The Planetary Boundaries (PB) framework represents a significant advance in specifying the ecological constraints on human development. However, to enable decision-makers in business and public policy to respect these constraints in strategic planning, the PB framework needs to be developed to generate practical tools. With this objective in mind, we analyse the recent literature and highlight three major scientific and technical challenges in operationalizing the PB approach in decision-making: first, identification of thresholds or boundaries with associated metrics for different geographical scales; second, the need to frame approaches to allocate fair shares in the ‘safe operating space’ bounded by the PBs across the value chain and; third, the need for international bodies to co-ordinate the implementation of the measures needed to respect the Planetary Boundaries. For the first two of these challenges, we consider how they might be addressed for four PBs: climate change, freshwater use, biosphere integrity and chemical pollution and other novel entities. Four key opportunities are identified: (1) development of a common system of metrics that can be applied consistently at and across different scales; (2) setting ‘distance from boundary’ measures that can be applied at different scales; (3) development of global, preferably open-source, databases and models; and (4) advancing understanding of the interactions between the different PBs. Addressing the scientific and technical challenges in operationalizing the planetary boundaries needs be complemented with progress in addressing the equity and ethical issues in allocating the safe operating space between companies and sectors.

Higher education institutions (HEIs) have been urged to integrate sustainability across all their structural and organizational dimensions. A promising area of research and practice that can help to deliver this is organizational change management for sustainability. While this field has received increasing attention over the past decade, a comprehensive assessment is still lacking. Therefore, a systematic quantitative review was carried out to summarize and synthesize the academic literature on organizational change management approaches that aim to holistically embed sustainability in HEIs. Furthermore, this review aims to illustrate what change factors have been observed and how they have been analyzed, and from this highlight implications for practice and pathways for future research. The literature reviewed puts strong emphasis on change processes and human factors, as well as elements of the institutional framework, such as vision and strategy. The findings highlight the value of strategic and reflective actions, the importance of understanding and actively shaping change processes, and that change towards sustainability requires broad stakeholder input and commitment. This review serves as an important reference point for future research and practice.

It is widely acknowledged that the large-scale and long-term transitions needed to mitigate climate change and to implement policies for sustainable development within planetary boundaries require significant shifts in values and behaviours. Consequently, there is increasing interest in the processes through which major societal transitions for sustainability can occur through peaceful cooperation and widespread embrace of pro-environmental values, and the values associated with the broad concept of sustainability such as care for the interests of future generations and concern for the poor. This encompasses the search for compelling narratives to frame the process and goals of change and the need for the fostering of virtues and ethical frameworks of identity and practice that can underpin advocacy and change for sustainability. This requires drawing on richer sources of values and ethics. We suggest that important resources can be found in religious, as well as secular traditions of social values and ethical analysis. While major religions have begun to reflect environmental concerns and sustainability goals in their theology and praxis, with immense potential and actual influence over value and behaviours, little research has explored the impacts and implications of this development; nor indeed, the intellectual stimulus and social capabilities they can offer to secular thinkers and practitioners in sustainable development. In particular, we argue that there is a need to consider the affinities between secular sustainability frameworks for ethics and policy and the concepts of Catholic Social Teaching (CST) on the Common Good, recently updated by Pope Francis to integrate ecological concern and a call for universal ‘ecological conversion’ and cooperation. We outline the key features of CST and the Pope’s new ‘Integral Ecology’ framework and identify affinities, in particular, with Elinor Ostrom’s system of design principles for sustainable management of commons. We conclude with suggestions for research to investigate the interrelationships of the Integral Ecology reframing of CST with initiatives for transformational change in values and practices for sustainability.

The contemporary interest in urban cultivation in the global North as a component of sustainable food production warrants assessment of both its quantitative and qualitative roles. This exploratory study weighs the nutritional, ecological, and social sustainability contributions of urban agriculture by examining three cases—a community garden in the core of New York, a community farm on the edge of London, and an agricultural park on the periphery of San Francisco. Our field analysis of these sites, confirmed by generic estimates, shows very low food outputs relative to the populations of their catchment areas; the great share of urban food will continue to come from multiple foodsheds beyond urban peripheries, often far beyond. Cultivation is a more appropriate designation than agriculture for urban food growing because its sustainability benefits are more social than agronomic or ecological. A major potential benefit lies in enhancing the ecological knowledge of urbanites, including an appreciation of the role that organic food may play in promoting both sustainability and health. This study illustrates how benefits differ according to local conditions, including population density and demographics, operational scale, soil quality, and access to labor and consumers. Recognizing the real benefits, including the promotion of sustainable diets, could enable urban food growing to be developed as a component of regional foodsheds to improve the sustainability and resilience of food supply, and to further the process of public co-production of new forms of urban conviviality and wellbeing.

Facilitating the adoption of more sustainable food behaviors is key in order to reduce pressure on nature and improve public health. Food businesses that interact directly with consumers are well placed to enable a positive change in food behaviors. The present study evaluates the effectiveness of a 9-week multi-component behavioral intervention implemented by a large UK food retailer. Three food behaviors were explored: meat consumption, food waste and scratch cooking. Evaluation methods comprise of surveys issued pre-intervention, at intervention-end and at delayed follow-up (3 months after intervention end), and focus groups where participants were divided according to life-stage (pre-family, family, retired). Results show the intervention mitigated individual barriers to change and had a positive impact on awareness, intention and behavior which lasted beyond intervention-end. Participants reported reducing their meat consumption and food waste and cooking more frequently from scratch. Findings indicate that the online community, 'ask the expert' videos and product samples were the most impactful intervention components, while recipes and cook-alongs were less effective. This study provides an effective and feasible intervention which could be implemented and scaled by food companies. While behavioral interventions offer a positive opportunity for companies to drive consumer behavior change, structural and cultural changes to the food environment will be needed to facilitate long-term change at scale.

This study explores the intersection of sustainable fashion practices, fashion shows, and sociological insights to develop sustainable fashion education. It investigates how sustainable practices are integrated into the fashion industry and education programs. Moreover, it critically analyses the evolving role of the fashion show in a time when sustainability takes a central position. Additionally, this study shows the possibilities and problems presented by the emergence of virtual fashion experiences. The literature review investigates the difficulties the fashion industry faces when moving towards sustainability. It systematically explores a range of innovative solutions put forth by scholars and practitioners. Moreover, this report delves into the core principles of sociological perspectives, particularly in fashion sociology. It explores the emerging trend of virtual fashion, emphasising the essential role that fashion education plays in promoting sustainability awareness among designers, industry professionals, and consumers. Ultimately, this study aims to encourage the fashion industry towards a more sustainable future by decreasing the traditional tensions between sustainability and fashion. It highlights the urgent need for the industry to embrace sustainable practices and prioritise sustainability in fashion education.