This page has only limited features, please log in for full access.
Tomás B. Ramos is a professor of sustainability assessment and planning at NOVA University Lisbon and was a visiting professor/researcher at +10 international universities. His research activity is centered around sustainability assessment and management. He is an associate editor of the Journal of Cleaner Production and is an editorial board member of the journals Sustainable Development, Business Strategy and Development, Journal of Environmental Assessment Policy and Management, and Revista Iberoamericana de Economía Solidaria e Innovación Socioecológica. He was a board member of the International Sustainable Development Research Society (ISDRS), a member of the Accreditation Council of the Order of Engineers of Portugal, and president of the Portuguese Environmental Engineering Association.
Circular economy (CE) is a concept that is gaining attention as an approach to help accelerate the transition towards sustainability. Research has focused on the adoption of CE practices in the business sector while the adoption within public sector organisations has been relatively overlooked. Examining CE adoption in the public sector through the perceptive of employees is crucial because of their expertise in the organisation where they work. The main aim of this study is to identify what public employees perceive as suitable CE practices for their organisations and their critical role in implementation. As the adoption of CE practices is influenced by social and material configurations, this research has taken a case study approach, focused on the Portuguese Central Public Administration. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with public employees working on CE and sustainability issues, and a complementary analysis was undertaken of governmental reports and legislative documents. The results show that public employees view the existence and potential of CE practices mainly in the area of public procurement but also in resource efficiency and optimisation, dematerialisation and in practices related to the R-hierarchy including reduce and reuse. Both technical-oriented practices aimed to achieve traditional resource efficiency, and human-centred practices targeted at reducing consumption and sharing resources have been identified. This research provides insights into how a specific group of stakeholders envisions CE activities for their sector. Identification of practices for central public sector has the potential to assist decision-makers in the process of defining priorities for CE planning, implementation and monitoring. This study focusing on CE practices in central public sector organisations contributes to the calls for an inclusion of human/socially-based practices centred around consumption reduction, sharing and dematerialisation activities to enhance the transformative and innovative potential of CE.
Natacha Klein; Tomás B. Ramos; Pauline Deutz. Advancing the Circular Economy in Public Sector Organisations: Employees’ Perspectives on Practices. Circular Economy and Sustainability 2021, 1 -23.
AMA StyleNatacha Klein, Tomás B. Ramos, Pauline Deutz. Advancing the Circular Economy in Public Sector Organisations: Employees’ Perspectives on Practices. Circular Economy and Sustainability. 2021; ():1-23.
Chicago/Turabian StyleNatacha Klein; Tomás B. Ramos; Pauline Deutz. 2021. "Advancing the Circular Economy in Public Sector Organisations: Employees’ Perspectives on Practices." Circular Economy and Sustainability , no. : 1-23.
To seize the potential of Circular Economy (CE) organisations need to evaluate and communicate their progress moving away from the non‐sustainable paradigm of ‘take‐make‐dispose’ towards circularity. Existing CE assessments for organisations focus on companies. Although the need for CE assessment is recognised in both public and private sectors, little progress has been made towards developing an approach for public sector organisations. CE assessment in public sector organisations is particularly important due to their role model, agenda setting and economic function. Therefore, this article co‐develops a CE assessment framework for public sector organisations. Portuguese public sector organisations were involved as a participatory case study. The result is a framework that covers the following components: (i) a system definition; (ii) a definition of 35 CE assessment elements; (iii) CE assessment targets; and (iv) CE indicators. The framework contributes to the understanding of circularity from a public sector perspective considering three key aspects: resources, operations and processes as well as social and employee related activities. Implications for CE assessments in the public and private sector encompass the importance for an early involvement of stakeholders to get a sector specific perspective, the need to address user‐friendliness and the requirement for continuous testing of CE assessments.
Hinrika Droege; Andrea Raggi; Tomás B. Ramos. Co‐development of a framework for circular economy assessment in organisations: Learnings from the public sector. Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental Management 2021, 1 .
AMA StyleHinrika Droege, Andrea Raggi, Tomás B. Ramos. Co‐development of a framework for circular economy assessment in organisations: Learnings from the public sector. Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental Management. 2021; ():1.
