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Energy sustainability indicators are essential for evaluating and measuring energy systems' environmental, social, and economic impact. These indicators can be used to assess the sustainability of different energy sources, such as renewable or fossil fuels, as well as the performance of energy systems in various regions or countries. The goal of this paper is to propose a new energy sustainability index based on fuzzy logic for the Amazon region. The fuzzy inference system enabled the operationalization of subjective sustainability concepts, resulting in a final index that can evaluate the performance of the states in the Legal Amazon and compare them to each other. The results indicated that Mato Grosso had the highest ranking, followed by Tocantins, Amapá, Roraima, Rondônia, Pará, Acre, Maranhão, and Amazonas in the last position. These findings demonstrate that the selected indicators and the final index are effective tools for evaluating the energy sustainability of the Amazon region and can aid public managers in making decisions and proposing sustainable regional development policies for the region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Over the past two decades, the application of nanostructured materials in construction, such as concrete, paint, coatings, glass, renders, plasters, thermal insulation, steel, and even sensors, has become increasingly prevalent. However, previous studies and reports have raised concerns about the ecotoxicity and long-term impact of nanomaterials on human health and the environment. National and international legislation and regulations are struggling to keep up with the rapid development of nanomaterials, taking into account their unique characteristics and essential requirements for application and commercialization. This paper, based on existing standards for conventional materials and bibliometric networks of papers focused on nanomaterials, conducts a critical review and proposes relevant indicators for the application of nanomaterials in the construction sector. These indicators should be mandatory and are divided into environmental, human health, and economic perspectives, providing a risk assessment framework for applying nanomaterial-based constructive solutions oriented to environmental, social, and economic sustainability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The concept of circular economy (CE) is increasingly prominent in European Union (EU) countries, considering the demand for incorporating renewable resources into end products. Similar to sustainable development dimensions, CE indicators can be classified within economic, social, and environmental protection categories, depending on their measuring scope, and within micro-, meso-, and macro-level, depending on the level of observation. The aim of the research is to determine the impact of CE innovation on CE performance in EU countries by modeling the Eurostat indicators via SmartPLS software. Relying on the relevant literature review, the paper first presents the concept of CE and the composite indicators used for evaluating its specific performances, as well as previous global and European experiences. Further, the study focuses on the modeling options for CE performance composite indicators demonstrating the relationship between the accomplishments of CE and the use of innovative measures at the level of products, services, or processes. Based on the data from EU27 countries for the period 2018–2021, the paper explores the relationship between variable and model composite indicators using SmartPLS software. SmartPLS output results support four assumption paths between CE indicator groups which are also confirmed with convergent and discriminant validity and heterotrait-monotrait ratio (HTMT) values. CE path modeling structure confirms the positive connection between CE innovations and CE performance emphasizing the need for providing a supportive environment and funds for innovations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Knowledge on sustainable development goals (SDGs) interactions has a bias toward global perspectives and lacks regional or country‐specific differentiation. This paper takes a biosphere‐based sustainability approach and assesses SDG interactions in a local governmental context. We start by addressing how the SDGs promote a biosphere‐based sustainability. Here, we find a range of opinions and we settle on a set of SDGs. Second, we explore how a set of sustainability indicators are connected to the SDGs and biosphere‐based sustainability. We conduct a case study and develop an SDG interaction model, and further compare global and local level interactions. We find that the local level has some differences compared to global level findings. However, the distribution among synergies and trade‐offs was found to be quite coherent. Our SDG interaction model connects sectors both within a single government and between governmental levels and can as such facilitate policy coherence. The main contribution of this study is our unique approach of conducting a local level assessment which aligns an existing sustainability measurement system with interaction research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the post-pandemic social and economic conditions, the proper assessment of the effectiveness of regional innovation systems (RISs) becomes a key endeavor. In our paper, we highlight the necessity to enhance the set of indicators used to evaluate the performance of regional innovation systems in countries with varying innovation capabilities. Specifically, we concentrate on examining case studies from the United States, Japan, China, and the Czech Republic, comparing their experiences with the current situation to innovations and innovation systems in Russia and drawing lessons for this country. Utilizing the Global Innovation Index (GII) rankings, we conduct an analysis of the characteristics of innovative progress and propose specific groups of indicators that can enhance the effectiveness of evaluating the innovative advancement of different regions. Moreover, we determine the need for uniqueness, flexibility, and adaptability of these based on the state's strategic guidelines in the field of innovation and the innovative potential of the territory as well as the factors of external and internal influence. In addition, we conduct and present the results of the bibliometric network analysis of the research publications retrieved from the Web of Science (WoS) database using VOSViewer software and covering the role of regional innovation systems (RISs) in shaping up the national innovation systems (NISs) both in general terms and specifically applied to the case of Russia. Our results might be relevant for the stakeholders and policymakers who are engaged in promoting innovation, regional development, and sustainable economic growth, as well as for the academics working on the topics of innovation and economic development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

