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Guiding industries to produce in an effective and environmentally sustainable manner has become a key issue for governments around the world. Over the past 15 years, series of regional and industrial development policies have been introduced by the Chinese government. This has influenced the geographical distribution and energy efficiency performance of China’s industries. This paper quantifies the influence of enterprises geographical distribution on energy efficiency improvement in the paper industry and aims at providing some helpful suggestions on industrial development to policy makers. The main results show that, firstly, the paper industry in eastern China shows obvious characteristic of agglomeration. The average location quotient is 1.2278. However, following the industrial and regional development policies, the characteristic of agglomeration is weakening. Secondly, only when agglomeration reaches a certain level (location quotient is above 0.5447) will industrial agglomeration positively impact on industrial energy efficiency improvement (a 1% increase in agglomeration will increase dynamic energy efficiency by at least 0.23%). Thirdly, the regional development policies carried out by the government slow the pace of energy efficiency improvement in China’s paper industry. The empirical results indicate that the government needs to consider regional characteristics and consciously guide industrial enterprises to concentrate in the dominant area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Papermaking enterprises are currently under both environmental pressure and economic pressure for sustainable development in China. Thus, the efficiency, effectiveness, and benefits of resource utilization need to be improved. High-consumption and high-pollution companies should manufacture paper using sustainable methods. This study highlights a resource value flow analysis from the circular economy perspective, developing an extension of material flow cost accounting and modifying it by accounting for environmental damage as well as economic benefits. With reference to the Plan-Do-Check-Act cycle, this specific case study was conducted to verify the comprehensive utility of resource value flow analysis by establishing decision-making prioritization according to the dualistic diagnosis of "internal resource loss–external environmental damage costs." In general, applying a resource value flow analysis can both reduce resource consumption and minimize environmental damage, enhancing the sustainable development of a process industry with limited resources. Highlights • Material flows and value flows form an interactive unit in the resource value flow analysis model. • The resource value flow analysis model extends the environmental dimension of material flow cost accounting. • A dualistic diagnosis of "internal resource loss and external environmental damage costs" can achieve both economic profits and environmental benefits. • The Plan-Do-Check-Act cycle was introduced to strengthen the practical application of the resource value flow analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As a traditional energy and carbon intensive sector, it becomes imperative for the global paper industry to realize green development. This paper aims to provide guidance for the green transformation of global paper industry by evaluating the global paper industry green development level in a systematic and dynamic way. This paper employs text-mining method to develop paper industry green development evaluation indicator system and adopts market-extended LCA model and entropy-TOPSIS method to calculate the paper industry green development level of 48 countries/regions. The results show that during 2000–2030 the paper industry green development level of developing countries improves faster than developed countries, where those of developing and developed countries increase from 0.3369 to 0.3938 and from 0.5120 to 0.5517 respectively and the gap between them narrows from 0.1751 to 0.1579. The comparative analysis reveals that the paper industries of developed and developing countries are in different green development stages. Developing countries, represented by China, improve greatly in economic and social dimensions, but decline seriously in ecological dimension due to enlarging resource consumption and environmental damages. On the contrary, developed countries tend to saturate in economic and social dimensions and have been improving fast in ecological dimension, gradually realizing the decoupling of industrial economic development and environmental damages. To further promote the global paper industry green development, developing countries should focus on promoting the coordinated development between economic growth and environment protection and developed countries should play a leading role in the global green transformation by promoting optimal allocation of resources and cross-regional communications of green technologies. • A paper industry green development indicator system is developed based on text mining. • A global paper industry green development model is built with market-extended LCA. • Complex interactions among the indicators are internalized in the evaluation. • A spatial-temporal analysis is performed on global paper industry green development level. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, a mathematical model has been developed for sustainable inventory, in which the effects of environmental factors on social factors, have been investigated. To this end, first, we revised Economic Order Quantity (EOQ) model by adding income from waste sales to this model. Next, considering the emission of sulfur oxides (SO x ), nitrogen oxides (NO x ) gases, Biochemical Oxygen Demand (BOD) and chemical oxygen demand (COD) indicators in waste water as a measure of water organic pollutants, we proposed a Green Economic Order Quantity (GEOQ) model. Then in order to examine interdependency between environmental aspects and social aspects, we introduced the sustainable model by adding environmental ergonomics in the terms of the effect of SO 2 emission on human health. Since the structure of the model consists of nonlinear objective function and linear constraints, the model could be solved based on an exact nonlinear constrained solution method. Finally, we examined the effectiveness of the proposed model demonstrated in a real case study of pulp and paper mill. Validation of the model was done by comparing the cost function of the proposed model with the pure economic model and the actual data. The results of study showed that proposed sustainable model plays a significant role in determining the order quantity and reduction of cost function, sulfur oxides (SO x ) and nitrogen oxides (NO x ) emissions, and Biochemical Oxygen Demand (BOD) and chemical oxygen demand (COD) in waste water. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Plastic-coated paper straws are insufficient to solve the plastic pollution problem because microplastics are formed during their degradation. In this study, upgraded paper straws were prepared by coating with biodegradable sodium alginate/cellulose nanofiber/stearic acid (SA/CNF/STA) on the surface of paper without additional adhesives. The tensile strength of the paper was enhanced synergistically by the coated SA and CNF after cross-linking with Ca2+ ions, reaching a maximum (26.46 MPa) when the mass ratio of SA to CNF was 4:1. The straws were prepared by spirally winding coated paper into tubes. Subsequent STA modification with different concentration (1–40%) improved the water stability of the paper straws. The paper straws exhibited excellent mechanical properties (including 13.45 MPa of flexural strength, 13.30 MPa of compressive strength) and hydrophobicity (103.67° of maximum water contact angle). After 130 days of soil burial, the paper straws were completely degraded. The comprehensive performance of prepared straws exceeds that of commercially available products in the same category, and they are safe and biodegradable. Paper straw in the work is in line with the concept of green and low-carbon development. [Display omitted] • Processing a paper straw based on biomass resource coatings. • SA/CNF hybrid coating synergistically enhanced the tensile strength of the straw. • The STA imparts satisfactory water stability to the straw. • The comprehensive performance of the straw outperforms commercial straw products. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Campaigns by non-governmental organizations (NGOs) pressuring companies to adopt sustainability standards have caught academic interest in recent years. Critics of this approach toward increasing biodiversity protection and social justice argue that campaign successes are often short-lived while proponents emphasize the potential of NGO campaigns to achieve positive environmental and social change in the absence of governmental legislation. Focusing on the recent forest conservation policy of Asia Pulp and Paper (APP), a leading pulp and paper company operating in Southeast Asia, we analyze the challenges companies face in implementing sustainability commitments made as a result of NGO and market pressure. Drawing from research on policy implementation and corporate greening we identify key activities to help entrench APP's commitments in the company's operations. Furthermore, we suggest that a range of actions by different stakeholder groups can achieve broader effects of APP's commitments toward better environmental and social stewardship in the region's pulp and paper sector. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recovered paper is one of the major raw material for recycled papermaking industry. In China, the domestic recovered paper recycling system is incomplete and the amount of recyclable recovered paper cannot satisfy the papermaking demand. Therefore, the recycled papermaking industry is extremely dependent on imported recovered paper as their raw fiber source. In 2018, Chinese government announced a ban on unsorted recovered paper and tightened the import quota for recovered paper, which resulted in a dramatic drop in the importing amount of recovered paper. It is an urgent issue to explore alternative production routes that are more economical and environmentally friendly. Herein, life cycle cost assessment is used to compare and analyze the recycled papermaking industry based domestic recovered paper and three alternatives (including straw, imported deinked pulp and imported wood pulp) as the raw materials. The results show that the life cycle cost of domestic recycled paper based recovered papermaking is significantly lower than the other three alternatives, whereas its external cost is higher than that of the production routes based on the imported deinked pulp and imported wood pulp. With the increasing price of the domestic recovered paper, imported deinked pulp is the trend of recycled papermaking industry in China. • Life cycle cost assessment is applied to the recycled paper industry in China. • LCC of four papermaking schemes based on different raw materials were assessed. • LCC for six types of paper products ranges from 924 to 1227 USD/t in 2017. • Imported recovered pulpboard is the best choice of wastepaper material supplement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Low-quality materials contained in separately collected (SC) packaging waste generate environmental and economic burdens associated to both sorting operations of Material Recovery Facilities (MRFs) and landfilling of non-recyclable materials. In this study, based on quantification of both impurities and recyclable fractions, the quality of SC municipal packaging waste streams was determined by compositional analysis of the waste entering a MRF throughout a year. Foreign materials (% w/w) found in the monitored SC glass, paper plus cardboard and lightweight packaging waste, were on average 5.0, 14.7 and 23.0, respectively, while landfilled materials (% w/w) after MRF sorting operations were on average 4.3, 10.3 and 22.0, respectively. A Life Cycle Assessment study was conducted to determine the environmental impact of SC packaging waste streams quality of three different scenarios: current situation (CS), better (BS) and ideal (IS) scenario with reduced presence and absence, respectively, of improper materials in the three examined SC packaging waste streams. Emission of 32.1 kg CO 2 eq/t waste was calculated for the current situation with a reduction by 66.1% and 98.0% in CO 2 eq emission for BS and IS scenario, respectively. Similar emission reductions were calculated for ozone depletion, ionizing radiations, particle matter formation, fossil fuel depletion and primary energy demand impact categories. The environmental life cycle costing study demonstrated that total savings of € 35.2 and € 66.6 for each ton of SC packaging waste stream entering the MRF could be obtained for BS and IS scenario, respectively. [Display omitted] • Impurities in packaging waste streams generate environmental and economic burdens. • 23.0% of impurities were found in separately collected lightweight packaging waste. • Plant sorting operations generate 32.1 kg CO 2 eq for each ton of packaging waste. • € 35.2/ton of sorted packaging waste could be saved by reducing impurities content. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper analyses farmers’ networking strategies for sustainable agricultural development. The focus is on internal barriers of farmers’ networks with respect to the management of the group and collective learning processes. These aspects determine to an extent the success or failure of collective strategies. Based upon case study material we will draw lessons and present ideas on how management and learning can be enhanced. We argue that in collective strategies the focus should not only be on the goal of the group, but that attention to the process of cooperation such as safeguarding coherence, monitoring and evaluation of goals and views, shared responsibility and balanced leadership is a prerequisite for effective collective action. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: EcoDesign is a concept including human sustainability priorities together with business interrelations. Its main objective in the improvement of product development methods is to reduce environmental loads. EcoDesign also includes a more open ambition to use inspiration from a wider field of positive examples of smart products and methods, effective system solutions and attractive designs. It is not clear what sustainable product development is; what we can do is to try our best to find better solutions, get going and make sure that we learn from what happens. Our main goal with this issue was to monitor “How to make it happen?” but we ended up with more questions and the lower ambition of, “What''s happening”. Life-style elements such as brand label economy, development of new economies in Asia, aging populations in the old economies etc. makes the picture even more complex and we still wonder, “How to make it happen”. However, a few focal points can be observed: The tools in EcoDesign are not as important as specification and goal setting in early product development phases. How to organize product development is crucial in order to reach higher degrees of sustainability. The interrelations between resources and functionality must be enhanced. Environmental affection must be integrated into the human life-style and throughout the entire life-cycle of all products and services. To us it seems impossible to define a sustainable life-style and force everyone to follow. We must engage all stakeholders in envisioning and creating the sustainable societies we hope to achieve. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: As an integral part of individual lives and one of the strongest inputs to global economies, tourism is affected by such social tensions and can play an important role in reducing them; therefore it offers an interesting challenge for serious discussions regarding tourism and regional sustainability. Tourism is traditionally associated with pleasure, leisure and escape from the ordinary world and is often contrasted with other, more serious economic activities such as manufacturing and extraction. As a result governments and planners often ignore tourism; furthermore, outside of the field of tourism academic research, the relationship between tourism and sustainability received too little attention considering that tourism can play an increasingly integral role in regional sustainable development processes. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Hospitals in the Netherlands generate approximately 1.3 million kg of waste from the polypropylene (PP) wrapping paper (WP) used to wrap surgical instruments each year. The aim of this study was to develop a method to recycle WP waste into new medical devices. WP was recovered from Maasstad Hospital, Netherlands. The WP was melted into bars, granulated, and mixed with virgin material at different ratios and temperatures. Dog bones were injection-molded from volume (v.