Chicago/Turabian StyleHinrika Droege; Andrea Raggi; Tomás B. Ramos. 2021. "Co‐development of a framework for circular economy assessment in organisations: Learnings from the public sector." Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental Management , no. : 1.
Repair is an essential aspect of circular economy (CE) strategies to extend the life of products and materials, and has further been suggested as a key sector to benefit from employment through CE transitions. At the same time, CE narratives around repair have been criticised as highly technocratic, neglecting the body of literature exploring repair as a relational act embedded in daily life. Hull, UK has been characterised as a structurally disadvantaged city, which might benefit from development opportunities offered through an expanded repair economy. However, a better understanding of the demographics of repair users is needed to promote its expansion. Therefore, this research aims to increase understanding of public perceptions, attitudes and behaviours relating to repair as both an option for consumers and as potential employment. The study combines literature in CE, human geography, and consumer behaviour to critically analyse a public survey (n = 740) conducted in partnership with Hull City Council. Results explore demographic associations with repair behaviour, identifying a profile of repair economy participants. Furthermore, an interdisciplinary discussion identifies a tension between repair as an act of necessity, which often carries a negative stigma, and that of choice for those privileged with skills and excess leisure time. Gender discrepancies between public perceptions, attitudes, and behaviours are identified, and policy recommendations for the development of an inclusive repair economy are made. While an opportunity for an expanded repair economy in the city is apparent, further research is needed to assess the quality of work in the sector.
Heather A. Rogers; Pauline Deutz; Tomás B. Ramos. Repairing the circular economy: Public perception and participant profile of the repair economy in Hull, UK. Resources, Conservation and Recycling 2021, 168, 105447 .
AMA StyleHeather A. Rogers, Pauline Deutz, Tomás B. Ramos. Repairing the circular economy: Public perception and participant profile of the repair economy in Hull, UK. Resources, Conservation and Recycling. 2021; 168 ():105447.
Chicago/Turabian StyleHeather A. Rogers; Pauline Deutz; Tomás B. Ramos. 2021. "Repairing the circular economy: Public perception and participant profile of the repair economy in Hull, UK." Resources, Conservation and Recycling 168, no. : 105447.
Circular Economy (CE) is seen as a key strategy in achieving sustainable development and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). To seize the potential of CE, public and private organisations need to evaluate and communicate their progress moving away from the non-sustainable paradigm of “take–make–dispose” towards circularity. The literature and practitioners demonstrate a growing interest in CE assessment as a driver for this transition. Nevertheless, the majority of CE assessments are implemented in private companies and implementation in public sector organisations is low. This article presents the challenges that currently prevent public sector organisations from implementing CE assessment and derives strategies to overcome them. A total of 21 CE and assessment experts from the Portuguese public sector were interviewed, and the results were triangulated with an extensive policy document review. The findings show that cultural barriers, particularly a lack of public and political pressure as well as a resistance towards change, are considered the main challenges for CE assessment implementation. Cultural challenges drive structural ones such as a lack of leadership commitment, the voluntary nature, and a missing clear governance for CE assessment. Technical and financial challenges, contrary to previous findings of the literature, are not prioritised and are seen as a result of the cultural and structural challenges. Overall, the research suggests that CE assessment is often a discussion among academics and highly specialised practitioners. In order to drive its implementation, the debate has to involve stakeholders beyond expert circles to trigger awareness for its necessity and to facilitate usage for a broader audience.
Hinrika Droege; Andrea Raggi; Tomás Ramos. Overcoming Current Challenges for Circular Economy Assessment Implementation in Public Sector Organisations. Sustainability 2021, 13, 1182 .
AMA StyleHinrika Droege, Andrea Raggi, Tomás Ramos. Overcoming Current Challenges for Circular Economy Assessment Implementation in Public Sector Organisations. Sustainability. 2021; 13 (3):1182.
Chicago/Turabian StyleHinrika Droege; Andrea Raggi; Tomás Ramos. 2021. "Overcoming Current Challenges for Circular Economy Assessment Implementation in Public Sector Organisations." Sustainability 13, no. 3: 1182.
