The implementation of environmental management tools to prevent and control environmental damage arising from administrative and operational activities is a necessary and urgent reality within the institutions which are members of the public administration. In this sense, the Federal Government, anxious to reduce negative environmental impacts and promote the internalization of environmental responsibility, created the Environmental Agenda of Public Administration - A3P through the Ministry of Environment. This agenda aims to stimulate reflection and change of attitude of the servers so that they incorporate the criteria of environmental management into their routine activities and it also aims to raise awareness among public managers to environmental issues. Given the importance that public institutions have to lead by example, this agenda has been structured into five priority themes: rational use of natural resources and public goods; proper management of waste generated; quality of life in the workplace, awareness and training of the servers and sustainable procurement . In general terms, the research aimed to characterize environmental initiatives developed at the Federal University of Sergipe in relation to themes of the Environmental Agenda in Public Administration (A3P). To carry out the research, methodological tools grounded in phenomenology were employed. The methods chosen were the exploratory and the descriptive survey with qualitative and quantitative data. To do so, we performed semi-structured interviews with managers, teachers , administrative staff and students . The results showed that environmental management initiatives in the institution, even partially, are in harmony with the axes of the A3P. Therefore, there is need for greater commitment on the part of managers and servers with the environmental problems in the pursuit of a sustainable culture . / A implementação de instrumentos de gestão ambiental para prevenir e controlar os danos ambientais decorrentes das atividades administrativas e operacionais é uma realidade necessária e imperiosa no âmbito das instituições integrantes da Administração Pública. Neste sentido, o Governo Federal preocupado em reduzir os impactos socioambientais negativos e promover a internalização da responsabilidade socioambiental, por meio Ministério do Meio Ambiente, criou a Agenda Ambiental da Administração Pública - A3P, tendo como objetivo principal estimular a reflexão e a mudança de atitude dos servidores para que estes incorporem os critérios de gestão socioambiental em suas atividades rotineiras, além de sensibilizar os gestores públicos para as questões socioambientais. Diante da importância que as instituições públicas possuem em dar o exemplo, essa agenda foi estruturada em cinco eixos temáticos prioritários: uso racional dos recursos naturais e dos bens públicos; gestão adequada dos resíduos gerados; qualidade de vida no ambiente de trabalho; sensibilização e capacitação dos servidores e licitações sustentáveis. Em termos gerais, a pesquisa objetivou caracterizar as ações socioambientais desenvolvidas na Universidade Federal de Sergipe em relação aos eixos temáticos da Agenda Ambiental na Administração Pública (A3P). Para a realização da pesquisa foram empregadas ferramentas metodológicas alicerçadas no positivismo. Os métodos escolhidos foram o exploratório e descritivo com levantamento de dados qualitativos e quantitativos. Para tanto, realizou-se entrevistas semiestruturadas com os gestores, docentes, técnicos administrativos e discentes. Os resultados obtidos demonstraram que não existe uma política ambiental formalmente inserida no seu organograma, o que fragiliza o processo de gestão para o enfrentamento das questões ambientais. Os gestores da instituição desconhecem as ações desenvolvidas no âmbito institucional, como também o cumprimento das normas já existentes, que estão sendo colocadas em prática, refletindo sobremaneira o não comprometimento dos mesmos com as ações ambientais desenvolvidas pela instituição. A gestão dos resíduos gerados na instituição é um fator preocupante, principalmente quanto aos resíduos perigosos oriundos das práticas laboratoriais voltados ao ensino, pesquisa e extensão, considerando-se que não existe nenhum procedimento formalizado para o descarte correto desses resíduos. Por fim, recomenda-se que a instituição promova a assinatura do Termo de Adesão da A3P junto ao Ministério do Meio Ambiente.