%) virgin, mixed (%R), and recycled (100%R) granulate, and a tensile testing machine was used to compare the material properties before and after ten disinfection cycles at the sterilization department. Then, 25 instrument openers were made from the 50%R material and circulated for four weeks. The data indicated no significant differences in the mechanical properties at different melting temperatures. For dog bones made from the 100%R, 50%R, and virgin granulate, the Young's moduli were 1021 (SD13), 879 (SD13), and 795 (SD14) MPa, and the strains were 8%, 12%, and 14%. Ten disinfection cycles did not significantly change the material properties. After one month, the openers did not show any deterioration or damage other than surface scratches. The results indicated that the initial WP melting temperature did not influence the mechanical properties. Although devices could be produced directly from the recycled WP granulate, increasing the recycled granulate in the mix ratio increased the strength and brittleness. It is feasible to recycle WP waste into a high-quality raw material for the injection molding of medical devices without using additives. This would allow hospitals to become more compliant with the circular economy enabling economically viable and circular processes that positively contribute to cleaner technical processes, sustainable products, and the reduction of medical waste. ⁃ Circular reprocessing of surgical waste into high quality raw material. ⁃ Enables cleaner processes for reduction of medical waste. ⁃ Increases sustainable development. ⁃ A new method to decrease the production of medical waste. ⁃ Decreases the shortage of base materials and costs. ⁃ Environmental and sustainability assessment: designs for products based on the "green" wishes of customers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sustainable development is an important tool to realize the sound economic, social, and ecological operation of the destination, and rural sports tourism is an important way to realize the sustainable development of the destination by relying on its own industrial advantages. This paper systematically explains the causal relationship between rural sports tourism and destination sustainable development by constructing a "Driving Force-State-Response" model (DSR). Based on the panel data of 290 prefecture-level cities in China from 2011 to 2022, this paper adopts the quasi-natural experiment of "sports and leisure characteristic towns in China" (SLT) to construct a difference-in-differences model and empirically evaluate the mechanism of rural sports tourism and sustainable development of destinations. The results show that: (1) the development of rural sports tourism is conducive to promoting the overall sustainable development of the destination, and the effect is more significant in the western and eastern regions. This conclusion is still valid after a series of robustness tests; (2) Mechanism analysis found that rural sports tourism promoted the optimization of industrial structure, residents' values, infrastructure construction, and grassroots governance efficiency, and thus promoted the sustainable development of destinations. Finally, other areas of concern for future rural sports tourism research are proposed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The production of CaO for lime-based plaster and render generates 1.2 t CO 2 /t CaO, consumes 1.78 t CaCO 3 /t CaO. This research paper examines the environmental and economic performance of upcycling paper mill sludge (PMS) and carbide lime (CL) as replacements for hydrated lime (HL) in lime-based plasters production. For this, a new Cradle-to-Gate industrial-scale inventory is designed, upscaling recent lab-scale innovations, investigating PMS and CL treatment processes, followed by a Cradle-to-Grave scenario analysis. The results show that incorporating CL in the plaster yields better environmental and economic outcomes compared to PMS. The intermediate treatment for CL is cost-effective and has low carbon emissions. The upcycling of CL eliminates 100% of CO 2 emissions, while PMS reduces emissions by 11%. The production of the traditional binder HL is more expensive than upcycling PMS (+69%) and CL (+65%), with carbon taxes accounting for 35%, 44% and 15% of production costs, respectively. The effect of an equilibrated carbon price to ensure fair market competition, considering the natural carbonation of lime (carbon credit) is discussed, and the cost assessment reveals a 47% and 54% reduction for upcycled plasters using PMS and CL, respectively, compared to traditional HL. [Display omitted] • Availability, properties, and treatments of secondary lime resources. • Industrial-scale inventory for upcycling carbide lime (CL) & paper sludge (PS). • Cradle-to-Grave assessment: CL reduces CO 2 most, trailed by PS and hydrated lime. • Key factors for Cradle-to-Grave impact: lime kiln heat consumption (PS) and drying operation (CL). • Cost analysis of carbon taxes and credits across the material's life-cycle. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In China's green finance system, green bonds, which strive to achieve balanced development of ecological and economic goals, play a key role in promoting sustainable development. Using ESG data on Chinese listed companies from 2009 to 2022, this paper examines whether green bonds issued by companies encourage their peers to adopt green practices. And then, based on the multi-temporal Difference-in-Differences (DID) approach, this paper explores the underlying mechanisms and heterogeneous effects of this peer influence. The results show that green bond issuance has a significant positive impact on the green practices of peer companies, and its robustness has been confirmed through various tests. Peer effects are primarily driven by competition and access to information, which is particularly evident in highly competitive industries and companies with common institutional investors. In addition, the impact of green bonds issued by industry leaders or high-polluting enterprises will be greater. In order to promote sustainability in different business types and regions, specific policy implications are provided based on these insights: strengthening the green bond guarantee system, fostering market leadership, and implementing targeted regulations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the relationship between Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) disclosure and audit governance. The objective is to assess the impact of auditor team independence, auditor professional quality, and transparency of audit procedures on the quality of information disclosure, and to elucidate the role of these factors in advancing sustainable development. Research methodologies include the optimization of information disclosure text analysis using natural language processing (NLP) and text generation techniques, complemented by empirical analysis. Key findings indicate that the maximum error between NLP and manual annotation in the proportion of positive emotions in information disclosure is 0.03, and 0.06 in audit governance. The Rouge index score surpasses the 0.5 threshold, while the Perplexity value varies across three experiments, though remaining generally low. Deep learning model results reveal that auditor team independence, professional quality, and procedural transparency significantly enhance the quality of information disclosure. These findings offer crucial insights for enterprises, regulators, and investors, affirming the rationality and stability of the model, and providing valuable input for future green development strategies and decision-making processes. Through natural language processing and deep learning models, this paper studies the impact of audit governance factors (auditor team independence, auditor professional quality, and audit procedure transparency) on the quality of corporate ESG information disclosure and finds that these factors have a significant effect on improving the accuracy and credibility of ESG information disclosure. [Display omitted] • Exploring the intricate relationship between ESG information disclosure and audit practices. • Revealing the key roles of audit independence, auditor expertise, and transparency in sustainable development. • Enhancing ESG information disclosure analysis with natural language processing (NLP) and text generation techniques. • Robust findings show significant impact of audit governance factors on ESG information disclosure quality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As the primary policymaker and implementer, the government plays an essential role in driving regional green transformation development (GTD). The study of the impact mechanisms of government environmental attention (GEA) on GTD can offer a scientific basis and reference for policy-making and regional governance. However, the varying focus of local governments on