Sustainability assessment tools have provided a way for local authorities to assess their performance towards sustainable development. However, a major problem of existing methods is the lack of an integrated assessment approach to cover significant aspects of municipalities’ activities, namely Health, Safety and Environment (HSE). This study was conducted to address the aggregation of these key municipal aspects by combining them into an integrated assessment index. Tehran municipalities are used as a case study. The Exploratory Factor Analysis method was applied to reduce the complexity of HSE indicators and build the index. The final results integrated a set of 62 indicators into 20 factors based on 6 HSE sustainability themes. In addition, the Sustainability Assessment Index (SAI) was formed by combining 6 sub-indices based on the HSE themes. Finally, the level of HSE sustainability performance in the municipality was divided into four levels, regarding their progress. The findings showed that the best HSE sustainability performance was performed on the Health-Environment intersection theme. Moreover, the majority of Tehran municipalities were classified in level 3 (moderate) on HSE sustainability performance, emerging the need of reviewing the plans and programs that are related to municipal sustainable development by considering district-centered HSE issues.
Mahsa Mapar; Mohammad Javad Jafari; Nabiollah Mansouri; Reza Arjmandi; Reza Azizinezhad; Tomás B. Ramos. A composite index for sustainability assessment of health, safety and environmental performance in municipalities of megacities. Sustainable Cities and Society 2020, 60, 102164 .
AMA StyleMahsa Mapar, Mohammad Javad Jafari, Nabiollah Mansouri, Reza Arjmandi, Reza Azizinezhad, Tomás B. Ramos. A composite index for sustainability assessment of health, safety and environmental performance in municipalities of megacities. Sustainable Cities and Society. 2020; 60 ():102164.
Chicago/Turabian StyleMahsa Mapar; Mohammad Javad Jafari; Nabiollah Mansouri; Reza Arjmandi; Reza Azizinezhad; Tomás B. Ramos. 2020. "A composite index for sustainability assessment of health, safety and environmental performance in municipalities of megacities." Sustainable Cities and Society 60, no. : 102164.
The concept of the Circular Economy (CE) is an increasingly attractive approach to tackling current sustainability challenges and facilitating a shift away from the linear “take-make-use-dispose” model of production and consumption. The public sector is a major contributor to the CE transition not only as a policy-maker but also as a significant purchaser, consumer, and user of goods and services. The circularization of the public sector itself, however, has received very little attention in CE research. In order to explore the current state of knowledge on the implementation of CE practices and strategies within Public Sector Organizations (PSOs), this research aims to develop an overview of the existing literature. The literature review was designed combining a systematic search with a complementary purposive sampling. Using organizational sustainability as a theoretical perspective, the main results showed a scattered landscape, indicating that the limited research on CE practices and strategies in PSOs has focused so far on the areas of public procurement, internal operations and processes, and public service delivery. As a result of this literature review, an organizational CE framework of a PSO is proposed providing a holistic view of a PSO as a system with organizational dimensions that are relevant for the examination and analysis of the integration process of CE practices and strategies. This innovative framework aims to help further CE research and practice to move beyond current sustainability efforts, highlighting that public procurement, strategy and management, internal processes and operations, assessment and communication, public service delivery, human resources dimensions, collaboration with other organizations, and various external contexts are important public sector areas where the implementation of CE has the potential to bring sustainability benefits.
Natacha Klein; Tomás Ramos; Pauline Deutz. Circular Economy Practices and Strategies in Public Sector Organizations: An Integrative Review. Sustainability 2020, 12, 4181 .
AMA StyleNatacha Klein, Tomás Ramos, Pauline Deutz. Circular Economy Practices and Strategies in Public Sector Organizations: An Integrative Review. Sustainability. 2020; 12 (10):4181.
Chicago/Turabian StyleNatacha Klein; Tomás Ramos; Pauline Deutz. 2020. "Circular Economy Practices and Strategies in Public Sector Organizations: An Integrative Review." Sustainability 12, no. 10: 4181.