Text and keywords in English, with abstracts in English, isiZulu and Sesotho / There is an urgent need to develop sustainable solutions to the epochal environmental problems that the world at large and Africa in particular are currently facing. The current environmental philosophy does not seem to be able to resolve satisfactorily all the environmental crises of our world, as they have been largely influenced by Western oriented perspectives on one hand that are laden with dualistic and anthropocentric view of the world, and are ethics based on the other hand, and as such focuses less on human beings’ relationship with Nature. To the extent that attempts were made by scholars to advance an African orientation in environmental philosophy, these attempts have been bedridden with over-reliance on ethics. Relying mainly on ethics as the philosophical framework for addressing environmental issues, it neglects the epistemological dimensions of the African intellectual thoughts. To this end, minimal results has been achieved in the quest for panacea to environmental crisis, especially in Africa. This study, thus, advances an African outlook in environmental philosophy that would be both participatory and interdisciplinary in the quest for more meaningful and pragmatic problem-solving frameworks in environmentalism. The research seeks to further improve in the development of an African oriented Environmental Philosophy by committing to the exploration of an African epistemic outlook for environmentalism. This exploration is hinged on the epistemic stance abstracted from indigenous knowledge systems of African people in general and the Yoruba and Igbo people of the Western part of Nigeria, in West Africa, in particular. Accordingly, the research queries the tendency of the current discourse of environmental philosophy to over rely on ethics. The study further argues for a shift in the conceptual framework, approaches and methods employable in confronting the environmental challenges besetting the world today. It opines that we construct African environmental philosophy from the idea of “African Epistemic Order” (AEO). It argues that an environmental philosophy that is African in orientation, must have a conceptual understanding of the ontological and relational holism pervading the African epistemic order. Such an understanding will enhance the reordering and healing of the damaged human’s relationship with the natural environment (Nature). This study, therefore, provides building blocks for an environmental philosophy that is both African in making, global in practice and affirming respect to Nature. / Kukhona isidingo esiphuthumayo sokuthola izixazululo eziqhubekela phambili ngesikhathi sezinkinga zendalo umhlaba wonkana, kanye ne-Afrika imbala ezibhekene nazo okwamanje. Okwamanje amafilosofi endalo abonakala engakwazi ukuxazulula izinkinga zendalo zomhlaba wethu ngokwanele. Lokhu kungoba kunomthelela omkhulu wemibono yamazwe aseNtshonalanga (enomthelela omkhulu wombono we-dualistic and anthropocentric ngomhlaba) kanti ngakolunye uhlangothi, kanti futhi ngenxa yokuthi aphansi kwenqubo yama-ethics ngakolunye uhlangothi. Kanti ke ngenxa yalokhu, kugxilwa kakhulu ebudlelwaneni phakathi kwabantu kanye nemvelo (okusho indalo yangokwemvelo). Ngisho noma imizamo yenziwe zifundiswa ukuqhubela phambili umbono wefilosofi yendalo, le mizamo ikhathazwe kakhulu ukuncika kwezama-ethics. Lolu cwaningo luqhubela phambili umbono ngesilosofi yesi-Afrika ngokwendalo, ezokwenza ukuthi kube nokubili, ukubamba iqhaza kanye nokuxhumana kwemikhakha ehlukene ekuthungatheni kwayo uhlaka lokuxazulula izinkinga olubambekayo ngokwendalo. Ucwaningo lufuna ukuthuthukisa iFilosofi yesi Afrika ngokwendalo ngokuzimisela ukuthungatha umthombo nombono wolwazi ngokwendalo. Lokhu kuthungatha kuncike kwisimo sezomthombo wolwazi otholakala kwizinqubo zesintu zabantu base-Afrika ngokunabile, kanti ikakhulukazi ngabantu bamaYoruba kanye nama-Igbo kwingxenye eseNtshonalanga neNigeria, eNtshonalanga Afrika ikakhulukazi. Lolu cwaningo, ngakho-ke luyisakhelo sefilosofi yendalo, engesi-Afrika ikakhulukazi, kodwa ebheka kumazwe omhlaba ngokwenza, kanye nokuqinisekisa mayelana Nemvelo. / Ho na le tlhoko e potlakileng ya ho