<p> With increasing uncertainty regarding the health of natural ecosystems susceptible to climate change, a growing and diversifying human population is continuing to strain the sustainability of natural resources. How is society to prepare a future citizenry in the age of information and technology to lead though unforeseen sustainability challenges while still using education methods designed for the age of industrialization? In this dissertation, the author proposes a dramatic shift in the intent of curriculum design, arguing to achieve a society competent in sustainability, the traditional industrial model of education must be replaced with models derived from natural systems. The research tests a sustainability curriculum design that mimics the strength of living systems and organic molecular structure, an example of biomimicry. Placing assessment emphasis on competency relationships and not solely assignment completion, students utilized digital technology and communication to develop the emerging 21st century skill of digital media literacy. Following an extensive literature review of voices in critical pedagogy, systems theory, sustainable design, sustainability education and communication, the researcher presents a mixed methodology approach to triangulate data collected from students. Comprised of rubric assessment, student interviews and phenomenological student blogging, the data mapped each student's "molecule" representing their individual sustainability systems thinking. After further data analysis of student academic success and positive experience, the molecular model gives way to a heightened model mimicking cellular structure. The research offers a new tool and evidence to the field of sustainability education while challenging educators to adopt living systems into their own instructional designs.</p>

Sector sustainability strategies can provide industry sectors with a way of managing risks and opportunities, and contributing to sustainable development. The UK Government has encouraged their development in the construction industry. British Precast, as the trade association for the precast concrete industry in the UK, had undertaken to develop a sector sustainability strategy for that industry. However, the development of such strategies is a departure from the traditional role of the trade association and presented British Precast with a number of challenges. This EngD research programme was therefore established in order to address those challenges and facilitate progress towards a more sustainable precast industry. The research programme has followed a mixed method strategy of inquiry based on action research methodology, that is, a series of research cycles have been undertaken with the findings from each cycle being used to inform and guide subsequent cycles; archival analysis, survey and case study were the main research methods used. The requirement of the EngD programme to publish elements of the work in refereed journal and conference papers as the research progresses has allowed the research to be validated as scientifically satisfactory. The strategy development process combined best practice, current and emerging theory, original research, stakeholder engagement, and experience from other sectors and industries. The strategy was produced in the form of an action plan for British Precast. This plan differs from the sustainability strategies produced for other sectors of the construction products industry in that rather than simply promoting action on specific objectives, it provides British Precast with a means of engaging with the industry and its stakeholders, and facilitating progress towards a more sustainable precast industry. The action plan has been well received by the industry and its stakeholders, and there is clear evidence that it is helping to guide the business decisions of companies in the industry, and that progress towards a more sustainable precast industry is being achieved as a result. The research supporting the strategy development process has added to current knowledge and guidance on the development of sector sustainability strategies, but shown that there are limits to the influence trade associations can have over their members' actions. It has also been shown that the development of management systems, particularly environmental management systems to ISO 14001, and continuous performance improvement cultures can assist companies in managing for sustainability, supporting the findings of other studies. However, further work is needed to build support for the action plan within the precast industry, particularly amongst SMEs, to support the downstream supply chain in using precast products to deliver more sustainable construction, and to assist companies in achieving progress towards corporate sustainability. Recommendations are made for this work.

Abstract This study is to explore the cognition of local civil servants from the Kao-Kao-Ping Area on their value system of social development and sustainable local policies. Recently Taiwan government has adopted sustainable development as the ideal and direction of policy fulfillment, nontherless it seems bounded only at the central-government level Whether the local governments attentively adopt sustainable development principle and local civil servants own the cognition and understanding of sustainable development deserves further studying. Based on literature review on international and national materials, three parts of survey items were constructed ¡Vsocial paradigm of sustainability, sustainable development principles and local sustainable policies. Total 991 questionnaires were mailed and 381 valid responses were analyzed. The empirical analysis showed the local servants of the Kao-Kao-Ping Area generally posses positive cognition on sustainable development. Their perspectives on social development lean toward New Environmental Paradigm. Specifically, the perspectives can be divided into ¡§environment-oriented¡¨, ¡§equilibrium-oriented¡¨ and ¡§social norms ¡Voriented¡¨. The sustainable principles emphasized by the international societies and the central government are highly accepted, especially, the implementing directions of sustainable development. The local sustainable policies were highly recognized but with some vagueness on the position of ¡§main stream¡¨ values, such as highways or mass transportation, local place marketing, incentives to factories, local activities with international focus or unique locality. According to the study finding and the observations form the real situations, the cognition of civil servants on sustainable development is not related to the local policy practice.

