scholarly journals The Road to Net Zero: A Case Study of Innovative Technologies and Policy Changes Used at a Medium-Sized University to Achieve Czero by 2030

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (17) ◽  
pp. 9954
Author(s):  
Ciara O’Flynn ◽  
Valentine Seymour ◽  
James Crawshaw ◽  
Thomas Parrott ◽  
Catriona Reeby ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Emission Reduction ◽  
Ghg Emissions ◽  
Policy Changes ◽  
Policy Makers ◽  
The Road ◽  
Net Zero ◽  
Reduction Methods ◽  
Methodological Approaches ◽  
Insight Into

The need for the world to follow a more carbon-neutral path is clear, with growing evidence highlighting the existential threat posed by unregulated GHG emissions. Responsibility for achieving this does not only lie with policy makers but is shared with all stakeholders including governments, private sectors, charities and civil society as a whole. Several methodological approaches have been developed to set emission reduction targets, including the Science-Based Targets Initiative (SBTi). However, it is yet to be widely adopted, and as thought leaders in the field, universities must take a lead in its interpretation and application. This study is reported from the perspective of a UK university, which is adopting climate change considerations to facilitate achieving Czero by 2030 and will act as an exemplar case. We calculate baseline emissions, science-based reduction targets for different carbon emission reduction methods and options in terms of financing emission reduction pathways at present and in the future. The study outcomes show that incorporating a SBTi methodology can serve as insight into other medium-sized organisations and universities wishing to develop a net-zero pathway. These results have been summarised into a series of recommendations.

Confronting the Challenges to Equipoise: A Study on Wompreneurs’ Work-Life Balance

2021 ◽  
Vol 4 (i) ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Role Conflict ◽  
Work Life ◽  
Work Life Balance ◽  
Motivating Factors ◽  
Life Balance ◽  
Policy Makers ◽  
Emerging Issues ◽  
The Government ◽  
Insight Into

The study explores the adversities faced by wompreneurs (Women Entrepreneurs) of Odisha and talks about their work-life balance issues. The paper presents the viewpoint (motivation) of wompreneurs as to why they think of starting an enterprise of their own. Focus is also laid onthe supportive factors of wompreneurs and factors that disrupt maintaining their work-life balance.The present exploratory paper is the outcome of a pilot study that has been performed using thematic investigation & analysis to find out solutions for the above-mentioned issues. For this paper, Qualitative research is used, which is conducted by assimilating data from personal interviews and thematically analyzing it. Suggestions for better work-life balance are given at the end. The area of work-life balance is devoid of studies in India, where wompreneurs are expected to have a better work-life balance as they are their own “boss”, the paper tries to explore the authenticity of such assumptions. The model has been devised with the above research objectives to provide insight into motivating factors and work-life balance issues of wompreneurs, which can help the Government, policy-makers, research fraternity and other training counselling institutions to emphasize such emerging issues that would lead to empowered women as well as an empowered Nation. Keywords: Entrepreneurship, Wompreneurs, Case study, Work-life balance, Role conflict

scholarly journals Ecopreneurial Education and Support: Developing the Innovators of Today and Tomorrow

2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (21) ◽  
pp. 9228
Author(s):  
Louise Manning ◽  
Robert Smith ◽  
Gillian Conley ◽  
Luke Halsey
Keyword(s):  
Academic Disciplines ◽  
Sustainable Change ◽  
Policy Makers ◽  
Food Supply Chains ◽  
Product Service ◽  
Conceptual Paper ◽  
University Setting ◽  
Valley Of Death ◽  
Insight Into