ntlafatsa ditharollo tse tsitsitseng tsa mathata a nako a tikoloho ao lefatshe ka bophara, haholo-holo Afrika, a tobaneng le ona hajwale. Difilosofi tsa hajwale tsa tikoloho ha ho bonahale di ka kgona ho rarolla mathata ohle a tikoloho a lefatshe la rona ka mokgwa o kgotsofatsang. Lebaka ke hore di anngwe haholo ke dikgopolo tsa Bophirima (di le boima jwalo, ka lehlakore le le leng le nang le pono e habedi le le nkang botho bo le bohlokwa ho boteng ba lefatshe) ka lehlakoreng le leng hobane di thehilwe hodima melao ya boitshwaro. Kahoo, ha di shebane haholo le kamano dipakeng tsa batho le tlhaho (ke hore, tikoloho ya tlhaho). Le ha boiteko bo entswe ke ditsebi ho ntshetsa pele tlwaelo ya Maafrika ho filosofi ya tikoloho, boiteko bona le bona bo na le boitshetleho bo fetelletseng ho boitshwaro. Phuputso ena e ntshetsa pele pono ya Seafrika filosofing ya tikoloho eo e ka bang ya tshebedisano le ya ho kopana ha dithuto tse fapaneng molemong wa ho batla meralo e nang le moelelo le ho rarolla mathata bothateng ba tikoloho. Patlisiso ena e batla ho ntlafatsa ntshetsopele ya Filosofi ya Tikoloho e sekametseng Afrika ka ho itlama ho fuputsa pono ya tsebo ya Afrika bakeng sa tikoloho. Patlisiso ena e ipapisitse le boemo ba tsebo bo nkilweng ditsamaisong tsa tsebo ya matswallwa tsa batho ba Maafrika ka kakaretso le batho ba Yoruba le ba Igbo ba karolo e ka Bophirima ya Nigeria, Afrika Bophirima ka ho kgetheha. Phuputso ena, ka hona, e fana ka motheo bakeng sa filosofi ya tikoloho eo e leng ya Seafrika ka botlalo, e akaretsang tshebetsong, mme e tiisang bonnete ba Tlhaho. / Philosophy, Practical and Systematic Theology / D. Phil. (Philosophy)

Postsecondary teaching and learning must be reoriented to equip learners with the knowledge, skills, and values they will need for creating a more sustainable world. This action research study examined the effects of implementing the Bums model of sustainability pedagogy in university courses taught by the researcher. This model is comprised of five key dimensions: (1 )Content; (2)Perspectives; (3)Process; (4)Context; and (5)Design. The Burns model of sustainability pedagogy seeks to: (1) increase learners' systemic understanding of complex sustainability issues (Content); (2) provide learners with opportunities to think critically about dominant paradigms, practices and power relationships and consider complex ecological and social issues from diverse perspectives (Perspectives); (3) enhance learners' civic responsibility and intentions to work toward sustainability through active participation and experience (Process); (4) increase learners' understanding of and connection with the geographical place and the community in which they live (Context); and (5) utilize an ecological course design to create transformative learning (Design). This pedagogical model reflects education as sustainability, a transformative learning process through which learners' values and perspectives change so that they are able to embrace sustainability and take action for change. Findings revealed that through the use of sustainability themes, students came to understand sustainability Content concretely, personally, and multidimensionally. Students understood multiple Perspectives and power relationships through experiential learning, through relationships with one another, by hopeful examples, and by learning to think critically. Due to a participatory and experiential learning Process, students expressed intentions to buy locally and to act directly for sustainable change. Through a focus on Context, students experienced stronger connections to their local community. A self-reflective teaching process and relational learning was important to the Design of a transformational learning process. The results show that the Burns model of sustainability pedagogy can be adapted to university courses in various disciplines. This study contributes to the field of sustainability education by providing an example ofan effective model for teaching sustainability at the university level. In order to prepare diverse learners for leadership roles in a sustainable world, attention must be focused on integrating transformative sustainability pedagogy throughout postsecondary education.

