Sustainable Development Goals Series

This volume advances the state-of-the-art in the study of the interplay among financial crises, poverty dynamics and environmental sustainability. It offers timely and unique contributions to the immediate global challenge of sustainable development. Developing a new evidence-base, the volume offers concrete recommendations for policy action needed in advancing the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in relation to environment and poverty during the current conditions of financial distress. The approach taken is inductive and evidence-driven. Most analysis is based on in-depth case studies that aim to offer a detailed and dynamic picture on how poverty and environmental sustainability interact in specific social contexts and financial crises. In this way the volume aims to generate a wealth of new and concrete evidence that offer a solid foundation to understand the multiple channels through which social and environmental factors interact, and the ways in which this interaction can and should be managed in order to achieve the needed global transition to sustainability.

Broader dynamics that are covered and analysed include the historical legacies of structural adjustment and colonialism; the current debt wave experienced in developing countries; the role of inequality; the significant impact that climate change has on livelihoods and on meeting the SDGs; the new challenge presented by the Covid-19 pandemic for the SDGs; the challenge of sustainable funding for SDGs; and the need for a new eco-social contract. Case-studies examined include Cambodia, Ethiopia, India, Indonesia, Zambia, and subregions such as the Caribbean, sub-Saharan Africa and Lower Mekong Countries.

The volume is part of a joint initiative by the ‘Sussex Sustainability Research Programme (SSRP)’ of the University of Sussex, the ‘UNDP-UNEP Poverty-Environment Action for Sustainable Development Goals’ and the ‘United Nations Research Institute for Social Development (UNRISD)’. The overall aim is to advance a new research programme and foster a better understanding of the multiple, complex and often opposing ways through which the punctuated economic slowdown of financial crises, poverty dynamics and environmental sustainability interact. It also makes novel recommendations into how poverty reduction and environment can work in synergy rather than being antagonistic, especially during financial distress, leading into recommendations directly geared towards achieving the SDGs and beyond.

This open access book examines why Japan discontinued its quarter-century history of troop contribution to UN Peacekeeping Operations (1992–2017). Japan had deployed its troops as UN peacekeepers since 1992, albeit under a constitutional limit on weapons use. Japan’s peacekeepers began to focus on engineering work as its strength, while also trying to relax the constraints on weapons use, although to a minimal extent. In 2017, however, Japan suddenly withdrew its engineering corps from South Sudan, and has contributed no troops since then. Why? The book argues that Japan could not match the increasing “robustness” of recent peacekeeping operations and has begun to seek a new direction, such as capacity-building support. 

This book considers the impact that the increasing number of LGBQ politicians in Canada has had on the political representation of LGBTQ people and communities. Based on analysis of parliamentary speeches and interviews with 28 out LGBQ parliamentarians in Canada between 2017 and 2020, Tremblay shows how out LGBQ MLAs and MPs take advantage of their intermediary position between the LGBTQ movement and the state to represent LGBTQ people and communities. For example, the politicians in this study introduce pro-LGBTQ bills, lobby cabinet ministers, act as a bridge between LGBTQ groups and the civil service, and give talks in schools about their identities. Most importantly, they act as role models for LGBTQ people (particularly children and teens) and contribute to lifting the social stigma around sexuality and gender identity. This latest volume in our Sustainable Development Goals series underlines that SDG 16 (Peace, Justice, and Strong Institutions) can only be accomplished with political representation for the LGBTQ community and minority groups in general.

This Open Access book deals with the pressing question of how to achieve transformational change that reconciles development with environmental sustainability. It particularly focuses on the role of evaluation in finding sustainable solutions. Environment and development are closely interlinked, as are human health and ecosystem health. The pandemic that began in 2020 demonstrated in no uncertain terms how destruction of habitats has allowed hitherto unknown pathogens spill over to humans wreaking havoc on people’s lives and livelihoods. We are already seeing the impacts of global climate change in terms of heatwaves, forest fires and increased storms. The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) explicitly recognize the equal importance of the social, economic and environmental dimensions of development. In these turbulent times, when humankind faces multiple complex challenges it is essential to know that our responses are effective and that they make a positive difference. Evaluation can provide invaluable lessons to how we design policies, strategies and programs and how we allocate limited resources between competing priorities. This book brings together key thinkers and practitioners from the public and private sectors, from major multilateral organizations and from bilateral donor agencies, to present the latest knowledge and experience on how to evaluate interventions in the nexus of environment and development. The book does not promote any particular approach or methodology, but rather emphasizes the need for mixed methods to address the question at hand in the best and most suitable manner. It covers cases from a variety of fields, from climate change mitigation and adaptation, energy efficiency and renewable energy, natural resources management, biodiversity conservation and more.

