Consideration of culture is vital if we are to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals

Contributions of human cultures to biodiversity and ecosystem conservation

The expansion of globalized industrial societies is causing global warming, ecosystem degradation, and species and language extinctions worldwide. Mainstream conservation efforts still focus on nature protection strategies to revert this crisis, often overlooking the essential roles of Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities (IP&LC) in protecting biodiversity and ecosystems globally. Here we assess the scientific literature to identify relationships between biodiversity (including ecosystem diversity) and cultural diversity, and investigate how these connections may affect conservation outcomes in tropical lowland South America. Our assessment reveals a network of interactions and feedbacks between biodiversity and diverse IP&LC, suggesting interconnectedness and interdependencies from which multiple benefits to nature and societies emerge. We illustrate our findings with five case studies of successful conservation models, described as consolidated or promising 'social-ecological hope spots', that show how engagement with IP&LC of various cultures may be the best hope for biodiversity and ecosystem conservation, particularly when aligned with science and technology. In light of these five inspiring cases, we argue that conservation science and policies need to recognize that protecting and promoting both biological and cultural diversities can provide additional co-benefits and solutions to maintain ecosystems resilient in the face of global changes.

Earth Systems to Anthropocene Systems: An Evolutionary, System-of-Systems, Convergence Paradigm for Interdependent Societal Challenges

Humans have made profound changes to the Earth. The resulting societal challenges of the Anthropocene (e.g., climate change and impacts, renewable energy, adaptive infrastructure, disasters, pandemics, food insecurity, and biodiversity loss) are complex and systemic, with causes, interactions, and consequences that cascade across a globally connected system of systems. In this Critical Review, we turn to our "origin story" for insight, briefly tracing the formation of the Universe and the Earth, the emergence of life, the evolution of multicellular organisms, mammals, primates, and humans, as well as the more recent societal transitions involving agriculture, urbanization, industrialization, and computerization. Focusing on the evolution of the Earth, genetic evolution, the evolution of the brain, and cultural evolution, which includes technological evolution, we identify a nested evolutionary sequence of geophysical, biophysical, sociocultural, and sociotechnical systems, emphasizing the causal mechanisms that first formed, and then transformed, Earth systems into Anthropocene systems. Describing how the Anthropocene systems coevolved, and briefly illustrating how the ensuing societal challenges became tightly integrated across multiple spatial, temporal, and organizational scales, we conclude by proposing an evolutionary, system-of-systems, convergence paradigm for the entire family of interdependent societal challenges of the Anthropocene.

Carbon emission fluctuations of Chinese inter-regional interaction: a network multi-hub diffusion perspective

The "double-carbon" policy is a new opportunity for the transformation of China's production sector. With steady economic growth, each province has proposed specific policies aimed at cleaner production. However, the interactions between regions and the complex linkages between industries have hindered the implementation of the "double-carbon" policy. In order to address this issue, we introduced a complex network framework with multiple industries at a national level. The framework aimed to clarify whether there is fluctuation diffusion in China's multi-province multi-industry carbon emission system, to identify key industries and regions, and to answer the question of "who" is the most effective in governance. The results showed that the fluctuations of industrial carbon emissions had a cross-regional diffusion effect in China indeed. The diffusion capacity of industry fluctuation depends on whether the industry is located at a "hub" position in the network. Hub industries with strong capacity can spread the carbon emission fluctuation of themselves and upstream or downstream industries to the whole country through regional interactions. This characteristic of the hub industry should be taken into account in governance to maximize the effectiveness of emission reduction. Shandong and Inner Mongolia, as important provinces for the production of intermediate products and energy chemicals in China, had a greater role to play in global carbon supply push from their hub industries than in the demand pull. The pulling capacity of Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region to the national carbon demand side was greater than that of Yangtze River Delta and Pearl River Delta. These findings might have implications for environmental and economic policymaking, particularly with regard to cross-provincial coordinated systemic solutions and policy anchors for synergy with industries.

