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City officials are in the position to adopt and implement policies within their jurisdiction that can have lasting impacts for businesses, people, and the environment. Sustainability research has highlighted the need to protect the environment by adopting policies which support the three E's of sustainable development (environment, equity, and economy). Stepping aside from the traditional mechanisms for building a successful city focused on economy first can be challenging for policy makers. The problem city officials face is that changes towards environmental protectionism have long been considered harder on city economy than traditional development focused on economic prosperity. Additionally, sustainability planning is thought to mitigate potential negative impacts that planning for environmental protectionism and social equity may have on economic prosperity. To examine this problem faced by city officials, ordinal regression analyses was used to analyze (1) the possible effects of environmental protectionism and social equity on a city's economic prosperity, and (2) whether sustainability planning has a moderating affect between environmental protectionism, social equity, and economic prosperity. This analysis demonstrates that environmental protectionism and social equity are not associated with a decline in economic prosperity. Sustainability planning was directly associated with increased economic prosperity but did not moderate the relationship between environmental protectionism and economic prosperity.

This research explores the possibilities which can emerge from a potential relationship between dance and sustainability. The purpose of this research has been to investigate what discussions around the subject of sustainability are already happening within theoretical circles, dance institutions and what practical avenues are being explored for furthering efforts toward sustainability in the latter. To give practical context to this, the Malmö-based contemporary dance company of Skånes Dansteater is explored as a case study; with reference to the company’s operations and performative works, as well as a significant exploration, in the specific context of cultural sustainability, of the archival project Bevara Rörelse, created and developed by resident archivist Celine Orman.  The results reveal that there is indeed a fluid and vibrant discourse around the subject of sustainability occurring, to varying degrees, within dance institutions, throughout the industry. Furthermore, the case study of Skånes Dansteater reveals how sustainability does not originate solely from institutionalised policy-making. Instead, the results found that sustainability manifests itself in multiple ways and that cultural practitioners – be they artists, archivists, dancers and so on – can respond to issues of sustainability via their respective practices. These practices can be seen as methods of engaging with sustainability; even without definitive intention on the part of the practitioner.  It is hoped that this research will offer some insight(s) into what this could mean for future dance practice, with the instrumental power it possesses, in communicating sustainability and for other means of creative practice – engaging with dance or otherwise – that engage with cultural sustainability. The hope is that such engagements can be valued, with their respective contributions, on the same scale as that of social and natural scientific engagements.

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While cities across the world are adopting urban sustainability plans and pursuing ‘sustainable development,’ the question of how these urban sustainability plans have made our cities indeed sustainable is a subject of debate. Some scholars are skeptical about whether urban sustainability planning challenges or reproduces existing power imbalance in the growth politics in cities. Given the current trend that the concept of sustainability has become embedded in our culture, little is known about the urban politics around urban sustainability plans and their effectiveness in promoting balanced sustainability in Asian cities. Using a case study of Seoul through in-depth interviews, this study examines the urban politics around the decision-making process and the implementation of sustainability plans in Seoul. As a rare case of recent rapid socio-economic transformations with the legacy of a developmental state, Korea serves as an example of how these transformations are likely to have for the urban politics of sustainability policies in other Asian countries. As conclusions, developmental states like Korea with a centralized governance system tend to use a “sustainability fix” that is heavily focused on ‘pro-growth’ development. With globalization, privatization, and democratization, the growth machine politics around urban sustainability planning in Korea is similar to that observed in the Western context. However, in Seoul, the growth machine is heavily influenced by the federal government and Mayoral leadership. This is because of the embedded legacy of the developmental state. In addition, with increased democratization and a growing role of civic groups in urban politics, we see a move towards “just sustainability” in urban sustainability planning in Korea. / Geography

