This page has only limited features, please log in for full access.
A growing commitment from companies to implement circular economy (CE) strategies demands the development of guidelines for consistent related external communication. The fields of non-financial reporting and sustainability are well established with numerous available international reporting frameworks and approaches; however, there is still an absence of standardised reporting principles and procedures for publishing progress on circularity. In this context, this article aims to explore how companies could include CE within their corporate sustainability reports, through an academic literature review and content analysis of existent reporting approaches. Results showed a clear disconnection between CE and sustainability reporting literature. Overall, only a few of the revised reporting approaches explicitly mention CE, and the guidance given to companies is very general, inconsistent and places the responsibility of selecting performance assessment approaches on the companies. The analysis contributes to identifying opportunities for transparent external communication of CE issues, as well as exploring the challenges and limitations.
Katelin Opferkuch; Sandra Caeiro; Roberta Salomone; Tomás B. Ramos. Circular economy in corporate sustainability reporting: A review of organisational approaches. Business Strategy and the Environment 2021, 1 .
AMA StyleKatelin Opferkuch, Sandra Caeiro, Roberta Salomone, Tomás B. Ramos. Circular economy in corporate sustainability reporting: A review of organisational approaches. Business Strategy and the Environment. 2021; ():1.
Chicago/Turabian StyleKatelin Opferkuch; Sandra Caeiro; Roberta Salomone; Tomás B. Ramos. 2021. "Circular economy in corporate sustainability reporting: A review of organisational approaches." Business Strategy and the Environment , no. : 1.
Universidade Aberta (UAb) is the public Portuguese distance education university. It has around 6,000 students (full-time and exclusively engaged in distance education) and 340 employees (academic and administrative staff). UAb has focused on the quality of its service and has been recognised by several national and international entities, for example through its good practices in the areas of innovation and sustainability in higher education in 2019. This chapter presents the results from the 64 survey respondents. The main focus of the university is on cross-cutting themes, followed by social issues, environmental issues, and economic issues. The contribution is medium and the strength is medium. The ranking of the competences shows that Critical thinking and analysis is the highest, followed by Inter-disciplinary work. The ranking of the pedagogical approaches resulted in Project- or Problem-based learning and Case studies were the highest, followed by Participatory action research. The correlation analysis showed that Mind and concept maps, Lecturing, Case studies and Participatory Action Research developed the most competences. The competences most developed were Personal involvement, Communication and use of media, and Strategic action. The results show that improvements could be realised to develop the whole set of sustainability competences in the degrees of Universidade Aberta, and more sustainability oriented pedagogical approaches could be considered in order to improve the university’s contribution to interdisciplinary issues and Sustainable Development Goals.
Sandra Caeiro; João Simão. Sustainability Competences and Pedagogical Approaches at Universidade Aberta. Developing Sustainability Competences Through Pedagogical Approaches 2021, 191 -205.
AMA StyleSandra Caeiro, João Simão. Sustainability Competences and Pedagogical Approaches at Universidade Aberta. Developing Sustainability Competences Through Pedagogical Approaches. 2021; ():191-205.
Chicago/Turabian StyleSandra Caeiro; João Simão. 2021. "Sustainability Competences and Pedagogical Approaches at Universidade Aberta." Developing Sustainability Competences Through Pedagogical Approaches , no. : 191-205.
The COVID-19 pandemic has caused a global crisis, one which also influences the ways sustainability is being taught at universities. This paper undertakes an analysis of the extent to which COVID-19 as a whole and the lockdown it triggered in particular, which has led to the suspension of presence-based teaching in universities worldwide and influenced teaching on matters related to sustainable development. By means of a worldwide survey involving higher education institutions across all continents, the study has identified a number of patterns, trends and problems. The results from the study show that the epidemic has significantly affected teaching practices. The lockdowns have led to a surge in the use of on-line communication tools as a partial replacement to normal lessons. In addition, many faculty teaching sustainability in higher education have strong competencies in digital literacy. The sampled higher education educations have—as a whole—adequate infrastructure to continue to teach during the lockdowns. Finally, the majority of the sample revealed that they miss the interactions via direct face-to-face student engagement, which is deemed as necessary for the effective teaching of sustainability content. The implications of this paper are two-fold. Firstly, it describes how sustainability teaching on sustainable development has been affected by the lockdown. Secondly, it describes some of the solutions deployed to overcome the problem. Finally, the paper outlines the fact that the COVID-19 pandemic may serve the purpose of showing how university teaching on sustainability may be improved in the future, taking more advantage of modern information technologies.