Value Orientations, Personal Norms, and Public Attitude toward SDGs

Improving communication and engagement with the public is vital for implementing sustainable development goals (SDGs). Public attitude toward SDGs can influence this engagement, as people are more likely to accept SDG-relevant information and take actions that are consistent with their own attitudes. This study examines the determinants for individual attitudes in supporting SDGs and further explores the formation of public attitudes toward SDGs, i.e., how public attitude is shaped by the value orientations and norms of the individuals. Using an online survey (n = 3089), we uncovered several important findings: (1) individuals' altruistic/biospheric value orientations are positively associated with pro-SDG attitudes; (2) personal norms mediate the relationship of individuals' altruistic values and attitudes; (3) some demographic characteristics (i.e., age, gender, having children) moderate the relationship of people's value orientations and attitudes; and (4) people's biospheric values have heterogeneous effects on their pro-SDG attitudes based on education and income. Through these findings, this study enhanced the public's general understanding of SDGs by providing a holistic analytical framework of public attitude formation on SDGs and uncovering the significant role of value orientations. We further identify the moderating effects of demographic characteristics and the mediating effects of personal norms in the relationship between individuals' values and attitude on SDGs.

Balancing national economic policy outcomes for sustainable development

The 2030 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) aim at jointly improving economic, social, and environmental outcomes for human prosperity and planetary health. However, designing national economic policies that support advancement across multiple Sustainable Development Goals is hindered by the complexities of multi-sector economies and often conflicting policies. To address this, we introduce a national-scale design framework that can enable policymakers to sift through complex, non-linear, multi-sector policy spaces to identify efficient policy portfolios that balance economic, social, and environmental goals. The framework combines economy-wide sustainability simulation and artificial intelligence-driven multiobjective, multi-SDG policy search and machine learning. The framework can support multi-sector, multi-actor policy deliberation to screen efficient policy portfolios. We demonstrate the utility of the framework for a case study of Egypt by identifying policy portfolios that achieve efficient mixes of poverty and inequality reduction, economic growth, and climate change mitigation. The results show that integrated policy strategies can help achieve sustainable development while balancing adverse economic, social, and political impacts of reforms.

Selecting economic policies to achieve sustainable development is challenging due to the many sectors involved and the trade-offs implied. Artificial intelligence combined with economy-wide computer simulations can help.

Does Public Environmental Education and Advocacy Reinforce Conservation Behavior Value in Rural Southwest China?

The integrity of the natural habitat benefits the harmonious coexistence of nature and humans. However, a negative anthropogenic impact on natural habitats exacerbates the ongoing decline of global biodiversity, further undermining ecosystem services for human well-being, and making it difficult to reach the UN sustainability development goals (SDGs). Understanding people’s willingness to engage in habitat conservation is essential to provide realistic recommendation and coordination for building environmentally sustainable rural communities. We conducted social field interviews in rural communities and evaluated how external factors, individuals’ perceptions, and attitudes impacted villagers’ willingness to conserve nature by using structural equation modeling analysis method. Particularly, we examined the influence of the Chinese government’s two mountains theory (TMT) propaganda campaign, which encourages environmentally sustainable behavior and appreciation of ecosystem services. Our surveys examined behavior in the context of the theory of planned behavior (TPB) in Menglun town in rural Southwest China in 2020. The results indicated that villagers had a basic understanding of the two mountains perceptions and tended to be willing to engage in conservation. The path analysis revealed that villagers’ willingness to conserve nature was directly influenced by external factors, mainly containing policy advocacy and environmental education, and was indirectly influenced by their perceived ability through identification and assessment of local habitats’ ecosystem services. We identified the importance of TMT slogan advocacy with natural conservation perceptions and local traditional culture as key drivers for the impact paths. These factors can achieve the SDGs 4, 8, 13, and 14. We also identified the importance of social perceptions of villagers’ willingness to conserve nature as a way to bring insights into habitat conservation in rural emerging areas of other regions and achieve the SDGs 13, 14. The study suggests that government and stakeholders should fully consider villagers’ demands for acquiring material benefits and recreational pastimes when optimizing ecosystem services of the natural habitat. Certainly, considering public environmental education and environmental advocacy can be a complementary strategy for rural development and conservation.