Since about 2015 the social, environmental and economic risks and chances of the bioeconomy and economy in general are becoming increasingly the subject of applied sustainability assessments. Under a bioeconomy, a variety of industrial metabolisms, strategies and visions on substituting fossil resources by renewables and hereto associated societal transformations is formulated, characterized as regional bioeconomy if most foreground activities take place in a specific region. Based on the life cycle assessment (LCA) methodology, further social and economic LCA approaches were developed in previous research whereby life cycle sustainability assessment (LCSA) aims to combine or integrate the evaluation of social, environmental and economic effects. In this early stage of rudimentary and combinatory LCSA development, the research questions of this work are to develop a transdisciplinary framework for integrated LCSA for regional stakeholders to assess ecological, economic and social sustainability in one harmonized method, as well as to implement, apply and validate it by two regional case studies. Therefore, i) the understandings of sustainability and approaches of sustainability assessment in LCA are transdisciplinary reflected and developed, ii) a systemic framework of the important aspects of such assessments is structured by a series of stakeholder workshops, iii) the methods and indicators from existing LCA approaches as well as from bioeconomy monitoring systems are selected, identified and allocated to a sustainability concept of holistic and integrated LCSA (HILCSA), iv) databases for the life cycle inventory and methods for life cycle impact assessment are implemented in a software, as well as v) the model and method is applied and validated in two case studies on laminated veneer lumber production and production of biofuels in central Germany. Based on previous research, the dissertation provides a theoretically well based and practically applicable framework for integrated life cycle sustainability assessment, an applicable indicator set for regional (product & territorial) bioeconomy assessment, an integration of life cycle impact assessment methods as well as their comprehensive interpretation. Thereby, LCSA is able to identify the contribution of regional bioeconomy product systems to 14 out of 17 Sustainable Development Goals in terms of planetary boundaries, a sustainable economy and societal needs. The presented results on material and energetic use cases of biomass show that integrated assessments are able to deliver a broad and comprehensive analysis of impacts to identify synergies, trade-offs and hot spots of regional bioeconomy. Compared to existing LCA and LCSA methodologies, the added value of the HILCSA methodology is its integrated and holistic character, which [1] allows consistent and comparable data on social, ecological, and economic indicators, [2] identifies synergies and trade-offs between different aspects and SDGs, [3] traces down impacts to regions in the fore-and background systems, [4] as well as allocates and aggregates them to the SDGs to make complexity communicable. Additionally, HILCSA takes social sciences and political economy into account from beginning to interpretation and discussion of results, relating to social, environmental, and economic impacts not only to technologies but also to societal, economic, and political questions.:Part I Overarching Introduction 1 1. Introduction 2 2. State of the Art 3 2.1 Sustainability Concepts and Frameworks in the Context of BE and the Role of Stakeholder Participation 3 2.2 LCA and LCSA Approaches for BE Regions 5 2.3 Inter-, Transdisciplinarity and Political Economy for Holistic Sustainability Assessment 7 2.4 Research Gaps to be addressed 8 3. Research Objectives 9 4. Methods 10 4.1 Stakeholder Expectations of the BE in Germany and Relevance of SDGs for Sustainability Assessments 10 4.2 Theoretical and Conceptual Considerations on BE, Sustainability and its Assessment for a Holistic and Integrated Framework for LCSA (HILCSA) 11 4.3 Criteria and Aspects for Implementation and Operationalization of HILCSA for BE Regions 11 4.4 Lessons Learned from Application and Validation of HILCSA in Case Studies and Results on Risks and Chances of a BE Transformation 13 5. Results 14 5.1 Stakeholder Participation in BE Monitoring and Assessment 14 5.1.1 Relevances, Interests and Perceptions 14 5.1.2 Narratives and Visions 17 5.2 Theoretical and Conceptual Implications from a Transdisciplinary Perspective on Sustainability Frameworks and Assessments 19 5.2.1 The Three Pillar Approach and additive LCSA 19 5.2.2 Introduction of Societal Relations to Nature in Sustainability Assessment and LCA 21 5.2.3 Societal-Ecological Transformation and the role of LCSA 21 5.3 Operationalization and Implementation of Holistic and Integrated LCSA (HILCSA) for BE Regions 23 5.3.1 Sustainability Concept and LCA Framework for HILCSA 23 5.3.2 Initial LCI and LCIA for HILCSA 25 5.4 Application and Validation of HILCSA in Case Studies and Results on Risks and Chances of a BE Transformation 31 5.4.1 Application of Holistic and Integrated LCSA: First Case Study on LVL Production in Central Germany 31 5.4.1.1 Goal and Scope 31 5.4.1.2 Life Cycle Inventory 33 5.4.1.3 Life Cycle Impact Assessment 34 5.4.1.4 Interpretation 35 5.4.2 Application of Holistic and Integrated LCSA: Second Case Study on prospective biomass to liquid production in Germany 36 5.4.2.1 Goal and Scope 36 5.4.2.2 Life Cycle Inventory 38 5.4.2.3 Life Cycle Impact Assessment 39 5.4.2.4 Interpretation 41 6. Conclusion and Outlook 43 6.1 Stakeholder Expectations and Participation 43 6.2 Theoretical Concepts for Sustainability and Methodological Frameworks 44 6.3 Operationalization and implementation of Holistic and Integrated LCSA 45 6.4 Lessons Learned from Case Studies: Identifying Risks and Chances of Regional BE by Applying & Validating HILCSA 47 6.4.1 Risks and Chances of Regional BE in Case of LVL and BtL and Validation of HILCSA 47 6.4.2 Lessons Learned and Future HILCSA Methodology Development 48 6.5 Concluding Remarks on Political (Bio-)Economy and Transformation 52 References 54 List of Acronyms 66 List of Tables 66 List of Figures 66 Part II Publications 68

