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Applied Sustainability for SDG Implementation
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Applied Sustainability for SDG Implementation

A special issue of Sustainability (ISSN 2071-1050).

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 December 2022) | Viewed by 20029

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Jorge Trindade

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
1. Department of Science and Technology, University Aberta, Lisbon, Portugal
2. Geographical Research Centre, Lisbon University, Lisbon, Portugal
Interests: physical geography; coastal dynamics; natural hazards assessment and sustainable development; coastal planning and management; sustainability assessment
Prof. Dr. Sandra Caeiro

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
1. Department of Science and Technology, University Aberta, Lisbon, Portugal
2. CENSE, Center for Environmental and Sustainability Research, Department of Environmental Sciences and Engineering, NOVA School of Science and Technology, NOVA University Lisbon, Lisbon, Portugal
Interests: Sustainability assessment; indicators; Higher Education, campus sustainability
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Carla Sofia Farinha

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Center for Environmental and Sustainability Research, FCT Nova, Nova University of Lisbon, Lisbon, Portugal
Interests: education for sustainable development; universities; higher education institutions; sustainable development
Dr. Tania Suely Azevedo Brasileiro

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Pos graduation in Society, Nature and Development (PPGSND) and Education in the Amazon (EDUCANORTE/PPGE) – Phd course in Environmental Sciences, Federal University of Western Pará(UFOPA), Santarém, Pará, Brazil.
Interests: education for sustainability; college education, education and environmental health; teacher training; managers for sustainable development

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The aim of this Special Issue is directed to original research on applied sustainability, with specific focus on regional and local approaches that contribute to the real problem solution and the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals.

Sustainability research has a wide range of applications because of its cross-disciplinary nature and multi-type object focus. From its environmental and socio-economic traditional fields of research to holistic themes related to climate change and natural hazards, circular economy, social innovation, design for sustainability, among many others, sustainability research and practice is purposed to identify and mitigate maladjusted practices, taking as a reference the balance between several components of a complex and interactive system. This holistic perspective presents a challenge since it is not always possible to simplify the components of a system without losing analysis detail. Another challenge in sustainability research is the methodological approach needed to meet objectives across a broad spectrum of themes. From practice and action to data-driven research, from global to local and regional spatial research, from community observation to systematic document content analysis, there are a wide range of methods and techniques that appeal to researchers conducting detailed analyses and evaluations of sustainable realities and practices. Nevertheless, sustainability research must make an important contribution in the achievement and implementation of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, The 2030 Agenda.

The topics for this Special Issue on applied sustainability research for SDG implementation at regional and local levels may include:

  • Biodiversity and natural resources sustainable management;
  • Sustainable exploitation of natural resources and the relationship with local communities;
  • Participatory processes in a community’s sustainability, including policy making and management;
  • Sustainable community resource management;
  • Climate change and sustainable resilient communities;
  • Water access, management, and pollution;
  • Natural hazards and sustainable spatial planning;
  • Sustainable waste management;
  • Sustainable cities and spatial planning policies;
  • Sustainable practices in supply food chain;
  • Sustainability communication and assessment;
  • Sustainable production and consumption;
  • Sustainability ethics of organizations;
  • Gender and minorities equity;
  • Affordable and clean energy;
  • Economic and social sustainable entrepreneurship;
  • Industrial innovation for sustainability;
  • Education for Sustainability;
  • Local sustainable touristic resource management.

Contributions regarding the mentioned challenges that address, but are not limited to, these topics are welcome as well as qualitative, mixed, and quantitative and applied, empirical and conceptual research approaches.

Dr. Jorge Trindade
Prof. Dr. Sandra Caeiro
Dr. Carla Sofia Farinha
Dr. Tania Suely Azevedo Brasileiro
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Sustainability is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • applied sustainability
  • sustainability assessment
  • holistic approaches
  • sustainable practices
  • local knowledge
  • sustainable communities
  • sustainable development goals

Published Papers (6 papers)