While international trade in agricultural commodities can spur economic development especially where governance is strong, there are also concerns about the local impacts of commodity production and their distribution on the environment and on people. The sustainable development goals (SDGs), though seeing trade as a means to support their achievement, recognise the need to address potential negative social and environmental impacts. It is therefore important to assess the contribution of international trade to the SDGs in commodity production areas. The environmental impacts of commodity production are widely acknowledged, but much less is known about its social impacts, and how this affects poverty reduction objectives across different dimensions. Impacts on human wellbeing and equity depend on a multitude of factors, including resources, systemic conditions and outputs of production. Through a broad literature review on soy, coffee, cocoa and palm oil, we show how studies have addressed different aspects of these factors and their impacts. The paper demonstrates how efforts by actors in global supply chains are related to a large number of SDGs and their targets. We link the social impacts and factors to the SDGs and a list of potential indicators and variables to guide operationalisation of assessments in new empirical studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Journal of Accounting & Management is the property of Croatian Accountant and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

As more higher education institutions strive to embed sustainable development principles in their teaching, it becomes increasingly important to identify indicators that can measure institutional contribution in a meaningful and internationally comparable manner. This paper shows that existing sustainability rankings, such as the UI Green Metric and THE Impact ranking, have paid relatively little attention to indicators on Education for Sustainable Development (ESD). In a quest to develop such indicators for U-Multirank—the multi-dimensional transparency and ranking tool—we reviewed the literature, consulted experts, and ran a survey amongst practitioners. This article summarises opportunities and challenges for developing internationally comparable ESD indicators in the higher education sector, discussing indicator relevance, validity, and feasibility. The results suggest that (i) ESD indicators are considered highly relevant by diverse stakeholders; (ii) the majority of HEIs surveyed are planning to collect ESD data within 3 years, signalling good prospects for data feasibility; (iii) the ESD indicators proposed so far still lack criteria that would allow one to sufficiently identify and compare these indicators across countries, inhibiting indicator validity. At least three potential definitions are used by HEIs. The results of this paper can contribute to the discussion on identifying appropriate criteria for the development of ESD indicators and their use in international rankings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The main purpose of this paper is to present the diversity and trends of changes taking place in cities and communities in Poland and in other European Union countries with respect of implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. Design/methodology/approach: The indicators included in Eurostat, which are collected to analyse the implementation of Objective 11: Sustainable cities and communities, have been used to assess the problem. 10 indicators and 27 European Union countries were analysed. The research period was 2010-2019 and the data was statistically analysed. Variations and distances between countries, trends in the changes taking place, ranking of countries, and relationships between the analysed indicators and the scale of their changes were calculated. Findings: EU Member States (27) are significantly differentiated in terms of household living conditions, environmental conditions, and safety at home. In Poland, dwellings are overcrowded but in relatively good condition. The Polish population is more often exposed to noise and air pollution, and they are at a higher risk of dying in a traffic accident, but they are less likely to report the occurrence of crime and vandalism. The results of the study confirmed important trends towards the development of sustainable cities and communities in Poland and in other EU countries. Research limitations/implications: The study resulted in a confirmation of the hypothesis that sustainable cities and communities have developed in EU countries in the last decade. There has been an improvement in the living conditions, safety, and environment of the population, especially in those countries where 10 years ago the variables describing sustainable cities and communities were the lowest. One of the countries where sustainable development was a priority was Poland, where the dynamics of improvement of almost every indicator was higher than the EU average. Practical implications: The conclusions may be useful for managers of economic entities for making more effective decisions regarding allocation of financial resources and making investments in social and technical infrastructure or safety regarding sustainable development of cities and communities. Social implications: The paper provides useful information for city and community managers and citizens of EU countries and cities about living conditions, quality of life, and safety of inhabitants. Originality/value: The article presents the latest information regarding the conditions of cities and communities in EU countries and compares that data with indicators from previous years. The value of the article lies in identifying and recognising the significance of differences between EU countries and in verifying whether any positive changes towards sustainable development of cities and communities are occurring. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The rapid expansion of tourist destinations has important environmental, climate change, and socioeconomic impacts on countries. The main objectives of the paper are: to analyze sustainable tourism concepts, indicators, and frameworks of sustainability assessment in tourism; to develop a framework for sustainable tourism assessment of tourist destinations; to apply a developed framework for sustainability assessment of tourism destinations in Visegrad countries (Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, and Slovakia) from the lens of green, digital transformations and boosting social-economic resilience. These are crucial policy pillars due to experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic. The main methods and data applied: several MCDM tools were applied to rank Visegrad countries on the progress achieved in sustainable tourism development. The data on indicators of the EU Tourism Dashboard were applied. The results of the ranking indicated that the best-performing country in terms of sustainable tourism development was Poland, following Hungary, the Czech Republic, and Slovakia. The main reason for this was the best results in digitalization and social-economic resilience shown by Poland and Hungary. The main policy implications for these countries are linked to the enhancement of environmental impact mitigation policies in tourism. The main contribution of this paper is a sustainability assessment of tourism destinations in Visegrad countries based on policy priorities and the newest available data by applying advanced MCDM tools. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A qualitative and quantitative deterioration of natural environments occurred recently worldwide. Loss of ecological capacities and agricultural decline are the critical consequences of urbanisation. This paper focuses on the value of assessing the urban sprawl in a southern Italy territory in order to evaluate the significant landscape transformations and provide a document to local administrators for a more balanced management of land use. The importance to calculate the soil consumption dynamics is remarkable in the investigated territory, Rende municipality in the Calabria region, southern Italy, since it is characterized by the same human pressure that occurred in other Mediterranean areas, so it is well representative of wider territories included in the Mediterranean setting. The transition from rural areas to urban settlements has been investigated via landscape analysis, and conducted for spatial and temporal changes over 25 years. The landscape analysis has integrated data from the orthophotos and Esri topographic base map. Quantitatively, the estimation of urban growth, in all its components, and soil consumption are evident by analysis of the number of patches. Qualitatively, the occurred consumption of fertile soil has caused a significant impact on local environmental conditions and on human activities resulting in decreasing of arable land, which decreased significantly over the considered period. This study addresses how knowledge of the change in urban areas is needed to effectively manage urban environmental impacts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Copyright of University of Sharjah Journal for Humanities & Social Sciences is the property of University of Sharjah - Scientific Publishing Unit and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) target for access to safe sanitation and hygiene represents a marked improvement over the target used during the Millennium Development Goal (MDG) period. The SDG target attempts to: explicitly address hygiene; eliminate inequalities within populations; evaluate sanitation services beyond the household; account for the accessibility, safety, acceptability, and affordability of service delivery; and improve the sustainability of services (WHO/UNICEF, 2015). However, the proposed indicators for monitoring progress in sanitation and hygiene still rely primarily on infrequent household surveys and census data. This paper provides a critical review of the sanitation and hygiene target and explores the potential gaps between the expanded understanding of access, the proposed monitoring strategies, and the desired impacts. A variety of innovative methodologies and technologies are reviewed, with specific attention given to their suitability for measuring and monitoring progress towards the sanitation and hygiene target. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Interações is the property of Revista Interacoes and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Whilst the economic costs and benefits of mega-events to host cities and countries are well documented, the evaluation and nature of the social impacts of such events are less clear. Although these social impacts typically include education and skills, destination branding, social cohesion, environmental sustainability and sport development, there is currently a lack of consensus on their measurement and focus upon both benefits and costs. In an evolved mega-event landscape which must align with political, social and cultural priorities, sports governing bodies, industry partners, residents and governments are increasingly concerned with qualitative impacts. Accordingly, through a systematic review of the existing literature, this paper assesses the current state of knowledge of the social costs and benefits of mega-events, including how they are identified, defined and measured, highlighting a need for further research to fully understand the social impacts of mega-events. To our knowledge, this is the first review to examine mega-event social impact evaluation, and we therefore provide a useful evidence-based guide to mega-event stakeholders in determining cases for host bids, event planning and related legacy evaluation. Our review culminates in a research agenda, providing practical guidance for future mega-event assessment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The latest debate on smart cities and sustainability is underpinned by the United Nations' 2030 Agenda and their accompanying Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which place urban data and monitoring systems at the forefront. Therefore, there is a strong need to assess the data-driven capabilities that will help achieve the SDGs. To fill the capability gaps between existing tools and SDG indicators, new smart city data sources are now available. However, scant indicators and assessment criteria have been empirically validated. This paper identifies some of the challenges alongside the potential of using new local data in urban monitoring systems. A case study of an SDG monitoring platform implementation in a district of Berlin is examined, and the results show that the use of locale-specific, and unofficial data not only improves data availability, but it also encourages local public participation. Based on our empirical findings, we determine that the incorporation of new data for urban sustainability monitoring should be treated as a complex social process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Valori e Valutazioni is the property of Societa Italiana di Estimo e Valutazione (SIEV) and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The communication of corporate social responsibility (CSR) highlights the behavior of the business toward CSR and their framework of sustainable development (SD), thus helping policymakers understand the role businesses play with respect to the 2030 Agenda. Despite its importance, this is still a relatively underexamined and emerging topic. In our paper, we focus on what businesses communicate about CSR through social media and how this relates to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). We identified the topics discussed on Twitter, their evolution over time, and the differences across sectors. We applied the structural topic model (STM) algorithm, which allowed us to estimate the model, including document-level metadata (time and sector). This model proved to be a powerful tool for topic detection and the estimation of the effects of time and sector on the discussion proportion of the topics. Indeed, we found that the topics were well identified overall, and the model allowed catching signals from the data. We derived CSR communication indexes directly from the topic model (TM) results and propose the use of dissimilarity and homogeneity indexes to describe the communication mix and highlight differences and identify clusters. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Tailored set of 116 regional indicators for monitoring EU's 2030 SDGs. • Harmonized standardization and customization for robust regional sustainability monitoring. • Emphasis on fostering regional data capacities and infrastructure for effective monitoring. • Facilitates strategic policy alignment with significant EU initiatives such as the European Green Deal. • Encourages mutual learning and collective growth among European regions. The adoption of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development by the United Nations General Assembly, encompassing 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), established a universal framework for addressing global challenges. Within the European Union (EU), the commitment to these goals has prompted the integration of the SDGs into a strategic framework for sustainable and inclusive growth. Recognizing the need for localized and detailed monitoring to capture the nuanced progress and challenges across Europe's diverse regions, this paper proposes a comprehensive set of regional indicators specifically designed for the European context. Through a systematic review of existing SDG monitoring frameworks at different territorial levels and an extensive methodological process, the paper identifies 116 indicators that address 75 SDG targets. This tailored set is derived from a combination of national, regional, and supranational sources. The paper discusses the critical balance between standardization for comparability and customization to accommodate unique regional characteristics. The proposed indicator set is evaluated for its capacity to reflect the holistic vision of the SDGs while allowing for effective regional benchmarking. The research emphasizes the need for robust regional data infrastructure, the importance of aligning policies with broader sustainability objectives, and the dynamic nature of indicators that can adapt to societal changes such as demographic shifts. Finally, the paper highlights the significance of a pragmatic and adaptive regional approach to SDG monitoring. The proposed indicator set is a strategic tool for policymakers, stakeholders, and practitioners, guiding Europe's regions towards a sustainable future and contributing to the global effort to achieve the SDGs by 2030. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents and discusses the selection of a set of core indicators for the sustainable conservation of built heritage. This core set of indicators was selected by following a two-step methodology: 1) first, a comparative analysis of indicators of two building sustainability assessment (BSA) tools with different approaches was performed by using content analysis to identify common priorities; 2) second, a selection of the indicators according to scale, stage of the life cycle, and coverage of core aspects for sustainable development, following the criteria established by the International Organization for Standardization. The results show that even if current methodologies have different structures, terminology, and priorities, they share common principles that promote a more sustainable built environment. However, by being mostly oriented to the intervention and operation phases, these methods do not have direct application as an assessment framework for the sustainable conservation of the built heritage. To overcome this situation, this research presents a concise set of indicators that can support the development of an assessment tool to ensure the sustainable conservation of existing buildings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper aims to present the results of implementing a new, multi-dimensional, and cumulative tool that records child well-being in the first semester of the school year 2019–2020, which is the second round of an ongoing research. The tool was applied in Attica through questionnaires addressing 30 schools and 3 support centers for children and families of the organization The Smile of the Child (thirty-three bodies in total). The total number of children participating in the sample was 1,171, belonging to three distinct school categories: 6th grade of elementary school (10–11 years old), 3rd grade of junior high (13–14 years old), and 3rd grade of high school (16–17 years old). The results were mapped out in 7 clusters. The findings raise concerns regarding nutrition and moral education of students in Attica. The theoretical and methodological framework of the study was confirmed through a principal component analysis (PCA) and a multiple correspondence analysis (MCA). Finally, an action plan is suggested. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper proposes the development of an index to assess rural development based on a set of 25 demographic, economic, environmental, and social welfare indicators previously selected through a Delphi approach. Three widely accepted aggregation methods were then tested: a mixed arithmetic/geometric mean without weightings for each indicator; a weighted arithmetic mean using the weights previously generated by the Delphi panel and an aggregation through Principal Component Analysis. These three methodologies were later applied to 9 Portuguese NUTS III regions using the most recent data available (2009–2020) and the results were presented to a group of experts in rural development who indicated which of the aggregation methods best measured the levels of rural development of the different territories. Finally, it was concluded that the unweighted arithmetic/geometric mean was the most accurate methodology for aggregating indicators to create a Rural Development Index. • Development of a rural development index using indicators selected by an expert panel. • Create rural development indexes by applying different aggregation methods. • Testing the most accurate method to aggregate indicators in a rural development index. • An effective tool for both policymakers and managers of rural development programs. • A useful tool to measure the impact of cohesion policy and structural programmes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To coordinate the relationship between forest protection and utilization, give full play to the ecological, economic and social benefits of forests, and lay a solid foundation for sustainable economic and social development is a concrete action to implement Xi Jinping thought on ecological Civilization and implement the overall strategy of comprehensive, systematic and source governance of mountains, rivers, forests, farmland, lakes and grasses. Compared with the previous round of forest land protection and utilization planning (“original forest protection”), the new round of forest land protection and utilization planning (“ new forest protection”) is different in many aspects, such as the preparation background, positioning, indicators and requirements. It is very important to correctly understand the “new forest protection”, master the key points of the