An assessment of requirements in investments, new technologies, and infrastructures to achieve the SDGs

Vidal²,

Dinis³

et al. 2023

Energ Sustain Soc

Self Cite

Background The implementation of sustainability at universities means that they can also play a key role in the transition to a low carbon economy, and in assisting global efforts towards decarbonisation. Yet, not all of them have so far fully engaged in this area. This paper reviews the state of the art on trends in decarbonisation, and outlines the need for decarbonisation efforts at universities. It also reports on a survey aimed at ascertaining the extent to which universities in a sample of 40 countries across the various geographical regions are engaged in carbon reduction efforts, identifying the challenges faced. Results The study has shown that the literature on the topic has been evolving over time and that increasing a given university’s energy supply from renewable energy sources has been the cornerstone of university-based climate action plans. The study also indicates that even though several universities are concerned with their carbon footprint and actively seeking ways to reduce it, there are some institutional obstacles that need to be overcome. Conclusions A first conclusion which can be drawn is that efforts on decarbonisation are becoming more popular, with a special focus being placed on the use of renewable energy. Also, the study has shown that, from the range of efforts being made towards decarbonisation, many universities are setting up a team with carbon management responsibilities, have Carbon Management Policy Statements, and review them. The paper points towards some measures which may be deployed, so as to allow universities to take better advantage of the many opportunities an engagement in decarbonisation initiatives offers to them.

Section: Main Topicmentioning

confidence: 88%

Low carbon futures: assessing the status of decarbonisation efforts at universities within a 2050 perspective

Vidal²,

Dinis³

et al. 2023

Energ Sustain Soc

Self Cite

“…Consistent with this reality, the literature shows that a wide body of scientists from numerous fields of knowledge have turned their attention to and made a considerable effort towards mapping the potential implications of the COVID-19 pandemic into virtually all social subsystems, including work and organizations (King et al, 2022;Mihalache and Mihalache, 2022;Min et al, 2021); business, supply chains (Sarkis, 2021); sustainable development (Dinis et al, 2022;Leal Filho et al, 2022b;Leal Filho et al, 2022d); environmental impacts (Leal Filho et al, 2022c;Mekonnen and Aragaw, 2021) and production industry (Chowdhury et al, 2021;Rizou et al, 2020); travel and tourism (Gössling et al, 2021;Magano et al, 2021aMagano et al, , 2021bRanasinghe et al, 2020); academic routines regarding teaching, research and outreach (Dwivedi et al, 2020;Hanaei et al, 2022;Leal Filho et al, 2021a;Leal Filho et al, 2021b;Rasiah et al, 2020); or social impacts (Debrah et al, 2022a(Debrah et al, , 2022bHuiskes et al, 2022;Leite et al, 2021), to cite a few.…”

Section: Covid-19 Pandemic Influence On the Academic Routinementioning

confidence: 97%

Influences of the Covid-19 pandemic on the impact factor of a sample of environment/sustainability-related journals

Dinis

Salvia

et al. 2023

IJSHE

Self Cite

Purpose The COVID-19 pandemic has led to changes in academic routines. These changes have also contributed to an increase in the number of papers submitted to journals, citations and, ultimately, to changes in metrics. This study aims to address a gap between theory and practice, analysing the changes in the impact factor (IF) of a sample of 30 environment/sustainability-related journals, in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic. Design/methodology/approach The study used an expert-driven literature analysis and an assessment of a selected sample of 30 environment/sustainability-related journals’ increased trends. Findings The unprecedented trend observed when analysing the results obtained in the IF of environment/sustainability-related journals contribute to the body of knowledge on this topic, allowing us to understand how specifically the COVID-19 pandemic has influenced scientific publishing, despite the restrictions imposed by lockdowns and access to research knowledge and facilities. Research limitations/implications Based on a sample of 30 environment/sustainability-related journals, this study can highlight lessons learned from the COVID-19 pandemic, suggesting specific measures which may be addressed to contribute to upkeep levels of publishing in the environment/sustainability field covered in this study. Practical implications This study will contribute to setting the stage for additional research on the influences of the COVID-19 pandemic on scientific publishing’s impact in environment/sustainability areas of knowledge. The implications of this research will allow us to set the basis for more extensive research in other areas of knowledge. Originality/value To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this study is unique, as it addresses the implications of the COVID-19 pandemic in 30 considered exemplary environment/sustainability-related journals, the main research area of all the authors involved in this publication.

“…Countries that reflect statistics of more women in remunerated positions have lower poverty rates (Nieuwenhuis et al, 2018), though this might not be the case when the income size is below the poverty line (European Institute for Gender Equality, 2016). The COVID-19 pandemic is expected to have deepen gender poverty gaps, affecting women more strongly than men (Leal Filho et al, 2022b, 2022c. According to the report released by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and UN Women, 232 million women will be living in extreme poverty in 2030, compared to 221 million men (Azcona et al, 2020).…”

Section: The Proposed Framework For Assessing Gender Equality Impact ...mentioning

confidence: 99%

Promoting gender equality across the sustainable development goals

Kovaleva

Tsani

et al. 2022

Environ Dev Sustain

Self Cite

Gender issues, and gender equality in particular, can be regarded as cross-cutting issues in the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), even though it is unclear how they are taken into account. This study addresses this information gap by performing an assessment of the emphasis on gender issues across all the other 16 SDGs, in addition to SDG5, through a literature review and case study analysis, the basis for the newly developed framework, highlighting specific actions associated to each SDG. The 13 countries addressed in the 16 case studies include China, India, or Australia and illustrate the inclusion of SDG5 into the SDGs. Using an SDG matrix, the SDG targets are analysed. Those where an emphasis on gender equality is important in allowing them to be achieved are listed. The novelty of our approach resides in offering an in-depth analysis of how gender issues interact with the other SDGs, proposing a new analysis framework clearly identifying SDGs 1, 4, 11, 12, 14 and 16 demanding further attention for successful SD gender implementation and illustrating specific areas where further actions may be necessary, which may be used by policy-makers, raising further awareness on gender equality contribution to achieve the SDGs. A set of recommendations aimed at placing gender matters more centrally in the SDGs delivery are presented as a final contribution. These focus on the need for greater awareness and attention to good practices, to achieve successful implementation initiatives. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s10668-022-02656-1.