The concept of sustainability is still progressing, being complex and contested, and is therefore under continuous discussion and research. This special volume comprises 29 articles exploring recent developments of sustainability concepts, approaches, strategies, policies, and practices, as well as their roles and applicability in different geographic, socio-cultural and economic contexts. The majority of the articles were presented at the 22nd conference of the International Sustainable Development Research Society (ISDRS), held in Lisbon, Portugal, in July 2016. The articles address six overarching themes: i) global perspectives on sustainability challenges, policies and models; ii) the next frontiers of sustainability for corporations, iii) integration of non-traditional aspects and new forms of knowledge in sustainability research, iv) planning for sustainable development and sustainable cities, v) (higher) education for sustainable development and vi) human resources and sustainability. A summary of each article is given in this editorial, showing the diversity of themes, from theoretical and practical perspectives, and the broad range of different methods and research formats. The research presented in the articles was carried out in more than 17 countries on five continents. Notwithstanding the many efforts around rethinking sustainability research and practices, there are still many challenges to face and further opportunities for research on the topic.
Tomás B. Ramos; Sandra Caeiro; Antje Disterheft; André Mascarenhas; Pauline Deutz; Joachim H. Spangenberg; Marcelo Montaño; Olawale Olayide; Amrik Sohal. Rethinking sustainability: Questioning old perspectives and developing new ones. Journal of Cleaner Production 2020, 258, 120769 .
AMA StyleTomás B. Ramos, Sandra Caeiro, Antje Disterheft, André Mascarenhas, Pauline Deutz, Joachim H. Spangenberg, Marcelo Montaño, Olawale Olayide, Amrik Sohal. Rethinking sustainability: Questioning old perspectives and developing new ones. Journal of Cleaner Production. 2020; 258 ():120769.
Chicago/Turabian StyleTomás B. Ramos; Sandra Caeiro; Antje Disterheft; André Mascarenhas; Pauline Deutz; Joachim H. Spangenberg; Marcelo Montaño; Olawale Olayide; Amrik Sohal. 2020. "Rethinking sustainability: Questioning old perspectives and developing new ones." Journal of Cleaner Production 258, no. : 120769.
The Solid Waste (SW) topic within the local sustainability assessment (LSA) system context remains little explored. This article is a literature review on this topic, with emphasis on the analysis of SW indicators and of systems they concern to. It assessed whether these indicators can represent SW complexity and sustainability aspects. Results in the present review have evidenced that 77.8% of system indicators use at most two SW indicators. Most of these indicators aim at indicating destination stages and the final SW management, environmental sustainability aspects and intermediate magnitude levels in SW management hierarchy. There was evidence of the positive impact of Public participation on the assessed matters. Final considerations present recommendations about SW indicators inclusion in LSA systems.
Natália Molina Cetrulo; Tiago Balieiro Cetrulo; Sylmara Lopes Francelino Gonçalves Dias; Tomás Barros Ramos. Solid waste indicators in local sustainability assessment: a literature review. Ambiente & Sociedade 2020, 23, 1 .
AMA StyleNatália Molina Cetrulo, Tiago Balieiro Cetrulo, Sylmara Lopes Francelino Gonçalves Dias, Tomás Barros Ramos. Solid waste indicators in local sustainability assessment: a literature review. Ambiente & Sociedade. 2020; 23 ():1.
Chicago/Turabian StyleNatália Molina Cetrulo; Tiago Balieiro Cetrulo; Sylmara Lopes Francelino Gonçalves Dias; Tomás Barros Ramos. 2020. "Solid waste indicators in local sustainability assessment: a literature review." Ambiente & Sociedade 23, no. : 1.