This book is not a conference proceedings although it has its roots in the Third International Conference on Evaluating Environment and Development organized by the GEF Independent Evaluation Office in October 2019. The conference brought together a larger number of established and upcoming evaluators, researchers and evaluation users from the Global North and South, representing a wide variety of organizations, to discuss the frontiers of environment and development evaluation. Following the conference, the editors identified and contacted the participants who made key contributions at the conference and asked them to develop their ideas and papers into book chapters according to a coherent plan.     

This book synthesizes the conceptual and applied aspects of rural livelihoods as a discipline, and collates the analytical frameworks and approaches that have been designed, applied, and discussed over the last five decades. These include the sustainable livelihoods approach with its vulnerability-asset construct, collective governance of common pool resources, livelihood trajectories and poverty dynamics, rights-based approach and social justice, graduation approach for the ultra-poor, and the resilience framework to address complex risks. The book is divided into three parts, namely: introduction to rural livelihoods; synthesis of the present state of knowledge; and strengthening the knowledge action pathway. At the end of each chapter, a set of class exercises is provided to bring about a deeper understanding of these approaches and their application in real-life situations.

The expected outputs from penning this textbook are threefold. Firstly, it assimilates the rural livelihood works of eminent academicians under one cover. Secondly, it positions itself as a one-stop destination for educators by translating these concepts into a ready-to-teach applied format. Thirdly, it functions as a ready reckoner for young professionals by providing a step-by-step approach to apply these learnings in real-life situations. The purpose of this book is to provide a solid foundation to the teaching and learning of rural livelihoods in academia, bridge the gap between the science, policy, and practice of rural livelihoods, and finally shape a pool of better informed and equipped professionals in development.

Special thanks to Himanshu Rohira for his contributions and assistance.

This volume highlights key moments and movements in this "competence turn" in Education for Sustainable Development (ESD), and explores the different ways in which competences have been conceptualized and implemented. By marshaling a dialogue between chapters and sections, the book provides a coherent whole that will become a key source on ESD competences. The contributors develop a conceptual map against which to chart existing (and future) ESD competence frameworks, offer new critical case studies that explore the implementation of educator competences in ESD at different structural levels in different European contexts, explore the link between pedagogy and educator competence through hitherto unpublished case studies based on current practices across Europe, and consider the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on ESD and educator competence. The book comprises 23 chapters divided into four sections, with an introduction and concluding chapter. Section One introduces concepts and models related to ESD competences, while the following two sections focus on implementation and pedagogy. In light of the foregoing material, the shorter Section Four is both reflective and forward looking. The primary audience for this book will be academics and students working in the fields of Education, Sustainability Science and related disciplines.

The book examines management strategies for developing and implementing strategic resilience and sustainability plans for sustainable and climate-resilient communities and organizations. It examines trends in resilience and sustainability planning, highlighting best practices and case studies. The book explores Quadruple Bottom Line strategies and methods to implement resilience and sustainability-related initiatives in organizations and communities. It also examines diverse perspectives on climate resilience, climate preparedness and readiness, greenhouse gas emission reductions policies, climate adaptation and mitigation, disaster preparedness and readiness, and sustainable energy policies and projects. Additionally, the book offers insights on strategic resilience and sustainability planning during a pandemic as well as private sector perspectives on strategic resilience and sustainability.

In chapter one, the author presents expanded definitions of strategic resilience and sustainability as well as mechanisms reshaping communities and organizations. Chapter two examines strategic planning processes for communities and organizations and lays out planning steps. Chapter three offers insights into community and organizational level engagement, looking at internal and external stakeholders, organizers, partners, collaborators, and implementers of distinct stages of strategic resilience and sustainability planning. Chapter four outlines measurements and tactics to track and improve strategic resilience and sustainability reporting mechanisms using the quadruple bottom line strategy. It offers a resilience progress report to ensure accountability, answerability, transparency, and good governance. Chapter five details the implementation of a strategic resilience and sustainability plan, describing programs and initiatives to achieve resilient and sustainable communities and organizations. Chapter six extensively examines the theoretical and practical intersection between climate change, resilience, and sustainability. Chapter seven reviews resources available for strategic resilience and sustainability plans to aid communities and organizations. Chapter eight assesses the current and future state of resilience and sustainability in communities and organizations, including concerns surrounding climate change, pandemics, disaster resilience, and emergency management and preparedness.