Sustainability has emerged in mainstream higher education over the last few years, and the fields of community-based learning and sustainability education are closely linked through their emphases on active, experiential learning in place-based contexts. In order to create ecologically literate citizens to more adequately address environmental problems, there is a logical connection between teaching about sustainability and engaging students in the community, which can serve as a relevant forum to address sustainability issues. However, there is a problem in that educational programs and courses dealing directly with sustainability topics across the higher education landscape often do not emphasize or include experiential, community-based elements. Understanding this relationship is crucial to advance the field of sustainability with meaningful community engagement. This research investigated the pedagogical strategies and frameworks that are foundational in undergraduate capstone courses that include sustainability education and community-based learning. A sample of five community-based, interdisciplinary senior capstone courses at Portland State University was examined through semi-structured interviews with course instructors and syllabi review. Three broad themes emerged as common values among the instructors: connectedness and relationships, community and place, and diversity and inclusiveness. Reflection was a tool utilized universally by instructors to personalize the learning process, cultivate understanding of connectedness and relationships, and incorporate feelings into the learning process. Competencies and skills related to sustainability and those related to civic engagement were very similar; engagement in community is a sustainable practice. This study provides cogent support for the notion that achieving meaningful, transformative sustainability learning requires community-based learning.

This study contributes towards the ever-growing research field of sustainability reporting within the broader context of integrated reporting. Sustainability reporting is the integration of the environmental, social and economic aspects of an organisation in the communication with stakeholders. South Africa’s Johannesburg Stock Exchange (JSE) has taken a leading role in the drive for integrated reporting. The aim of the study was to determine the quality of sustainability reporting for the JSE listed firms post the introduction of listing requirements for integrated reporting. Reports of good quality enable stakeholders to make sound decisions from the reported information. The study was limited to sustainability reporting for JSE listed firms. The theoretical lens for the study is the stakeholder theory developed by Freeman (1984). The study analyses perceptions of sustainability practitioners on quality of sustainability reporting for JSE listed firms for the period of 2009 to 2017. In this study, the focus was to gain rich insights from sustainability practitioners involved in the sustainability reporting value chain of JSE listed firms. This included report preparers, report assurance providers, report users and other report critical reviewers. The recordings of the semistructured interviews undertaken in this study were transcribed verbatim and analysed using a descriptive analysis technique called Tesch’s coding. The researcher reviewed the information, probed and summarised the main themes that emerged from the qualitative research. The study shows that there are no explicit mandatory requirements for integrated reporting and sustainability reporting for JSE listed firms, contrary to the perception of some scholars and practitioners. The publication of integrated and sustainability reports is, however, now business best practice for firms on the JSE. Admittedly, this is partly because of King Codes recommendations of South Africa that promotes integrated reporting. Sustainability reporting has been improving over a nine-year period, but this cannot be solely attributed to the listing requirements. Basic interventions such as listing requirements for integrated reporting on the JSE and the shareholder compacts on South Africa’s State-owned companies, although not explicitly mandatory, have contributed in promoting integrated and sustainability reporting in South Africa. There are many drivers of sustainability reporting for JSE listed firms. These can be categorised as internal and external drivers. The internal drivers can also be regarded as critical success factors for sustainability reporting quality for JSE listed firms. The study revealed the dominance of the two drivers of sustainability reporting, namely stakeholder demands and the role of leadership in shaping sustainability reporting in the South African context. The combination of the two drivers on sustainability reporting for JSE listed firms confirms the assumptions of the stakeholder theory. In the process of determining the trends in reporting and the actual drivers for improved quality in reporting, the cross-cutting theme that emerged was that different organisations are in different stages of their reporting journey. There are early adopters and late adopters. Organisations that choose to be involved in integrated reporting and sustainability reporting experience a real journey of reporting, hence various organisations are at different stages depending when and how they commenced their reporting journey. The researcher coined that process “sustainability reporting life stages”. The study further found that there are many determinants for quality of sustainability reporting for JSE listed firms. The sustainability practitioners perceive quality from the view of the Global Reporting Initiative and Integrated Reporting Council frameworks, thus confirming the entrenchment of the two frameworks in the South African context. The best option assurance mechanism in the form of the Combined Assurance Model was observable in the better reporting sectors on the JSE and State-owned companies. The critical paths for sustainability reporting have been provided, indicating the need for sustainability leadership and stakeholder inclusiveness. / Business Management / D.B.L.

