abstract: Land transformation under conditions of rapid urbanization has significantly altered the structure and functioning of Earth's systems. Land fragmentation, a characteristic of land transformation, is recognized as a primary driving force in the loss of biological diversity worldwide. However, little is known about its implications in complex urban settings where interaction with social dynamics is intense. This research asks: How do patterns of land cover and land fragmentation vary over time and space, and what are the socio-ecological drivers and consequences of land transformation in a rapidly growing city? Using Metropolitan Phoenix as a case study, the research links pattern and process relationships between land cover, land fragmentation, and socio-ecological systems in the region. It examines population growth, water provision and institutions as major drivers of land transformation, and the changes in bird biodiversity that result from land transformation. How to manage socio-ecological systems is one of the biggest challenges of moving towards sustainability. This research project provides a deeper understanding of how land transformation affects socio-ecological dynamics in an urban setting. It uses a series of indices to evaluate land cover and fragmentation patterns over the past twenty years, including land patch numbers, contagion, shapes, and diversities. It then generates empirical evidence on the linkages between land cover patterns and ecosystem properties by exploring the drivers and impacts of land cover change. An interdisciplinary approach that integrates social, ecological, and spatial analysis is applied in this research. Findings of the research provide a documented dataset that can help researchers study the relationship between human activities and biotic processes in an urban setting, and contribute to sustainable urban development. / Dissertation/Thesis / Ph.D. Sustainability 2013

abstract: Childhood obesity has been on the rise for the past decade, and it has been hypothesized that students' food choices may be influenced by easy access to food outlets near their schools that provide unhealthful options. But the results of recent studies on the relationship between the food environment around schools and student weight status are mixed and often contradictory. Most studies have used measures of weight and height that were self-reported by students, or have relied on data from a relatively small sample of students. I examine the association between weight status among school students and the food environment surrounding their schools using professionally-measured, student-level data across the full school-age spectrum. De-identified data were obtained for over 30,000 K-12 students in 79 public schools located in four New Jersey cities. Locations of alternative food-outlets (specifically, supermarkets, convenience stores, small grocery stores, and limited-service restaurants) were obtained from commercial sources and geocoded to develop proximity measures. A simplified social-ecological framework was used to conceptualize the multi-level the association between students' BMI and school proximity to food outlets and multivariate analyses were used to estimate this relationship controlling for student- and school-level factors. Over twenty percent of the students were obese, compared to the national average at 17% (Ogden, Carroll, Kit, & Flegal, 2012). On average, students had 2.6 convenience stores, 2.9 limited-service restaurants, and 0.1 supermarkets within a quarter mile of their school. This study suggests that easy access to small grocery stores (which this study uniquely examines as a separate food outlet category) that offer healthy choices including five types of fresh vegetable, five types of fresh fruits, low-fat dairy, and lean meats is associated with lower BMI z score and lower probability of being obese for middle and high school students. This suggests that improving access to such small food outlets may be a promising area for future investigation in obesity mitigation research. Also, this study separates students of pre-schools, kindergartens and elementary schools (neighborhood schools) from that of the middle and high schools (non-neighborhood) schools because the two groups of schools have different neighborhood characteristics, as well as open-school and bussing policies that result in different levels of exposure that students have to the food outlets around the schools. The result of this study suggests that the relationship between students' weight outcomes and food environment around schools is different in the two groups of schools. / Dissertation/Thesis / M.S. Sustainability 2013

abstract: Energy is a central concern of sustainability because how we produce and consume energy affects society, economy, and the environment. Sustainability scientists are interested in energy transitions away from fossil fuels because they are nonrenewable, increasingly expensive, have adverse health effects, and may be the main driver of climate change. They see an opportunity for developing countries to avoid the negative consequences fossil-fuel-based energy systems, and also to increase resilience, by leap-frogging-over the centralized energy grid systems that dominate the developed world. Energy transitions pose both challenges and opportunities. Obstacles to transitions include 1) an existing, centralized, complex energy-grid system, whose function is invisible to most users, 2) coordination and collective-action problems that are path dependent, and 3) difficulty in scaling up RE technologies. Because energy transitions rely on technological and social innovations, I am interested in how institutional factors can be leveraged