Towards a sensory politics of the Anthropocene: Exploring activist-artistic approaches to politicizing air pollution

Environmental Communication ◽

Policy Framework ◽

Sensory Experiences ◽

Political Implications ◽

Clean Air ◽

Development Goals ◽

Antagonistic Potential

In this paper, we investigate five activist-artistic approaches to argue for a sensory politics of the Anthropocene. Our aim is to highlight the affective and speculative potentials of art by examining how artists engage with the senses to make air pollution and its political implications visible, tangible, or otherwise experiential. The paper touches on widerreaching discourses on the politics of sensing, sensible politics, and sensory studies. Rather than situating air pollution within a policy framework, such as that of the international sustainable development goals, we locate our arguments within recent scholarship on postpolitics and the Anthropocene. Despite its epistemological slipperiness, we consider the Anthropocene to be a potent heuristic as well as a rich resource of ideas, data, and collaborative and antagonistic potential for artists working on issues of air pollution. The five case studies are each grounded in an explicit engagement with at least one of the five basic senses and include works by Amy Balkin, Hanna Husberg, Zane Cerpina and Stahl Stenslie, Lingling Zhang, Kitchen Budapest and Baltan Laboratories (NL). Clustered into three lines of argumentation, we demonstrate the ways in which these works contribute to the politicization of air: first, by framing air as a contested common good that problematizes the commodification of clean air; second, by integrating artistic research and environmental communication strategies; and third, by providing sensory experiences of the complicated constellations of agency and perception in the interscalar phenomenon of air pollution. Although our analysis is not exhaustive, three particularities could be identified in the works: an openness to other forms of knowledge and communication; a potent critique of the Anthropocene; and a radical questioning of ‘the political’. In conclusion, we argue that art can mobilize a sense of urgency and empowerment towards a multi-sensory politics of the Anthropocene.

Outlook for clean air in the context of sustainable development goals

Global Environmental Change ◽

10.1016/j.gloenvcha.2018.08.008 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 53 ◽

pp. 1-11 ◽

Cited By ~ 24

Author(s):

Peter Rafaj ◽

Gregor Kiesewetter ◽

Timur Gül ◽

Wolfgang Schöpp ◽

Janusz Cofala ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Sustainable Development ◽

Clean Air ◽

How Is Progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals Measured? Comparing Four Approaches for the EU

Sustainability ◽

10.3390/su12187675 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 12 (18) ◽

pp. 7675

Author(s):

Guillaume Lafortune ◽

Grayson Fuller ◽

Guido Schmidt-Traub ◽

Christian Kroll

Keyword(s):

Sustainable Development ◽

Policy Framework ◽

Member States ◽

The Sustainable Development ◽

Eu Member States ◽

Methodological Choices ◽

Data Gaps ◽

Development Goals ◽

The Eu

Evidence-based policymaking must be rooted in sound data to inform policy priorities, budget allocations, and tracking of progress. This is especially true in the case of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), as they provide the policy framework that all 193 UN member states have pledged to achieve by 2030. Good data and clear metrics are critical for each country to take stock of where it stands, devise pathways for achieving the goals, and track progress. Current assessments of the EU’s performance on the SDGs, however, tend to reach different findings and policy conclusions on where the priorities for further action lie, which can be confusing for researchers and policymakers. In order to demystify the drivers of such differences and make them transparent, this paper compares and contrasts the results obtained by four SDG monitoring approaches. We identify three main elements that are responsible for most of the differences: (i) the use of pre-defined targets for calculating baseline assessments and countries’ trajectories; (ii) the inclusion of measures that track not only domestic performance, but also the EU’s transboundary impacts on the rest of the world; and (iii) the use of non-official statistics to bridge data gaps, especially for biodiversity goals. This paper concludes that there is not one “correct” way of providing an assessment of whether the EU and EU member states are on track to achieve the goals, but we illustrate how the different results are the outcomes of certain methodological choices. More “forward-looking” policy trackers are needed to assess implementation efforts on key SDG transformations.

The Political Economy of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs): Does Performance on the SDGs Affect Re-Election?

