Yes / The current emphasis in the microfinance industry is a shift from donor-funded to commercially sustainable operations. This article evaluates the impact of access to microloans from the Khushhali Bank - Pakistan's first and largest microfinance bank which operates on commercial principles. Using primary data from a detailed household survey of nearly 3000 borrower and non-borrower households, a difference in difference approach is used to test for the impact of access to loans. Once the results are disaggregated between rural and urban areas there is a positive impact in rural areas on food expenditure and on some social indicators.

World leaders, policy makers, and scholars are engaged in efforts to improve human development (HD), which, for the United Nations (UN) Development Program, is about allowing people choices in their lives and providing tools with which to make those choices. Success in increasing human development will impact the daily lives of a nation's citizens as well as contribute to success in meeting the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs): eight shared UN goals to improve living conditions of people around the world. The information currently available to those seeking to enhance human development measures focuses on a macro-level approach that advocates first advancing national economic development. Recent research on meeting the MDGs focuses on micro-level individual or community activities. Entrepreneurial and microfinance activity are two such micro-level activities that have been associated in research with advances in national economic development. Microfinance, particularly microcredit, activities have been associated in research with advances in some human development measures. Similar research concerning how entrepreneurial activity may relate directly to human development is lacking. This research project was designed to examine the relationships of these individual activities with human development independent of economic development. Two questions guided this study: (a) Does individual activity (either entrepreneurial or microfinance) have a direct effect on human development, separate from any effect through economic development and (b) If so, do certain types of individual activity (either entrepreneurial or microfinance) have a stronger relationship with some human development measures more than others? Due to data challenges, the scope of this research was restricted to a retrospective study examining measures of entrepreneurial activity with measures of human development. A similar exploration involving microfinance activity is planned for the future. A literature search and content analysis were conducted to determine definitions and measures. Data on nine measures were collected from 44 nations. Analyses indicated that one measure of entrepreneurial activity (own account workers-individuals owning or operating an enterprise, but hiring no employees) does have a statistically significant relationship with one measure of human development (literacy). Guidelines are also offered from lessons learned in navigating the disparate maze of conceptual and measurement issues when researching this territory. With several years remaining in the UN Millennium Development Challenge and the UN Decade of Literacy, this research may have implications for policy makers and world leaders as they seek ways to improve both economic and human development simultaneously. / Ph. D.

No

Yes / The blockchain has received significant attention from technology focussed researchers, highlighting its perceived impact and emerging disruption potential, but has been slow to engender any significant momentum within the Information Systems (IS) and Information Management (IM) literature. This study approaches the subject through an IS/IM lens developing the key themes from the blockchain based research via a comprehensive review. This analysis of the body of literature highlights that although few commercial grade blockchain applications currently exist, the technology demonstrates significant potential to benefit a number of industry wide use cases. This study expands on this point articulating through each of the key themes to develop a detailed narrative on the numerous potential blockchain applications and future direction of the technology, whilst discussing the many barriers to adoption. The study asserts that blockchain technology has the potential to contribute to a number of the UN Sustainability Development Goals and engender widespread change within a number of established industries and practices.

Yes / The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) present the emerging need to explore new ways of AgriFood production and food security as ultimate targets for feeding future generations. The study adopts a Design Science methodology and proposes Artificial Intelligence (AI) techniques as a solution to food security problems. Specifically, the proposed artefact presents the collective use of Agricultural Technology (AgriTech) drones inspired by the biomimetic ways of bird swarms. The design (artefact) appears here as a solution for supporting farming operations in inaccessible land, so as unmanned aerial devices contribute and improve the productivity of farming areas with limited capacity. The proposed design is developed through a scenario of drone swarms applying AI techniques to address food security issues. The study concludes by presenting a research agenda and the sectoral challenges triggered by the applications of AI in Agriculture. / European Union's H2020 research and innovation programme under the Marie Skłodowska-Curie grant (agreement No. 746667)

Yes / The 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) bring together environmental, social and economic concerns. They therefore have the potential to move society away from the dominant model of prosperity as purely economic toward a more holistic and ‘sustainable’ prosperity. But, the success of such a transformative agenda rests on its implementation. At the heart of planned implementation of the SDGs is a set of 230 indicators. Indicators have been strongly critiqued in a range of literatures. However, in the context of the SDGs, indicators have been described as ‘essential’ with little critical assessment of their role in implementation. Therefore, this chapter aims to provide this critical voice. To do this, the chapter reviews critiques of indicators from sustainability science, anthropology and sociology and provides illustrative cases of indicators implementation. From this review we are able to draw lessons for the use of indicators in SDG implementation. Specifically, the chapter argues that indicators are reductionist and struggle with contested concepts. Nevertheless, by making the operationalisation of concepts visible and enabling quantified analysis, indicators can have a useful role in SDG implementation. However, this requires that indicator critiques are taken seriously and inform indicator use. / ESRC Research Centre for the Understanding of Sustainable Prosperity, Grant Number ES/M010163/1