to surmount these obstacles. The overarching question that underlies my research is: What constellation of institutional, biophysical, and social factors are essential for an energy transition? My objective is to derive a set of "design principles," that I term institutional drivers, for energy transitions analogous to Ostrom's institutional design principles. My dissertation research will analyze energy transitions using two approaches: applying the Institutional Analysis and Development Framework and a comparative case study analysis comprised of both primary and secondary sources. This dissertation includes: 1) an analysis of the world's energy portfolio; 2) a case study analysis of five countries; 3) a description of the institutional factors likely to promote a transition to renewable-energy use; and 4) an in-depth case study of Thailand's progress in replacing nonrenewable energy sources with renewable energy sources. My research will contribute to our understanding of how energy transitions at different scales can be accomplished in developing countries and what it takes for innovation to spread in a society. / Dissertation/Thesis / Ph.D. Sustainability 2013

abstract: Farmers' markets are a growing trend both in Arizona and the broader U.S., as many recognize them as desirable alternatives to the conventional food system. As icons of sustainability, farmers' markets are touted as providing many environmental, social, and economic benefits, but evidence is mounting that local food systems primarily serve the urban elite, with relatively few low-income or minority customers. However, the economic needs of the market and its vendors often conflict with those of consumers. While consumers require affordable food, farmers need to make a profit. How farmers' markets are designed and governed can significantly influence the extent to which they can meet these needs. However, very little research explores farmers' market design and governance, much less its capacity to influence financial success and participation for underprivileged consumers. The present study examined this research gap by addressing the following research question: How can farmers' markets be institutionally designed to increase the participation of underprivileged consumers while maintaining a financially viable market for local farmers? Through a comparative case study of six markets, this research explored the extent to which farmers' markets in Central Arizona currently serve the needs of farmer-vendors and underprivileged consumers. The findings suggest that while the markets serve as a substantial source of income for some vendors, participation by low-income and minority consumers remains low, and that much of this appears to be due to cultural barriers to access. Management structures, site characteristics, market layout, community programs, and staffing policies are key institutional design features, and the study explores how these can be leveraged to better meet the needs of the diverse participants while improving the markets' financial success. / Dissertation/Thesis / Ph.D. Sustainability 2013

abstract: Transformational sustainability science demands that stakeholders and researchers consider the needs and values of future generations in pursuit of solutions to sustainability problems. This dissertation research focuses on the real-world problem of unsustainable water governance in the Phoenix region of Central Arizona. A sustainability transition is the local water system is necessary to overcome sustainability challenges and scenarios can be used to explore plausible and desirable futures to inform a transition, but this requires some methodological refinements. This dissertation refines scenario methodology to generate water governance scenarios for metropolitan Phoenix that: (i) feature enhanced stakeholder participation; (ii) incorporate normative values and preferences; (iii) focus on governance actors and their activities; and (iv) meet an expanded set of quality criteria. The first study in the dissertation analyzes and evaluates participatory climate change scenarios to provide recommendations for the construction and use of scenarios that advance climate adaptation and mitigation efforts. The second study proposes and tests a set of plausibility indications to substantiate or evaluate claims that scenarios and future projections could become reality, helping to establish the legitimacy of radically different or transformative scenarios among an extended peer community. The case study of water governance begins with the third study, which includes a current state analysis and sustainability appraisal of the Phoenix-area water system. This is followed by a fourth study which surveys Phoenix-area water decision-makers to better understand water-related preferences for use in scenario construction. The fifth and final study applies a multi-method approach to construct future scenarios of water governance in metropolitan Phoenix in 2030 using stakeholder preferences, among other normative frames, and testing systemic impacts with WaterSim 5.0, a dynamic simulation model of water in the region. The scenarios are boundary objects around which stakeholders can weigh tradeoffs, set priorities and reflect on impacts of water-related activities, broadening policy dialogues around water governance in central Arizona. Together the five studies advance transformational sustainability research by refining methods to engage stakeholders in crafting futures that define how individuals and institutions should operate in transformed and sustainable systems. / Dissertation/Thesis / Ph.D. Sustainability 2014

