scholarly journals Drivers of sustainability practices and contributions to sustainable development evident in sustainability reports of European mining companies

2021 ◽  
Vol 2 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Anđela Ivic ◽  
Nína María Saviolidis ◽  
Lara Johannsdottir
Keyword(s):  
Sustainable Development ◽  
Health And Safety ◽  
Economic Benefits ◽  
Mining Activities ◽  
Low Carbon ◽  
The European Union ◽  
Mining Companies ◽  
Social License ◽  
Sustainability Reports ◽  
Sustainability Practices

AbstractMining activities cause negative environmental impacts and social conflicts but also provide economic benefits to communities and secure the minerals necessary for low-carbon technology. The aim of this multiple case study is to analyze, compare and critically evaluate sustainability reports of 10 European mining companies for the 2016–2018 period to determine the drivers for implementation of sustainability practices and their contribution to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The findings suggest that European mining companies act under pressures from international initiatives and industry associations, the European Union, governments, stakeholders, and maintaining social license to operate. The companies report on the core subjects of corporate governance, employees, the environment, stakeholders’ engagement and occupational health and safety. Positive trends were observed in stakeholders’ engagement and health and safety, while air emissions and water and energy usage increased for most companies. Furthermore, there was an absence of improvement in gender diversity, utilization of renewable energy, and waste recycling. Even though all analyzed companies mentioned SDGs in the reports, the reports lacked a comprehensive explanation of mining activities’ contribution to the SDGs. This study addresses a gap in the existing literature on the European mining context of sustainable development and SDGs relevant for researchers, policymakers, and other impacted stakeholders and adds new theoretical knowledge on the external drivers of CSR activities based on institutional theory.

scholarly journals Drivers of sustainability practices and contributions to sustainable development evident in sustainability reports of European mining companies

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anđela Ivic ◽  
Nína María Saviolidis ◽  
Lara Johannsdottir
Keyword(s):  
Sustainable Development ◽  
Gender Diversity ◽  
Health And Safety ◽  
Economic Benefits ◽  
Mining Activities ◽  
Low Carbon ◽  
The European Union ◽  
Mining Companies ◽  
Sustainability Reports ◽  
Sustainability Practices

Abstract Mining activities cause negative environmental impacts, and social conflicts, but also provide economic benefits to communities and secure minerals necessary for low-carbon technology. The aim of this multiple case study is to analyze, compare and critically evaluate sustainability reports of 10 European mining companies for the 2016–2018 period to determine the drivers for implementation of sustainability practices and their contribution to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The findings suggest that European mining companies act under pressures from international initiatives and industry associations, the European Union, governments, stakeholders, and partnerships. The companies report on the core subjects of corporate governance, employees, the environment, stakeholders’ engagement and occupational health and safety. Positive trends were observed in stakeholder’s engagement, and health and safety, while air emissions, water and energy usage increased for most companies. Furthermore, there was an absence of improvement in gender diversity, utilization of renewable energy, and waste recycling. Even though all analyzed companies mentioned SDGs in the reports, the reports lacked a comprehensive explanation of mining activities’ contribution to the SDGs. This study addresses a gap in the existing literature on the European mining context of sustainable development and SDGs relevant for researchers, policymakers, and other impacted stakeholders and adds new theoretical knowledge on the external drivers for CSR activities based on institutional theory.

scholarly journals Enviromental Protection and Sustainable Development in the European Union: Evolution, Governance and Implications for Competitiveness

2012 ◽  
pp. 77-96
Author(s):  
Annette Bongardt ◽  
Francisco Torres
Keyword(s):  
Sustainable Development ◽  
Economic Benefits ◽  
Low Carbon ◽  
The European Union ◽  
Low Carbon Economy ◽  
Eu Governance ◽  
Production And Consumption ◽  
Set Up ◽  
Carbon Economy ◽  
The Eu