This book surveys state-of-the-art and prospective practices, methods and technologies in agri-food and forestry sectors to document the potential measurable improvements in areas of environmental management, food security, economic growth, social cohesion and human health at the local and global scale. With a focus on the ecosystems-resources-climate-food-health nexus as a framework towards achieving the UN Sustainable Development Goals applicable in these sectors, the book offers a portfolio of guidelines and standards that assesses the affordability, potential profitability and possible unintended consequences of interventions. The areas of intervention covered in the study include global and local forest resources management, safe wastewater reuse for irrigation, sustainable crop and plant protection (e.g. biopesticides, bioherbicides), carbon sequestration and emission reduction strategies, and safe processing methods for food and food waste (e.g. sustainable food preservatives and healthier food). The book is primarily intended for academics, professionals, and policymakers. The professional audience, including enterprises in the forestry, farming, food processing, healthcare and waste management sectors, will take advantage of the updated knowledge basis concerning the innovations in the respective practices, methods and technologies, including their feasibility, affordability and profitability, and policymakers will find useful the comprehensive review of these innovations which could be strategically promoted and deployed in the next decade, with the aim of achieving the UN Sustainable Development Goals.

This open access book introduces adaptive mediation as an alternative approach that enables mediators to go beyond liberal peace mediation, or other determined-design models of mediation, in the context of contemporary conflict resolution and peace-making initiatives. Adaptive mediation is grounded in complexity theory, and is specifically designed to cope with highly dynamic conflict situations characterized by uncertainty and a lack of predictability. It is also a facilitated mediation process whereby the content of agreements emerges from the parties to the conflict themselves, informed by the context within which the conflict is situated. This book presents the core principles and practices of adaptive mediation in conjunction with empirical evidence from four diverse case studies – Colombia, Mozambique, The Philippines, and Syria – with a view to generate recommendations for how mediators can apply adaptive mediation approaches to resolve and transform contemporary and future armed conflicts.

This book describes the importance of water resources for socio-economic and ecological development including geomorphic and ecological environments. Hence, conservation, management and development of water resources have become necessary for the all-around development of global populations and the environment. It is the outcome of valuable contributions made by eminent scientists and research scholars who have developed alternative strategies, solutions and models for sustainable water resources through research, monitoring and experiments varying from regional to global scale. This book is of immense use to the policymakers, environmentalists, ecologists, academician, research scholars and people in general concerned with water resources management. 

This book focuses on the displacement and convergence of transnational crimes in North Africa and in the area of the Mediterranean Sea, providing empirical analysis of human smuggling and of drug trafficking. It discusses the displacement of crime due to the exploitation of asymmetries in legislation, law enforcement, and other vulnerabilities.

Using an innovative multimethodology, this volume describes the evolution of illicit flows related to human smuggling and trafficking of illicit goods. This approach helps to provide critical information such as traffickers’ modi operandi, most exploited paths, and trafficked goods, that would not be achievable through more traditional methods.

This open access book is the result of an expert panel convened by the Cornell Atkinson Center for Sustainability and Nature Sustainability . The panel tackled the seventeen UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) for 2030 head-on, with respect to the global systems that produce and distribute food. The panel’s rigorous synthesis and analysis of existing research leads compellingly to multiple actionable recommendations that, if adopted, would simultaneously lead to healthy and nutritious diets, equitable and inclusive value chains, resilience to shocks and stressors, and climate and environmental sustainability.

This volume presents North American best practices and perspectives on developing, managing and monitoring indicators to track development progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in local communities and cities. In 4 main sections, the book presents and frames the many ways in which community indicator programs are either integrating or retooling to integrate the SDGs into their existing frameworks, or how they are developing new programs to track and report progress on the SDGs. This is the first volume that focuses on SDG adoption within the context of North Americans cities and communities, and the unique issues and opportunities prevalent in these settings. The chapters are developed by experienced academics and practitioners of community planning and sustainable development, and will add broad perspective on public policy, organizational management, information management and data visualization. This volume presents a case-study approach to chapters, offering lessons that can be used by three main audiences: 1) teachers and researchers in areas of urban, regional, and environmental planning, urban development, and public policy; 2) professional planners, decision-makers, and urban managers; and 3) sustainability activists and interested groups.

Written by 43 authors from Africa, Europe and Latin America, this book presents 19 topics addressing poverty in the context of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), leadership in implementing SDGs, and SDGs in service delivery and local government. As the world has gone past five years of implementing the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the intertwined 17 SDGs, new opportunities in research continue to open up. Hence, documenting some of the initiatives put in place around the world regarding the implementation of the SDGs is one of the aims of this publication. With 10 years remaining, the book further enhances the desire to scale up SDGs implementation. The selection of case studies from the selected regions also provides a balance in terms of how the SDGs are being rolled out for economic growth, environmental stewardship and social protection. The ambition remains even with the challenge brought by the COVID-19 pandemic that preoccupied the whole of 2020; spilling over to 2021. There is no doubt that resources have been diverted, but the world must stay on the course to 2030 and beyond.  Therefore, the book is relevant for several stakeholders including the academics, development partners, government officials and other individuals that are involved in making sure no one is left behind in the lead to 2030.

