Local quality and certification schemes as new forms of governance in sustainability transitions.

Abstract Background Our hospital routinely offers a weekly group discussion session for inpatients on aspects of ageing as part of an ‘evergreen programme’ (EP) of health education. Topics are varied and facilitated by a doctor in an informal, open forum. Feedback from nurses, doctors and patients suggested that the EP was lacking in emphasis on the benefits of exercise to improve the levels of physical activity among inpatients. As part of a local quality improvement (QI) initiative, the EP set out to incorporate the provision of patient education on the reported benefits of strength exercises in delaying and reversing frailty. Here we describe the development of this QI initiative and its evaluation. Methods New health education content was added to an EP group discussion to address four key aspects of frailty, namely: definition, risks, screening and interventions. The Socratic health education method was used in the next weekly group discussion (e.g., what does frailty mean to you? What are the consequences? How would you measure frailty? What if it could be delayed or reversed?). An exercise leaflet was provided and strength exercises were demonstrated. Results 18 of 27 over-65-year-old patients attended the group discussion, mean age 75, 11 female (61%). 2 participants were interested in doing strength exercises at the start of the session (11%, 0 female) when asked. Most participants had not been aware that strength exercises can delay and reverse frailty. 14 participants (78%, 8 female) declared interest in doing strength exercises at the end. Interested participants used the exercise leaflet for independent exercise in hospital and brought it home on discharge. Conclusion The EP at our hospital has been improved to include greater emphasis on the benefits of strength exercises in delaying and reversing frailty. QI initiatives can allow translation of research evidence into patient education.

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Sustainability transitions in manufacturing: the role of intellectual property

Current Opinion in Environmental Sustainability ◽

10.1016/j.cosust.2021.03.018 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 49 ◽

pp. 118-126

Author(s):

Elisabeth Eppinger ◽

Akriti Jain ◽

Pratheeba Vimalnath ◽

Anjula Gurtoo ◽

Frank Tietze ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Intellectual Property ◽

Sustainability Transitions

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A transdisciplinary study of agroecological niches: understanding sustainability transitions in vineyards

Agriculture and Human Values ◽

10.1007/s10460-021-10220-2 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Naama Teschner ◽

Daniel E. Orenstein

Keyword(s):

Sustainability Transitions

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Implementation of Accelerated Policy-Driven Sustainability Transitions: Case of Bharat Stage 4 to 6 Leapfrogs in India

Sustainability ◽

10.3390/su13084339 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 13 (8) ◽

pp. 4339

Author(s):

Aditi Khodke ◽

Atsushi Watabe ◽

Nigel Mehdi

Keyword(s):

Combustion Engine ◽

Transport Sector ◽

Sustainability Transitions ◽

Market Mechanisms ◽

Multimodal Discourse ◽

Stage 4 ◽

The Status ◽

The Face ◽

The Government ◽

Incumbent Regime

In the face of pressing environmental challenges, governments must pledge to achieve sustainability transitions within an accelerated timeline, faster than leaving these transitions to the market mechanisms alone. This had led to an emergent approach within the sustainability transition research (STR): Accelerated policy-driven sustainability transitions (APDST). Literature on APDST asserts its significance in addressing pressing environmental and development challenges as regime actors like policymakers enact change. It also assumes support from other incumbent regime actors like the industries and businesses. In this study, we identify the reasons for which incumbent industry and business actors might support APDST and whether their support can suffice for implementation. We examine the actor strategies by drawing empirical data from the Indian national government policy of mandatory leapfrog in internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicle emission control norms, known as Bharat Stage 4 to 6. This leapfrogging policy was introduced to speed up the reduction of air pollutants produced by the transport sector. A mixed-methods approach, combining multimodal discourse analysis and netnographic research, was deployed for data collection and analysis. The findings show that unlike the status quo assumption in STR, many incumbent industry and business actors aligned with the direction of the enacted policy due to the political landscape and expected gains. However, the degree of support varied throughout the transition timeline and was influenced by challenges during the transitioning process and the response of the government actors. The case suggests we pay more attention to the actors’ changing capacities and needs and consider internal and external influences in adapting the transition timelines. This study contributes to the ongoing discussion on the implementation of APDST, by examining the dynamism of actor strategies, and provides an overview of sustainability transitions in emerging economies.

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