This article considers how the EU governance set-up envolved with respect to environmental protection and sustainable development. It aims at evaluating the EU´s progress towards creating  the basis for a competitive, low-carbon, European economy (a kind of EU industrial strategy) and sustainable production and consumption patterns. The article concludes that environmental and energie policies have become increasingly Europeanized and come under the single market and competitiveness rationale. It puts forward that the shift to a low-carbon economy is associated with important economic benefits, whereas economic costs appear overrated. However, shortcomings in EU governance sit uneasily with a more coherent approach to sustainable development.

scholarly journals Awareness and health risk protection behaviours of scavengers in the Gbalahi landfill site, Ghana, in the era of sustainable development

2022 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Joseph Gyea Nuripuoh ◽  
Abudu Ballu Duwiejuah ◽  
Noel Bakobie
Keyword(s):  
Sustainable Development ◽  
Health Risk ◽  
Psychological Health ◽  
Environmental Protection Agency ◽  
Health And Safety ◽  
Economic Benefits ◽  
Landfill Site ◽  
Natural Immunity ◽  
Health And Economic Development ◽  
Risk Protection

AbstractWaste picking is a pivotal in achieving sustainable waste management, environment health and economic development in the era of sustainable development. The study assessed the practices, knowledge, perception and health risk protection behaviours of waste scavengers in the Gbalahi landfill site. A total of 60 scavengers were conveniently sampled and interviewed. The study revealed that 93% of the waste scavengers sort waste using hooks and their bare hands. The study also showed 62% of the respondents have ever been physically abused by other scavengers. A good number of scavengers believed they have been fortified against “dirt diseases” during their childhood and have developed natural immunity against diseases. The knowledge of scavengers was skewed towards economic benefits as they viewed waste picking as a survival strategy. Discrimination and physical abuse posed a seemingly significant psychological health risk to majority of them. Safety and protection practices are limited to the use of pieces of clothes to cover the nose, wearing of multiple clothes and worn-out boots recovered from the landfill. Most of the respondents risk being exposed to the virus and pathogens. It is recommended that education and increased sensitisation should be encouraged and implemented by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Ghana Health Service and other allied institutions in order to regularise and ensure the health and safety of waste scavengers.

scholarly journals Simulation and Optimization of One Live Pig Low-Carbon Industry Chain Using SD-RCCM

2013 ◽  
Vol 2013 ◽  
pp. 1-13
Author(s):  
Jiuping Xu ◽  
Jie Yan ◽  
Liming Yao
Keyword(s):  
Sustainable Development ◽  
Economic Benefits ◽  
Low Carbon ◽  
Effective Solution ◽  
Industry Chain ◽  
Simulation And Optimization ◽  
Rapid Economic Growth ◽  
Constrained Model ◽  
New Industry ◽  
Heritage Area

The destruction of the natural environment has been drawing more and more attention. Developing low-carbon industry chains is an effective solution to the conflict between rapid economic growth and high CO2emissions. Summarizing various traditional and new industry chain sustainable development, live pig industry was chosen as a typical industry chain to study low-carbon development using a system dynamics and random chance-constrained model (SD-RCCM). Leshan, a world natural and cultural heritage area in China, was selected as a typical city to analyze the low-carbon pig industry. Three different programs based on distribution ratios were selected to study this industry. The results showed that program 1, which considers both environmental and economic benefits, realizes sustainable development. In order to extend the pig industry chain and fully utilize pig ordure and other waste, introducing a Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) and household biogas exploitation program is recommended.

scholarly journals Investigating Sustainable Practices in Hotel Industry-from Employees’ Perspective: Evidence from a Mediterranean Island

2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (23) ◽  
pp. 6556 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alipour ◽  
Safaeimanesh ◽  
Soosan
Keyword(s):  
Sustainable Development ◽  
Local Community ◽  
Social Economic ◽  
Economic Benefits ◽  
Three Dimensions ◽  
Equation Modeling ◽  
Sustainable Practices ◽  
Hotel Employees ◽  
Mediterranean Island ◽  
Sustainability Practices