environmental issues and the externalities of environmental governance underscore the complexities in the influence of GEA on GTD. This paper proposes a method that integrates multi-source data to explore the impact of GEA on GTD from a spatiotemporal perspective. A text mining framework is first proposed to provide a more accurate measurement of the GEA, and the geographically and temporally weighted regression model is used to analyze the spatiotemporal characteristic and mechanism of GEA's impact. Additionally, the spatial correlation effect is explored based on the gravity model. The results indicate that the level of GTD in China demonstrates an increasing trend with an average annual growth rate (AAGR) of 3.22%, while the variance between provinces is also increasing. GEA has a significant positive effect on GTD (R 2 = 0.866), with an average growth rate of 18.1% following the implementation of major environmental policies. The spatial distribution pattern of GEA's impact shows the characteristics of "central > eastern > western > northeastern". GEA promotes GTD by increasing environmental governance expenditure and enhancing public environmental services, while the transmission pathway of promoting green innovation has not yet worked. The spatial correlation and spillover effects of GEA have shown an overall increasing trend, with the AAGR of 8.92% in the gravity value. Inter-provincial cooperation can promote GTD, and certain collaborative clusters among provinces have been formed. This paper provides novel insights into the theoretical connection between GEA and GTD. The research findings can serve as a reference for the government to propose targeted policies for promoting regional green transformation. [Display omitted] • A text mining framework is proposed to quantify government environmental attention. • The impact of government environmental attention shows spatiotemporal heterogeneity. • Government investment and public services on environment have a mediating effect. • The impact of government environmental attention exhibits spatial correlation effect. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Green innovation is a pivotal means of achieving economic growth while mitigating environmental harm, and encouraging green innovation is a goal of policymakers. This paper systematically reviews the literature on the impact of diverse policy instruments on green innovation and corporate performance. We derive three main conclusions. (a) The majority of studies demonstrate that implementing policy instruments (including demand-pull policies, technology-push policies, and soft and systemic instruments) positively promotes the growth of green patents. (b) The development of green innovation involves passive diffusion, influenced by domestic policy interventions, international spillovers, and inter-firm knowledge flow. (c) The impact of environmental regulation and green innovation on firm performance is intricate, with the mediating role of green innovation remaining ambiguous. Finally, the paper concludes by highlighting potential new research directions in green innovation. • Policy instruments positively promote green innovation across various policy types. • Green innovation is influenced by both domestic and foreign policies. • The nexus among environmental regulation, green innovation, and firm performance is complex. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Within sustainability controversies, actors face trade-offs where they prioritize either economic, social or environmental concerns. However, there is little research engaging with how actors mobilize discourses in sustainability controversies. This research seeks to extend this body of literature by adopting a discursive lens in which we examine how different actors mobilize different discourses to argue for their respective conceptions of sustainable development and their trade-offs. By adopting a longitudinal instrumental single-case study design, this research examines the ongoing controversy in Quebec over the development of new mining projects for the extraction of transition minerals. This study offers several contributions to the sustainability trade-offs literature. First, it sheds light on the dynamic nature of discursive strategies within sustainability controversies. Second, the paper broadens understanding of the use of moralization discursive strategies in sustainability trade-offs. Third, it identifies the new neutralization strategy in sustainability controversies. The paper also suggests several practical implications for the actors involved in sustainability controversies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The change of paper consumption trend may jeopardize the future of pulp and paper industry. This work aims to design and develop the integrated network of biochemical and biofuel productions into existing pulp mills for sustainable purposes. The systematic methodology aided by computation tools is undertaken using the three-stage approach including process synthesis, design and innovation. Previously, the optimal technologies of the biorefinery-integrated pulping processes were successfully determined in the synthesis stage providing the highest cost-effective incorporation; 48 million USD/year of profit was estimated according to the integration of succinic acid and dimethyl ether productions into the soda pulping process. Herein, the process designs of the integrated processes were performed followed by evaluations of the process performances and identifications of the hot spots and targets for establishments of the innovations. In this work, the biomass gasification option is designed and implemented to enhance the material and energy utilizations in the previously determined biorefinery-integrated pulping processes. Electricity and biofuel are produced and sold, which contributes positively to the economic and environmental impacts of these processes. The hot spots and targets are subsequently identified prior to the innovation stage. According to this stage, the cleaner alternatives that implements the CO 2 utilization via methanol synthesis and solar cell installations are selected in order to minimize the CO 2 emission. A net CO 2 reduction of 42% is achieved when the cleaner alternatives are applied. Accordingly, these biorefinery-integrated innovations are not only conducive to the enhanced sustainability of existing pulp mills but also adaptive in response to the change of paper consumption trend. Image 1 • The three-stage approach was employed systematically for development of the biorefinery-integrated system. • Succinic acid and DME productions were integrated which significantly improved sustainability of the integrated process. • Material and energy utilizations were enhanced by the biomass gasification in the biorefinery-integrated processes. • Rigorous information of the integrated processes was obtained by process simulation. • The integration of biorefinery framework promotes the energy, economic and environmental benefits. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recently, the widespread adoption of artificial intelligence, particularly generative AI technology, has surged across various industries. However, a notable drawback of this technology is its significant energy consumption during model training and operation, which poses challenges to sustainability goals and the environment. Consequently, various initiatives have emerged to promote what is termed "green artificial intelligence," aiming to mitigate these environmental impacts. Nevertheless, research discussing these initiatives remains scarce. Hence, this study aims to identify green artificial intelligence initiatives that contribute to environmental friendliness. This paper has comprehensively reviewed the existing literature, professional websites, and expert blogs to identify and analyze available green AI initiatives. This paper has identified 55 such initiatives, broadly categorized into six themes: cloud optimization, model efficiency, carbon footprinting, sustainability-focused AI development, open-source initiatives, and green AI research and community. This study discusses the strengths and limitations of each initiative to offer a comprehensive overview. The findings provide valuable insights, particularly for industries interested in green artificial intelligence and green technology in general. While some tools have been recognized and studied, comprehensive research and analysis are still required to empirically evaluate the majority of other tools due to their early stages of development in this field. • Study explores the growing awareness and concern about environmental impact of AI. • It investigates development of tools and approaches to address Green AI. • Significance of collaboration, open-source initiatives, in Green AI development. • Examine importance of ethical considerations in green AI development. • Provide insights for industries in green AI and green technology in general. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Promoting the development of green innovation is crucial for achieving the green transformation of society. This paper considers the decision bias of different agents in policy implementation and presents a theoretical model that captures the structure of the green innovation system. The model includes six subsystems: government, technology, public, energy, environment, and population. The study examines the transmission effect of green innovation and the influence mechanism of multiple decision biases on policy combination effects using a combination of various policy tools. The results show that: Various policy tools and their implementation differences have distinct effects on the green innovation and environmental performance. In most cases, the synergistic policy mix effect, surpassing the impact of individual policies, is driven by the resource effect. However, the synergistic effect of policy combination may not be fully realized, leading to potential conflicts. Due to various decision biases, particularly the gap in the public's green behavior, the policy mix faces challenges in achieving immediate synergistic effects. Combining tax policies with other policy instruments increases the risk of incoherence and inconsistency. However, in the long term, the combination of policy tools can exert strong late-developing advantages. This study provides insights for green innovation policy improvement. • This paper develops a green innovation system with the government subsystem serving as the operational hub. • This paper establishes a policy framework for green innovation systems based on multi-subject decision bias. • This paper simulates the impact of policy implementation on green innovation and main pollutant emissions. • The study finds that tax policy has a more significant dampening effect when combined with other policies. • This study finds that policy mix can exert resource effects, but decision biases cause a delayed manifestation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Green finance can effectively support industrial upgrading and technology development, such as artificial intelligence (AI). In this paper, we attempt to pursue the possibility of a win-win situation for achieving an eco- and tech-friendly society. By asking where and how we could develop green finance and AI innovation simultaneously, this paper conducts an empirical investigation on the influence of green finance on the development of AI in China from 2011 to 2020. Based on the panel data from the 30 provinces, we introduce spatial measurement, policy effect, heterogeneity, and threshold analyses to present deeper insights into the impact of green finance on AI innovations. Indeed, green finance could promote the progress of AI innovation. China's green finance pilot policy is verified to promote the progress of local AI innovations. Furthermore, the spatial spillover effect and regional heterogeneity are observed as well. The promotion effect is most significant in the western area, where the green finance index is relatively low. Besides, the threshold analysis also considers how to increase the marginal effect of green finance in different areas. Finally, several policy recommendations are proposed, which contribute to providing specific directions for the policymakers to improve AI innovation and achieve sustainable development at the same time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The green and sustainable development of fisheries is a crucial way to safeguard the environment, guarantee food security, and promote social and economic development. In the rapidly evolving era of digitalization, how to fully leverage the advantages of digitalization to motivate fishery sustainable development has become a worthy research question. Based on combing the development stage and characteristics of Chinese fishery digitalization, this paper selects six fishery digitalization factors from the perspective of configuration based on the technology-organization-environment (TOE) theoretical framework, and uses the panel fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis (fsQCA) method to explore the configurational path of how digitalization empowered the sustainable development of fisheries in China from 2011 to 2021. This paper found that: (1) Fishery digitalization can significantly enhance the level of fishery sustainable development, but individual elements of fishery digitalization are not necessary conditions for realizing a high degree of fishery sustainable development. However, strengthening digitalization talent support plays a more universal role. (2) Four types of fishery digital ecology can generate a high level of fishery sustainable development, demonstrating the multiple paths and complex mechanisms of fishery digitalization empowering fishery sustainable development. (3) In underdeveloped areas such as Jilin, Hunan, and Qinghai, the empowering effect of digitalization on the sustainable development of fisheries is relatively limited. The research findings open the "black box" of how digitalization empowers the sustainable development of fisheries, providing theoretical reference for various types of provinces to utilize digitalization to drive the sustainable development of fisheries. [Display omitted] • Theoretical framework is based on the configuration perspective and TOE framework. • We use the panel fsQCA method to explore fishery digitalization empowerment pathways. • Four types of fishery digital ecology can generate high fishery sustainability. • Digital talent support plays a more general role in fishery sustainable development. • The empowering effect of digitalization is relatively limited in underdeveloped areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the domain of global socio-economic dynamics, the pivotal role of food production (FP) cannot be overstated. It constitutes the bedrock of fundamental human necessities while being inexorably linked with critical aspects such as economic expansion, societal equilibrium, and geopolitical interplays. The multifaceted nature of FP appears through its direct impact on macroeconomic indicators and its latent influence on international relations and policy-making. This critical nexus underscores the imperative for a comprehensive understanding and strategic management of food production processes to sustain and enhance global socio-economic stability and growth. Investigating the nexus between green finance (GF) and FP is pivotal for ensuring national security and promoting sustainable economic development. This research thus paper examines GF's impact on FP in China as outlined in the 2017 green finance policies. It employs the difference-in-differences (DID) method and analyzes a balanced panel dataset comprising 282 cities in China from 2009 to 2020. The results show that GF has an inhibitory effect on FP, and this remains valid after a range of reliability checks, including parallel trend assessments and placebo tests. Further findings of transmission mechanism analysis indicate that non-agricultural factors and financial exclusion are critical for GF's inhibitory effect on FP. Heterogeneity analyses show that GF's inhibitory effect on FP is more pronounced in the main food-producing areas, the main food-marketing areas, and cities with better infrastructure. The empirical results of this paper comprehensively illustrate GF's impact on FP and how it contributes to the achievement of food security objectives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The sustainable and integrated management of resources is a crucial approach to achieving sustainable regional development in the face of limited land and increasingly scarce water resources. This paper proposes a multidimensional optimization model to jointly optimize land use patterns and water resource allocation under the conditions of maximizing economic benefits and minimizing social differences, ecological loads, environmental pollution, and carbon emissions. The optimization model is solved using the affiliation function method and then combined with random forest (RF) and cellular automata (CA) models to further obtain the optimal spatial layout of land use. This paper takes the Mid-Yangtze River City Cluster as an example and optimizes the land use pattern and water allocation in the region in 2020 and 2030. The results of the study