Cultural Dimensions in Colombia and Chile According to the Spanish Version of the Dorfman and Howell Questionnaire

Culture influences the way people can be managed successfully according to the organizational objectives including sustainability. Hofstede´s cultural dimensions have been widely studied in different contexts. Dorfman and Howell designed an instrument in English to measure those dimensions. However, there is no validated Spanish version for this instrument. The objective of this article is to provide to the Ibero-American community a Spanish version of the Dorfman and Howell instrument. The questionnaire was translated into Spanish and adapted to the Chilean and Colombian populations. The study included 1136 participants, 500 from Chile and 636 from Colombia. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis were supported by the KMO and the Bartlett tests. Results indicate a better fit of a five-factor model, in similarity with the English language original instrument, as follows: masculinity–femininity, paternalism, power distance, uncertainty avoidance, and individualism–collectivism. Construct validity of the scales was confirmed in the Chilean sample, showing results consistent with previous meta-analytical research. The Dorfman and Howell instrument is a valid questionnaire for the evaluation of cultural dimensions in Spanish-speaking populations. The measurement of culture is a tool that leaders have available to facilitate the understanding and management of people. Organizations with operations in different countries or with intercultural context may use the results of this instrument to tune up their interventions.

Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) as a Framework for Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR)

Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) has been an articulated practice for over 7 decades. Still, most corporations lack an integrated framework to develop a strategic, balanced, and effective approach to achieving excellence in CSR. Considering the world’s critical situation during the COVID-19 pandemic, such a framework is even more crucial now. We suggest subsuming CRS categories under Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) be used and that they subsume CSR categories since SDGs are a comprehensive agenda designed for the whole planet. This study presents a new CSR drivers model and a novel comprehensive CSR model. Then, it highlights the advantages of integrating CSR and SDGs in a new framework. The proposed framework benefits from both CSR and SDGs, addresses current and future needs, and offers a better roadmap with more measurable outcomes.

What Do Freshmen Know about Sustainability? Analysing the Skill Gap among University Business Administration Students

This study aims at creating and validating an instrument to assess the level of mastery in sustainability competencies of freshmen students in business-related studies. To reach this goal, a questionnaire that captures the level of acquisition of the competencies in sustainability is provided. A three-step process has been followed to analyse the results gathered among first-year students in two Spanish universities. First, eight confirmatory factor analyses were conducted to verify the grouping of the dimensions included in the questionnaire, resulting in 10 competency units in sustainability (CU). Next, we averaged the values of the items included in each CU to facilitate interpretation and then calculated the skill gap; that is, the difference between the level that CU students are expected to achieve on graduation compared to the current level. Third, a series of ANOVA tests were run to investigate potential differences in the level of acquisition due to gender, prior training and educational background, which according to the literature might influence current student knowledge of sustainability. Our results reveal that freshmen enter university with a heterogeneous level of development, both in terms of breadth (different CUs) and depth (the extent to which each CU is developed). The original value of this work stems from the creation of an instrument which is expected to be applicable in a variety of contexts. Additionally, the information it provides assists us in the identification of the CUs that should be further emphasized at university level, and therefore helps professors to prioritise those teaching strategies targeted at overcoming this deficit.

Individualism and nationally determined contributions to climate change

Ratcheting up the Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) to achieve the Paris Agreement goals requires a better understanding of the enablers and barriers behind NDC formulation. However, existing quantitative analyses on the drivers of NDCs from an anthropological perspective are elusive. This study proposes both a conceptual framework and empirical analysis of how cultural values link with the pledged NDCs. The findings show that individualism (IDV) is a significant and robust predictor for the mitigation levels of NDCs, after controlling for affluence level, renewable energy proportion, democracy and other socioeconomic factors. For every 10-point increase in the IDV score (say from the score of Canada to Australia or from the score of Vietnam to Mexico), the committed per-capita emission in 2030 relative to 1990 levels decrease by 14%-22%. However, such a correlation is absent when assessing the mitigation ambitions using various fair benchmarks. This study underscores the necessity of considering more cultural context and nuances in tackling common climate problems, and advocates for developing tailored climate communication strategies to enhance the NDCs.