Although several studies have researched the hotel employees’ environmental behavior, none has addressed the hotel employees’ perception of their respective hotels’ sustainability practices. This study aims to investigate the sustainable practices in four and five star hotels in a Mediterranean island by employing Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC) hotel criteria indicators, indicators of sustainable development for tourism destinations (WTO), and the European Union’s (EU) sustainability framework for the Mediterranean hotels− “Nearly Zero-Energy Hotels” (NEZEH), and global sustainable development goals (SDG) in the context of three dimensions: social, economic and environment. The sampled hotels claim that their operation system is conformed to sustainability principles with the aim of furthering their green agenda. In this study, we aim to investigate the validity and extent of this claim. About 290 (N = 290) employees in the specified hotels were surveyed. The measurement instruments were compiled based on sustainability indicators that encompassed addressing social, economic, and environmental dimensions. The research questions contextualized around four main themes: effective sustainability planning, maximizing social and economic benefits for the local community, enhancing cultural heritage, and reducing negative environmental impacts. For the statistical and data analysis, SEM (structural equation modeling) is used. Study revealed that employees are a legitimate and credible source of information about sustainability practices. It is also revealed that as going green is becoming a means toward branding, hotels are making efforts to implement a genuine sustainability practice. Study also indicated that the majority of employees validated the sustainability practices as genuine.

scholarly journals An analysis of the content and quality of corporate sustainability reports according to GRI standards in peruvian mining companies supervised by the SMV in 2018: deficiencies and opportunities

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (47) ◽  
pp. 140-154
Author(s):  
Oscar Alfredo Diaz-Becerra ◽  
Claudia Leon-Chavarri ◽  
Brenda Gabriela Ampuero-Alfaro
Keyword(s):  
Sustainable Development ◽  
Corporate Sustainability ◽  
High Variability ◽  
Reporting Standards ◽  
Environmental Conflicts ◽  
Mining Companies ◽  
International Reporting ◽  
The Social ◽  
Sustainability Reports

Corporate sustainability has become a distinctive factor of global leaders, who communicate sustainable development actions using corporate sustainability reports (CSR) in accordance with international reporting standards such as GRI. In Latin America there is a high variability in their adoption and the Peruvian mining sector has been facing credibility problems due to the incidence of socio-environmental conflicts in its projects, despite its recent consistency in the presentation of CSR. A statistical analysis of a sample of mining companies that submitted their CSR to the SMV in 2018 showed that half of them complied with presenting CSR; nonetheless, GRI principles are not strictly followed. Reports stress the social pillar over the environmental and economic ones; with an imbalance between positive, neutral and negative actions; and do not present their sources to make data auditable. An opportunity is presented for the creation of a specialized area in the SMV to review CSR.

scholarly journals The Reporting of SDGs by Quality, Environmental, and Occupational Health and Safety-Certified Organizations

2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (20) ◽  
pp. 5797 ◽  
Author(s):  
Fonseca ◽  
Carvalho
Keyword(s):  
Sustainable Development ◽  
Occupational Health ◽  
Statistical Tests ◽  
Health And Safety ◽  
Occupational Health And Safety ◽  
Management Systems ◽  
Responsible Consumption ◽  
Development Goals ◽  
Sustainability Reports ◽  
Environmental And Occupational Health

Organizations can play a significant role in the advancement of Sustainable Development,and companies with Quality, Environmental, and Occupational Health and Safety (QEOHS)-certified management systems address the three Sustainability Dimensions (economic,environmental, and social). This research aims to map the present level of engagement of thosecompanies in contributing and reporting to the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) of theUnited Nations (UN) 2030 Agenda. By publicly disclosing their sustainability reports on theirinstitutional websites, they can, therefore, support this agenda implementation. The content of thecompany reports that were available by 31 December 2017 in the institutional websites, from a totalof 235 Portuguese organizations with QEOHS-certified management systems was analyzed. Theresults show a moderate reporting of SDGs by those companies, with the top five being SDG 12—Responsible consumption and production (23.8%); SDG 13—Climate action (22.1%); SDG 09—Industry, innovation, and infrastructure (21.3%); SDG 08—Decent work and economic growth(20.0%); and SDG 17—Partnerships for the goals (19.6%). The results of the statistical tests indicatethat the communication of SDGs is more prominent in organizations (QEOHS) with the followingcharacteristics: have a high business volume, are members of the United Nations Global CompactNetwork Portugal, and disclose their sustainability reports on their website. This study can be usefulfor both managers and decision makers who aim to support organizations in contributing to theSustainable Development Goals and achieving a better and sustainable future for all.