Thesis (M.A.)--Ohio University, March, 2009. / Title from PDF t.p. Includes bibliographical references.

Although research and practice agree that visions are essential for organizations, the process of vision development remains elusive in academic literature. Presenting the "theory wave", this paper proposes a knowledge-based theory for developing sustainable visions to guide the creation of measures and actions in the future. Central to the theory wave, we suggest three features that characterize the development of sustainable visions; (1) learning from an envisioned future, (2) need orientation and (3) a wavelike process combining top-down and bottom-up approaches. Furthermore, by enhancing the creation of different kinds of knowledge, the theory-wave entails aspects of research on knowledge creation and thereby, it provides a new perspective on the field of vision development.

CoordenaÃÃo de AperfeiÃoamento de Pessoal de NÃvel Superior / O desenvolvimento sustentÃvel (DS) tem sido amplamente debatido por governos e sociedade civil nos paÃses industrializados e em desenvolvimento. A matÃria engloba questÃes complexas que devem ser tratadas de forma multidisciplinar, dado que os estudos, o planejamento e as aÃÃes devem acontecer em um contexto abrangente e sistÃmico. Este trabalho tem como finalidade propor uma metodologia que verifique o processo de qualquer projeto rumo ao desenvolvimento sustentÃvel, possibilitando assim conhecer os seus limites, por meio do cÃlculo de seu Ãndice e grau de sustentabilidade obtidos por quatro escopos â indicadores ambientais, sociais, econÃmicos e institucionais. A pesquisa foi bibliogrÃfica utilizando-se do mÃtodo sistÃmico. Para se conhecer a efetividade da proposta houve a aplicaÃÃo no projeto Cultivo de Algas Vermelhas, no distrito de Flecheiras, litoral oeste do Estado do CearÃ. A problemÃtica ambiental, embora seja comum a toda humanidade, existem diferentes maneiras de se vivenciar as relaÃÃes sociedade-natureza, por comportar diferentes grupos sociais e para cada grupo as questÃes temporal e espacial serem Ãnicas. EntÃo, o grande desafio do DS Ã como conseguir suficiÃncia, seguranÃa e vida boa para todos (desenvolvimento) dentro de regras e limites do ambiente biofÃsico (sustentabilidade). Nesse sentido, a efetividade do DS precisa estar pautada dentro dos seus prÃprios limites e os indicadores, como forma de avaliaÃÃo, podem identificar o grau de sustentabilidade a que se propÃe chegar e possibilitar um melhor conhecimento da relaÃÃo sociedade-natureza de hoje, e melhores aÃÃes para o amanhÃ. / Sustainable Development (SD) has been widely debated by government and civil society in industrialized and developing countries. The matter gathers complex question that must be treated in a multidisciplinar way, given that the studies, the plans and the actions should happen in a wide and systemic context. This thesis aims to propose a methodology that verifies the process of any project towards sustainable development, making possible to discover its limits by means of calculating its rate and degree of sustainability obtained by four scopes - environmental, social, economical and institutional indicators. The research was bibliographical, using the systemic method. To get to know the effectiveness of the proposal, there was an application in the project âCultivation of Red Algaeâ, in the city of Flecheiras, western coast of the state of CearÃ. Environmental problems, though common to all mankind, are experienced in different society-nature relationships, as different social groups are involved and temporal and spatial matters are unique for each group. So, the biggest challenge for SD is how to get sufficiency, security and good life for everyone (development) within rules and limits of the biophysical environment (sustainability). In this sense, the effectiveness of the SD needs to be put into its own limits and the indicators, as evaluation means, may identify the degree of sustainability which we aim and make possible a better knowledge of the society-nature relationship nowadays, and better actions for tomorrow.