Sustainability ◽

10.3390/su12166445 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 12 (16) ◽

pp. 6445

Author(s):

Christian Kroll ◽

Vera Zipperer

Keyword(s):

Sustainable Development ◽

Gender Equality ◽

Low Income ◽

Voting Behavior ◽

Economic Voting ◽

Policy Framework ◽

Low Income Countries ◽

Agenda 2030 ◽

While the economic voting hypothesis is a well-researched approach to explain behavior at the ballot box, a broader perspective of economic, social and environmental issues regarding a government’s chances to get re-elected is still missing in the literature. In this context, this paper makes use for the first time of the Agenda 2030 with its 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) as the comprehensive policy framework that all 193 UN member states have pledged to achieve. The objective of our study is therefore to examine the relationship between SDGs’ progress and the likelihood of re-election. Our analysis of 124 countries regarding performance on the SDGs over time and voting behavior shows: the chance to get re-elected as a government significantly increases for progress made towards SDG 5 (Gender Equality). Notable differences are also found for high-income vs. low-income countries. The fact that governments are rewarded at the ballot box for successful action towards gender equality is encouraging, while the mechanisms behind other SDG areas deserve more research.

How to achieve the UN Sustainable Development Goals in the ﬁeld of noncommunicable diseases by 2030, according to research in 49 countries

Public Health ◽

10.21045/2782-1676-2021-1-3-13-25 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 1 (3) ◽

pp. 13-25

Author(s):

N. G. Khaltaev ◽

S. V. Axelrod

Keyword(s):

Lung Cancer ◽

Air Pollution ◽

Sustainable Development ◽

Cause Of Death ◽

Bronchial Asthma ◽

Mortality Decline ◽

Noncommunicable Diseases ◽

Diabetes Mortality ◽

Goal. To analyze chronic noncommunicable diseases (NCD) mortality dynamics and associated eﬀorts to reach UN sustainable development goals (SDG) in the area of NCD “by 2030, reduce by one third premature mortality from NCD through prevention and treatment“.Methods. WHO statistics, based on the uniﬁed mortality and cause -of- death reports of Member-States countries along with the latest information from global WHO programmes, were used to evaluate NCD mortality trends in 49 countries in 2000, 2010 and 2016 and make comparisons and assessments of diﬀerent types of community -based, country-wide interventions. Only countries with multiple years of national death registration data and high completeness and quality of cause-of-death assignments were included in the analysis. Cardiovascular disease (CVD) ischemic heart disease (IHD) and stroke, chronic respiratory disease (CRD) bronchial asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) lung cancer and diabetes mortality were analysed in 36 high income countries (HIC) and 13 middle income countries (MIC).Results. The most visible decline was achieved for bronchial asthma 54%, stroke 43% IHD 30% and COPD 29%. Lung cancer and diabetes mortality decline were not statistically signiﬁcant. Prevalence of tobacco smoking gradually declined in 84% of countries, 55% of countries demonstrated declining prevalence of raised blood pressure. Obesity prevalence was increasing in all countries. CVD and CRD mortality were higher in MIC. HIC better implemented tobacco and diet reduction measures. Same concerns NCD management approach. Air pollution level was higher in MIC.Conclusions. NCD mortality decline is associated with multiple WHO global life style modiﬁcations campaigns, global coordinated prevention and control programmes for hypertension, asthma and COPD and WHO developed “best buy” approach. In order to achieve better results in lung cancer mortality together with early detection, more eﬀorts should be concentrated on early diagnosis, strengthening tobacco cessation, clean air and diet actions. Diet and physical activities along with adequate management and patient education remain key elements to improve diabetes prognosis by the year 2030. Air pollution control could also facilitate achievement of the UN SDG 3.4.

Scoping the Evolution of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Research in the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) Era

Sustainability ◽

10.3390/su12145544 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 12 (14) ◽

pp. 5544 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Amr ElAlfy ◽

Nicholas Palaschuk ◽

Dina El-Bassiouny ◽

Jeffrey Wilson ◽

Olaf Weber

Keyword(s):

Sustainable Development ◽

Corporate Social Responsibility ◽

Social Responsibility ◽

Common Good ◽

Global Climate ◽

Common Knowledge ◽

Contemporary Culture ◽

Development Goals ◽

Corporate Social

Amidst a contemporary culture of climate awareness, unprecedented levels of transparency and visibility are forcing industrial organizations to broaden their value chains and deepen the impacts of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiatives. While it may be common knowledge that the 2030 agenda cannot be achieved on a business-as-usual trajectory, this study seeks to determine to what ends the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) have impacted CSR research. Highlighting linkages and interdependencies between the SDGs and evolution of CSR practice, this paper analyzes a final sample of 56 relevant journal articles from the period 2015–2020. With the intent of bridging policy and practice, thematic coding analysis has supported the identification and interpretation of key emergent research themes. Using three descriptive categorical classifications (i.e., single-dimension, bi-combination of dimensions, sustainability dimension), the results of this paper provide an in-depth discussion into strategic community, company, consumer, investor, and employee foci. Furthermore, the analysis provides a timely and descriptive overview of how CSR research has approached the SDGs and which ones are being prioritized. By deepening the understanding of potential synergies between business strategy, global climate agendas and the common good, this paper contributes to an increased comprehension of how CSR and financial performance can be improved over the long-term.