abstract: Industrial activities have damaged the natural environment at an unprecedented scale. A number of approaches to environmentally responsible design and sustainability have been developed that are aimed at minimizing negative impacts derived from products on the environment. Environmental assessment methods exist as well to measure these impacts. Major environmentally responsible approaches to design and sustainability were analyzed using content analysis techniques. The results show several recommendations to minimize product impacts through design, and dimensions to which they belong. Two products made by a manufacturing firm with exceptional commitment to environmental responsibility were studied to understand how design approaches and assessment methods were used in their development. The results showed that the company used several strategies for environmentally responsible design as well as assessment methods in product and process machine design, both of which resulted in reduced environmental impacts of their products. Factors that contributed positively to reduce impacts are the use of measurement systems alongside environmentally responsible design, as well as inspiring innovations by observing how natural systems work. From a managerial perspective, positive influencing factors included a commitment to environmental responsibility from the executive level of the company and a clear vision about sustainability that has been instilled from the top through every level of employees. Additionally, a high degree of collaboration between the company and its suppliers and customers was instrumental in making the success possible. / Dissertation/Thesis / Ph.D. Environmental Design and Planning 2014

abstract: The problem concerning the access to energy has become an increasingly acute matter of concern in low-income areas. Currently an estimated 1.2 billion people don't have access to energy (IEA, 2014). Following the declaration of 2012 as "The International Year of Sustainable Energy for All" by the United Nations General Assembly (UNDP, 2014), this alarming situation of energy poverty has resulted in the creation of new partnerships between governments, NGOs (Non-Governmental Organization), and large multi-national corporations. This study is focused on the evaluation of sustainability of a development project in Gutu, Zimbabwe that is initiated by Schneider Electric Corporation's BipBop Program. This program aims to provide access to energy via photo-voltaic cells and battery kits for daily use. It is expected that this project will have a high impact on sustainable development, and creation of value, which in turn is expected to allow participation in global supply chains. The results gathered from the analysis show that the development project to be piloted in Gutu, Zimbabwe is likely to have a "high impact on sustainability". The project is therefore considered an effective sustainable development project that aims to promote, and develop local Zimbabwean markets through increased transactions and the creation of sustainable supply chains that are expected to recruit Zimbabwe into the global value chains. / Dissertation/Thesis / Original copies of all the figures / Masters Thesis Global Technology and Development 2014

A sustentabilidade é um tema aceito pelo mercado e que vem ganhando destaque em várias áreas. Este trabalho traz a sua aplicação na área financeira com o intuito de contribuir para desenvolvimento das empresas. Dessa forma, foi realizada a análise de conteúdo para esclarecer as concepções do tema, que ainda não são claras. Para isso, duas técnicas complementares foram utilizadas: Revisão Sistemática e Categorização. A Revisão sistemática permitiu compreender os conceitos influentes na sustentabilidade e a sua aplicação. Já a Categorização foi utilizada para analisar os principais modelos de previsão de insolvência citados na literatura brasileira. O objetivo geral foi verificar se o desconhecimento dos fatores da sustentabilidade financeira contribui para o insucesso das empresas. Os objetivos específicos deste trabalho foram a) apresentar as concepções da sustentabilidade b) identificar as causas do insucesso empresarial c) extrair as principais variáveis dos modelos de previsão de insolvência d) apresentar os fatores do sucesso financeiro e) Compilar os fatores e desenvolver um modelo de Sustentabilidade Financeira. Os resultados contribuíram para o esclarecimento do tema e permitiram a elaboração de um modelo teórico de Sustentabilidade Financeira Empresarial, aplicável às empresas brasileiras. / Sustainability is accepted by the market and that has been gaining attention in several areas subject. This work brings its application in the financial area in order to contribute to business development. Therefore, content analysis was performed to clarify the concepts of the subject, which are not yet clear. For this, two complementary techniques were used: Systematic Review and Classification. A systematic review has allowed to understand the influential concepts in sustainability and its application. Categorization already been used to analyze the main insolvency prediction models cited in the Brazilian literature. The overall objective was to determine whether the lack of financial sustainability of the factors contributing to the failure of companies. The specific objectives of this study were a) to present the concepts of sustainability b) identify the causes of business failure c) extracting the main variables of the model prediction of insolvency d) present the factors of success and financial e) to compile the factors and develop a model Financial Sustainability. The results helped to clarify the issue and allowed the elaboration of a theoretical model of Financial Sustainability Company applicable to Brazilian companies.

