Search results for "Sustainable development"
showing 10 items of 638 documents
Sustainability in Polish Road Transport Sector
2013
Abstract Today, road transport is the fastest-growing segment of the freight transport in Poland. Due to its dynamic development in the 90's and low barriers to entry of new transport companies the importance of this segment still growing. Low transport rates, the ability to reach every place, as well as high flexibility and reliability of supplies carried are the main advantages of this kind of transport. However, besides the advantages, road transport has disadvantages as well, and the biggest drawback of this type of transport is its negative impact on the environment through the emission of pollutants into the atmosphere. In addition, road transport is characterized by high land consump…
Agribusiness
2019
The objective of this entry is to provide noneconomists with an analytical tool with which to understand various aspects of contemporary agriculture and food and fiber systems. The first part of the entry will provide an overview of the concept of agribusiness from its conception to current times. It will then present the main challenges facing the agribusiness system in the arena of recent global competition by illustrating key critical aspects, which are related to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Particular reference will be made to SDG2 which focuses explicitly on food by seeking to “end hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition and promote sustainable…
Towards a more sustainable food Supply chain: opening up invisible waste in food service
2016
Future challenges to the global food supply chain are complex. In order to embrace sustainability, companies should change their management practices towards more efficient resource use. Food waste being a misuse of resources, we identify its causes and possible ways of minimising it. To achieve this goal, we conducted explorative research with qualitative and quantitative data through in-depth semi-structured interviews and an open questionnaire with top Spanish food service companies. Results show that most businesses mainly tend to minimise food waste according to economic criteria, without taking into account the social, ethical or environmental factors. As a consequence, just “visible”…
Improving the energy efficiency of an islanded distribution network using classical and innovative computation methods
2016
The paper presents the analysis of some potentially suitable actions for reducing the energy losses of an islanded Medium Voltage distribution network, with the aim of improving electricity distribution efficiency. For this purpose, four actions are considered: 1) increasing the network's rated voltage; 2) reactive power compensation through static capacitor banks; 3) reactive power compensation through switchable capacitor banks; 4) installation of distributed photovoltaic (PV) generation. The first two measures are typically taken into account by the distribution system operators and can be examined by means of classical design methods, whereas the latter two more innovative actions are t…
GOVERNANCE AND SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT IN THE NEBRODI’S NATURAL PARK
2007
The paper aims to analyse the environment of the Nebrodi’s Natural Park (Sicily) and the economic effects on the territory and on its inhabitants. In a recent vision, the economic development doesn't depend only from the availability of economic resource but it also depends from the so-called “extra-economic”resources, such as the social and cultural context, the political and social integrational degree, the know-how, the entrepreneurial offer and the services to enterprises. Today natural parks represent a “big box” in which nature, landscape, culture and traditions are, at the same time, “preserved” and “invested” for an economic growth. Moreover, the institution of the natural park - wh…
Agents of change: Women in top management and corporate environmental performance
2020
International audience; We analyze the influence of gender diversity in top management on the environmental performance of French firms. Consistent with gender socialization theory, which posits that women are raised from childhood to be more nurturing and compassionate for others, we find that firms with more women in top management exhibit higher environmental performance. This result extends those already reported in the literature regarding the effect of gender diversity at board level. We also show that women in top management are associated with several key indicators such as development of eco‐friendly products and commitment to resource reduction. Furthermore, we find that the influ…
Accesibilidad y provisión de servicios de interés general en las áreas rurales de la Unión Europea: un análisis a partir del Eurobarómetro
2014
La finalidad de este trabajo es ofrecer un estado de la cuestión sobre el acceso y provisión de Servicios de Interés General (SeIG) en las áreas rurales de la Unión Europea. Se identifican fuerzas de cambio, oportunidades y dificultades relativas a los SeIG que pueden contribuir a impulsar o ralentizar los procesos de desarrollo rural. Se lleva a cabo una revisión de las principales aproximaciones teóricas y se presentan diversos análisis empíricos a partir de los escasos datos homogéneos disponibles. A partir del conocimiento adquirido se formula un conjunto de reflexiones sobre la función de los SeIG en los procesos de cambio rural en la UE.
A GIS-Based Method for Analysing the Association Between School-Built Environment and Home-School Route Measures with Active Commuting to School in U…
2020
In the current call for a greater human health and well-being as a sustainable development goal, to encourage active commuting to and from school (ACS) seems to be a key factor. Research focusing on the analysis of the association between environmental factors and ACS in children and adolescents has reported limited and inconclusive evidence, so more knowledge is needed about it. The main aim of this study is to examine the association between different built environmental factors of both school neighbourhood and home-school route with ACS of children and adolescents belonging to urban areas. The ACS level was evaluated using a self-reported questionnaire. Built environment variables (i.e.,…
Evaluación de los recursos naturales para un uso y gestión sostenible de la producción agraria en una cuenca del centro-sur de Córdoba (Argentina)
2001
The economical and social development in the Center-South of Cordoba, (Argentina) depends on the agriculture. However, due to low production and severe soil erosion, the farms are not longer economically feasible. This situation implies that the agriculture in the region might not be sustainable in the long run. This study assessed the potential production of the natural resources in the Santa Catalina basin, in order to improve their use and management. The estimated potential production is 300 % higher than the actual production. In addition, the basin is severely affected by water erosion. A new and more sustainable production structure was proposed for the basin, which increases from tr…
Sustainable Infrastructure Projects: Systemic versus Traditional Delivery Models
2021
Sustainability involves multiple environmental, technical, social and economic factors, and such complex analysis requires systemic solutions. Delivery models are key to achieving system benefits and enhancing sustainable development in infrastructure investments. They define the phases of a project, incentive structures, risk sharing and the relationships among the actors in it. They are usually developed early in the project and determine the project dynamics and outcomes. We compared traditional delivery models with systemic ones. We identified and illustrated elements that differ between them through two cases. The contribution is an increased understanding of how systemic infrastructur…