A research report submitted to the Faculty of Engineering and Built Environment, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science in Building. Johannesburg, 2018 / South Africa is currently faced with the challenge of reducing the huge backlog of infrastructure delivery to communities that were previously disadvantaged. Specifically, the Government needs to deliver school infrastructure to accommodate the rapidly growing student population particularly in areas that have experienced high levels of urban migration. It is generally agreed that there is need to step up the quality of planning, costing and project management, to speed up the delivery process of schools in line with the schools calendar. This research report critically assesses the characteristics and application of procurement systems currently being utilised by Gauteng Department of Infrastructure Development (GDID) for the delivery of school buildings. GDID utilises three procurement systems; the traditional, the integrated and the management-oriented procurement systems, providing an opportunity to compare the performance of each system within a single organisational context. A descriptive survey was conducted for school projects with the same prototype design executed within GDID, to identify the external and internal factors that are complimentary or detrimental to the effective implementation of the different procurement systems. Data was collected and the content analysed. The literature research confirms that different procurement systems have an effect on the total project delivery time, assuming all other variables remain constant. The integrated procurement system was found to be the most suitable procurement system for schools service delivery projects, from initiation to close out, for GDID, given the tight time frameworks. However, due regard should be given to extensive communication with all stakeholders to obtain their buy-in and approvals. / E.R. 2019

The purpose of this thesis is to examine the role of sustainable development in Landscape Architecture. From reviewing the literature, a position is developed. The position is that Sustainable Development is an important issue for landscape architects and that there are reasons landscape architects have had limited success in sustainable development. The method of the thesis is derived from assessing a problem of sustainable development and landscape architecture and developing a solution to this problem. The solution is a procedure, not a tool, that landscape architects can use to learn about Sustainable Development and how it applies to landscape architecture. This thesis culminates in the development and application of a Sustainable Development Framework for Landscape Architects. The Framework is a procedure for landscape architects to become informed about sustainable development and how it applies to landscape architecture. For this thesis, the application was applied to the build out of an existing community, Top of the World. The implications of applying this framework are then discussed. / Master of Landscape Architecture

Abstract This article reports on the mechanisms of business-to-business regulation as governance approach in an agricultural supply chain. The article explores the activities of NGOs, government and business in promoting sustainable production. It focuses on the requirements set for producers in agro-food chains and the effects of NGO perceptions on these issues. The subsequent business standards set by retailers and other market role-players and the responses of producers are reported and the responsibility for achieving desired outputs is discussed. The research methodology included open interviews with various stakeholders in the chain, as well as structured questionnaires to determine practices on farms. From the fi ndings it is clear that perceptions of European stakeholders differ substantially from the reality found in South Africa. This has consequences for producers, from both a social and a fi nancial perspective. Understanding the role and function of NGOs, market roleplayers and national government in the governance of sustainable development in the South African–European table grape supply chain contributes to identifying barriers and opportunities to achieving sustainable practices in global supply chains. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and ERP Environment.

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The purpose of this study is to define what data could be used to describe consumers’ actual behaviour when it comes to consumption of sustainable fashion. The perspective is both in terms of finding variables that describe the actual behaviour of sustainable consumption, and to create an appropriate measuring tool that can be used to measure those behaviours. This study has a qualitative research strategy with an inductive approach. The topic was examined by an extensive literature review in the fields connected to the topic. From the literature and the problem raised by the Swedish Consumer Agency, a questionnaire emerged. The questionnaire was also revised into a second version based on the feedback gathered during the focus group session. A questionnaire is suitable to get the consumer perspective, as well as cover all three stages of the consumption cycle and measuring over time. Additionally, this paper focuses on the environmental aspect of sustainability, but the importance of the social and economical aspects are acknowledged. The conclusions drawn in this paper were that it is important to measure the sustainable consumption behaviours of fashion consumers throughout the whole consumption span. When talking about consumption it is a common misconception to focus only on the purchase stage, when it really refers to the purchase, usages and end of use stage as a whole. The variables that were detected were presented in form of a questionnaire. The value of this paper is grounded in the developed questionnaire, which aims are to measure sustainable fashion consumption from a consumer perspective. This is interesting for the Swedish Consumer Agency, who requested a measuring tool, but it may also be of interest for other fashion companies to measure their consumer’s behaviour to detect a demand for sustainable products.