Advances in Electronic Government, Digital Divide, and Regional Development - Handbook of Research on Sustainable Development and Governance Strategies for Economic Growth in Africa ◽

Towards Child-Centred Sustainable Development Goals

10.4018/978-1-5225-3247-7.ch005 ◽

2018 ◽

pp. 86-113

Author(s):

Tatenda Goodman Nhapi ◽

Takudzwa Leonard Mathende

Keyword(s):

Sustainable Development ◽

Child Protection ◽

Millennium Development Goals ◽

Policy Framework ◽

Global Development ◽

Protection Policy ◽

Development Goals ◽

Development Outcomes ◽

Child Protection Policy

This chapter is mainly based on a historiography approach and explores enhanced child protection and safeguarding mainstreaming in Zimbabwe within the milieu of sustainable development goals (SDGs). The 17 SDGs set the tone for further global development outcomes taking off from the millennium development goals. The chapter unpacks how SDGs can complement Zimbabwe's readily comprehensive legal and child protection policy framework to enrich child protection. The chapter offers recommendations on possible approaches to dovetail SDG targets with enhanced child protection and development in Zimbabwe.

Household air pollution and the sustainable development goals

Bulletin of the World Health Organization ◽

10.2471/blt.15.155812 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 94 (3) ◽

pp. 215-221 ◽

Cited By ~ 42

Author(s):

Adeladza Kofi Amegah ◽

Jouni JK Jaakkola

Keyword(s):

Air Pollution ◽

Sustainable Development ◽

Household Air Pollution ◽

The Sustainable Development ◽

A Life of Good Governance, Positive Activism, Accountability & Integrated Thinking: An Interview with Mervyn King

Journal of Management Inquiry ◽

10.1177/1056492620901794 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 29 (4) ◽

pp. 475-483 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Alessandro Ghio ◽

Nicholas McGuigan

Keyword(s):

Sustainable Development ◽

Corporate Governance ◽

United Nations ◽

Common Good ◽

Good Governance ◽

Critical Discussion ◽

The Common Good ◽

Development Goals ◽

The Common

This paper provides a critical discussion of integrated thinking, accountability, and corporate governance through an explorative interview with global corporate governance expert and positive activist Mervyn King. In a period in which the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are encouraging organizations to be connected and accountable to society and the environment, Mervyn King’s groundbreaking global corporate governance vision highlights how organizations may develop a “conscious leadership” to pursue the common good.

Metrics for the sustainable development goals: renewable energy and transportation

Palgrave Communications ◽

10.1057/s41599-019-0336-4 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 5 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Jonathan J. Buonocore ◽

Ernani Choma ◽

Aleyda H. Villavicencio ◽

John D. Spengler ◽

Dinah A. Koehler ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Air Pollution ◽

Sustainable Development ◽

Renewable Energy ◽

Electricity Generation ◽

Health Impacts ◽

Renewable Electricity ◽

Country Level ◽

Level Data ◽

Abstract The private sector is interested in contributing to the United Nations (UN) Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs); however, they lack credible objective metrics to measure progress, which hinders making a case for financial investing toward the SDGs. A set of science-based metrics could allow corporations and interested investors to meaningfully align their actions with the SDGs in locations around the world where they can make the greatest positive impact. Using existing data on country-level electricity generation and land transportation, we develop a set of simple-to-implement and user-friendly metrics to evaluate the benefits that investments in renewable electricity generation and improvements in land transportation can make toward reducing CO2 and air pollutant emissions and the health impacts of air pollution. We then apply these metrics to a set of renewable electricity companies and find meaningful differences in their progress toward the SDGs on health, energy, and climate. We found that under half of the renewable energy companies in our dataset disclose country-level data on where equipment is being sold, and that there is substantial variability in the CO2 reductions and health benefits of renewable energy based on where these companies have installed capacity. There was not a close statistical relationship between country CO2 emissions rates and country health impact rates, indicating that these metrics cannot serve as good proxies for one another. Future improvements to this methodology should be to implement explicit tracking of air pollution from sources to the locations where it has eventual health impacts, updating the underlying dataset, and improving the degree of detail in emissions inventories. Application of this methodology across the renewable energy sector is limited by the availability of country-level data on where a company has renewable energy capacity installed. The methodology developed here can serve as a basis for better measurement of progress toward climate, energy, and health-related SDGs in financial investing and other applications.