establishment of the “new forest protection” and learn from the experience and lessons of the “original forest protection”. Based on the last round of forest land protection and utilization planning in Heilongjiang Province, this paper discusses the positioning, technical basis, characteristics, and key links of preparation of the new round of forest land protection and utilization planning, expounds opinions and puts forward opinions, so as to lay a good foundation for the preparation of the new round of forest land protection and utilization planning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Revista Iberoamericana de Estudios de Desarrollo is the property of Revista Iberoamericana de Estudios de Desarrollo and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The regional level plays a relevant role in spatial governance and planning in Europe, as it constitutes the most suitable scale to both program European Union funding and territorialize international development strategies. In this light, regional spatial planning instruments play a crucial role in translating general objectives and recommendations (e.g., those included in the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development) in place-based implementation practices. This contribution reflects upon the implementation of a methodology aimed at engaging a multidisciplinary team of students in the revision of the Piedmont regional territorial plan (PTR), developed in close cooperation with the regional public administration. This problem-based learning activity supported the integration of supranational strategic objectives and funding streams with the regional territorial development priorities. In so doing, it represents a possible way to practice multilevel governance in concrete terms, employing the PTR as a meaningful catalyst. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Geography & Geographic Information Science is the property of Geography & Geo-Information Science Editorial Office and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Continuous monitoring and diagnostics of key security indicators and all its components are of particular importance to ensure a high level of security development of countries/integration associations. Modern international rankings form the analytical basis for assessing the components of the security sector, allow for comparative analysis and identify the respective leadership positions of countries. The results of the monitoring contribute to an objective assessment and management of economic security risks at the relevant levels: regional (regional security complex), national (security of individual countries), micro-level, etc. Diagnosing the asymmetry of the EU countries' development will help to identify joint coordinated actions in specific areas and security components to improve the common European position in the global environment. Economic growth and sustainable development of the EU, strengthening the competitiveness of both European countries and the EU will contribute to the security development of all member states of the integration association. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Climate change is among the pressing global challenges affecting sustainable development, especially in the rain-fed-based agriculture of developing countries. Climate-smart agriculture (CSA) approach answers this question by ensuring high productivity, creating an improved adaptive capacity and reducing GHG emissions. This systematic literature review aims to provide an overview of the indicators, theory of change and impact pathways of CSA that lead to sustainable development. Using a systematic research method, four stages of PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analysis) namely, identification, eligibility, screening and included were used for selecting the articles reviewed. A total of 37 articles were then used for this study. CSA interventions measured by the behavioral changes resulting from different stakeholders (producers, consumers, extension workers, policymakers and institutions, civil society and the private sector) can play a significant role in sustainable development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Water, energy and food are the three foremost vital resources that need to be protected for human existence and sustainable development. The study develops an indicator-based framework for integrated assessment of the water–energy–food nexus at the river basin scale. The framework is designed to have three successive levels for the assessment. The proposed three-tiered assessment framework can aid concerned resources management authorities to evaluate the water–energy–food nexus and also to identify the action required to enhance resource productivities. The suitability of the framework is demonstrated through its application to the Ping River basin in Thailand. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The 2018 European bioeconomy strategy sets a new vision for Europe's sustainable development: a transition to regenerative resource usage that embraces circular principles. Similarly, various member states have developed national bioeconomy strategies. To be effective, such strategies require methodologically sound monitoring tools that support the alignment of national and urban policies. Indeed, cities are central to the bioeconomy, mobilizing ever increasing amounts of biogenic materials. To better understand the suitability of national bioeconomy strategies for guiding urban circular bioeconomy transitions, this paper examines the composition, features, and topical coverage of national bioeconomy indicator sets with a threefold analysis: (1) assessment of the integration of circularity principles in the sets and their alignment with existing policy frameworks; (2) appraisal of quality and the fulfillment of the sets' functional purposes; (3) evaluation of the breadth and depth of tackled issues. Of the 27 EU member states, only nine have a dedicated bioeconomy strategy, of which four propose an indicator set. While there is a general lack of sophisticated monitoring, the tools proposed after the publication of the 2018 bioeconomy strategy (Germany and Italy) follow indicator development standards rigorously. They include circularity in their notion of bioeconomy and combine indicators for a comprehensive, substantial, informative and politically relevant analysis. These characteristics strongly improve the potential for alignment and coherence with urban-level bioeconomy monitoring efforts. Although national measuring tools are not intended to cover all urban needs, the findings of this paper give insight into their remaining gaps and highlight improvement pathways for an efficient EU-wide circular bioeconomy transition. [Display omitted] • Most EU national bioeconomy strategies lack sophisticated indicator sets. • National bioeconomy strategies should favor alignment with other policy levels. • Thoroughly developed indicator sets allow targeted answers to environmental change. • Recent strategies follow indicator development standards more rigorously. • Recent