Since the industrial revolution, technological developments and increased population have caused environmental damages such as lavish use of sources, pollution increased waste areas, poisoned wastes, harmless gasses, decreased green areas, global warming and climate change, harming of the ozone layer, decreased forests areas and natural sources. Appearance of the term of Global Warming makes the humanity to revise their facilities in all fields. To protect the nature and architectural environment, firstly, green architecture, ecological architecture and then sustainability occurred. This term has been proposed not to be a new term but a response to environmental disturbances caused by human activities and it is re-conceptualization of architecture. Sustainable architecture or sustainability is lot more extensive than ecological and green architecture. It contains the imbalance between environmental problems which is natural environment and consumption that occurred all around the world. An important part of sustainability debate focused on urban planning and design for more sustainable forms and patterns. In particular it is discussed that planning and design of urban areas have a major effect on transport and therefore can help reduce car usage, emissions, global warming and climate change. There are many planning and design approaches and movement that introduce certain criteria and strategies to prevent car dependency and encourage people to use public transportation and walking. To achieve sustainable transport, there should be design for walkable and easy accessible areas. Planning movements, such as New Urbanism and Transit Oriented Development, particularly came to the forefront of planning and influenced planning approaches. However, when review the literature, it is seen that planning movements, such as New Urbanism and Transit Oriented Development originated and were implemented mostly in West Europeean and North American Cities. The purpose of this study is to find out whether all those criteria, principles and strategies are also relevant planning approaches for more non-western cities like Baku which has a very different planning background and therefore possibly different urban form and tranmsport issues. In order to answer the abovementioned question, planning and design approaches in the literatureand and in these recent planning movements were studied and a check list was formed which indicate planning and design approaches that can help attain a more sustainable transport outcome. The checklist was then applied to the case of Baku.

Increasingly, universities are being tasked with leading the way to a sustainable future. Yet little is known about how Canadian university presidents conceptualize sustainable development and the role of the university in this endeavor. With studies demonstrating that it is important for university stakeholders to share common understandings of sustainability, and that administrators are especially instrumental in the pursuit of a sustainable university, these stakeholders’ perspectives and values around the concept of sustainability in higher education are significant. This study, which included in-depth interviews with 26 Canadian university presidents, revealed that presidents have substantially high levels of eco-literacy surrounding the concept of sustainable development and understand sustainability in higher education in measures relevant to their jurisdiction. Barriers were primarily financial, although cost-savings through energy reduction was also noted as a benefit, along with it being “the right thing to do” and worthwhile because of its perceived significance to students. The piece ends with recommendations for practitioners of sustainability, policy makers, researchers and university administrators.

Diss. Uppsala : Sveriges lantbruksuniversitet, 2004.

Studien syftar till att undersöka erfarna projektledares upplevelse av och arbete med hållbarhetsfrågor inom projekt i evenemangsbranschen. För att besvara detta har följande frågeställningar upprättats Hur upplever erfarna projektledare arbetet med hållbarhet inom projekt i evenemangsbranschen? och Vilka aspekter av hållbarhetsarbete diskuteras av erfarna projektledare inom projekt i evenemangsbranschen?. För att genomföra studien har en kvalitativ metod med en induktiv ansats valts. Intervjuerna genomfördes på ett semi-strukturerat vis och mynnade ut i ett resultat med tre centrala teman: När viljan och utfallet inte korrelerar, En bransch i förändring och Ett miljömässigt blad eller ett begrepp med flera grenar. Utifrån dessa teman tas läsaren med i en diskussion som sedermera mynnade ut i slutsatserna att en stor förändring pågår inom branschen i riktning mot mer hållbarhetsarbete, där den moderna projektledarens roll är central med vetskapen om en problematisk väg för att nå målet i att vara hållbara. / The study aims to investigate experienced project managers' experience of and work with sustainability issues within projects in the event industry. To answer this, the following questions have been raised. How do experienced project managers experience the work with sustainability in projects in the event industry? and What aspects of sustainability work are discussed by experienced project managers in projects in the event industry?. To carry out the study, a qualitative method with an inductive approach has been chosen. The interviews were conducted in a semi-structured way and resulted in three central themes: When will and outcome do not correlate, An industry in change and an environmental leaf or a concept with several branches. Based on these themes, discussions were held which later led to the conclusions that a major change is taking place in the industry towards more sustainability work, the project manager's role in sustainability work is central and project managers feel that sustainability work is important but not entirely unproblematic.