The review of environmental impact statements (EIS), despite its relevance to impact assessment effectiveness, has received scarce scholarly attention. Few studies have gone beyond the realm of regulatory evaluations to understand the managerial meanders of the review process. This study evaluated the responsibilities, procedures, information inputs, and scope of EIS reviews within two environmental authorities: APA (Portuguese Environment Agency), in Portugal, and SEMAD (State Secretariat for Environment and Sustainable Development), in the Brazilian state of Minas Gerais. Based on a qualitative multiple-case study methodology informed by participant observation, unstructured interviews, and content analysis of 12 EIS review reports, the study provided what is arguably one of the most detailed characterizations of EIS review to date. While following similar institutional arrangements and broad procedural steps, the EIS review has important differences in APA and SEMAD. Overall, the Portuguese agency was found to have a more structured, participative, interdisciplinary, detailed, and grounded review, thus meeting some of the good practices often cited in the literature. The EIS review reports prepared by APA reviewers were also found to provide a profoundly more complete and transparent account of the review process. The details of the review process revealed in the article can affect perceptions around the legitimacy and reliability of reviewers’ recommendations.
Caroline Fan Rocha; Tomás B. Ramos; Alberto Fonseca. Manufacturing Pre-Decisions: A Comparative Analysis of Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) Reviews in Brazil and Portugal. Sustainability 2019, 11, 3235 .
AMA StyleCaroline Fan Rocha, Tomás B. Ramos, Alberto Fonseca. Manufacturing Pre-Decisions: A Comparative Analysis of Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) Reviews in Brazil and Portugal. Sustainability. 2019; 11 (12):3235.
Chicago/Turabian StyleCaroline Fan Rocha; Tomás B. Ramos; Alberto Fonseca. 2019. "Manufacturing Pre-Decisions: A Comparative Analysis of Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) Reviews in Brazil and Portugal." Sustainability 11, no. 12: 3235.
Marcelo Montaño; Tomás Ramos; Davide Geneletti. Editorial: Special Issue on Re-thinking Sustainability Models and Practices: Challenges for the New and Old World. Journal of Environmental Assessment Policy and Management 2019, 21, 1 .
AMA StyleMarcelo Montaño, Tomás Ramos, Davide Geneletti. Editorial: Special Issue on Re-thinking Sustainability Models and Practices: Challenges for the New and Old World. Journal of Environmental Assessment Policy and Management. 2019; 21 (1):1.
Chicago/Turabian StyleMarcelo Montaño; Tomás Ramos; Davide Geneletti. 2019. "Editorial: Special Issue on Re-thinking Sustainability Models and Practices: Challenges for the New and Old World." Journal of Environmental Assessment Policy and Management 21, no. 1: 1.
Water resources planning is currently designed to meet emerging challenges and encompassing a more comprehensive and integrated water management. The main focus of current water resources planning is to promote good water resource conditions through the implementation of innovative water policies. To achieve this goal, it is necessary to characterize and assess the status of water resources, monitor the implementation of planned actions, disseminate information and support the decision-making process. Indicators are often regarded as appropriate tools for supporting these tasks, although their use in this context is not imperative. The present study intends to explore the stakeholder perspective on the role of indicators in the water resources planning and management processes and their strategic environmental assessment process using a Portuguese case study. To achieve this objective, semi-structured interviews with the various stakeholder groups involved were conducted. The treatment of the obtained data using content analysis shows that the interviewees consider indicators to be an essential tool for supporting water resources planning. Some participants express concerns and suggest changes to the selection models and to the communication and decision-support capacity of the sets of indicators used. All stakeholders in the process consider that improvements to the indicators to be used in future processes are possible. In light of the results, it can be concluded that there is a long way to go for indicators to be used to promote better communication with stakeholders and to support decision-making processes; simultaneously, they can form the basis for the review and development of the subsequent cycle of the planning process.
Rosa Santos Coelho; Pedro Santos Coelho; Paula Antunes; Tomás Ramos. Stakeholders Perspectives on the Use of Indicators in Water Resources Planning and Related Strategic Environmental Assessment. Journal of Environmental Assessment Policy and Management 2019, 21, 1 .
AMA StyleRosa Santos Coelho, Pedro Santos Coelho, Paula Antunes, Tomás Ramos. Stakeholders Perspectives on the Use of Indicators in Water Resources Planning and Related Strategic Environmental Assessment. Journal of Environmental Assessment Policy and Management. 2019; 21 (1):1.
Chicago/Turabian StyleRosa Santos Coelho; Pedro Santos Coelho; Paula Antunes; Tomás Ramos. 2019. "Stakeholders Perspectives on the Use of Indicators in Water Resources Planning and Related Strategic Environmental Assessment." Journal of Environmental Assessment Policy and Management 21, no. 1: 1.