indicator sets enable monitoring of urban circular bioeconomy transitions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Frugal innovation can help to foster sustainability and address global challenges, like building economic growth, addressing various social needs, and protecting the environment. However, if one wants to measure the sustainability impacts of frugal innovation or enable companies to make empirically informed decisions between frugal and alternative innovation, the question of how to assess these empirical impacts arises. The main objectives of this paper are the identification of approaches and indicators for assessing the sustainability impacts of frugal innovation and the analysis of empirical findings relating to prior assessments. To this end, a systematic literature review was conducted, which identified 15 texts, and a qualitative content analysis was employed to evaluate their contents. From these analyses two main approaches for assessment emerged. First, the assessment based on the triple bottom line or the dimensions of sustainability (ecological, social, and economic). Second, assessment against the Sustainability Development Goals. In the identified texts, the sustainability dimensions are preferred over the Sustainable Development Goals for assessing the sustainability impacts of frugal innovation. From the 15 identified texts, 13 use qualitative indicators and two quantitative (conceptual) indicators. To answer the research question of the paper, a set of 47 qualitative indicators relating to integrated dimensions of sustainability for the assessment of the sustainability impacts of frugal innovation is proposed. In addition, this paper presents new insights relating to the empirical evidence of sustainability impacts of frugal innovation. Approximately 60% of 334 empirical findings from 70 different cases related to the Sustainable Development Goals contribute to the five (socially and economically focused) SDGs 8, 3, 10, 12, and 9. After a transformation to the Triple Bottom Line, these findings contribute predominantly to the economic and social dimensions (in each case 45%), and only slightly to the ecological dimension (the remaining 10%). In turn, 164 empirical results from 77 different cases related to the Triple Bottom Line show an almost similar contribution to all three sustainability dimensions with a small lead of the economic dimension. Nonetheless, in the opinion of the author, these findings confirm other studies, that from an empirical perspective, frugal innovation can be described as inherently socially and economically sustainable and ecological sustainability is mostly not the primary focus. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• There is high consistency in the extent of land degradation. • There are consistent hydrothermal change characteristics in the land degradation hotspots area. Land degradation is a major impediment to achieving sustainable development. However, there is currently no harmonized global map of land degradation status and hotspots. This paper aims to obtain the status and hotspots map of global land degradation by multiple methods and indicators to give essential references for land degradation neutrality. The results show that there are significant differences in the distribution and degree of land degradation between the different methods and indicators. Validation through observation points reveals that most of the methods and indicators can reflect land degradation in arid and semi-arid areas, while there are suitable methods or indicators in tropical and high-latitude areas. The degree of degradation has a large difference after overlay analysis, which shows that there are shortcomings of different methods and indicators for monitoring the degree of land degradation. However, the overlay of land degradation extent displays a high consistency, reflecting the current state of global land degradation to a certain extent. These areas with high overlay value can be recognized as hotspots of land degradation. It is also found there are consistent water-energy change characteristics in the hotspot area, such as increased land surface temperature and air temperature and decreased soil moisture and precipitation. These results conclude that studies on the degree of land degradation need to be considered in an integrated manner about the regional background. The combination of multiple methods and indicators is recommended for land degradation extent studies in large areas. Comparison of different methods and indicators is important guidance for global land degradation research. Accelerating ecological monitoring and restoration of land degradation hotspots is the first step towards land degradation neutrality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The transition towards the circular economy (CE) is one of the major priorities of the European Union (EU). By observing its benefits through the prism of sustainable development, this study aims to reveal the intricate relationships between the CE and the economy–society–environment nexus across 27 EU countries during the period from 2012 to 2020. Utilizing an extensive dataset comprising 243 observations drawn from the EUROSTAT database, we employed a panel data analysis. In this research, we quantified the impact of CE indicators on key dependent variables: GDP per capita (economic dimension), mortality, morbidity, and the welfare cost associated with exposure to environment-related risks (social dimension) and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in the environmental realm. The findings of our study illuminate the multifaceted connections between circular economy practices and the broader goals of sustainable development within the EU-27 context. The CE indicators aggregated at the EU level not only have a beneficial impact on the economy but also on society and the environment. The analysis reveals that each of the six explanatory variables incorporated into the models exhibits the anticipated relationship with at least one of the outcome variables. This research contributes valuable insights for policymakers, public authorities, and other stakeholders seeking to enhance the circular economy landscape in respective countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Globalisation - characterised by dynamic economic growth, increasing exploitation of the natural environment, and deepening social inequalities - brings negative consequences and is strongly perceptible also in local communities. A new approach to development policy based on the idea of sustainable development must be incorporated into local governments' strategies, programmes, and actions. We adopted exploratory approach to determine the level and identify the spatial patterns of sustainable development of Polish poviats. The aggregated (synthetic) indicators of economic, social, and environmental development were developed to analyse the spatial patterns of the poviats' development trends. Our research shows that in Poland there are overwhelmingly more poviats characterised by lower development than those better developed in all three analysed categories. Hierarchical analysis using the Ward's method revealed that Polish poviats can be divided into three relatively homogeneous clusters in terms of development levels. The largest group consists of poviats characterised by the relatively lowest level of sustain-ability in economic and social areas, and the highest - by environmental development. Analyses using the Moran method made it possible to determine the so-called spatial regimes of clusters. The captured spatial relationships indicate that selected poviats have a significant impact on the level of development in the neighbouring poviats. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The United Nations explicitly recognise the central role of urbanization processes in global development trajectories in the Agenda 2030, mainly through one of its 17 Sustainable Development Goals, i.e. SDG11. This goal emphasises making human settlements more inclusive, safe, resilient, and sustainable. The progress achieved towards the targets that articulate this goal is constantly monitored through a system of indicators. However, this process is complex, especially for those targets that concern the quality of the policies intended to guide development phenomena. This is the case with SDG11.a, which aims to «Support positive economic, social and environmental links between urban, peri-urban and rural areas by strengthening national and regional development planning» and therefore regards territorial governance activities. In a recent contribution, the authors explored the contents and implications of SDG11.a and developed a system of procedural, instrumental, and financial indicators aimed at evaluating the quality of territorial governance. This paper operationalises some of these indicators concerning a real territorial context – the Metropolitan City of Turin – to reflect on their practicability and the added value they can provide in decision-making and monitoring. The work results show how any measurement of the quality of territorial governance remains inherently linked to the institutional characteristics of the context and the actual availability of data and information. This undoubtedly complicates the use of the indicators proposed in a comparative perspective; however, their application can promote critical reflections by public authorities and the development of more effective policies. Il ruolo centrale dei processi di urbanizzazione nelle traiettorie di sviluppo globale è esplicitamente riconosciuto dall’Agenda 2030 delle Nazioni Unite che, attraverso uno dei suoi 17 obiettivi per lo sviluppo sostenibile (SDG11), sottolinea la necessità di rendere gli insediamenti umani più inclusivi, sicuri, resilienti e sostenibili. I progressi raggiunti in relazione ai traguardi che articolano tale obiettivo sono costantemente monitorati attraverso un sistema di indicatori. Questo processo non è però semplice, soprattutto in relazione a quei traguardi che non riguardano tanto i fenomeni di sviluppo, quanto la qualità delle politiche deputate ad orientarli. È il caso del traguardo SDG11.a, che mira a «supportare i positivi legami economici, sociali e ambientali tra aree urbane, periurbane e rurali rafforzando la pianificazione dello sviluppo nazionale e regionale», e dunque concerne l’attività di governo del territorio. In un recente contributo, gli autori hanno esplorato i contenuti e le implicazioni del traguardo SDG11.a e sviluppato un sistema di indicatori – procedurali, strumentali e finanziari – finalizzato a valutare la qualità del governo del territorio in un determinato contesto. Il presente articolo operazionalizza alcuni di questi indicatori rispetto a un contesto territoriale reale – la Città Metropolitana di Torino – così da riflettere sulla loro praticabilità e sul valore aggiunto che essi possono fornire in sede di decisione e monitoraggio. Dai risultati del lavoro si evince come qualsiasi misura- zione della qualità del governo del territorio rimanga intrinsecamente legata alle caratteristiche istituzionali del contesto di riferimento e alla effettiva reperibilità di dati e informazioni. Se questo complica l’utilizzo degli indicatori proposti in ottica comparativa, la loro applicazione può però favorire lo sviluppo di riflessioni critiche da parte delle autorità pubbliche e la messa a punto di politiche più efficaci.

In recent decades, the issue of urban poverty and deprivation become one of the most imperative problems experienced by countries at global level from the economic, political, social, and urban interaction processes, as World Bank estimated nearly 700 million persons fall below extreme poverty line in 2017. However, most studies have focused on exposure to identifying phenomenon and measuring its various elements and monitoring variables affecting it, without focusing on its spatial distributions and disparities within cities - to build revealing maps to measure disparities that raise the efficiency of planning and making urban development policies. This study aims to fill the current research gap by improving monitoring and measurement processes and developing flexible building model multidimensional. Therefore, research is related to how to formulate a methodological model for measuring urban poverty and deprivation stemming from a multiplicity of theoretical and applied approaches, diagnosis of objectives and indicators affecting it. The results showed novelty of this research is to reach development of a methodological model to control measurement and raise the efficiency of analysis and identification spatial distribution and hotspots in inner city to enhance efficiency of planning and sustainable urban development policies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Every energy generation technology, including hydropower, has its own strengths and shortcomings. We carried out vulnerability assessment (VA) applying a bottom‐up multi‐disciplinary indicator‐based method considering people's perception of five dimensions of a storage type (ST) "national pride" hydropower project–1200 MW Budhi Gandaki Hydropower Project (BGHP) in Nepal. We also examined how ST projects can contribute to sustainable development goals (SDGs) overcoming the vulnerabilities. Primary data on people's perception were collected through focus group discussions and 200 household questionnaire surveys conducted within the most vulnerable areas. People perceived the "Physical" dimension as the most impactful. The local community is optimistic about some infrastructure development, but issues related to compensation, resettlement and physical stressors were found to be very sensitive for the effective implementation of the project. Expectations of the local people and proposed plans by the government are concurrent in some issues but not in all. Our analysis shows that the BGHP has the potential to be multi‐dimensionally beneficial (to eight SDGs) for Nepal, provided that supportive policies are formulated and implemented stringently. Extending the project as multi‐purpose, pumped storage and other improvements such as floatovoltaics are some of the plausible recommendations for