This contributed volume offers a state-of-the-art, holistic overview of the employment of a Water-Energy-Food (WEF) Nexus approach to implement the seventeen United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), with a geographical focus on applications in different African regions. The book is divided into three sections, each composed of several chapters contributed by experts in their respective fields.

Section I introduces the WEF Nexus and its role in the achievement of the 2030 Agenda and the SDGs. It highlights the attempt to connect different spheres of sustainability thanks to the Nexus, taking advantage of the existing interlinkages and interconnections among the Goals. Section II proposes a multi-scale and multi-stakeholder approach to various aspects of the Nexus and reviews existing quantitative tools. This section focuses on the issue of resource control and development aims and spotlights how Nexus dynamics influence the achievement of the SDGs as a whole. Section III applies the WEF Nexus to different African regions, which are balancing a rising population and an economic boom with severe vulnerability in the face of climate change.

This book profiles various cases that are emerging in addressing global challenges in the context of SDGs for society in the era of climate change and covers case studies of projects being undertaken to tackle biodiversity, food security, climate change, energy and water security. The book is written by 37 authors, and will appeal to various stakeholders including academics working within the identified thematic areas, policy planners, development agencies, governments and United Nations agencies. The adoption of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in 2015 ushered a new era in the global development agenda as the world transitioned from the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). The new era of SDGs that are all-inclusive, unlike the MDGs with the focus now being on ensuring human success that is predicated on environmental protection. The year 2020 marked five years post the adoption of the SDGs with increased calls for stock-taking of progress made amid strong calls for a decade of action to accelerate the delivery of the SDGs by 2030. These calls have been louder now given the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, which reset the global economy and increased intensity of extreme weather events across the world. Since climate change has emerged as one of the biggest threats to the achievement of the SDGs, there has been growing concerns on its impact on biodiversity loss and the extinction of some species. There are also concerns regarding increased food insecurity at the household level in some parts of the world, particularly in Asia and Africa. With the demand for climate change action on the increase, there have also been growing calls for the big carbon emitters to drastically cut their emissions and invest in clean energy to save the planet by following development pathways making emissions stay under the 1.5°C increase in temperature. 

This book presents an in-depth study to show that a sustainable future urban life is possible. To build a safer and more sustainable future, as humankind, we would like to use more renewable energy, increase energy efficiency, reduce our carbon and water footprints in all economic sectors. The increasing population and humans’ ever-increasing demand for consumption pose another question whether the world’s resources are sufficient for present and future generations. Fair access to water, energy, and food is the objective for all. In line with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, scientists, researchers, engineers, and policymakers worldwide are working hard to achieve these objectives.

To answer all these challenges, we would like to introduce the core of Smart Cities of the future, the building block of the future’s urban life: Open Digital Innovation Hub (ODIH). ODIH will serve as the ‘Home of the Future’, a fully digitalised and smart, self-sustaining building that answers all the motivation we highlight here. In ODIH, we introduce a living space that produces its water, energy, and food by minimising carbon and water footprints thanks to the Internet of Things, Artificial Intelligence, and Blockchain technologies. It will also serve as an open innovation environment for start-ups and entrepreneurs who wish to integrate their solutions into the infrastructure of ODIH and test those in real-time. We believe this will be a true open innovation test-bed for new business models.

This monograph investigates a multitude of emerging technologies including 3D printing, 5G, blockchain, and many more to assess their potential for use to further humanity’s shared goal of sustainable development. Through case studies detailing how these technologies are already being used at companies worldwide, author Sinan Küfeoğlu explores how emerging technologies can be used to enhance progress toward each of the seventeen United Nations Sustainable Development Goals and to guarantee economic growth even in the face of challenges such as climate change.

To assemble this book, the author explored the business models of 650 companies in order to demonstrate how innovations can be converted into value to support sustainable development. To ensure practical application, only technologies currently on the market and in use actual companies were investigated. This volume will be of great use to academics, policymakers, innovators at the forefront of green business, and anyone else who is interested in novel and innovative business models and how they could help to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals.

This is an open access book.

This volume brings together a unique set of interventions from a variety of contributors to bridge the gap between research and policy with a distinct focus on Africa, drawing on work conducted as part of multiple interconnected research projects and networks on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and global policy implementation in African cities. Through the framework of the SDGs, and in particular Goal 11, the book aims to contribute to generating new knowledge about approaches to SDG localization that are grounded in complex and diverse local contexts, needs and realities, integrated perspectives and collaborative research. 