scholarly journals Assessment of Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) Implementation in Bulgaria and Future Developments

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (21) ◽  
pp. 12000
Author(s):  
George H. Ionescu ◽  
Elena Jianu ◽  
Ioana C. Patrichi ◽  
Florin Ghiocel ◽  
Lili Țenea ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Sustainable Development ◽  
Sustainable Development Goals ◽  
Transition Process ◽  
Low Carbon ◽  
The European Union ◽  
The Sustainable Development ◽  
Low Carbon Economy ◽  
Development Goals ◽  
Inclusive Society

The European Union has taken on the role of global leader in implementing the Sustainable Development Goals set out in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, making substantial efforts to support this ambitious approach at the level of each Member State. The objective of this research is the assessment of Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) implementation in Bulgaria as well as the existing development potential, given the existing knowledge gap related to this important topic. The data available on Eurostat were processed using dynamic indices and time series analysis based on ARIMA methodology in order to identify the evolution trend of the main indicators associated with the SDGs, as well as the dynamics of progress. The results obtained estimate, for 2030, a degree of fulfillment of the assumed targets of 36.28%, but also reveal the existence of high potential for accelerating the transition process to a low-carbon economy and a more sustainable and inclusive society.

scholarly journals GREEN ECONOMY CONSTRUCTION AS THE MAIN COMPONENT OF EUROPEAN INTEGRATION OF UKRAINE

2017 ◽  
pp. 15-19
Author(s):  
Diana Garlytska
Keyword(s):  
European Union ◽  
Sustainable Development ◽  
European Integration ◽  
Green Economy ◽  
Low Carbon ◽  
The European Union ◽  
Association Agreement ◽  
Low Carbon Economy ◽  
Carbon Economy ◽  
The Eu

Introduction.The Association Agreement with the EU requires the Ukrainian financial and economic system to adapt to European standards in production and readiness for the future perspective of integration into the European market of emissions trading. Green economy construction in Ukraine and compliance with requirements of the Association Agreement determine the possibility of eurointegration of our state. Purpose. The aim of the article is to justify the need to build a green (low carbon) economy as an important prerequisite for the successful integration of Ukraine into the European Union. Method (methodology). The dialectical method of cognition, the fundamental aspects of the concept of sustainable development have become the methodological basis of the study. Results.The necessity of building a green (low carbon) economy as an important precondition for the successful integration of Ukraine into the European Union has been substantiated. The essense of the concepts of the green economy, green growth and sustainable development have been disclosed. The measures for cooperation between Ukraine and the EU in the field of environmental protection in the context of European integration have been determined.

Հանքարդյունաբերության ոլորտի կայուն զարգացման հեռանկարները Հայաստանում: SWOT վերլուծություն

2020 ◽  
pp. 164-170
Author(s):  
Nadezhda Afyan ◽  
Garri Gasparyan
Keyword(s):  
Sustainable Development ◽  
Mining Industry ◽  
Economic Benefits ◽  
Environmental Standards ◽  
Analysis Method ◽  
Metal Mining ◽  
Mining Sector ◽  
Existing Problems ◽  
Mining Companies ◽  
The Republic

The purpose of the article is to present problems of sustainable development of Armenia's mining sector. The importance of the mining industry in the development of the economy of the Republic of Armenia is also assessed. Then models of the mining industry in Canada and Sweden are presented. Tasks arising in achieving the goal: to comparatively differentiate and identify economic and environmental priorities and disadvantages of the mining industry. A survey of Canadian and Swedish mining experiences is undertaken to find solutions to existing problems. The article uses the SWOT data analysis method. As a result, it is concluded that it is possible to develop the mining industry in accordance with international environmental standards and requirements, while at the same time providing economic benefits in this area. And among metal mining companies, only large companies or coalitions consisting of a few medium-sized mining companies should be formed, which will enable the development of the mining sector in accordance with the principles of sustainable development.

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