In Sweden we have environmental objectives to achieve for the year 2020. Swedish banks have a responsibility like everyone else in a society to act environmentally responsible. When Swedish banks are lending to SMEs they are taking a risk, however, banks are risk averse and want to minimize their risk. By lending to a company that does not take environmental responsibility the risk are increasing. In this study we want to research if Swedish banks take environmental responsibility of companies into account when lending to SMEs. Previous studies show that banks do make an environmental consideration when lending to companies, but there is lack of similar studies in Swedish banks. Additionally, the previous findings have shown to be contradictory. We also thought it would be interesting to see whether Swedish banks are familiar with the environmental objectives since we are not far from 2020. Additionally, we want to find out if there have been any changes since previous years, and if Swedish banks work differently with environmental issues in their lending process to SMEs. Thus, our problem statement is: Do Swedish banks take SMEs environmental responsibility into account in the lending process? And are the Swedish banks familiar with the environmental objectives? Some theories that are discussed in this study are the environmental risks that the banks are exposing themselves to when lending to SMEs. The environmental risks are divided into three categories, reputational risk, direct risk and indirect risk. Another theory that we discuss is the information asymmetry, which also affects the lending process. To grant a loan that is not too risky for the bank, and still fair to the company, the bank need to make an assessment. The assessment is based on the information SMEs gives Swedish banks and therefore the companies have the possibility to not be completely truthful. This is a quantitative research with a deductive approach, and in order to get our results we sent out surveys to Swedish banks that work with lending to SMEs. A total of 75 surveys were sent to the Swedish banks and the 32 answers we received constituted a response rate of 51,6 % since only 62 surveys reached the respondents. The result from our survey showed that Swedish banks do take the environmental responsibility of the company into account when lending to SMEs, however, they are not familiar with the environmental objectives. Thus, they do consider the companies’ environmental responsibility when granting loans to SMEs, however, we do not know whether the environmental objectives are included in this process or not. We could also see from the result of our survey that Swedish banks environmental responsibility has change with time. The conclusion of this research is that Swedish banks do take environmental responsibility of the company into account when lending to SMEs. This is something they should consider to develop and incorporate in their environmental work. However, they are not familiar with the environmental objectives.

The aim of this qualitative interpretive study is to look into SDG implementation in Sweden from a governance for sustainable development perspective. This research is to be seen as a first attempt at mapping the state of governance for sustainable development in relation to SDG implementation in Sweden – further research is both necessary and welcomed in order to get a complete picture of the situation. Seven key components of governance for sustainable development developed by Gibson et al. (2005) are used as a theoretical framework for the study. Those key components are; policy integration; shared sustainability objectives; sustainability based criteria for planning and approval of significant undertakings; specified rules for managing trade-offs and compromises; widely accepted indicators of needs for action and progress towards sustainability; information and incentives for practical implementation, and; programmes for system innovation. Previous research as well as reports from organizations such as the OECD and the European Commission have been used to evaluate the state of these components in Sweden, primarily from an environmental sustainability perspective. Conclusions reached include that the main components relevant for Swedish implementation of the SDGs are: policy integration, shared sustainability objectives and widely accepted indicators for needs for action and progress towards sustainable development. Another conclusion drawn is that the level of fulfillment in some of these key components does not necessarily correspond with the likelihood of successful SDG implementation. Further research is being suggested for   a governance-related mapping of the social and economic pillars of sustainable development. Together with the environmental pillar they are essential for the holistic approach that sustainable development deserves.

No description available.

Sustainable Built Environments Senior Capstone Project / Marine Corps forward operating bases (FOBs) operate in austere conditions where the reliance on resupply from main bases is a necessity. A FOB in Afghanistan requires at least 300 gallons of diesel fuel a day, in which each gallon delivered requires 7 gallons of fuel to get it there by convoy. Extensive resupply convoys offer a tactical disadvantage, especially when there is one Marine casualty for every 50 convoys. Private sector innovations in energy efficiency can offer a solution to inefficient energy use and Marine casualties from IEDs – improvised explosive devices. Data analysis of private sector innovations in the fields of flexible solar, fuel cells, and atmospheric water generation, provide direction into the future of sustainable forward operating base design. Each of the proposed innovations outscore current systems by vast margins in a weighted energy efficiency scale and therefore have the potential to elevate the energy efficiency of forward operating bases. Energy efficiency, in the case of the Marine Corps, is a combat multiplier. If they are able to free themselves from the burden of their increased energy use, they gain the ability to operate more aggressively, push deeper, and fight as a lighter, more lethal force.

Sustainable Built Environments Senior Capstone Project / Captivated by the sustainable design principles and concepts, this study explores the definition of what is net zero and how has this concept become the new standard in today’s society. By analyzing several case studies, the qualitative and quantitative data will give insight into developing the ideal performance of green and sustainable buildings in relation to a net zero energy focus. The idea of sustainable design began as an economic tool to reduce high energy consumption in order to minimize cost in building construction. Nonetheless, this practice has evolved further into elevating the social and environmental, as well as economic standards of building design in the twenty-first century.