A produção de um bem é responsabilidade de todas as empresas que integram a cadeia de suprimentos, por conseguinte, as implicações socioambientais que esses produtos geram são também de responsabilidade de cada uma das empresas que integram essa cadeia. Assim, o comportamento socioambiental nas empresas precisa ser considerado ao longo da cadeia de suprimentos. Embora existam estudos relacionando sustentabilidade e cadeia de suprimentos, as pesquisas têm-se focado principalmente na dimensão ambiental e econômica. Os aspectos relacionados com as três dimensões da sustentabilidade de forma conjunta têm recebido pouca atenção na pesquisa. Além disso, os estudos têm considerado somente a empresa focal como unidade de análise e, raramente, essas pesquisas abrangem todos os membros que compõem a cadeia. Nesse contexto, a presente tese propõe desenvolver uma estrutura analítica para identificar o perfil de sustentabilidade de cadeias de suprimentos. No referencial teórico discute-se a dinâmica da sustentabilidade sob a visão das dimensões econômica, social e ambiental. Em seguida, apresentam-se os fundamentos da gestão da cadeia de suprimentos, identificando seus elementos-chave (estrutura, processos, e componentes). Posteriormente, relaciona-se a sustentabilidade com os elementos-chave de gestão por meio da cadeia de suprimentos sustentável. Por fim, o referencial teórico propõe a estrutura analítica de pesquisa, integrando parâmetros sustentáveis em cada elemento-chave da gestão da cadeia de suprimentos, objetivando a construção do perfil de sustentabilidade. Referente aos procedimentos metodológicos, a estrutura analítica foi testada em quatorze cadeias de suprimentos de rosas do Equador. Nesse tipo de cadeia, o produtor de rosas é considerado a empresa focal. As cadeias de suprimentos estão compostas por oito membros: a empresa focal e os sete fornecedores de primeiro nível. Os dados foram coletados com o uso de um questionário estruturado. Para estruturação das cadeias foi utilizada uma amostra de 312 empresas. Dessas, 42 responderam o questionário, ou seja, 13% do total. Foram usadas para a configuração das cadeias apenas 26 empresas. Com os dados obtidos foram construídos quatorze perfis, os quais descrevem a posição de sustentabilidade da cada empresa e da cadeia como se fosse uma única empresa. Adicionalmente, a forma em que o perfil é apresentado permite desdobrar as posições obtidas de cada empresa nas dimensões social, ambiental e econômica. Esse desdobramento possibilita identificar qual empresa obteve a maior ou a menor posição de forma global e por dimensão. A partir desses perfis, apresentam-se três tipos de análise: entre cadeias, entre os membros da cadeia, e entre as empresas que ocupam a mesma posição nas cadeias. Os resultados que a estrutura analítica gerou possibilitaram traçar perfis de sustentabilidade em cadeias de suprimentos de acordo com o objetivo proposto. O perfil caracteriza de forma simples a posição de sustentabilidade de uma cadeia, usando os mesmos parâmetros de mensuração em todos seus membros. Além disso, a forma como o perfil foi construído permite analisar a cadeia e seus membros nas dimensões social, ambiental e econômica, separadamente. Esse desdobramento facilita a identificação de brechas entre as dimensões e entre as empresas. / Manufacturing a good is a responsibility shared by all the enterprises integrating the supply chain; therefore, each enterprise of the chain should be held responsible for the socioenvironmental implications generated by these products. That being said, enterprises’ socioenvironmental behavior is an aspect to be taken into consideration along all the supply chain. Although there are studies relating sustainability and supply chain, researches have focused mainly on the environmental and economic dimensions. The aspects related to the three sustainability dimensions combined have received little research attention. Furthermore, studies have considered only the focal enterprise as an analysis unit, and these studies hardly ever encompass all the members composing the chain. In this context, this study attempts to develop an analytical structure in order to identify the sustainability profile of supply chains. In the theoretical background it is discussed the sustainability dynamics under the light of the economic, social and environmental dimensions. Afterwards, supply