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Abstract This paper investigates the incentives and inhibiting factors of eco-innovation capacities in the firm. Firms materialize the objectives of eco-innovation from a reactive attitude to external pressures, to a more proactive attitude that implies the voluntary incorporation of eco-innovation activities. This variability in the behaviour of companies with respect to the level of eco-innovation development has been a motivator for the research. However, despite the importance of this research question, this has been approached in a dispersed way from multiple approaches. From a dynamic capabilities perspective, we assume that the innovation capacity of the firm encourages eco-innovations. Our paper is focused on the process of eco-innovation, identifying the elements that facilitate or hinder the eco-innovation in the firm. We study the Spanish case, using a panel from the Spanish Innovation Survey, with a sample of 5461 Spanish firms. The results highlight that the complexity of the eco-innovation process negatively affects the decision to develop eco-innovations. However, our results suggest that institutions and organizations of the Spanish environment are making efforts to compensate these obstacles and provide incentives to develop eco-innovations. Highlights • We model investigates the incentives and inhibiting factors of eco-innovation. • Our focus is on the process of eco-innovation from dynamic capabilities perspective. • The complexity of the eco-innovation process negatively affects to develop eco-innovations. • Results show that the experience facilitates the development of future eco-innovations. • The institutions provide incentives to develop eco-innovations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Efficiency is a fundamental element of the transition towards a sustainable use of natural resources among which water has a prominent role. Spain is among the European countries facing considerable water shortage problems, particularly within its southern regions. The current paper introduces an efficiency evaluation model based on Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA). The model incorporates a subset of outputs as undesirable inputs to account for the circularity of the production process by means of treated and reused water. The main differences existing between the circular approach proposed, a standard two-stage DEA model and a dynamic Slacks-Based Measure process will be carefully illustrated. In particular, the drawbacks faced by these latter techniques to consistently incorporate circularity into their optimization structures will be demonstrated both formally and numerically. The malleability of the current approach and its capacity to generate consistent identifiable categories among the regions evaluated within a circular production setting will be studied in detail. The analysis performed demonstrates significant structural differences in production capacity and efficiency across regions, with the inefficient ones displaying a considerable subpar use of resources through their production processes. The prevalence of inefficiency in several northern regions is partially compensated through their treatment and reutilization of water. However, this is not the case for the southern ones, which face stricter constraints and more inefficient production processes. The subsequent implications for efficiency are examined and policies aimed at enhancing the structural quality of the corresponding production systems suggested. [Display omitted] • We define a circular Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) efficiency evaluation model. • Undesirable inputs implement the production circularity generated by treated water. • Two-stage and dynamic Slacks-Based Measure DEA are inapplicable to our setting. • Significant differences in production efficiency are found across Spanish regions. • Southern regions remain inefficient even with water treatment and reutilization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Economic crises pose challenges for the provision of public services but may also open up opportunities for social learning about how to achieve a sustainable society. The main research question addressed in this paper is: can economic crises catalyse social learning for a sustainable society? The hypothesis of the paper is that social learning emerges in association with the reduction of consumption levels that follows degrowth or with the reconfiguration of infrastructure management practices and sustainable innovation that could lead to a transition to sustainability. Following this, we empirically examine whether the crisis has led to social learning about the sustainable provision of public services in two similar municipalities in the north of Spain after the economic crisis of 2008. We develop an interpretative analysis of individual experiences of learning from the crisis using a set of qualitative interviews with individuals who were involved in key decisions about public service delivery during or immediately after the crisis. The analysis suggests that there has been a broader cultural change, which is challenging institutional models of regional development, that there has been a drive towards greater resource efficiency and that some opportunities have opened for entrepreneurs to develop sustainable innovations. The findings support the view that the crisis may have fostered learning responses that could lead to either degrowth or a sustainable transition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Depopulation