André Mascarenhas; Dagmar Haase; Tomás Ramos; Rui Santos. Pathways of demographic and urban development and their effects on land take and ecosystem services: The case of Lisbon Metropolitan Area, Portugal. Land Use Policy 2019, 82, 181 -194.
AMA StyleAndré Mascarenhas, Dagmar Haase, Tomás Ramos, Rui Santos. Pathways of demographic and urban development and their effects on land take and ecosystem services: The case of Lisbon Metropolitan Area, Portugal. Land Use Policy. 2019; 82 ():181-194.
Chicago/Turabian StyleAndré Mascarenhas; Dagmar Haase; Tomás Ramos; Rui Santos. 2019. "Pathways of demographic and urban development and their effects on land take and ecosystem services: The case of Lisbon Metropolitan Area, Portugal." Land Use Policy 82, no. : 181-194.
Sustainability assessment approaches could support all levels of decision-making and policy processes (including strategies, policies, plans, programs, projects, and activities/operations), thus improving the management of natural and human systems. Sustainability Indicators (SIs) have been extensively used to assess and communicate the progress toward sustainable development. However, despite all the SI initiatives and the well-known advantages and popularity, several risks have been pointed out, so there is a need to rethink the current state of SIs and build visions that could reshape the indicator reality. The main goal of this research is to develop a constructive debate around the possible futures and paths of SIs’, by conducting a critical analysis of a set of challenges and opportunities identified by the literature. This was explored through a critical perspective and viewpoint article that discusses what could be some of the new frontiers and paradigms in SIs. Exploratory research supported by a combination of methods was conducted, consisting of a search of the literature and qualitative document analysis, followed by an assessment procedure based upon an evaluation ranking scale. The classification scale integrated three main criteria of valuation: Relevancy, feasibility, and societal impacts. The findings showed that most of the challenges and opportunities analyzed are old and mainly technically oriented, with a low potential impact on society, including end-users and practitioners. The majority of the challenges have low-to-medium feasibility, showing that there would be difficulty in implementing them, and so they should be improved or redesigned. A set of key questions on SIs’ futures is proposed, aiming to represent a critical view of the relevant challenges and opportunities analyzed, but underpinned and observed from a crosscutting angle, represented by the societal role. The SI research community should be ready to adapt ways of thinking and doing, responding to new global and local paradigms and using transdisciplinary collaborative scientific development and innovation as the foundations for the change process, wherein communities and the individual have central roles to play.
Tomás B. Ramos. Sustainability Assessment: Exploring the Frontiers and Paradigms of Indicator Approaches. Sustainability 2019, 11, 824 .
AMA StyleTomás B. Ramos. Sustainability Assessment: Exploring the Frontiers and Paradigms of Indicator Approaches. Sustainability. 2019; 11 (3):824.
Chicago/Turabian StyleTomás B. Ramos. 2019. "Sustainability Assessment: Exploring the Frontiers and Paradigms of Indicator Approaches." Sustainability 11, no. 3: 824.
The adoption of sustainability policies and practices in organisations is a rising trend, in particular in companies. Public sector organisations are also following this occurrence but with slower signs. Despite a relevant amount of research work on sustainability practices implemented by private organisations and by some public agencies, central public sectors have been left out of the scope of these studies. The main goal of this research is to identify the sustainability profile (including adopted policies and practices) of the public organisations, using the Portuguese Central Public Administration as a case study. A questionnaire survey was developed and submitted to Portuguese public sector organisations that fulfilled the following criteria: (i) to belong to the Portuguese Central Public Administration and (ii) to have the major area of activity at the national level. The statistical population was also defined on the basis of these criteria. Descriptive statistics and frequency analysis were used to explore the results in the organisations surveyed. The overall results demonstrate a low adoption level of integrated sustainability policies and practices, despite the expected positive trends related with the mandatory social and economic practices. This research contributes to new knowledge by characterising the sustainability profile of the Portuguese central public sector and where actions are needed, leading to a better transition to sustainable societies. The developed questionnaire can be used in other geographical, institutional and cultural contexts to define sustainability profile of worldwide public organisations, working also as a benchmarking tool.