Walter Leal Filho; Elizabeth Price; Tony Wall; Chris Shiel; Ulisses M. Azeiteiro; Mark Mifsud; Luciana Brandli; Carla Sofia Farinha; Sandra Caeiro; Amanda Lange Salvia; Claudio Ruy Vasconcelos; Luiza Olim de Sousa; Paul Pace; Federica Doni; Lucas Veiga Avila; Bárbara Fritzen; Todd Jared LeVasseur. COVID-19: the impact of a global crisis on sustainable development teaching. Environment, Development and Sustainability 2021, 23, 11257 -11278.
AMA StyleWalter Leal Filho, Elizabeth Price, Tony Wall, Chris Shiel, Ulisses M. Azeiteiro, Mark Mifsud, Luciana Brandli, Carla Sofia Farinha, Sandra Caeiro, Amanda Lange Salvia, Claudio Ruy Vasconcelos, Luiza Olim de Sousa, Paul Pace, Federica Doni, Lucas Veiga Avila, Bárbara Fritzen, Todd Jared LeVasseur. COVID-19: the impact of a global crisis on sustainable development teaching. Environment, Development and Sustainability. 2021; 23 (8):11257-11278.
Chicago/Turabian StyleWalter Leal Filho; Elizabeth Price; Tony Wall; Chris Shiel; Ulisses M. Azeiteiro; Mark Mifsud; Luciana Brandli; Carla Sofia Farinha; Sandra Caeiro; Amanda Lange Salvia; Claudio Ruy Vasconcelos; Luiza Olim de Sousa; Paul Pace; Federica Doni; Lucas Veiga Avila; Bárbara Fritzen; Todd Jared LeVasseur. 2021. "COVID-19: the impact of a global crisis on sustainable development teaching." Environment, Development and Sustainability 23, no. 8: 11257-11278.
This Special Issue “Sustainability Assessment in Higher Education Institutions” provides peer-reviewed research from several geographies and institutions and covering various topics with the broad objective of achieving an assessment of the effectiveness and impact of different implementation dimensions measuring and evaluating how sustainability is being applied in practice. A set of nine papers, covering sustainability education, interdisciplinary teaching, sustainable assessment, governance strategies, commitments and practices, and social responsibility at Higher Education Institutions, contribute significantly to this area of knowledge.
Sandra Caeiro; Ulisses M. Azeiteiro. Sustainability Assessment in Higher Education Institutions. Sustainability 2020, 12, 3433 .
AMA StyleSandra Caeiro, Ulisses M. Azeiteiro. Sustainability Assessment in Higher Education Institutions. Sustainability. 2020; 12 (8):3433.
Chicago/Turabian StyleSandra Caeiro; Ulisses M. Azeiteiro. 2020. "Sustainability Assessment in Higher Education Institutions." Sustainability 12, no. 8: 3433.
Purpose This study aims to expand knowledge and provide further insights on how education for sustainable development (ESD) has been integrated into programmes at higher education institutions (HEIs) in Portugal. Design/methodology/approach A questionnaire survey was given to key actors in charge of sustainability implementation at each Portuguese public university. Semi-structured interviews were also conducted with 13 of the survey respondents and the data were analysed. Findings Results showed that Portuguese public universities have their own strategies and policies on ESD, leading them to introduce initiatives arising from their proactiveness rather than governmental edicts. Some universities implemented ESD planning and beneficial “green” practices such as waste separation and recycling and ways to reduce energy consumption that can be a result of the improvement after the United Nations Decade 2005-2014. However, these actions seem to have been taken in isolation and not holistically integrated. Universities face many barriers including lack of funding, not properly trained people and inept government policies. They also must overcome challenges in implementing ESD. Research limitations/implications This research into the implementation of ESD has a national scope; the findings should be interpreted only in a Portuguese university context despite the high number of interviewees. Practical implications The study has increased knowledge, provided further insights on how ESD has been integrated at HEIs and provided examples of integrated practices at Portuguese universities. A Sustainability4U platform was proposed for enhancing awareness of the need for increasing sustainable development. Originality/value This study contributes to defining a country’s profile and how to implement sustainability in HEIs. The importance of obtaining information from key actors in sustainability at Portuguese public universities was highlighted.
Carla Farinha; Sandra Caeiro; Ulisses Azeiteiro. Universities speak up regarding the implementation of sustainable development challenges. International Journal of Sustainability in Higher Education 2020, 21, 465 -506.
AMA StyleCarla Farinha, Sandra Caeiro, Ulisses Azeiteiro. Universities speak up regarding the implementation of sustainable development challenges. International Journal of Sustainability in Higher Education. 2020; 21 (3):465-506.
Chicago/Turabian StyleCarla Farinha; Sandra Caeiro; Ulisses Azeiteiro. 2020. "Universities speak up regarding the implementation of sustainable development challenges." International Journal of Sustainability in Higher Education 21, no. 3: 465-506.