Entrepreneurship and more, particularly ecopreneurship, are essential to drive the sustainable transitions needed in food supply chains. Existing pedagogic frameworks should address these academic disciplines and they should be embedded in the educational curricula. Even when ideas are formed that can drive sustainable change, the process from ideation to commercialization can be difficult: the so-called “valley of death.” This aim of this conceptual paper is to consider pedagogic and program design and the mechanisms required to enaction of a body of practice around entrepreneurship and, more specifically, ecopreneurship, within academic curricula and associated business incubators. This makes this paper of particular interest for academia, policy makers and industry support sectors alike. An existing university that has both a student enterprise and ecopreneurship program and an established agri-technology business incubator and accelerator is used as a case study to provide insight into how progress from ideation to commercialization can be more readily supported in a university setting. From a pedagogical perspective, it is incumbent to develop new conceptual, methodological and theoretically underpinned spiral pedagogies to teach and support future generations of learners at agricultural and land-based colleges and universities as to how to exploit and take advantage of entrepreneurial and ecopreneurial business opportunities. Productization, too, needs to be embedded into the ecopreneurial pedagogy and also consideration of how businesses and their associated ecopreneurs navigate from ideation to successful product/service commercialization.

scholarly journals A Case Study of Industrial Symbiosis to Reduce GHG Emissions: Performance Analysis and LCA of Asphalt Concretes Made With RAP Aggregates and Steel Slags

2020 ◽  
Vol 7 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alessandra Bonoli ◽  
Anna Degli Esposti ◽  
Chiara Magrini
Keyword(s):  
Life Cycle ◽  
Asphalt Pavement ◽  
Ghg Emissions ◽  
Road Construction ◽  
Industrial Symbiosis ◽  
Current Case ◽  
Recycled Materials ◽  
The Road ◽  
Emilia Romagna Region

The concept of sustainability in the road construction sector is a complex issue because of the various steps that contribute to the production and release of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Addressing this issue, the European Commission has put various policy initiatives in place to encourage the construction industry to adopt circular economy (CE) and industrial symbiosis (IS) principles e.g., the use of recycled materials. Cooperativa Trasporti Imola (CTI), a company located in the Emilia-Romagna region (Italy), has been chosen for the current case study to examine practices, management, and the industrial symbiosis network among various companies in the road construction and rehabilitation sector. In this regard, the use of steel slags, obtained by an electric arc furnace (EAF), and reclaimed asphalt pavement (RAP), obtained by the deconstruction and milling of old asphalt pavement have been investigated. Two mixtures of recycled hot Mix Asphalt (HMA) i) were prepared incorporating different recycled material percentages for the wearing and binder course, respectively, ii) were characterized in terms of size distribution, strength modulus and volumetric properties, iii) and finally were compared to the performances of two mixtures entirely designed by virgin materials for the wearing and binder course, respectively. Therefore, the Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) tool was chosen to evaluate the environmental impacts that affect the designed road life cycle. The results show that recycling RAP and EAF slags in a CTI batch plant provides benefits by reducing the consumption of virgin bitumen and aggregates and by reducing CO2eq emissions. Finally, practical implications on the use of recycled materials in new asphalt mixtures from a life cycle and industrial symbiosis perspective are provided.

What We Do Online Everyday

2010 ◽  
pp. 282-301 ◽  
Author(s):  
Judith C. Lapadat ◽  
Maureen L. Atkinson ◽  
Willow I. Brown
Keyword(s):  
Young Person ◽  
Design Environment ◽  
Social Scientists ◽  
Policy Makers ◽  
Construction Of Identity ◽  
Digital Fingerprint ◽  
Usage Patterns ◽  
Multiple Case ◽  
Insight Into