harnessing maximum benefits from this important project while minimizing threats. Moreover, the methodological framework can be conveniently replicated for conducting VA of hydropower projects under comparable physical and socio‐economic conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years, a great deal of research has analyzed the impact of trade openness on the environment, with the aim of determining whether internationalization contributes to the improvement of environmental performance (EP) or, on the contrary, hinders the achievement of sustainable development. The objective of the present work is to conduct a systematic literature review on the interrelationship between international trade and EP at the micro‐ and macroeconomic levels, analyzing the existent theoretical approaches and the EP indicators utilized in practice. The most prominent theories found are firm heterogeneity, at a microeconomic level, and the pollution haven/halo hypotheses, at a macroeconomic level. Also, the EP indicators have been classified according to five dimensions: energy consumption, resource consumption, emissions, risk potential, and toxic potential, of which pollutant gas emissions and energy consumption are the most used. The results obtained show evidence of the interrelationship mentioned from the perspective of the different theories. In addition, this analysis helps to identify several gaps in this line of study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sustainability has increasingly become key in universities, as the objectives of sustainable development are essential to establish policies, guidelines and indicators that guide institutions to be more sustainable. This recognition has led many authors to develop methods to assess universities based on their performance in terms of sustainable development. This article presents a review of these methods. The review focuses on identifying existing methods and classifying the methods according to seven characteristics: (1) nature of the data, (2) data collection, (3) scope, (4) level of implementation, (5) pillars of sustainability, (6) university function, (7) country perspective taken, which will allow identifying the differences between methods when assessing sustainability. The seven criteria established for the characterization of the sustainability assessment methods contain a total of 27 sub-criteria distributed among the properties. The main contribution of the study is the analysis of the revised methods through a comprehensive characterization and systematic grouping. In the discussion, the results are examined by looking at the comprehensiveness, heterogeneity and objectivity of the methods reviewed. Together with previous research in the area, this study highlights the need to continue deepening the design of sustainability assessment methods with standardized criteria. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite much interest in healthy, sustainable cities, currently they are often on the margins of urban planning and design, not the centre. Part of the reason for this is technical. Many planners are interested in designing healthier cities but wonder how to link their objectives with actions. This study develops 99 indicators for a healthy city. The basis for the development of indicators was the 11 objectives of a healthy city according to the World Health Organisation. Application of these indicators helps push healthy city objectives to the centre of urban planning and design in two ways: (I) the indicators can show gap with each objective; and (II) monitoring the indicators over time can show the performance of solutions for each objective. It is possible to explore synergies and trade‐offs between the 11 objectives of healthy cities by examining the relationships between their 99 indicators. Trade‐offs between healthy city objectives in some contexts might require local adjustment of these objectives. This, in turn, would require adjustment of their indicators. Thus, the set of 99 indicators can be used as a starting point in an iterative process of adapting healthy city objectives and indicators to local circumstances. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

How do the goals, targets and indicators of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) serve as governance instruments in efforts to achieve the SDGs by 2030? This perspective addresses this question in three sections. First, it develops an account of how we should understand governance for the SDGs that highlights the role of targets and indicators, but also institutions and norms, in this model of 'soft' governance. Second, it then offers a brief assessment of how the SDGs have worked as governance innovation since 2015, highlighting changes in the infrastructure of the SDGs and some national contexts, but also limitations. This section also considers the place of national ownership as a principle, integral to the SDGs, which constrains the transformative potential of the goals and targets. A final section considers how elements and mechanisms of SDG governance might be developed further. It points toward the importance of scaling up pockets of innovation and goal achievement across jurisdictions and levels of governance, while raising questions about expectations for SDG achievement beyond 2030. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of the present work is to choose the most important sustainable urban indicator according to the opinion of local transport specialists, and using it to evaluate the urban transportation system in Baghdad city. To achieve these objectives, make Questionnaire form content 130 indicators were obtained in various environmental, social and economic dimensions. The questionnaires were analyzed using SPSS program; and Likert Scale (fivepoint) is adopted (5 very effective, 1 not very effective) to find out the importance and impact of each indicator at the local level. The results of the questionnaire showed that the most important sustainable indicator that can be applied and that has a very strong impact on the local Iraqi reality, is the accessibility indicator to public services and public transport, its relative importance was 93.6%, and 91.2% for the mobility management indicator. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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This 38th volume of the International Journal of Sustainable Energy Planning and Management presents some of the newest work within the energy planning, energy systems analyses and district heating area. Articles focus on multi objective optimisation for a community in the Alps, carbon neutrality in Estonia, the prospects of heat pumps combined with thermal energy storage in maximising self-consumption from a photovoltaic field and methods for assessing district heating options. Other works focus on gamification tools for assessing energy efficiency measures, country analyses of economic and environmental indicators, the adaption of alternative fuel vehicles, and the use of waste heat sources for district heating. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]