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Research

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28 pages, 9689 KiB  
Article
Self-Application of the CCP Model among Socio-Labor Counseling Professionals: Evaluation of the Impact on Their Careers and Social Sustainability Actions
by Magdalena Suárez-Ortega, María Fe Sánchez-García, Ana Fernández-García and María Inés García-Ripa
Sustainability 2023, 15(12), 9621; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/su15129621 - 15 Jun 2023
Viewed by 862
Abstract
This study evaluates the impact of the professional career construction model (CCP) on the professional practice of counselors and the social sustainability actions put into play in their professional performance. A mixed methodology featuring a predominantly qualitative approach is used to examine the [...] Read more.
This study evaluates the impact of the professional career construction model (CCP) on the professional practice of counselors and the social sustainability actions put into play in their professional performance. A mixed methodology featuring a predominantly qualitative approach is used to examine the employment situation and professional development of this group. Forty-eight socio-labor counselors from the autonomous community of Andalusia (Spain) participated in the self-application of the CCP model. Subsequently, a questionnaire was administered via a discussion group. The data analysis combines descriptive and qualitative procedures with the support of computer software. Strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats (SWOT) analysis and triangulation techniques are used as methodological integration strategies. The resulting data are discussed, later presenting a series of limitations and prospective of the study. Relevant conclusions are provided about the impact of the CCP model on the professional careers of counselors based on their satisfaction with the self-application of the model, their career progression and employment status, and their self-perceptions of the social impact of their counseling careers. These conclusions highlight the implications of the study regarding promoting the sustainable careers of socio-labor counselors, enhancing their initial and continuous training, and facilitating their occupational actions in a complex and constantly changing society. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Applied Sustainability for SDG Implementation)
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20 pages, 1677 KiB  
Article
Sustainability in Higher Education Institutions in the Amazon Region: A Case Study in a Federal Public University in Western Pará, Brazil
by Luis Alípio Gomes, Tânia Suely Azevedo Brasileiro and Sandra Sofia F. S. Caeiro
Sustainability 2022, 14(6), 3155; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/su14063155 - 08 Mar 2022
Cited by 8 | Viewed by 2677
Abstract
Sustainable development (SD) in higher education has occupied the agenda over recent decades. Higher education institutions make efforts to promote sustainability in education, curriculum, research, outreach, and campus operations. This article aims to analyze the level of implementation of sustainability in higher education [...] Read more.
Sustainable development (SD) in higher education has occupied the agenda over recent decades. Higher education institutions make efforts to promote sustainability in education, curriculum, research, outreach, and campus operations. This article aims to analyze the level of implementation of sustainability in higher education in the Amazon. The specific objectives of this paper are to identify the curriculum greening (CG) characteristics in institutional development plans (IDPs) and to analyze the perceptions of students from a higher education institution in the Amazon region about sustainability. It follows a qualitative approach, with documentary research and questionnaires applied to students. Analysis content was used in the data analysis. The main findings are the presence of some CG characteristics in institutional documents that were analyzed as a commitment to the transformation of society–nature relations, contextualization, disciplinary order, democracy, theory and practice, students as knowledge protagonists, cognitive aspects, alternative scenarios, and methodological adequacy. The results show that commitment to sustainability cannot just be a declaration of good intentions. It is essential to discuss the ways of implementing sustainability in the academic environment, as it implies changes in epistemological, political, and social conceptions. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Applied Sustainability for SDG Implementation)
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26 pages, 3752 KiB  
Article
Modelling Sustainability Risk in the Brazilian Cosmetics Industry
by André Luiz Romano, Luís Miguel D. F. Ferreira and Sandra Sofia F. S. Caeiro
Sustainability 2021, 13(24), 13771; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/su132413771 - 14 Dec 2021
Cited by 11 | Viewed by 3888
Abstract
Supply chains involve several stakeholders, with different environmental, social, economic, and ethical attributes, and are exposed to various risks along all stages. One of these risks relates to conditions or events related to sustainability that have the potential to generate harmful reactions from [...] Read more.
Supply chains involve several stakeholders, with different environmental, social, economic, and ethical attributes, and are exposed to various risks along all stages. One of these risks relates to conditions or events related to sustainability that have the potential to generate harmful reactions from stakeholders in the supply chain. Those risks can materialize through stakeholders’ responses, when they hold companies responsible for unfavorable conditions in the supply chain, leading to reputational damage. Understanding the supply chain’s sustainability risk factors can help companies improve supply chain resilience. This article aims to empirically identify the most influential risk factors in the Brazilian cosmetics supply chain and, additionally, analyze the interrelationships between these risks. The methodology combines interpretative structural modeling (ISM) and matrix cross-impact multiplication (MICMAC) analysis, and is grounded in the opinions of cosmetics industry experts. Firstly, the critical causes and consequences are identified, called factors. Secondly, the ISM model is built, representing the interrelationships between factors and their hierarchy. Thirdly, the MICMAC analysis is performed, unfolding the strength of the relationship among the influencing factors. Fourthly, measures are designed to act on and mitigate the factors identified in the previous steps. The results show that the Brazilian cosmetic companies analyzed do not take advantage of the opportunity to take leadership in cost reduction, differentiation, and engagement with their partners. “Financial risks” were identified as the most influential among the set of risks, while “Technology and innovation” and “Legislation and responsibility” were identified as root risk factors. This research identified measures that could be implemented to act on and mitigate the root risk factors, thus contributing to the research relating to sustainability risks in supply chains. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Applied Sustainability for SDG Implementation)
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15 pages, 1848 KiB  
Article
The Contribution of Up-Cycled Food Waste to a Balanced Diet of Low-Income Households
by Anne Nogueira, Fátima Alves and Paula Vaz-Fernandes
Sustainability 2021, 13(9), 4779; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/su13094779 - 24 Apr 2021
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 4340
Abstract
This paper focuses on the contribution of an upcycling food organization to a balanced diet, which rescues and redistributes fresh or freshly cooked food to low-income households. To determine the nutritional balance of food hampers provided by our case study organization, according to [...] Read more.
This paper focuses on the contribution of an upcycling food organization to a balanced diet, which rescues and redistributes fresh or freshly cooked food to low-income households. To determine the nutritional balance of food hampers provided by our case study organization, according to the Portuguese food guidelines, we have weighed all items of food hampers in three weighing rounds over a period of four months. The results suggest that upcycled foods can contribute to a more balanced diet in terms of “Potato, Cereal and Cereal Products”, “Vegetables”, “Meat, Fish, Seafood and Eggs” and “Fruits”, both according to the Portuguese Food Wheel and compared to that of the general Portuguese population. The novelty of this study is the evaluation of the contribution to the balanced diet of the population in a vulnerable situation, of perishable foods such as freshly cooked, in traditional restaurants, cafes, bakeries, and hotels, or is naturally fresh (fruit and vegetables food aid services) up-cycled by a food aid organization. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Applied Sustainability for SDG Implementation)
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Review