This chapter addresses the collaborative participatory nature of online interactivity within the range of social networking spaces afforded by Web 2.0 (O’Reilly, 2005). Each individual, through his or her situated usage patterns and choices, creates a unique digital fingerprint or electronic biography. Using a multiple case study method including children and youth ranging in age from five to fifteen years of age, the authors examined children’s online interactivity through their electronic biographies. This case report focuses on the children’s experiences of online interaction as a seamless component of their literacy (Thomas, 2007) and presents a profile of each young person that characterizes his or her unique online fingerprint. The findings provide insight into how children learn online interactivity, and their communities of practice at different stages of development. Their roles ranged from passive surfer-viewer-seekers to interactive discussant-displayer-players. Infrequently, some youth showed proactive leadership as host-builder-creators. The experiences of these young people provide practical evidence of the transformation of literacy; for them, the Internet serves as an information resource, a collaborative medium, and a design environment (Lapadat, Atkinson, & Brown, 2009). Narrative plays a key role online, especially in the construction of identity. The results of this study have implications for educators, parents, social scientists, and policy makers, and in particular, raise concerns about the commodification of childhood and how commercial interests have shaped sites used by children.

scholarly journals THE ROAD MAP TO THE INTEGRATED DESIGN PROCESS OF A NET-ZERO ENERGY SOLAR HOUSE: A CASE STUDY OF A SOLAR DECATHLON COMPETITION ENTRY

2014 ◽  
Vol 9 (2) ◽  
pp. 20-37 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mona Azarbayjani ◽  
Benjamin Futrell ◽  
Valentina Cecchi ◽  
Thomas Gentry ◽  
Aba Ebong
Keyword(s):  
Integrated Design ◽  
Zero Energy ◽  
Solar Decathlon ◽  
The Road ◽  
Road Map ◽  
Net Zero Energy ◽  
Net Zero ◽  
Integrated Design Process ◽  
Solar House

scholarly journals GIS-based approach for evaluating a community intrinsic resilience index

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Firas Gerges ◽  
Hani Nassif ◽  
Xiaolong Geng ◽  
Holly A. Michael ◽  
Michel C. Boufadel
Keyword(s):  
Community Resilience ◽  
Local Economy ◽  
Transportation Energy ◽  
Policy Makers ◽  
The Road ◽  
Planning And Design ◽  
Political Boundaries ◽  
Resilience Index ◽  
Post Disaster

AbstractCommunity resilience refers to the degree to which a community can survive and recover following a disaster. While resilience itself is well understood, decisions that would enhance resilience are interdependent and involve various stakeholders. There are indices for evaluating community resilience, but these have the shortcoming that they compare between political entities, such as counties. Therefore, one cannot ascertain that a county is truly resilient. In addition, natural disasters depend on the landscape and thus have no relation to the political boundaries. Our metric aims to capture the information into a Community Intrinsic Resilience Index (CIRI), which embodies the resilience level of four critical sectors: transportation, energy, health and socio-economic. As a case study, we computed CIRI for the counties within New Jersey. Results showed that within NJ, CIRI ranged from 63 to 80%. A post-disaster CIRI, following a scenario of flooding, revealed that two coastal counties would have low CIRI values due to the reduction in the road area and/or the GDP (local economy shut down) to below minimum values. We believe that our platform would further advance the efforts to fill the gap between resilience research and applications and would help decision and policy makers to integrate resilience within the planning and design phases of disaster management.

scholarly journals Harmonizing Corporate Carbon Footprints

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lena Klaaßen ◽  
Christian Stoll
Keyword(s):  
Value Chain ◽  
Carbon Accounting ◽  
The Political ◽  
Policy Makers ◽  
Carbon Footprints ◽  
Reporting Practices ◽  
Carbon Neutrality ◽  
Societal Pressure ◽  
Net Zero

Abstract Global greenhouse gas emissions need to reach net-zero around mid-century to limit global warming to 1.5°C. This decarbonization challenge has, inter alia, increased the political and societal pressure on companies to disclose their carbon footprints. As a response, numerous companies announced roadmaps to become carbon neutral or even negative. The first step on the journey towards carbon neutrality, however, is to quantify corporate emissions accurately. Current carbon accounting and reporting practices remain unsystematic and incomparable, particularly for emissions along the value chain (scope 3). Here we present a framework to harmonize scope 3 emissions by accounting for reporting inconsistency, boundary incompleteness, and activity exclusion. In a case study of the tech sector, we find that corporate reports omit half of the total emissions. The framework we present may help companies, investors, and policy makers to identify and close the gaps in corporate carbon footprints.