The volume draws together contributions from urban experts from different professional and disciplinary backgrounds, ranging from the fields of governance, planning, data, sustainability, health and finance, to provide critical insight into the current dynamics, actors, blind spots, constraints and also good practices and opportunities for realizing the SDGs in Africa. Readers will gain detailed and informed insight into the African experience of SDG localization, monitoring and implementation based on multiple case studies, and will learn of the practices needed to accelerate action towards achieving the SDGs in urban contexts. This book will be of interest to researchers and planners focusing on SDGs implementation in Africa, as well as government organizations, development practitioners and students committed to long-term, inclusive sustainable and participatory development.

This volume analyzes cases from emerging economies in relation to the global endeavor to promote the vision of sustainable development in all forms of education. It aims to discuss the significance of hearing local voices and understanding local discourse regarding strategies for action for change, and the role of educational systems as a means to communicate, promote and educate for the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

In this book, emerging economies are defined as newly industrialized countries that have not yet reached developed status, but have, in a macro-economic sense, outpaced their developing counterparts. In this context, the book highlights how education in emerging economies could extend conventional economic methods to sustainability issues, or depart from money-based calculations and business-dominated values to promotion of real-life considerations and ethical, environmental and humanistic values.

This edited volume analyzes cases of higher education programs engaging with sustainable development. Offering cases from across the globe that focus on the role of universities in promoting societal transformations and building sustainable futures, the volume specifically discusses how higher education institutions can educate for the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

As critical spaces for research, development, and innovation, higher education institutions are fundamental change agents for societal transformations. Their role in disseminating sustainability through different paths is undeniable, and it is worth discussing the dimensions that surround the concept of sustainability within universities. Considering the role of policy, curriculum, practice, teaching, research, and development paths in universities, this book looks at the contributions of higher education sector to our vision of sustainable development. This publication offers readers a chance to look at different higher education institutions’ engagement with sustainable development through political, managerial, curricular and practical steps.

This volume fills a significant gap in the scientific and policy literature on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and on SDG 17 which focuses on partnership as a means of implementation (MOI) for the SDGs. The collection offers a strong theoretical context, and outlines the nature of partnerships (e.g. alternative forms, multi-level forms, barriers to take-up) using the most recent UN database as well as through key case studies that highlight partnership successes and failures at local, national and global scales. The text covers a brief history and background of partnerships and the SDGs, an analysis of existing SDG partnership using UN data, a scalar analysis of case studies involving multi-stakeholder partnerships, and recommendations for successful partnership models and implementation strategies. The book will be relevant for a wide variety of readerships including academics in different policy fields and disciplines, policymakers, SDG advocates and practitioners, and NGOs active in the promotion of the SDGs and environmental issues. 

Provides a unique outline of partnership theory and its application to the SDGs

Outlines the nature of partnerships, including their multi-level forms and barriers to take-up using UN data

Analyzes key SDG partnerships case studies that highlight partnership success stories for practitioners

This book lays the groundwork for the future of global citizenship, and it discusses where we are now, where to go from here, and how all of this fits into a lifelong learning context. It incorporates case studies, meta-narratives, and empirical studies to support cosmopolitanism through a lifelong learning lens and is a must read for educators, activists, non-governmental organizations, civil society, and community organizations.

This book examines violence against women in Africa and criminal justice from the perspective of African scholars, practitioners and experts. As a global and long-standing issue, violence against women is gaining public visibility across the African continent with some states announcing a national crisis warranting immediate redress. At the global level, the elimination of all forms of violence against all women and girls forms a key part of United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 5: Gender Equality. Split across two volumes, these books present a comprehensive analysis of the latest research and theories, principles and practices of criminal justice systems, criminal justice accountability mechanisms, and the key challenges women face in their quest for justice on the African continent. This volume (II) focusses on sexual violence and vulnerable women’s access to justice in Africa. Volume I focusses on legislation and its impact, the limitations of criminal justice responses, and the cultural and social norms regarding access to justice. Together, they adopt a comparative approach that highlight gaps and good practices to provide a rich source of authoritative information for promoting an intra-African dialogue and cross-fertilization of ideas across the different criminal justice traditions in Africa. Both volumes seek to advance discussions on eliminating violence against women in Africa and speak to those interested in criminal justice, violence, gender studies and African legal studies.