Inês Figueira; Ana Rita Domingues; Sandra Caeiro; Marco Painho; Paula Antunes; Rui Santos; Nuno Videira; Richard M. Walker; Donald Huisingh; Tomás B. Ramos. Sustainability policies and practices in public sector organisations: The case of the Portuguese Central Public Administration. Journal of Cleaner Production 2018, 202, 616 -630.
AMA StyleInês Figueira, Ana Rita Domingues, Sandra Caeiro, Marco Painho, Paula Antunes, Rui Santos, Nuno Videira, Richard M. Walker, Donald Huisingh, Tomás B. Ramos. Sustainability policies and practices in public sector organisations: The case of the Portuguese Central Public Administration. Journal of Cleaner Production. 2018; 202 ():616-630.
Chicago/Turabian StyleInês Figueira; Ana Rita Domingues; Sandra Caeiro; Marco Painho; Paula Antunes; Rui Santos; Nuno Videira; Richard M. Walker; Donald Huisingh; Tomás B. Ramos. 2018. "Sustainability policies and practices in public sector organisations: The case of the Portuguese Central Public Administration." Journal of Cleaner Production 202, no. : 616-630.
Ana Rita Domingues; Rodrigo Lozano; Tomás Ramos. Stakeholder-driven initiatives using sustainability indicators. Routledge Handbook of Sustainability Indicators 2018, 379 -391.
AMA StyleAna Rita Domingues, Rodrigo Lozano, Tomás Ramos. Stakeholder-driven initiatives using sustainability indicators. Routledge Handbook of Sustainability Indicators. 2018; ():379-391.
Chicago/Turabian StyleAna Rita Domingues; Rodrigo Lozano; Tomás Ramos. 2018. "Stakeholder-driven initiatives using sustainability indicators." Routledge Handbook of Sustainability Indicators , no. : 379-391.
Maria Adelaide Ferreira; David Johnson; Carlos Pereira Da Silva; Tomás B. Ramos. Developing a performance evaluation mechanism for Portuguese marine spatial planning using a participatory approach. Journal of Cleaner Production 2018, 180, 913 -923.
AMA StyleMaria Adelaide Ferreira, David Johnson, Carlos Pereira Da Silva, Tomás B. Ramos. Developing a performance evaluation mechanism for Portuguese marine spatial planning using a participatory approach. Journal of Cleaner Production. 2018; 180 ():913-923.
Chicago/Turabian StyleMaria Adelaide Ferreira; David Johnson; Carlos Pereira Da Silva; Tomás B. Ramos. 2018. "Developing a performance evaluation mechanism for Portuguese marine spatial planning using a participatory approach." Journal of Cleaner Production 180, no. : 913-923.
Small islands provide an opportunity to influence the debate on Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) towards sustainability, due to their specific natural and human features. The research goal was to understand how sustainability might be advanced through SEA in small islands, supported by the development of a conceptual framework and recommendations for its implementation. The framework developed provides for the identification of clusters of concepts linking SEA with sustainability in small islands, identified as being key actors, island cooperation and information exchange networks, and small islands SEA-specific issues. These clusters of concepts are interlinked through the actors in a continuous loop of learning and improvement process. The implementation of the framework is recommended based on different key factors, which derived from the conceptual framework: awareness for decision-makers; empowerment and ownership of practitioners and intermediate decision-makers; small islands cooperation and exchange networks; SEA specific issues for small islands; and, small islands specific stakeholders' engagement (local knowledge). The application of the framework developed was conceptualized for the Azores and Orkney archipelagos due to their well-established SEA systems, with similar legal background – the European Union SEA Directive (Directive 2001/42/EC). In the Azores, the SEA system may promote an easier transition towards new models of thinking, but more challenges are expected for Orkney practitioners and decision supporters which may need to use creative solutions to overcome them. Overall, this research concludes that a mind-set changing capacity is needed, enhancing future practice and influencing different stakeholders for the need of specific small islands approaches. The proposed framework should be adopted as a dynamic tool and adjusted iteratively with practice
Alexandra Polido; Elsa João; Tomás B. Ramos. How may sustainability be advanced through Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) in Small Islands? Exploring a conceptual framework. Ocean & Coastal Management 2018, 153, 46 -58.