chain management basis are presented, identifying their key elements (structure, processes and components). Subsequently, sustainability is related to management key elements through a sustainable supply chain. The theoretical background proposes the research analytical structure, integrating sustainable parameters into each key element of the supply chain management, so as to build a sustainability profile. Regarding the methodological procedures, the analytical structure has been tested in fourteen rose supply chains in Ecuador. In this kind of chain, the rose grower is considered as the focal enterprise. The supply chains are composed of eight elements: the focal enterprise and seven first level suppliers. Data has been collected through a structured questionnaire. For the chain structuring a sample of 312 enterprises has been used. Out of these, 42 answered the questionnaire, that is, 13% of the total. Only 26 enterprises have been used to outline the chains. Fourteen profiles have been made with the data collected, describing the sustainability position of each enterprise and that of the chain, as if they were unique enterprises. Moreover, the way the profile is presented allows for the unfolding of the positions obtained by each enterprise in the social, environmental and economic dimensions. Such unfolding enables us to identify which enterprise has had the highest or lowest position globally or per dimension. Based on these profiles, three kinds of analysis have been presented: among chains, among chain members, and among enterprises occupying the same position in the chains. The outcomes from this analytical structure have enabled us to outline the sustainability profiles in supply chains according to the proposed aim. This profile characterizes in a simple way the sustainability position of a chain, applying the same measurement parameters to all its members. Furthermore, the way this profile has been built enables us to analyze the chain and its members in the social, environmental and economic dimensions separately. This unfolding makes it easier to identify gaps among the dimensions and the enterprises.

O desenvolvimento da presente tese tem por motivação central investigar como organizações que possuem ações de sustentabilidade buscam disseminá-las e incorporá-las ao longo de suas cadeias de suprimento. Para tanto, com uma nova definição para sustentabilidade em cadeias de suprimento (SCS), agora assumida por uma abordagem institucional efetivada por um processo socialmente construído, bem como a proposição do conceito de Lógica Institucional da Sustentabilidade (LIS) a partir de quatro dimensões de análise: Sequência de eventos; Empreendedorismo institucional; Mudança de estrutura; e Prática de sustentabilidade, esta tese apresenta contribuições tanto no contexto teórico como no empírico. Com uma essência propositiva, assume-se como questão de pesquisa: Como a Lógica Institucional da Sustentabilidade é constituída e praticada por organizações em cadeias de suprimento, em relação aos impactos no ambiente e na sociedade? Baseando-se nesta, tem-se como objetivo central de pesquisa: Analisar a promoção da Lógica Institucional da Sustentabilidade em Cadeias de Suprimento, a partir da proposição de um framework teórico e estudos de caso no Brasil e no Reino Unido. Por meio de uma pesquisa qualitativa conduzida com um método abdutivo, foram utilizados quatro estudos de caso como suporte à pesquisa, duas organizações no Brasil (uma indústria e uma agroindústria) e duas no Reino Unido (uma indústria e uma universidade). Assim, com uma análise processual, baseando-se nos resultados da análise de conteúdo, foram utilizados vários instrumentos de coleta de dados no sentido de validar o framework teórico para representar como a LIS se aplica à cadeia de suprimento. As análises seguem as quatro dimensões já mencionadas, bem como nove macro práticas e um conjunto de 21 micro práticas. Os casos foram analisados individualmente a partir das ações de sustentabilidade realizadas, pela formação do campo organizacional que os circundam, pela promoção da LIS ao longo do período de pesquisa, bem como a partir de uma análise institucional. Características peculiares foram identificadas nos diferentes casos, todavia a partir de uma aproximação dos resultados ficou visível que no caso do Brasil existiu um nível de esforço interno mais