is a major challenge for many rural inland areas, as is the case in a considerable number of rural municipalities in Galicia (north-western Spain). The pandemic had a considerable impact on internal migration in 2020, but it was far from being anywhere near high enough to reverse the ongoing trend of population decline, highlighting the need for further action. Thus, this paper has a twofold objective: firstly, to propose an index of rural sustainable development for the rural Galician municipalities, and secondly, to identify the factors related to it. In so doing, a composite index stemming from the Benefit of the Doubt methodology has been proposed in the first stage, an index built from four-dimension factors– economic, demographic, social, and environmental. The empirical evidence of this index has been compared with three additional ones (namely, common weights, super-efficiency, and geometric mean and logistic normalization models). In the second stage, the relationship between the composite index and a set of exogenous variables that affect rural development has been analyzed, the data confirming that the rates of female immigration and occupancy in the hospitality sector favors sustainable development, whereas the distance from the provincial capital hinders it. This paper paves the way for an assessment of the potentialities of each territory, and the evidence found allows actions to be supported that generate sustainable progress in rural Galician municipalities and that are useful for tackling this complex problem. • A new rural sustainable development index based on four dimensions is proposed. • Strengths and weaknesses for each Galician rural municipality are identified. • Environmental factors constitute a driver of rural development in Galicia. • Social aspects (i.e., health, education, services) stand out as main weaknesses. • Policies to boost social care and attract childbearing-age inhabitants are paramount. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper outlines the latest developments in sustainability reporting in Spain, one of the leading countries worldwide in this field, and makes special emphasis on the recent governmental initiative entitled “Spanish strategy on companies’ corporate social responsibility practices 2014–2020” aimed at extending CSR practices not only to listed companies and state-owned enterprises but also to the rest of companies (including SMEs) and the Public Administrations. It is based on six principles, four strategic objectives, ten action lines and sixty proposed measures with the ultimate goal of supporting the development of responsible practices in the public and private sectors in order that they become a significant driver of the country's competitiveness and its transformation to a more productive, sustainable and inclusive economy. The most relevant initiatives set out in each of the main CSR pillars are highlighted and compared with similar actions adopted in other European countries. The paper concludes with a reflection on the main challenges ahead that need to be overcome through the joint efforts of all the actors involved. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of the paper is to analyse biodiesel market acceptance in Spain. In particular, we study the intention to use biodiesel by Spanish diesel car drivers and the factors explaining this intention. To achieve this goal, we developed a model of the intention to use biodiesel based on the Theory of Planned Behaviour but extended in two ways. The first one consists of the inclusion of two new predictors of the intention to use (environmental self-identity and biodiesel knowledge) and the second, the extension of the model to take into account the two barriers in the adoption of biodiesel in the market (potential price premium and limited availability in the petrol stations). This model has been specified as an ordered probit and estimated using data from a survey conducted in Spain. Results indicated that apart from the attitudes towards biodiesel use, the most important factors explaining the intention to use biodiesel are the biodiesel knowledge and the environmental self-identity, in other words, the new predictors in the Theory of Planned Behaviour model. In addition, the effects of all the factors (attitudes, subjective norms, perceived behavioural control, biodiesel knowledge, environmental self-identity and socio-demographic characteristics) on the intention to use were different, depending on the price and the availability of the biodiesel in the market. Thus, we can conclude that to analyse the intention to use biodiesel, different price and availability scenarios should be taken into account. Empirical results indicated that to increase biodiesel use, the best option is to increase biodiesel knowledge and environmental self-identity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The aim of this paper is to analyze the evolution of the implementation and integration of standardized Management Systems (MSs) such as ISO 9001 and ISO 14001. Specifically, we study the implementation of different standards during a four-year period (2006–2010) and we examine the level of integration of different MS elements such as the resources, documentation, goals and procedures during this period. Additionally, the paper aims to evaluate the impact of integration on companies over time, namely the difficulties experienced by firms during the integration of MSs in organizations with more than one MS. In order to accomplish these objectives, the first dynamic study on the integration of MSs has been undertaken. In order to compare firms that integrate their MSs in two different moments in time, two empirical studies were conducted, one in 2006 and one in 2010. These studies used a survey directed to firms with more than one MS in Catalonia (Spain). This paper contributes to the understanding of how firms that have an Integrated Management System (IMS) integrate their standardized MSs and how they perceive the challenges related to managing the IMS over time. It also demonstrates that firms integrate their MSs rather than keep them separated, therefore showing a tendency toward integration over time. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Energy performance certificate databases are a key tool for mapping national building stock and thus fostering greater overall energy efficiency. This paper presents an insight into the energy performance of residential and tertiary sector buildings in Spain, through an analysis of the first 129,635 energy performance certificates issued for existing buildings, collected by the Catalan Institute of Energy. Most of the residential buildings or building units that were studied were “E” class (53.6%). Single-family houses were found to use more energy on average (248.0 kWh p /m 2 ) than individual dwellings (183.2 kWh p /m 2 ). Tertiary sector buildings were found to have slightly better energy performance (26.4% of buildings were rated “D class”), with an average energy consumption of 317.8 kWh p /m 2 . Modern buildings consume less energy, as they must meet the higher energy performance requirements stated in thermal building regulations. Residential buildings or building units located in hotter climate zones consume slightly less energy than those located in colder zones, mainly because heating accounts for a high percentage of overall energy expenditure (70–75% in residential buildings). A significant proportion of the energy consumed in tertiary sector buildings is for lighting (37.2%). This research defines the current energy consumption baseline of existing buildings in Spain. The results can help to prioritize energy conservation efforts according to building type, construction period, climate zone and specific end-uses. They may also help public authorities to plan future energy policies, and construction practitioners to identify market segments and business strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Construction and demolition waste is a major problem in modern society, as it accounts for 25–30% of all the solid waste generated yearly. Its proper handling is one of the mainstays of European waste management policy, which aims to sever the direct relationship between economic growth and the increase in waste generation, lowering associated environmental impacts and furthering recycling and sustainability. To date, no paper has been published in the international literature on the C&DW management model in place in an EU Member State. To fill that gap, the present article analyses Spain's model, with a view to identifying and assessing the industry's strengths and weaknesses. Such analyses are of key importance, given the decisive impact of the management model on the technical and economic viability of using the end product (recycled aggregate) in new applications in construction (structural applications) and hence capitalising on the economic and social benefits to be reaped. The present model is found to be characterised by private plants with an intra-provincial waste reception and product commercialisation radius of no more than 30 km. Government's role in the model is mainly confined to establishing a legislative framework that regulates and fosters construction and demolition waste recycling, with scant financial participation or adoption of effective incentives for using recycled aggregate. The incoming product is primarily mixed construction and demolition waste with a high clay-based material content. In Spain, then, private enterprise is the sector that has committed most firmly to C&DW recycling, a business whose continuity is presently threatened by the slump in the construction industry and the ready availability of natural aggregate in Spain, compared to which the recycled product is not competitive. The current management model is consequently in need of revision, with special emphasis on government's role in furthering the use of processed construction and demolition waste as a raw material for the manufacture of new construction products. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: In the last few years, many organizations have chosen to implement standardized Management Systems (MSs), such as the ones based on ISO 14001 and ISO 9001. However, few studies exist on how firms carry out the process of auditing these MSs. Our goal is to study how companies with more than one standardized MSs conduct the audits and to which extent they integrate the audit elements in order to benefit from the advantages of having a sole, integrated audit system. We provide four case studies and confirm the idea that firms with more than one MS integrate their audits. However, the degree and specific characteristics of this integration vary in the different companies analyzed. This paper contains one of the first qualitative empirical studies regarding the integration of MSs audits. The study provides an original contribution to the understanding of whether and how the four case study organizations have integrated certain aspects of the audit systems, for instance, the human resources, time, and audit inputs and outputs. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]