AMA StyleAlexandra Polido, Elsa João, Tomás B. Ramos. How may sustainability be advanced through Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) in Small Islands? Exploring a conceptual framework. Ocean & Coastal Management. 2018; 153 ():46-58.
Chicago/Turabian StyleAlexandra Polido; Elsa João; Tomás B. Ramos. 2018. "How may sustainability be advanced through Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) in Small Islands? Exploring a conceptual framework." Ocean & Coastal Management 153, no. : 46-58.
Tomás Ramos; Sandra Caeiro; Sara Moreno Pires; Nuno Videira. How are new sustainable development approaches responding to societal challenges? Sustainable Development 2018, 26, 117 -121.
AMA StyleTomás Ramos, Sandra Caeiro, Sara Moreno Pires, Nuno Videira. How are new sustainable development approaches responding to societal challenges? Sustainable Development. 2018; 26 (2):117-121.
Chicago/Turabian StyleTomás Ramos; Sandra Caeiro; Sara Moreno Pires; Nuno Videira. 2018. "How are new sustainable development approaches responding to societal challenges?" Sustainable Development 26, no. 2: 117-121.
Researchers have adopted a concept for sustainable development (SD) that has given rise to different systems of sustainability assessment, systems to which several authors have suggested non-material components should be incorporated. This work aims at developing a conceptual model to integrate these components into systems of sustainability assessment. A review of the literature made it possible to design a conceptual model for the non-material components of sustainability and to identify associated themes. This proposal was analyzed at both regional and local levels through semi-structured interviews addressed to stakeholders from Alagoas and Maceió, Brazil. The proposal was considered by the actors involved (interviewees) to be generally adequate, and suggestions for improvement and adjustment were put forward by them, to facilitate both the understanding and practical application of the model. The analysis of the respondents’ perceptions allowed us to identify the preferred link between the term sustainability and the environmental dimension, as well as their restricted reference to intergenerational commitment.
Osvaldo Viégas; Sandra Caeiro; Tomás Ramos. A CONCEPTUAL MODEL FOR INTEGRATING NON-MATERIAL COMPONENTS IN SUSTAINABILITY ASSESSMENT. Ambiente & Sociedade 2018, 21, 1 .
AMA StyleOsvaldo Viégas, Sandra Caeiro, Tomás Ramos. A CONCEPTUAL MODEL FOR INTEGRATING NON-MATERIAL COMPONENTS IN SUSTAINABILITY ASSESSMENT. Ambiente & Sociedade. 2018; 21 ():1.
Chicago/Turabian StyleOsvaldo Viégas; Sandra Caeiro; Tomás Ramos. 2018. "A CONCEPTUAL MODEL FOR INTEGRATING NON-MATERIAL COMPONENTS IN SUSTAINABILITY ASSESSMENT." Ambiente & Sociedade 21, no. : 1.
Mahsa Mapar; Mohammad Javad Jafari; Nabiollah Mansouri; Reza Arjmandi; Reza Azizinejad; Tomás B. Ramos. Sustainability indicators for municipalities of megacities: Integrating health, safety and environmental performance. Ecological Indicators 2017, 83, 271 -291.
AMA StyleMahsa Mapar, Mohammad Javad Jafari, Nabiollah Mansouri, Reza Arjmandi, Reza Azizinejad, Tomás B. Ramos. Sustainability indicators for municipalities of megacities: Integrating health, safety and environmental performance. Ecological Indicators. 2017; 83 ():271-291.
Chicago/Turabian StyleMahsa Mapar; Mohammad Javad Jafari; Nabiollah Mansouri; Reza Arjmandi; Reza Azizinejad; Tomás B. Ramos. 2017. "Sustainability indicators for municipalities of megacities: Integrating health, safety and environmental performance." Ecological Indicators 83, no. : 271-291.