In the past, South Africa was fraught with racial injustices resulting in the creation of a void between the country’s land reform and community conservation frameworks. The South African government has, over the past two decades promulgated a wide range of land laws to give effect to the property right contained in the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa, 1996 (the Constitution) in order to close this void. Similarly, the government has promulgated numerous national and provincial conservation laws to give effect to the environmental right contained in the Constitution, moving towards a more people-centred approach to nature conservation. Collectively, these set the foundation for land reform and sustainable development. Despite this foundation, no single act comprehensively regulates community conservation in South Africa, resulting in a high level of fragmentation in both the legal and administrative sectors. This fragmentation, coupled with a division of responsibilities and a lack of coordination, has been a major factor hampering effective community conservation initiatives following the land reform process. It is against this background that this study proposes to examine and evaluate the legal frameworks applicable to community conservation and land reform, with specific reference to the relationship between community conservation, land reform and sustainability, and to establish the extent to which South African law provides for sustainable community conservation following the land reform process. / LLM (Environmental Law and Governance), North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2015

The aim of this study was establish operational systems and viable size of community poultry projects versus number of beneficiaries to determine the capacity to sustain itself and serve its purpose as food security projects. Community poultry projects are expected to serve their purpose of securing food to beneficiaries and continue to run sustainably for longer time. The current study uses qualitative method to assess the performance of community poultry projects. The study used questionnaire to collect primary data by interviewing the accessible beneficiaries of existing poultry community. The results of the survey revealed that the majority of community poultry projects are not viable to fulfil purpose of their establishment which is to secure food for beneficiaries and to be self-sustainable. However, the average value of reward was equivalent to R3 a day from both broiler and layer projects. The study further revealed that the reward was paid once a year. The rewards in terms of product were expected to be consumed by household and transferred into cash to buy other types of food required. The food is mainly determined by the size of the household. However the question remains, R3 a day is sufficient to buy food for a family for four members. Based on the outcome of this study, researcher encourages further research into to all agricultural related community food security projects. Research studies may determine if these projects are really aimed at helping economic growth in rural communities or whether they have capacity to secure basic food for beneficiaries while sustaining them self. Agreed minimum value of reward per beneficiaries must be established to ensure a future perfect match on size on all agricultural projects versus number of beneficiaries. / Thesis (MBA) North-West University, Mafikeng Campus, 2011

In the past, South Africa was fraught with racial injustices resulting in the creation of a void between the country’s land reform and community conservation frameworks. The South African government has, over the past two decades promulgated a wide range of land laws to give effect to the property right contained in the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa, 1996 (the Constitution) in order to close this void. Similarly, the government has promulgated numerous national and provincial conservation laws to give effect to the environmental right contained in the Constitution, moving towards a more people-centred approach to nature conservation. Collectively, these set the foundation for land reform and sustainable development. Despite this foundation, no single act comprehensively regulates community conservation in South Africa, resulting in a high level of fragmentation in both the legal and administrative sectors. This fragmentation, coupled with a division of responsibilities and a lack of coordination, has been a major factor hampering effective community conservation initiatives following the land reform process. It is against this background that this study proposes to examine and evaluate the legal frameworks applicable to community conservation and land reform, with specific reference to the relationship between community conservation, land reform and sustainability, and to establish the extent to which South African law provides for sustainable community conservation following the land reform process. / LLM (Environmental Law and Governance), North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2015