Search results for "resource"
showing 10 items of 4058 documents
Do board characteristics affect environmental performance? A study of EU firms
2019
This paper explores the relationship between board characteristics and environmental performance. We adopt a triple perspective of environmental performance, focussing on emissions (waste and CO2), resource consumption (water and energy), and the implementation of environmental initiatives. The sample comprises 644 nonfinancial European Union–based companies. The data cover the period 2002 to 2017. The results confirm that gender diversity and the existence of a corporate social responsibility committee are positively associated with the firms' environmental performance. This finding is consistent with the view that the educational background, talent, and experience of women help promote su…
Diffusion of innovative agricultural production systems for sustainable development of small islands: A methodological approach based on the science …
1992
In order to develop small islands, not only must a vital agricultural system be maintained, but the range of opportunities for tourism must be increased with respect to both the seaside and the environmental features of the rural landscape. As an alternative to the traditional and economically declining ones, many innovative production processes can be identified, but their success depends on their interaction with the physical, biological, economic and social environment. In order to identify the main nodes and the most critical interactions, so as to increase the probability of success of a new productive process, a methodological approach based on the science of complexity is proposed fo…
On sustainable management in the local governance of water: a prospective localised study
2006
In the face of the changes in the planet's natural resources and of their unequal distribution, it is becoming more urgent that contemporary societies oversee environmental assets in a global manner. Although international directives, when they are transposed into national laws, may set specific objectives, meeting them at the local level is as yet an uneven enterprise. Nevertheless we hope to demonstrate, using a case-study involving local tensions over water resources, that public management of the crisis may be developed that effectively involves the civic society, by using the incentives and enforcement tools of central government and of local institutions.
Governance as a barrier to mainstreaming sustainable development in Riga, Latvia
2008
The Aalborg Commitments baseline review of urban sustainability undertaken in Riga, Latvia reveals significant discrepancies between the sustainability criteria of the Aalborg Commitments and municipal statutes and planning documents. An analysis of the European Common Indicators (ECI) and the State of the Environment in Riga indicators indicates that they can only partially fulfil a monitoring function for the implementation of the Aalborg Commitments. To gain insight into the institutional arrangements and governance practices of the municipal government and administration in the context of sustainability City Council deputies and municipal administration structural units and personnel we…
Introduction: Energy, Policy and the Environment: Modeling Sustainable Development for the North
2011
Climate change is unequivocal (IPCC 2007) and it has brought questions of energy and the environment to the forefront. It is unclear to what extent the traditional environmental concern and environmental policy suffice in addressing issues such as climate change while global greenhouse gases continue to increase at a steady rate, as does the depletion of fossil fuels. Ensuring the availability of energy is the key to maintaining current levels of well-being in societies and growth in the global economy. Given that production and utilization of energy and the environment are inherently interlinked, energy policies and changes in economic structures, which focus on alternative modes of energy…
A new definition of soil to promote soil awareness, sustainability, security and governance
2022
Abstract In these last decades, the awareness that soil is a very important resource for humans has noticeably increased. Many actions and initiatives to promote soil governance, aiming at sustainable soil management and soil security have been undertaken by several national and international institutions and in many countries. Analysis of the changes of soil perception over the centuries allows highlighting a perfect harmony between the evolution of soil awareness and the level of knowledge and technology achieved by humans during their history and evolution. Notwithstanding these many achievements, soils continue to be scarcely considered in politics and society. We suggest some thoughts …
The study programme “Environmental protection and impact assessment” at the University of Latvia
2001
Reviews trends in environmental protection and sustainability in Latvia and introduces a programme in this field at the University of Latvia in Riga. Concludes that regional changes are necessary.
Cultural Institutes – Enablers of Sustainable Development
2015
Abstract The primary goal of this study is to examine the role of culture - as one of the most enduring, vital and long-lived components of sustainable development, with multifarious potential continuously explored and capitalized by individuals, communities or institutions. All definitions of the phrase sustainable development include culture as a sine-qua-non element that is also inextricably connected and interdependent with the other three pillars: economic, social and environmental. In this context of cultural centres worldwide, Confucius Institutes represent a successful and efficient managerial model by capitalizing on the most important resource of an organization: human capital.
Fostering Sustainable Organizational Development Through Dynamic Performance Management
2016
This chapter outlines a conceptual and methodological framework to support organizational policy makers in managing and assessing performance within the perspective of sustainability. It analyzes the role of SD to enhance P&C systems so as to both manage performance and foster sustainable development.
Editorial: Sustainable development of energy, Water and Environment Systems
2020
In 2018 the Conference on Sustainable Development of Energy, Water and Environment Systems (SDEWES) was held in three different locations and periods, so as to offer to the scientific community working in the field several opportunities to share and discuss new ideas and disseminate results of research activities. The 1st Latin American SDEWES Conference was held in Rio de Janeiro (Brasil) in January 28–31 and attracted 180 scientists from 35 countries, with a high number of contributions mainly from Southern American and European academics and professionals, who reciprocally enriched about emerging issues in the field of sustainable development in these continents. Also, the participants a…