This book examines violence against women in Africa and criminal justice from the perspective of African scholars, practitioners and experts. As a global and long-standing issue, violence against women is gaining public visibility across the African continent with some states announcing a national crisis warranting immediate redress. At the global level, the elimination of all forms of violence against all women and girls forms a key part of United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 5: Gender Equality. Split across two volumes, these books present a comprehensive analysis of the latest research and theories, principles and practices of criminal justice systems, criminal justice accountability mechanisms, and the key challenges women face in their quest for justice on the African continent. Volume I focusses on legislation and its impact, the limitations of criminal justice responses, and the cultural and social norms regarding access to justice. Volume II examines sexual violence and vulnerable women’s access to justice in Africa. They adopt a comparative approach that highlight gaps and good practices to provide a rich source of authoritative information for promoting an intra-African dialogue and cross-fertilization of ideas across the different criminal justice traditions in Africa. Both volumes seek to advance discussions on eliminating violence against women in Africa and speak to those interested in criminal justice, violence, gender studies and African legal studies.

This book explores the role of scientific evidence within United Nations (UN) deliberation by examining the negotiation of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), endorsed by Member States in 2015. Using the SDGs as a case study, this book addresses a key gap in our understanding of the role of evidence in contemporary international policy-making. It is structured around three overarching questions: (1) how does scientific evidence influence multilateral policy development within the UN General Assembly? (2) how did evidence shape the goals and targets that constitute the SDGs?; and (3) how did institutional arrangements and non-state actor engagements mediate the evidence-to-policy process in the development of the SDGs? The ultimate intention is to tease out lessons on global policy-making and to understand the influence of different evidence inputs and institutional factors in shaping outcomes.

To understand the value afforded to scientific evidence within multilateral deliberation, a conceptual framework is provided drawing upon literature from policy studies and political science, including recent theories of evidence-informed policy-making and new institutionalism. It posits that the success or failure of evidence informing global political processes rests upon the representation and access of scientific stakeholders, levels of community organisation, the framing and presentation of evidence, and time, including the duration over which evidence and key conceptual ideas are presented. Cutting across the discussion is the fundamental question of whose evidence counts and how expertise is defined? The framework is tested with specific reference to three themes that were prominent during the SDG negotiation process; public health (articulated in SDG 3), urban sustainability (articulated in SDG 11), and data and information systems (which were a cross-cutting theme of the dialogue). Within each, scientific communities had specific demands and through an exploration of key literature, including evidence inputs and UN documentation, as well as through key informant interviews, the translation of these scientific ideas into policy priorities is uncovered. 

The intended audiences of this book include academic practitioners studying evidence to policy processes, multilateral negotiation and/or UN policy planning. The book also intends to provide useful insights for policy makers, including UN diplomats, officials and staff working to improve the quality of evidence communication and uptake within multilateral institutions. Finally, it aims to support the whole global academic and scientific community, including students of public policy and political science, by providing insights on how to input into, influence, and even shape international evidence-informed policy-making.

The shift from response to recovery is now noticeable as the world moves past the paralyzing effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. This book explores responses to the pandemic by international, regional, and local institutions, multilateral action, and crisis prevention efforts at different levels of governance, with a specific focus on the situation of women and children. The contributions in this volume address novel topics and expand the analysis to the different challenges faced by women and children, linking these to the UN's Sustainable Development Goals, to create a holistic view of the true impact of the pandemic. The focus on international and regional cooperation provides further insights on how management of the COVID-19-induced crisis can be altered and improved. Immediate effects of the pandemic were focused on healthcare, but long-term and knock-on effects spread to different societal sectors and must be analyzed to ensure they will be addressed and, ultimately, resolved. 

This open access book presents multiple disciplinary perspectives on the challenges and opportunities for sustainable development in the South African mountain city of Phuthaditjhaba. These challenges are embedded in the complex environmental, socio-cultural and political contexts of the region. Established as the capital of the QwaQwa ‘homeland’ under Grand Apartheid, this city is now home to between 400,000 – 700,000 people but in many areas lacks formal infrastructure and services. Each chapter of this volume addresses a different aspect of the city’s development and all take the UN Sustainable Development Goals as a common framework to guide their reflections on potential sustainable futures for Phuthaditjhaba. While the circumstances in Phuthaditjhaba will be familiar to many researchers of informal and growing cities in developing regions, the mountain setting of the city brings its own set of challenges and opportunities linked to the rugged and steep terrain, remoteness and natural resources. This book serves to showcase the diverse research taking place in this emerging mountain city and provide reflections on how a sustainable future can be ensured for its environment and inhabitants.  

This book examines the roles played by transnational actors to influence poverty reduction policies in Ghana. Whereas previous studies on anti-poverty policies have primarily focused on the ‘carrot and stick’ approach deployed by transnational actors – whereby developmental assistance is granted in return of certain conditions being met – this book demonstrates that there are several alternative strategies. Indeed, rather than adopting ‘hard’ means of shaping policy, many transnational actors in fact use a ‘soft’ approach characterized by collaboration. In order to demonstrate this, the book examines two poverty reduction programmes. Utilising research based on interviews with national policymakers, civil-society organizations and the media, it compares different approaches used by transnational actors and the attendant outcomes for national and international parties. Drawing on an interdisciplinary perspective, the book will appeal to scholars and students of public policy and international relations.