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.
Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) play a crucial role in implementing practices for Education for Sustainable Development (ESD). This implementation should be done in different dimensions according to a holistic and whole-school approach. Different tools have been adapted and developed to assess this integrated approach. The aim of this research is to critically reflect the existing tools to assess and benchmark ESD implementation and to discuss their applicability in two case studies. Two public Universities in Southern Europe, with headquarters in the capitals of Portugal and Spain were selected to assess and compare the integration of ESD according to a whole-school approach—Universidade Aberta in Portugal and Universidad Autónoma de Madrid in Spain. After a critical analysis of the existing tools based on literature review and a list of criteria classified by experts, two tools were selected to be applied in the case studies. The online Sustainability Tracking, Assessment & Rating System Reporting Tool was used in Universidade Aberta and Green Metrics tool was used in Universidad Autónoma de Madrid. The tools were complemented with focus group with key-actors in both universities. The results obtained allowed to identify the need to define a common objective of the assessment tools and limitations they still have. The tools need improvements on their development namely to integrate the external impact of Higher Education Institutions on sustainability, to integrate participatory processes and to assess non-traditional aspects of sustainability. This research hopes to contribute to the continuous research about the usefulness of these assessment and benchmarking tools as drivers to HEIs improve their sustainability performance and their role as agents of changes.
Sandra Caeiro; Leyla Angélica Sandoval Hamón; Rute Martins; Cecilia Elizabeth Bayas Aldaz. Sustainability Assessment and Benchmarking in Higher Education Institutions—A Critical Reflection. Sustainability 2020, 12, 543 .
AMA StyleSandra Caeiro, Leyla Angélica Sandoval Hamón, Rute Martins, Cecilia Elizabeth Bayas Aldaz. Sustainability Assessment and Benchmarking in Higher Education Institutions—A Critical Reflection. Sustainability. 2020; 12 (2):543.
Chicago/Turabian StyleSandra Caeiro; Leyla Angélica Sandoval Hamón; Rute Martins; Cecilia Elizabeth Bayas Aldaz. 2020. "Sustainability Assessment and Benchmarking in Higher Education Institutions—A Critical Reflection." Sustainability 12, no. 2: 543.
Life long training and education in food safety is a crucial issue in particular for professionals working in the field. At the same time there is a need to evaluate the effectiveness of that training in particular when is given in e-learning. The purpose of this explorative work is to evaluate the Food Safety and Quality e-learning course within a Master program offered in the National Distance Learning University in Portugal. Following a case study methodology a mixed methods approached was used, based on an online questionnaire survey to students that enrolled the course, followed by a Focus Group Discussion to better discuss the weak points addressed by the students in the questionnaire. The questionnaire aimed to assess students perceptions about the course organization, recourses, assignments, acquired competences, change attitudes and behaviour and link with the professional activity Students who enrolled the course during 2016/17 and 2017/18 were surveyed in the fourth semester of the curricular year, in the period of development of the master thesis dissertation. In addition a quantitative analysis was conducted in the temporal distributions of messages published on the Moodle platform (learning analytics) to evaluate students’ interactions and engagement during the course. This study has shown that overall, students are very satisfied with the course, however they suggested improvements that are needed considering the pedagogical model used and their availability to learn as students with full time jobs, most related with the food science. This explorative research aimed to contribute to the improvement of food safety and quality training based also on recent tools and recommendations within e-learning in science education.
Paula Vaz-Fernandes; Sandra Caeiro. Students’ perceptions of a food safety and quality e-learning course: a CASE study for a MSC in food consumption. International Journal of Educational Technology in Higher Education 2019, 16, 1 -22.
AMA StylePaula Vaz-Fernandes, Sandra Caeiro. Students’ perceptions of a food safety and quality e-learning course: a CASE study for a MSC in food consumption. International Journal of Educational Technology in Higher Education. 2019; 16 (1):1-22.
Chicago/Turabian StylePaula Vaz-Fernandes; Sandra Caeiro. 2019. "Students’ perceptions of a food safety and quality e-learning course: a CASE study for a MSC in food consumption." International Journal of Educational Technology in Higher Education 16, no. 1: 1-22.