scholarly journals HIDDEN GRAFFITI IDENTIFICATION ON MARBLE SURFACES THROUGH PHOTOGRAMMETRY AND REMOTE SENSING TECHNIQUES

2019 ◽  
Vol XLII-2/W15 ◽  
pp. 1-8
Author(s):  
D. Abate ◽  
M. Trentin
Keyword(s):  
Scientific Community ◽  
Unique Case ◽  
The Everyday ◽  
Analysis Workflow ◽  
Challenging Environment ◽  
Methodological Approaches ◽  
Remote Sensing Techniques ◽  
Source Of Information ◽  
Insight Into

<p><strong>Abstract.</strong> Nowadays, considering the various methodological approaches used by the scientific community to study graffiti, there is a need for the improvement of the documentation and analysis workflow that must be addressed. Historic graffiti are recognized by scholars of different disciplines as a relevant and genuine written source, able to provide an insight into the everyday life of the past. Many studies have indeed flourished during the last decades stating the relevance of graffiti as a multidisciplinary source of information and showing, at the same time, the fragmented research scenario due to the lack of reliable and standardized methodologies. Currently, the scientific community involved in the study of graffiti has largely benefited from the use of digital technologies. However, most of the efforts and research projects were focused on the analysis of graffiti immediately visible on the surface or graffiti the position of which was easily identifiable due to the depth and width of the engraving. The proposed study is intended to tackle the documentation pipeline a step earlier than the documentation itself when the graffiti are yet to be identified. The San Marco Basilica in Venice is used as a unique case study for the analysis of non-directly visible-to-human-eye graffiti in a rather challenging environment.</p>

scholarly journals On the Road to Success: Examining how Youth Shelters Define and Value Relationships through the Practice of Two-Way Symmetrical Communication as a Method to Increase the Success-Rate of Youth Recovery Programs – A Case Study of Youth Without Shelter

2016 ◽  
Vol 11 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christine Bernard
Keyword(s):  
Homeless Youth ◽  
Active Role ◽  
Non Profit ◽  
The Road ◽  
Youth Shelters ◽  
On The Road ◽  
Recovery Program ◽  
Symmetrical Communication ◽  
Insight Into

This case study explores how three employees from Youth Without Shelter in Toronto, whom we will call ‘A,’ ‘B,’ and ‘C,’ define, utilize, and value two-way symmetrical communication as a method for decreasing the percentage of at-risk homeless youth on the streets. What emerged from interviews, documentation, and archival reports, indicated that youth who continue to play an active role in shaping their futures are more likely to be engaged, actively communicate, and complete their recovery program. The findings provide insight into how non-profit organizations can achieve success and excellence through engagement with their publics.

Keep It Cheap, Keep It Local, and Keep It Coming

2008 ◽  
Vol 22 (2) ◽  
pp. 250-294 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christopher P. Brown
Keyword(s):  
Continuous Series ◽  
Policy Environment ◽  
Multiple Perspectives ◽  
Reform Initiatives ◽  
Policy Makers ◽  
Political Actors ◽  
Policy Window ◽  
Open Policy ◽  
Insight Into

Through a multiple perspectives model that incorporates the normative, symbolic, and political perspectives, the author analyzes the emergence of standards-based accountability reform in the state of Wisconsin. His analysis offers insight into the effectiveness of various political actors' attempts to alter the state's education systems. Through this case study, the author contends that these policy makers' attempts to reform Wisconsin's systems of education are kept in check by the principles of cheap and local reform. Thus, to achieve change, these principles of cheap and local reform create a policy environment in which stakeholders must offer a continuous series of reform initiatives in hope that some of their policies might slip through an open policy window.

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