evidente por parte das organizações, o que se reflete na efetiva existência de estratégia e prática de sustentabilidade. Já no que se refere ao Reino Unido, as motivações identificadas possuem um caráter mais externo, com a observação da prática de sustentabilidade em muitos momentos limitada, ao se seguir o framework proposto. Outros resultados são destacados, como é a questão de grupos de trabalho identificados para buscar e efetivar a sustentabilidade dentro das organizações e em suas cadeias de suprimento, o que teve contribuição direta na validação do framework. Quanto as análises institucionais, percebe-se forte legitimidade em todos os casos dentro de seus campos organizacionais, o que ratifica como efetiva a definição aqui proposta. Com base nos resultados e nas construções teóricas, identifica-se originalidade e ineditismo nesta pesquisa, principalmente por avançar na discussão sobre o processo de implantação da sustentabilidade em cadeias de suprimento, ainda pouco considerada na literatura. Além disso, entende-se ser possível modificar o foco excessivo, e constante, apenas em performance e discutir o processo de mudança necessário para se esclarecer o papel das organizações quanto à sustentabilidade. / The main motivation to develop this thesis dissertation is to identify how companies are incorporating and widespread sustainability through the supply chain. Thus, the thesis presents a set of contribution in both theoretical and practical perspectives considering a new definition for supply chain sustainability (SCS), which is understood as an institutional approach achievable by a socially-constructed process, and a proposition of Institutional Logic of Sustainability (ILS) according to the following dimensions: Event sequencing; Institutional entrepreneurism; Structure overlap; and Practice of sustainability. Based on a purposeful viewpoint, the research question is: How the Institutional Logic of Sustainability is created and practiced from organisations through the supply chains, according to impacts on the environment and society? Further, the main objective of research is: Analyse the promotion of Institutional Logic of Sustainability in supply chains, from a theoretical framework and case studies in Brazil and in the UK. From a qualitative approach and an abdutive method, it were used four case studies to support the empirical research, in which two companies are Brazilian (an industry and an agro industry) and two are British (an industry and an university). Based on a processual analysis, according to the content analysis, it were used different data collection methods to validate the theoretical framework which represent the ILS applied to supply chains. The analysis were conducted using the four dimension presented already, as well as nine macro practices and 21 micro practices. All case studies were analysed individually considering: sustainability activities, the organisational field observed, the promotion of ILS during the time analysed, and last but least the institutional analysis. The results present some particular characteristics in all case studies, however from the approach among the results it is possible to highlight in one hand that in Brazil the internal motivation was more evident, which is identified in the strategies and the practices of sustainability in the companies. On the other hand, in the UK, the external motivation was more highlighted in which the practice of sustainability is limited in some moments, according to the proposed framework. Moreover, other results could be presented as the working groups identified in three case studies to achieve the sustainability internally and in the supply chain. These results have a huge contribution to validate the framework. Further, the institutional analysis indicates that the legitimacy is strong in all case studies, which ratify the definition proposed in this thesis. Based on this results and the theoretical contribution it is possible to identify originality and novelty in the research, since the thesis advances in relation to the implementation process of sustainability in supply chains, which is rare in the literature. Moreover, the thesis presents a shift from the excessive, and frequent, focus on performance for a discussion of process of change, which is necessary to understand the role of companies in the sustainability debate.