show that the optimized water and land resource allocation scheme performs better than the status quo in all dimensions. The optimized economic benefits, social effects, ecological effects, environmental effects, and overall sustainability in 2020 are increased by 45.97%, 22.89%, 10.07%, 24.65%, and 42.73%, respectively. By 2030, overall sustainability reaches 0.69. The developed modeling framework helps to elucidate the internal linkages between land use and water allocation, and it provides decision-makers with diversified approaches to land and water resource management and adjustment for different cities in different periods, which promotes the sustainable development of urban agglomerations. [Display omitted] • The intrinsic relationship between different land use types and water demand is addressed. • A sustainable approach to integrated management of land and water resources is proposed. • The synergistic optimization of the economy, society, ecology and the environment is developed. • The spatial patterns of land use for the balanced development of urban agglomerations are promoted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper aims to introduce a new sustainable business excellence model, called Knowledge Management Excellence Model 21 (KMEM21), a theoretical framework that combines Knowledge Management and Business Excellence Models (BEMs), proposing an approach applicable to organizations to directly contribute towards achieving the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The paper through a qualitative-exploratory methodology makes an analysis and benchmarking, emphasizes the integration of Knowledge Management and three specific Business Excellence Models (Management Excellence Model (MEG) from Brazil, Baldrige Excellence Framework, and EFQM). This integration uncovers relationships between organizational concepts associated with Knowledge Management and BEMs, which contributes to new insights in the literature regarding these concepts' interplay. BEMs are presented as tools that can catalyze the power of Knowledge Management towards achieving SDGs. However, it's noted that the existing BEMs might not be adequate, as the goal extends beyond organizational improvement and excellence to encompass sustainable development aligned with SDGs. The article suggests that specific organizational concepts, identified through a literature review and aligned with Knowledge Management and BEMs, can be selected as indicators associated with the constructed KMEM21 and the SDGs. These indicators are intended to form a bridge between the new model and the SDGs. However, given the comprehensive nature of the theory, model development, application, result acquisition, and analysis, the article's primary contribution will be in its focus on elaborating the instrument and technique, demonstrating the creation of a theoretical framework for the SDGs. Future works will showcase the application of the proposed KMEM21 method in five Brazilian organizations, members of Global Compact, to compare the achieved objectives and the results obtained with the organizations' performance and their sustainability reports. [Display omitted] • There is a visible relationship between knowledge management and business excellence models, aided by shared organizational concepts. • Achieving the SDGs in organizations can be done by using the traits incorporated into knowledge management and business excellence models. • The Knowledge Management Excellence Model 21 represents an original approach, acting as a new sustainable business excellence model. • A comprehensive model can be constructed using a methodology that incorporates an instrument, a technique, and a method. • KMEM21 presents a strategic path that aligns with business excellence principles and the sustainable development objectives, offering a framework for organizational success. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper describes the role of Design Thinking (DT) in the context of sustainable development (SD), based on a perceived research need to identify the features which may characterise its deployment, and identify ways via which it may be optimised, especially in the implementation of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDGs). The main goal of this study is to examine the connection between DT and SD and showcase examples of what has been done to deploy it, using real-case situations. From a methodological perspective, the paper deploys a set of two methods: bibliometric analysis and case studies. Among other findings, the paper shows that DT can be used to help implement the UN SDGs by providing an approach that emphasizes human-centered design. This includes identifying problems, creating user-friendly solutions, and testing them in order to ensure that they are effective. Also, by using DT, companies, organisations, and governments can create low-cost, high-impact, and sustainable solutions to help achieve SDGs such as SDG8, SDG9, SDG12, and SDG13, among others. Overall, DT provides a framework for combining creative and analytical reasoning, specific mindsets, and diverse hands-on tools and techniques to improve critical thinking abilities towards sustainability challenges. The novelty of the paper relies on the fact that the combined use of the two methods allowed the identification of some useful features of DT, which may facilitate its deployment in sustainability contexts. This may assist future studies since it provides a theoretical basis for the field. • Research gaps in DT prevent its widespread use in SD. • The paper deploys bibliometric analysis and case studies. • DT within a circular economy is an emerging approach. • DT may foster sustainability practices. • A novelty is the identification of pathways to optimise DT in SD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the Anthropocene era, characterized by sustainability and environmental challenges, the Metaverse emerges as a virtual alternative with the potential to reduce the ecological footprint while enhancing human experiences. However, the development of Metaverse encounter unprecedented technical, social, and ethical challenges. Bioinspired technologies, referring to those developed with inspiration from the biological world, have demonstrated successful applications across various fields and show potential in addressing challenges within the Metaverse. This paper explores the integration of bioinspired technologies with the Metaverse, focusing on its social and ethical implications. It proposes a conceptual model for a bioinspired Metaverse, elucidating how bioinspired technologies may shape the evolution of the Metaverse through four dimensions: Enhancement of User Interaction, Promotion of Digital Inclusivity, Advancement of Sustainable Development, and Guidance of Ethical Considerations. This paper makes a significant contribution by adopting an innovative context - the bioinspired Metaverse - that facilitates a deeper reexamination of the relationship among technology, nature, and human society through interdisciplinary discussion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Blockchain technology, with its peer-to-peer trading feature, influences the management of energy consumption by offering the potential to transform transparency, efficiency, and sustainability within the energy sector. Nonetheless, there is a need to develop analytical decision-making models tailored for managing peer-to-peer energy transactions to improve energy resilience. Therefore, the purpose of this paper is to address the research question: How can energy distribution systems be protected via blockchain technology to enhance energy resilience and mitigate vulnerabilities to disruptions ? This paper employs a conceptual research model design and a mathematical decision-making model to address the research question by capturing the peer-to-peer trading capability of blockchain technology. The theory of planned behavior provides theoretical explanations for the proposed model. The sample includes longitudinal energy consumption data from 2015 to 2023 in Texas. The findings indicate a significant improvement in energy efficiency along with a considerable decrease in total electricity consumption. Post hoc analysis results reveal that the seasonal autoregressive integrated moving average algorithm is effective as a reliable input for the proposed mathematical model. The significant implications are to implement blockchain-based smart grids in which energy systems become more resilient to disruptions, as the peer-to-peer capability enables users to trade energy. The proposed model suggests that energy will be used more efficiently and effectively. This paper contributes to prior works by introducing a mathematical model that captures the trading behavior of energy consumers. Moreover, this paper proposes the SARIMA algorithm to predict energy demand. • A mathematical peer-to-peer trading model is presented to improve resilience. • A blockchain-based smart grid is presented for consumer energy consumption. • Five machine learning algorithms are presented in energy demand management. • Longitudinal energy consumption data of Texas is used in the model. • Theoretical support is provided using the theory of planned behavior. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Applied Engineering through Cost Benefit Analysis and Bayesian Analysis of Stochastic Risk Assessment for Mining Waste Management contributes positively to the development of an innovative methodology that could be implemented on an industrial scale. The current study examines the techno-economic sustainability of two potential options (scenarios) that a start-up gold mining company may select for the disposal of tailings for the same mining site. First, scenario A(0) refers to mining activities without implementing legal obligations that express the policy of Circular Economy and are mandatory in the mining industry. This scenario reflects the absence of the 3R's policy (reduce, recover, reuse wastes) and the non-implementation of environmental protection measures. In contrast, scenario A(1) involves mining activities with full implementation of environmental protection requirements by investing in metal recovery through a closed system of industrial units and avoiding tailings' free disposal to soil areas. Scenario A(1) aligns with the principles of the Circular Economy by minimizing the mass of hazardous tailings, enhancing recovery for beneficial materials contained in mining wastes, and increasing the potential utilization of recovered metals in separated industrial applications. The total cost for each case scenario depends on a) the project's nature of work, b) legislative requirements for environmental protection, and c) escalation of penalty cost for non-compliance with the corresponding legislation. Cost benefit analysis (CBA) evaluates the sustainability of each case scenario by its Financial Risk. The scope of this paper is to ensure the adaptability of the CBA appraisal tool to each similar subject of study, in which the lowest Financial Risk Indices characterize optimal business decisions. CBA's evaluation involves converting the parameters of each case scenario into monetary terms. CBA's extracted results are calibrated through Stochastic Risk Analysis-Assessment (SRA) to provide a more accurate Financial Risk (FR) estimation considering the escalation of Bayesian risk probability that describes the rate of total conformance in each examined case. Thus, both CBA and SRA have significant applications in actual conditions. The Financial Risk Assessment supported by CBA and SRA detects a high grade of economic sustainability for scenario A(1) compared to scenario A(0). A combined techno-economic analysis is provided by employing CBA considering the relevant legal obligations and technical parameters expressed in monetary terms. Simultaneously, the SRA considers CBA's output to calculate the grade of financial risk. The combination of CBA and SRA could be applied to similar projects, especially in waste management, to investigate their total grade of sustainability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Freeports and their equivalents are designed to boost national economic prosperity, yet their associated sustainability concerns are often overlooked. Existing research on freeport performance evaluation is largely fragmented, with a predominant focus on economic metrics specific to individual cases. Moreover, the existing methods for sustainability assessments face inherent limitations in addressing uncertainty and integrating indicators within both hierarchical and interconnected network structures. To address these research gaps, this study introduces a novel methodology for holistically assessing freeport sustainability using a hybrid Bayesian Network and Evidential Reasoning (BNER) model. This model can process both qualitative and quantitative performance data, and integrate different Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) to generate a comprehensive index. The new contributions of this paper include: (1) It proposes a novel framework for evaluating freeport sustainability across economic, environmental, and social dimensions and synthesising them into a singular index. (2) It prioritises all relevant KPIs from multiple stakeholder perspectives. The findings indicate that information technology and customs clearance efficiency are the most significant among the 42 identified KPIs. (3) A new BNER model is introduced to address data uncertainty and interdependent factors in performance assessment. (4) The applicability of the developed model is demonstrated through a real-world case study of a UK freeport, providing valuable practical insights. • A novel framework that assesses freeport sustainability from multiple dimensions. • Prioritising all key performance indicators from multiple stakeholder perspectives. • A new sustainability model dealing with data uncertainty and interdependent factors. • A real case study demonstrating the model's applicability and providing implications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Approximately one-fifth of food discarded globally and the wastage magnitude estimated to reach 2.1 billion tonnes by year 2030. This paper systematically synthesised past literatures based on PRISMA 2020 to gain insights on consumer food waste behaviour. The review solicited 51 studies from SCOPUS and WOS database that resulted to 11 theories and 57 factors related to the subject. Theory of Planned Behaviour represented close to 74 percent of reviewed articles and emerged as the most overused theory in food waste literature. Motivating factors associated with food waste were clustered into intrinsic, extrinsic, social and contextual attributes. Individual cognitive prowess can be manipulated by mental reasonings or automatic irrationality, thus leading towards biased conclusion or decision. To curtail unsustainable practices of food waste, the review proposed an integrated model reconciling motivational factors with the purview of contextual perspectives under contemporary economy landscape that can significantly nudge the choice one make. In light of pursuing resource and consumption efficiency ahead of Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) Agenda 2030, future studies should exploit consumer's underpinning triggers and probe novel frontiers in curating choice architectures and leveraging on current economy facets such as circularity. • Key descriptive findings resulted in the identification of 11 theories and 57 factors. • TPB is the most utilized underpinning theory in the food waste literature. • TPB represented close to 74 percent of all reviewed articles. • Intrinsic, extrinsic, social and contextual factors form key motivational forces. • Proposed an integrated framework assimilating choice architecture and circularity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sustainability is a critical and strategic pillar in project management. However, there is a lack of decision support tools specifically designed to integrate sustainability aspects into project management practices. Designing such a tool involve challenges, including the tool's underlying logic, its accuracy and conceptual robustness, and its relevance to the context of project management, particularly given the complexity, subjectivity, and uncertainty inherent in the data. To address this issue, this paper proposes an algorithm that combines the Paired Comparison Method (PCM) and Grey Decision Making (GDM) techniques to assess project management adherence to the Sustainable Development Goals. Ten indicators were obtained through deductive qualitative content analysis, with weights determined via PCM and survey with 30 experts. GDM was employed to build the algorithm, resulting in a systemic and easy to use assessment tool to evaluate projects, with output stratified into three adherence classes, in a traffic light model, as well as a suggestion of action plans, through a ranking of corrective actions, correlated to the evaluation indicators, as demonstrated in an application case. The key contribution of this research is the development of a tool that can be used by project managers and researchers, particularly in contexts involving projects with data uncertainty. The study also advances knowledge on sustainability and project management, offering insights into the decision-making process within this context. • A decision-making algorithm is proposed to evaluate project management adherence to the SDGs. • The tool addresses challenges like complexity, subjectivity, and data uncertainty faced by project managers. • The algorithm aids decision-makers in prioritizing actions to improve project sustainability. • The tool is user-friendly and effective for diverse projects, comprehensively assessing sustainability elements. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Public procurement has been an indispensable demand-side instrument to drive innovation, but there is no evidence on whether public procurement affects renewable energy innovation. This paper utilizes patent counts in renewable energy technologies and public procurement data to explore the effect of public procurement on firm renewable energy innovation based on the two-way fixed effect (TWFE) model. The main finding indicates that public procurement can result in a significant and robust improvement in renewable energy innovation. For every 1% increase in public procurement, renewable energy technological innovation will ascend by 2.12%. Furthermore, mechanisms tests show that the positive effect is achieved by elevating capacity utilization, attenuating financing constraints, and ameliorating environmental, social, and governance (ESG) performance. Heterogeneous analysis suggests the stimulus impacts appear more pronounced for enterprises without political connections, with fewer knowledge stocks, in dirty sectors, and regions with higher marketization. This study provides novel insights into the critical role of the government as a customer in advancing renewable energy innovation and offers instructive implications for economic and environmental sustainability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Integrating the objectives of sustainable development with the concept of regional carrying capacity, we foster the concept of regional sustainable carrying capacity, providing Criteria for Assessing Regional Sustainable Development. Due to the lack of comprehensive research on carrying capacity and sustainable development in academia, this study takes the Yangtze River Economic Belt in China as an example and proposes a robust assessment framework to examine the dynamic evolution and overall trends of regional sustainable carrying capacity, as well as to identify the unique impacts of sustainable development indicators on regional sustainable carrying capacity. The insights gleaned from this study are manifold: (1) There exists a hierarchical order in the regional sustainable carrying capacities, ranking from highest to lowest, as follows: economic, ecological, resource-environmental, and social. (2) Regions boasting a high regional sustainable carrying capacity typically exhibit robust synergy and coordination among economic, social, resource, environmental, and ecological dimensions of sustainability. (3) Regions with a strong economic sustainable carrying capacity have a more pronounced likelihood of evolving into areas with an overall heightened sustainable carrying capacity amid ongoing development. (4) The influence exerted by sustainable development indicators markedly varies across different regional types. The research objectives of this paper are: ① to propose a theoretical framework and methodological system for evaluating sustainable carrying capacity, providing technical guidance for sustainable carrying capacity assessments in other river basin economic zones; ② to analyze the evolution characteristics and influencing mechanisms of the sustainable carrying capacity in the Yangtze River Economic Belt, offering a case reference for policy formulation on sustainable development in other river basin economic zones. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Global warming has aroused the attention all over the world, because not only can it directly damage the living environment, but it can also impact on the social and economic development, of a region in an obvious and far-reaching way. In this paper, we builded a trans-log production function model incorporating variables, such as rainfall, labor force, technology and temperature to simulate how climate changes impacted on the regional economics. Time series data of the domestic economy of Nanjing, a city in the southeast China, between 1996 and 2017, were used to verify the production theory of trans-log production frontier. The results showed that: with the rainfall increased and the temperature declined, the climate impact on the economy and the absolute value of the output elasticity of the frontier diminished. In addtion, the climate change was also positively related to the capital investment. The larger variation of temperature negatively impacted on the economic development. • This paper builds a trans-log production function model. • Time series data are used to verify the production theory of trans-log production frontiers. • Analyzing the effect of climate change on the regional economy. • The larger variation of temperature negatively impacted on the economic development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An increasing number of corporations are adapting their strategies to include projects aimed at achieving United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals. Nonetheless, the implementation of these projects revives a fifty-year old question about the impact of sustainable activity on corporate financial performance and sustainability outcomes. This paper proposes the analysis of the Switching Costs of sustainable projects as a way to identify areas of improvement for corporate strategies, thus responding to the urgent need for models and assessment tools able to achieve financial and sustainability objectives as claimed by both practice and academia. A conceptual framework relating the Switching Costs of sustainable projects to sustainability and corporate financial performance has been developed and applied in this research to a case-study company, Walmart Mexico and Central America. This paper addresses the challenge of recognising, collecting and gauging the effect of the changes, particularly those of an intangible nature, generated by the sustainable projects. Image 109514 • Addressing corporate challenges of Sustainable Development Goals-oriented projects. • Achieving the dual strategic objective of sustainability and financial performance. • Switching cost analysis is able to reveal the intangible effects of changes. • A conceptual framework and an assessment tool for strategy improvement are developed. • The new analytical approach is applied to a 'best-in-class' case company. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The fact that the world community is engaged in pursuing the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) means that an unrivalled opportunity is provided to universities, both in respect of teaching and in research, on individual SDGs, as well as in pursuing their "third mission" linking up with external stakeholders and society. However, not many universities have realised that and many are falling behind. This paper explores the many advantages of the introduction of the SDGs into teaching and suggests that it can catalyse the engagement of students in Higher Education Institutions (HEI) with the concepts of sustainability. The paper fills in a research gap by surveying the current state of the art regarding the theme, presenting current data outlining the extent to which HEI are using SDGs to support their sustainability work. The reasons why some institutions are currently not engaging is also shown. The paper, which consists of a worldwide survey deployed to collect data on the SDGs and sustainability teaching at universities, concludes by providing some recommendations aimed at encouraging further engagement of HEI in incorporatingSDGs as part of their teaching programs. This research is unique in the sense that it provides for the first time offers an overview of the level of emphasis selected universities currently place on the SDGs. Finally, it provides a contribution to current state of knowledge by outlining some actions universities may take, to move forward with their implementation. • The implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) at universities is still on its infancy. • The SDGs may assist universities to better relate with external stakeholders and society. • A greater involvement of students may be achieved by the integration of the SDGs in teaching. • More systematic efforts are needed to increase the presence of the SDGs in higher education institutions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]