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35 pages, 3887 KiB  
Review
Sustainability in Peri-Urban Informal Settlements: A Review
by João Carrilho and Jorge Trindade
Sustainability 2022, 14(13), 7591; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/su14137591 - 22 Jun 2022
Cited by 8 | Viewed by 4150
Abstract
The study of peri-urbanization attracted attention in the final quarter of the 20th century, due to the pace it acquired worldwide and the implication that urbanization and overall settlement patterns have on social sustainability and development. Theoretical and conceptual achievements are remarkable. Multi-country [...] Read more.
The study of peri-urbanization attracted attention in the final quarter of the 20th century, due to the pace it acquired worldwide and the implication that urbanization and overall settlement patterns have on social sustainability and development. Theoretical and conceptual achievements are remarkable. Multi-country collaboration has produced a growing body of research on sustainability and peri-urban settlements. There is a lack, however, of a review of the practices of peri-urban informal settlements, the predominant mode of urban expansion, mainly in developing and rapidly urbanizing regions of the world. The purpose is, then, to systematize, from recent literature, the knowledge of the context, challenges, and practices, as well as their impacts and potential courses of action, to ensure sustainability in human–natural complex of the territory beyond urban cores, suburbs, or slums. A systematic review approach was adopted, for articles published in reputable journals, with support of previous reviews, books, and reports. A pragmatist combination of content analysis and critical review identified core topics and highlighted contrasting views. An analytical framework is proposed. Four categories—drivers, challenges and practices, impact, and future trends—are proposed as an adequate approach to systematizing the literature. The review finds that the practices focus on service and resource provision, on regulations to approximate informal to formal institutions, and on an economy founded on the resource base and service provision. This review provides insights on future trends and research topics. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Applied Sustainability for SDG Implementation)
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31 pages, 46591 KiB  
Review
Sustainable University: From the Worldwide Conception to the Brazilian Amazonia
by Jacqueline Bailão da Silva Lopes and Thiago Almeida Vieira
Sustainability 2021, 13(19), 10875; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/su131910875 - 30 Sep 2021
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 2479
Abstract
Higher Education as a transforming instrument in societies raises the need for universities and Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) as a whole to be leaders in the current paradigm of the time. The objectives of this study are to verify and analyze the movement [...] Read more.
Higher Education as a transforming instrument in societies raises the need for universities and Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) as a whole to be leaders in the current paradigm of the time. The objectives of this study are to verify and analyze the movement and actions around the world that drove and started the conceptual model of Sustainable University (SU), as well as these ideas that started in Brazil and their implications for the reality of the Brazilian Amazon Region. A timeline has been sketched and provides additional theoretical insights into universities’ involvement in events before and after the sustainable development process. The methodological procedures were based on a wide literature review in scientific databases that gather journals with satisfactory impact factors; with the refinement of the searches, 87 scientific articles supported the analysis of this study. The results show that universities have played a prominent role on the world stage since 1950, in the post-war period. In the 1970s, HEIs sought to engage in the design of the new paradigm, and in the 1980s it is enunciated as Sustainable Development and conceptualized by the Sustainability approach. Universities, which had been active in discussions and events related to sustainability from the late 1980s onwards, began to organize themselves more effectively and promote sustainable initiatives to become examples of sustainability. Currently, many HEIs from countries in Europe and North America stand out in the initiatives. In Brazil, according to a global classifier, some HEIs seek to align themselves towards the SU model. Until 2019, no university in the Brazilian Amazon region had integrated the ranking, but in 2020, two appear in the list. It appears that information on the sustainability of universities inserted in the context of the Brazilian Amazon is still incipient. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Applied Sustainability for SDG Implementation)
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