbon reduction measures arise in schools. Other initiatives of creating climate-friendly educational institutions can build on the outlined importance of capturing all involved actors and their couplings in order to understand, and potentially prevent, barriers.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":34472,"journal":{"name":"Current Research in Environmental Sustainability","volume":"11 ","pages":"Article 100343"},"PeriodicalIF":3.8,"publicationDate":"2026-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147650034","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":"Adapting across generations: Livelihood pathways in environmentally stressed rural coastal regions of Bangladesh and India","authors":"Sayantan Samui,&nbsp;Bishawjit Mallick,&nbsp;Ajay Bailey","doi":"10.1016/j.crsust.2026.100352","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.crsust.2026.100352","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Understanding how livelihood practices transform across generations in response to environmental change represents a critical yet underexplored problem. Environmental changes are increasingly disrupting rural livelihoods in coastal South Asia. Existing studies have rarely captured either the dynamic or the intergenerational nature of livelihoods. Moving beyond static analyses, this study aimed to capture the intergenerational dynamics of livelihood trajectories in response to environmental change by introducing the analytical framework of <em>Intergenerational Livelihood Pathways</em>. The framework examined how environmental changes have shaped the availability of and access to livelihood capitals over time and how different adaptation strategies have evolved across generations. The framework was applied in rural coastal communities in Bangladesh and West Bengal, India, where livelihoods have long been deeply rooted in natural resources and exposed to multiple environmental hazards. Drawing on life-history interviews in ten villages, this study traced the evolution of livelihood practices across three generations. The findings indicated a gradual shift from solely nature-based livelihoods to more mixed and diversified practices, mainly due to the degradation of natural capital. The study offered critical insights into how rural households adapt their livelihoods across generations in response to environmental changes. It provided actionable directions for policies that strengthen natural capital, promote sustainable resource use, and support locally driven adaptation planning. By introducing the <em>Intergenerational Livelihood Pathways</em> framework, the study contributed an original analytical lens for examining the intergenerational dimensions of adaptation and livelihood resilience in climate-vulnerable communities.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":34472,"journal":{"name":"Current Research in Environmental Sustainability","volume":"11 ","pages":"Article 100352"},"PeriodicalIF":3.8,"publicationDate":"2026-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147797959","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}