El presente trabajo se ha desarrollado debido a la preocupación que existe ante los impactos que el sector hotelero genera sobre el medio ambiente y cómo mitigan estos impactos con acciones que ayudan a revertir el problema. Por tanto, el presente estudio tuvo como objetivo general investigar las medidas de responsabilidad ambiental implementadas en el sector hotelero y su influencia en la satisfacción de los clientes. Esta investigación empleó la metodología de revisión de literatura con enfoque integrador, ya que las variables planteadas fueron analizadas y evaluadas para concluir el tema de investigación. De ese modo se determinó que las acciones ambientales de los hoteles influyen en el comportamiento de los consumidores que apuestan por estas nuevas tendencias; estos se hospedan en hoteles orientados a las mejores prácticas ambientales donde priorizan el cuidado del medio ambiente para el crecimiento de sus operaciones. Asimismo, las empresas hoteleras se encuentran aplicando medidas de responsabilidad ambiental en sus actividades para mejorar la calidad del servicio y favorecer la mejora de su entorno ambiental. Sin embargo, aún existe escasa información y evidencia de cuáles son las medidas de responsabilidad ambiental que han demostrado tener mayor influencia en la satisfacción de los huéspedes. En tal sentido, este estudio brinda información sobre la importancia de las prácticas ecológicas de la hotelería y su efecto en los clientes. / The general objective of this study is to investigate the environmental responsibility measures implemented in the hotel sector and their influence on customer satisfaction. This research will use the literature review methodology with an integrative approach since the proposed variables will be analyzed and evaluated to conclude the research topic. This work has been developed due to the concern that exists about the impacts that the hotel sector generates on the environment and how to mitigate these impacts with actions that help to reverse the problem. Therefore, it was determined that environmental issues influence the behavior of consumers who bet on these new trends, they stay in hotels oriented to the best environmental practices where they prioritize caring for the environment for the growth of their operations. Likewise, hotel companies are applying environmental responsibility measures in their activities to improve the quality of service and favor the improvement of their environmental environment. However, there is still little information and evidence of which are the environmental responsibility measures that have been shown to have the greatest influence on guest satisfaction. In this sense, this study provides information on the importance of green hotel practices and their effect on customers. / Trabajo de investigación

I dagsläget är det inte helt självklart hur hållbara inköpsprocesser skulle kunna utformas och implementeras i företag. Att utveckla hållbara inköpsprocesser är dock viktigt för att öka det sociala samt miljömässiga ansvarstagandet. Detta för att undvika att materialanskaffning, och därmed framställning av möbler, får en negativ påverkan på människan och miljön.   Denna studie syftar till att besvara hur hållbara inköpsprocesser skulle kunna utvecklas inom möbelbranschen med avseende på socialt och miljömässigt ansvarstagande för att bidra till en hållbar konsumtion och produktion av möbler. Tre intervjustudier har genomförts med tre olika möbelföretag i syfte att exemplifiera hur hållbara inköpsprocesser skulle kunna utvecklas med hjälp av litteratur. Litteraturstudien har baserats på vetenskapliga artiklar, böcker samt Internetkällor och ligger till grund för de modeller och teorier som är till för att uppfylla studiens syfte.     Studiens resultat visar på olika steg som kan implementeras i den traditionella inköpsprocessen för att öka det sociala samt miljömässiga ansvarstagandet i samband med materialanskaffning. Resultatet visar även på i vilken omfattning de olika stegen är lämpliga att utföra samt exempel på hur stegen skulle kunna implementeras i företag. Ytterligare resultat belyser att den cirkulära ekonomin samt olika slags hållbarhetsmärkningar påverkar huruvida hållbar den färdiga möbeln kan komma att bli. Att utveckla hållbara inköpsprocesser kan dock bli en kostnads- samt tidsfråga men det får en avgörande roll för att bidra till hållbar konsumtion och produktion av möbler. / It is not entirely obvious how sustainable purchasing processes could be developed and implemented in companies today. Sustainable purchasing processes are important to increase the social and environmental responsibility. This to avoid that the material procurement, and thereby the production of furniture, has a negative impact on the people and the planet. This study aims to explain how sustainable purchasing processes could be developed in the furniture industry with respect to social and environmental responsibility in order to contribute to a sustainable consumption and production of furniture. Three interviews have been conducted with three different furniture companies in order to exemplify how sustainable purchasing processes could be developed based on literature. To fulfil the purpose of this study, articles, books and internet sources have been used to form the theories and models. The result from this study shows a set of steps which can be implemented in the traditional purchasing process in order to increase a social and environmental responsibility associated with material procurement. The result also shows the extent to which the different steps are appropriate to perform and will exemplify how companies could implement these steps. Further result clarifies that the circular economy and different kinds of sustainability labels affect whether the finished furniture may become sustainable. Developing sustainable purchasing processes may require a lot of time and money, but it has a crucial role to play in contributing to a sustainable consumption and production of furniture.