This volume brings sustainability studies into creative and constructive conversation with actions, practices, and worldviews from religion and theology supportive of the vision and work of the UN SDGs. It features more than 30 chapters from scholars across diverse disciplines, including economics, ethics, theology, sociology, ritual studies, and visual culture. This interdisciplinary content presents new insights for inhibiting ecospheric devastation, which is inextricably linked to unsustainable financial, societal, racial, geopolitical, and cultural relationships. The chapters show how humanistic elements can enable the establishment of sustainable ways of thinking, feeling, and acting. This includes the aesthetic and emotive dimensions of life. The contributors cover such topics as empowering women and girls to systemically reverse climate change; nurturing interreligious peace; decolonizing landscapes; and promoting horticulture, ecovillages, equity, and animal ethics. Coverage integrates a variety of religious and theological perspectives. These include Buddhism, Judaism, Hinduism, Islam, Christianity, and other traditions.

To enable the restoration and flourishing of the ecosystems of the biosphere, human societies need to be reimagined and reordered in terms of economic, cultural, religious, racial, and social equitability. This volume illustrates transformative paradigms to help foster such change. It introduces new principles, practices, ethics, and insights to the discourse. This work will appeal to students, scholars, and professionals researching the ethical, moral, social, cultural, psychological, developmental, and other social scientific impacts of religion on the key markers of sustainability.

This volume uses a case study approach to present data on the relevance and effectiveness of the strategic actions implemented by NGOs, IGOs and governments at national, regional, and international scales, drawing lessons and recommendations to enhance the capacity of governments and institutions to deliver on climate change adaptation and sustainable development initiatives.

The authors provide insights to policymakers, community leaders, students and researchers working on climate change adaptation and resilience-building practices and strategies in vulnerable communities, including small island developing states and post-conflict states, focusing on innovative management practices and institutional capacity building. The cases presented here provide insights into how institutions can strengthen local, national, and regional capacities to adapt to climate change and other calamities.

In response to student demands reflecting the urgency of societal and ecological problems, universities are making a burgeoning effort to infuse environmental sustainability efforts with social justice. In this edited volume, we extend calls for higher education leaders to revamp programming, pedagogy, and research that problematically reproduce dominant techno-scientific and managerial conceptualizations of sustainability. Students, staff and community partners, especially those from historically underrepresented and marginalized groups, are at the forefront of calls for critical sustainabilities programming, education and collaborations. Their work centers themes of power relations, (in)equity, accessibility, and social (in)justice to study the interrelationships between humans, non-humans, and the environment. Their voices, perspectives and lived experiences are provocations for institutions to think and act more expansively. This book amplifies some of these voices and bottom up efforts toward a more critical approach to sustainability on campus. We ground our recommendations on findings from campus-wide surveys that were taken by over 8,000 undergraduates in 2016, 2019, and 2022. Furthermore, we share the design principles and lessons learned from several innovative, award-winning initiatives designed to foster critical sustainabilities at UC Santa Cruz. 

This book tackles poverty and policy issues in the UK by discussing successful projects and practices, across lots of short chapters. The first section provides a brief history overview of poverty in the UK over the past two hundred years and discusses the question of why the UK, as a wealthy western nation, still has a poverty issue. It discusses various vulnerable groups and contextual factors which lead to these inequalities. The second section articulates what anti-poverty work is and shares project examples from across the country where anti-poverty workers are supporting people to survive and then to thrive. Lived experiences voices are articulated to present examples of poverty being experienced. This book draws on academic and practitioner work and aims to equip the activist and inform the student, academic and policy maker.

This volume explores how different post-Soviet countries have reinterpreted and diverged from the Soviet gender roles and values. It synthesizes results from multiple empirical studies that attend to increasingly conservative features of political governance in the region, particularly the authoritarian regime in Russia. The authors consider diverse enactments of ideologies, policies and practices of gender equality and women’s rights in crucial areas, such as legislative institutions, media, and social activism. The volume contributes to understanding post-Soviet societal dynamics relevant to United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 5, which emphasizes gender equality as part of fundamental human rights.

This book reflects on more than two decades of adoption practices of inclusive education policy in Southern Africa. It is aimed at taking stock of the successes, challenges and achievements during this journey of making education inclusive and equitable. It responds to the educational needs of learners at all levels, regardless of their diverse needs, such as disability, gender, socio-economic status, race, ethnicity and language background.