Yes / Purpose. This viewpoint paper addresses the use of sustainability frameworks in embedding education for sustainability into the curriculum of Higher Education Institutions (HEIs). We focus on the paradox that sustainability frameworks must facilitate transformation of existing structures whilst also being well-enough aligned with current conditions to be readily adopted by today’s HEIs. Design/methodology/approach. We propose a set of four criteria for assessing the suitability of sustainability frameworks for use across the curriculum: Relevance to Current Curricula; Language; Institutional Fit; and Concept of the Future. Using these criteria, we assess how various frameworks align with the current (unsustainable) state of affairs, and their transformative potential. The frameworks assessed are: the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs); the Three Pillars Framework; and the Capitals Approach. Findings. We find that each of the frameworks has strengths and weaknesses: the SDGs and the Capitals Approach perform well on alignment, but less well on transformation. Conversely, the Three Pillars Framework perform well on transformation and less well on alignment. By applying the criteria set out in this paper, we hope those working to embed sustainability into the curricula of HEIs will be better equipped to navigate the tensions presented by sustainability transitions. Originality. Using a novel set of criteria for assessing sustainability frameworks, this paper provides guidance that was previously lacking to education for sustainability professionals who are attempting to embed sustainability into the curriculum at HEIs. / The financial support of the UK Economic and Social Research Council for the Centre for the Understanding of Sustainable Prosperity (CUSP) (ESRC grant no: ES/M010163/1) is gratefully acknowledged.

Yes / Following the global adoption of the sustainable development goals (SDGs) in 2015, Nigeria has established a variety of domestic mechanisms to promote the local implementation of the SDGs across the country. Mechanisms established for this purpose at the federal level of government include the establishment of the Office of the Senior Special Assistant to the President on SDGs (OSSAP-SDG), a Committee on SDGs in the upper and lower chambers of the National Assembly, and an Inter-Ministerial Committee on SDGs to coordinate the engagement with Ministries, Departments, and Agencies as it relates to SDGs. Similar mechanisms for the localisation of the SDGs have also been established in the thirty-six (36) states of the federation. Nonetheless, the attainment of the SDGs in Nigeria continues to be hampered by various governance challenges, including the low level of awareness and inadequate agency among Nigerian citizens about the SDGs (Njoku 2016). One institution that has been identified as a possible solution to overcoming these challenges are faith-based organisations (FBOs), such as churches, mosques, and temples (Akinloye 2018). This call for the inclusion of FBOs in development initiatives such as the SDGs is driven in part by the increase in the number, influence and visibility of FBOs (Jennings et al 2008) and a shift towards development frameworks that are more suited for understanding development in poorer and less developed parts of the world (Brett 2009). In this regard, FBOs also possess important organisational features such as their popular legitimacy and motivational qualities (James 2009), strong donor networks (Ferris 2005)6, and historical rootedness (Jennings et al 2008) that have seen them emerge as key and effective partners in driving development in their respective host communities. Within the context of Nigeria, the FBOs – SDG link is further enhanced by the influential role of religion and religious leaders in the lives of their members (Afolabi 2015) and the proliferation of churches especially (Obiefuna et al 2016).

Yes / Congruent with economic stability and environmental sustainability, the ninth Sustainable Development Goal (SDG - Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure) plays a crucial role in undergirding the industrial revolution. Conversely, it is inevitably complex for underdeveloped and emerging economies to meet the ninth SDG's 2030 agenda due to a lack of sufficient financial resources and the slow adoption of technology. With China expanding its Belt and Road Initiatives (BRIs) globally, mainly few findings espouse the significant link between BRI and the ninth SDG, and its probable impact remains understudied. Hence, a considerable gap yet exists in contemporary understanding of the impact of BRI on sustainability. Therefore, we conducted an exploratory study on six different countries (Algeria, Ghana, Indonesia, Malaysia, Nigeria and Palestine) to investigate the role of the BRI in achieving the ninth SDG. Face-to-face interviews and focus group discussions were applied. This qualitative data collection technique involved 26 participants representing industry experts and academic researchers. All interviews were recorded, transcribed, translated and thematically analysed. The result showed a significant progressive impact of BRI on the ninth SDG, and that the development of sustainable infrastructure is a key antecedent of the BRI policy enforcement in the six countries explored. The result also showed positive and negative spillover effects of BRI projects in the six countries. Government and Policymakers should design and enforce pro-growth and sustainable strategies to facilitate continuous implementation of policies that would align the execution of the BRI projects to bolster achievement of the ninth SDG.

Although businesses have extended their efforts towards addressing their environmental responsibilities, there are still substantial gaps, especially in their approach to biodiversity loss. It is one of the biggest threats to humankind and corporate activities are known to contribute substantially to the deterioration of ecosystems which makes these omissions particularly worrisome. The voluntary global Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) framework has the potential to bring about the transformative change needed to improve biodiversity reporting (BDR), but this connection is rather understudied. This work therefore wants to bridge this literature gap by exploring the role SDGs 14 and 15 play in biodiversity reporting. To that end, the sustainability reports of large German companies were evaluated. A mixed-method approach was applied consisting of statistical testing an assumed association between using SDGs and the quality of BDR and a content analysis of SDG and BDR practices. One main finding is, that increased utilisation of SDG 14 and/or 15 goes hand in hand with better BDR but developed independently and rather as a result of increased biodiversity awareness within corporations. This might be the result of a combination of normative and coercive pressure. The second main finding is that overall, there are tendencies to integrate SDG 14/and or 15 but those are marginal, far from the transformational change needed and overshadowed by misleading reporting practices that fall under the greenwashing umbrella. These findings contribute to our understanding of voluntary frameworks like the SDGs on corporate governance by highlighting how they are currently underutilised.