This study aimed at determining whether participating in an environmental education programme (GLOBE) was positively reflected in participants' environmental perceptions, attitudes and level of environmentally responsible behaviour. An ecologically homogeneous sample consisting of 40 Grade 8 GLOBE participants and 40 non-GLOBE participants was selected. Pearson correlation coefficients, multiple regression analyses and t-tests were employed to compare the research groups. Results showed that GLOBE participants were more positive in their attitudes and actions toward the environment than non-GLOBE participants. GLOBE participants were however not environmentally more perceptive than non-GLOBE participants. Analysing responses of the GLOBE participants in terms of gender and place of residency was fruitless as the sample was too small to yield meaningful results. It was recommended that a more controlled and extended replication of this study, paying specific attention to initial motivations for participation/non-participation in the GLOBE programme, be considered. / Psychology / M.A.

This study aimed at determining whether participating in an environmental education programme (GLOBE) was positively reflected in participants' environmental perceptions, attitudes and level of environmentally responsible behaviour. An ecologically homogeneous sample consisting of 40 Grade 8 GLOBE participants and 40 non-GLOBE participants was selected. Pearson correlation coefficients, multiple regression analyses and t-tests were employed to compare the research groups. Results showed that GLOBE participants were more positive in their attitudes and actions toward the environment than non-GLOBE participants. GLOBE participants were however not environmentally more perceptive than non-GLOBE participants. Analysing responses of the GLOBE participants in terms of gender and place of residency was fruitless as the sample was too small to yield meaningful results. It was recommended that a more controlled and extended replication of this study, paying specific attention to initial motivations for participation/non-participation in the GLOBE programme, be considered. / Psychology / M.A.

The economic and population growth have led to the increased volumes of municipal solid waste in South Africa, hence more pressure to the waste management facilities. Municipal solid waste management is a by-product of everyday living, this is the reason why there is an environmental burden caused by waste to the environment. This study was conducted in Pretoria within the three sampled areas, namely: Garsfontein, Marabastad and Pretoria Central Business District (CBD). The rationale of the study was to establish the influence and effects of biographic factors (age, marital status, educational background, gender) and religious conviction on littering. This project constitutes both qualitative and quantitative data collection methods. About 150 of the questionnaires were administered to each of the three sampled areas. Therefore, the overall proportion of the respondents was 450. Visual inspection was done in all the three sampled areas to observe the littering status quo and waste management situation in these particular areas. The visual inspection uncovered very interesting findings. It was established that Marabastad was cleaner in the morning than in the late hours while Garsfontein was clean throughout the day. Another problem that was discovered, amongst others was that of the condition of the bins in Marabastad and Pretoria Central Business District (CBD) which was bad compared to Garsfontein. From the questionnaire, it was found that the 72% of elderly respondents (< 36 yrs) are more environmental conscious than the young people (18-35 yrs) who 83% of them claim to litter when there is no bin. Further, among young people, 78% said litter cigarette butts and 93% of these said better street cleanliness would help reduce littering. 72% of adults said religious convictions would help reduce littering. The chi-square and correlation coefficient statistical data analysis methods were used to establish the relationship between different biographic and religious variables. Gender, marital status, monthly income, age and religious conviction were all found to have significant effects on issues regarding littering in the city. / Environmental Sciences / M. Sc. (Environmental Science)