This book furthers the understanding and conceptualization of the notion of inclusion in education, and explores the challenges experienced during the operationalization and implementation of the process. It extends debates spawned by international and national policy mandates that sought to transcend exclusionary educational practices in order to realize inclusive societies and, by implication, inclusive classrooms.

It offers a comprehensive conceptual framework for inclusive education in the Southern African context while drawing parallels from the regional and international experience. This book can be used as a reference or critical reading for scholars and researchers in the field of inclusive education. It will empower practitioners, administrators, teachers and school leaders, curriculum developers and planners, as well as policy makers with knowledge about theory and practice regarding inclusive education in the Southern African schooling system.

This book is an interdisciplinary work that reveals the contemporary sustainability narratives in India within the context of various SDGs. Several case studies are presented, each of which sheds light on the challenges and constraints that are impeding the process of achieving SDGs and investigates potential long-term answers to socio-economic and environmental issues. Through empirical case studies from different parts of India, the book explores the current status of achieving sustainable development goals in India. The volume immensely benefits scientists, researchers, policymakers and practitioners as it offers a thematic and comprehensive understanding of challenges associated with mainstreaming SDGs at national, sub-national, and micro scales in India.

This contributed volume presents an attempt to understand climatic variability and induced risk to livelihood of communities and to offer insights on how catastrophic conditions and crises can be mitigated through public policy interventions. The case studies herein offer insights into different spheres and domains affected by climate change and present models of adaptation possibilities. The book is divided into three thematic sections. The first contains chapters that deal with assessing the effects of climate change. The second section offers perspectives on adaptation and governance, vulnerability in the context of sustainable livelihoods. The third and last section looks at Policy and Governance, with respect to climatic change adaptation and mitigations. The lessons contained in this volume are useful to a wide audience including research scholars, students, policymakers, and planners.

This open access book aims to promote ecological and emotional research and education for sustainability by cultivating values and behaviours consistent with how nature makes us feel connected and nurtured.

Built upon the intersection of ecological literacy and socio-emotional learning, grounded in sustainability and relational thinking, the research developed in the book covers a wide range of themes connected to the Agenda 2030.

The book presents the experiences, complexities, and contradictions of the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals in Brazil so far. Through chapters from a variety of stakeholders, the book examines national, regional, and local aspects of development in Brazil. The chapters here draw from scientific knowledge and practical experience to take a critical look at what the SDGs mean in a Global South country and what the implications of this are for global development. 

The book is divided into three sections. The first section addresses the critical political and institutional aspects related to the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals in Brazil, highlighting advances as well as pitfalls and setbacks. The chapters look at broad questions related to the role of civil society in defining political priorities and strategies to move forward with the SDGs as well as issues involved in incorporating the SDGs at different levels of government and other institutions. The chapters in this section critically address the political and institutional advances as well as barriers to the progress of the SDGs in Brazil.

The second section directly addresses progress made toward the SDGs in the context of the political, economic and social variables specific to Brazil. The chapters address critical shortcomings and demands for Brazilian society: the need for improvements in education and employment policies to reduce poverty, the urgent need to increase gender equality and reduce violence, as well as the imperative to strengthen institutions and policies to mitigate climate change and protect the environment.

The final section focuses on critically assessing the 2030 Agenda itself and drawing from a Global South IR perspective. The chapters here dialog with decolonial and post-developmentalist perspectives to highlight problems with the agenda and lift up sidelined priorities, presenting yet-unexamined policy solutions and innovations that are currently absent from the global institutional agenda. The Brazilian case is a perfect illustration of how underdevelopment and political instability can constrain the paths to sustainable development, while at the same time social innovations, leverages based on regional dynamics, and strength from social and cultural diversity can drive sustained progress.  

This monograph is designed to provide a comprehensive and accessible reference to Net Zero efforts globally. Firstly, the book explains the basics of Net Zero, Greenhouse Gas Emissions (GHG), and the global climate change struggle. A chapter on Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG), as standardisation and screening of sustainability follows. Next comes a chapter on carbon pricing and carbon tax. After these background chapters, the book continues with eight chapters that cover Net Zero across a variety of economic sectors: energy supply, business sector, transport, residential, industrial processes, waste management, public (and government), and agriculture, forestry and land use. These economic sectors are adopted from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) and UK National Statistics. Each chapter includes basic background information, technical or scientific, and a policy section. The sector-based chapters also include sectoral emissions analysis, review, and then a horizon scanning for innovative companies and their business models. This will enable non-experts from the business sector to read and understand the dynamics and trends in other sectors. Similarly, students and fresh graduates will easily follow the chapter (or the industry) that interests them and comprehend the basics and contemporary business trends. By joining research work with the business models of 400 noteworthy and innovative companies, this book constructs a vital bridge between academia, practical reality, policy, and business implementation, with a keen focus on environmental value.