Development Process of Energy Mix towards Neutral Carbon Future of the Slovak Republic: A Review

Sustainable Development Processes for Renewable Energy Technology

Currently, the production of energy from traditional fossil sources is beginning to give way to renewable energy technologies [...]

Strengthening the Mitigation of Climate Change Impacts in Slovakia through the Disaggregation of Cultural Landscapes

This article presents the results of research on the possibilities of fragmentation of cultural, and especially agricultural, landscapes in a selected locality in eastern Slovakia, which is currently characterized by a high proportion of large-scale soil units used for growing cereals and crops subsequently used as energy sources (maize and oilseed rape, among others). Slovakia, as the country with the largest average field area in the European Union (EU), is facing a process of fragmentation of these units to counter climate change and increase the resilience of the landscape to erosion, soil fertility, and biodiversity loss. This paper presents a fragmentation method based on the restoration of former dividing lines, mainly formed by dirt roads, based on the historical mapping. The results show that in this way it is possible to achieve denser landscape fragmentation, to create dividing green belts, to increase the resilience of the environment to water and wind erosion, and to create an environment for pollinator resources and a background for plants and animals in the landscape, while respecting the ergometric routing of the dividing lines and the ownership relations of the land. Last but not least, benefits have been quantified in the form of carbon capture, as well as in the construction of a network of recreational or hiking trails.

Designing a Tool for an Innovative, Interdisciplinary Learning Process Based on a Comprehensive Understanding of Sourcing: A Case Study

The paper presents a case study describing the process of creating and validating the benefits of two Innovative Learning Tools (ILTs) aimed at more effective knowledge acquisition in the interdisciplinary field of earth resource extraction with links to the status of renewable energy. The philosophy behind the original designs and the design of the two tools, the way they are used, and the results of their application in the educational process are presented in a framework. The opinions and attitudes of both students and educators towards the tools were surveyed, and some research questions related to this form of knowledge acquisition were validated. The presented results show the students’ interest in the educational form as well as the attractive content that goes beyond conventional educational subjects, with its connections.

Approaching Sustainability Transition in Supply Chains as a Wicked Problem: Systematic Literature Review in Light of the Evolved Double Diamond Design Process Model

Transition from the status quo to more sustainable supply chain management (SSCM) practices is a highly complex and non-linear process with multiple drivers, but also obstacles, on the way. The impending strict regulatory framework, particularly in terms of the environmental dimensions of sustainability development (SD), is single-handedly opening the door to rapid and potentially disruptive change. The research literature on SSCM has increased exponentially over the last decade to meet the mounting demand for information on how to tackle often conflicting sustainability-related requirements while satisfying all internal and external stakeholders. Due to the continuously evolving and wicked nature of SSCM, a limited number of scholars have approached the issue with design thinking problem solving methodologies (DTPSMs). The results of a systematic literature review (SLR) were mirrored with the Evolved Double Diamond (EDD) design process model to formulate a design thinking overview and trace potential research gaps of selected frameworks and models regarding the sustainability transition (ST) of supply chains (SCs). The research results demonstrate that modelling the ST in SC as a wicked problem can contribute to the creation of more structured and novel SSCM models and frameworks, which take into deeper consideration the evolving nature of the issue and improve facilitation practices of stakeholder engagement.