The Copernicus Declaration of 1994, which was understood as a commitment to sustainable development (SD) by top management in higher education, was signed by many universities. This signature worked as an important driver for these institutions to put different dimensions of SD principles into practice. In Portugal, a Southern European country, six of the fourteen universities belonging to the Portuguese University Rectors Council signed the declaration, but no attempt has been made to evaluate how these public universities integrated education for sustainable development at policy and strategy levels. This paper presents the results of a study aimed at identifying to what extent the integration of sustainability in the fourteen universities was achieved, through their own strategic and activity plans and activity and sustainability reports. A detailed content analysis was conducted on these plans and reports within the period from 2005 to 2014 (the time frame of the United Nations Decade of Education for Sustainable Development), to identify the main commitments and practices. Notwithstanding a lack of national integrated strategies or policies related to education for SD, the results show that the movement made progress at the university level, with good examples and initiatives at several universities. This paper highlights the importance of analyzing the content of plans and reports from higher education institutions (HEIs) when intending to assess and define a country profile for the implementation of sustainability in the educational sector. In addition, this research, conducted in Portugal, may be helpful to understand and value how SD is being applied in the policies and strategies of other European HEIs, as well as to share and encourage best practices and ways of improvement.
Carla Farinha; Sandra Caeiro; Ulisses Azeiteiro. Sustainability Strategies in Portuguese Higher Education Institutions: Commitments and Practices from Internal Insights. Sustainability 2019, 11, 3227 .
AMA StyleCarla Farinha, Sandra Caeiro, Ulisses Azeiteiro. Sustainability Strategies in Portuguese Higher Education Institutions: Commitments and Practices from Internal Insights. Sustainability. 2019; 11 (11):3227.
Chicago/Turabian StyleCarla Farinha; Sandra Caeiro; Ulisses Azeiteiro. 2019. "Sustainability Strategies in Portuguese Higher Education Institutions: Commitments and Practices from Internal Insights." Sustainability 11, no. 11: 3227.
The fact that the world community is engaged in pursuing the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) means that an unrivalled opportunity is provided to universities, both in respect of teaching and in research, on individual SDGs, as well as in pursuing their “third mission” linking up with external stakeholders and society. However, not many universities have realised that and many are falling behind. This paper explores the many advantages of the introduction of the SDGs into teaching and suggests that it can catalyse the engagement of students in Higher Education Institutions (HEI) with the concepts of sustainability. The paper fills in a research gap by surveying the current state of the art regarding the theme, presenting current data outlining the extent to which HEI are using SDGs to support their sustainability work. The reasons why some institutions are currently not engaging is also shown. The paper, which consists of a worldwide survey deployed to collect data on the SDGs and sustainability teaching at universities, concludes by providing some recommendations aimed at encouraging further engagement of HEI in incorporatingSDGs as part of their teaching programs. This research is unique in the sense that it provides for the first time offers an overview of the level of emphasis selected universities currently place on the SDGs. Finally, it provides a contribution to current state of knowledge by outlining some actions universities may take, to move forward with their implementation.
Walter Leal Filho; Chris Shiel; Arminda Paço; Mark Mifsud; Lucas Veiga Ávila; Luciana Londero Brandli; Petra Molthan-Hill; Paul Pace; Ulisses M. Azeiteiro; Valeria Ruiz Vargas; Sandra Caeiro. Sustainable Development Goals and sustainability teaching at universities: Falling behind or getting ahead of the pack? Journal of Cleaner Production 2019, 232, 285 -294.
AMA StyleWalter Leal Filho, Chris Shiel, Arminda Paço, Mark Mifsud, Lucas Veiga Ávila, Luciana Londero Brandli, Petra Molthan-Hill, Paul Pace, Ulisses M. Azeiteiro, Valeria Ruiz Vargas, Sandra Caeiro. Sustainable Development Goals and sustainability teaching at universities: Falling behind or getting ahead of the pack? Journal of Cleaner Production. 2019; 232 ():285-294.
Chicago/Turabian StyleWalter Leal Filho; Chris Shiel; Arminda Paço; Mark Mifsud; Lucas Veiga Ávila; Luciana Londero Brandli; Petra Molthan-Hill; Paul Pace; Ulisses M. Azeiteiro; Valeria Ruiz Vargas; Sandra Caeiro. 2019. "Sustainable Development Goals and sustainability teaching at universities: Falling behind or getting ahead of the pack?" Journal of Cleaner Production 232, no. : 285-294.
Paula Bacelar-Nicolau; Sandra Caeiro. Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) and Their Role in Climate Change Education. Encyclopedia of the UN Sustainable Development Goals 2019, 1 -19.
AMA StylePaula Bacelar-Nicolau, Sandra Caeiro. Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) and Their Role in Climate Change Education. Encyclopedia of the UN Sustainable Development Goals. 2019; ():1-19.
Chicago/Turabian StylePaula Bacelar-Nicolau; Sandra Caeiro. 2019. "Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) and Their Role in Climate Change Education." Encyclopedia of the UN Sustainable Development Goals , no. : 1-19.
Climate change can be regarded as one of the key topics of sustainable development where public awareness and education are crucial. In the field of education, Massive Online Open Courses (MOOCs) have raised remarkable attention throughout the last decade as their initial objective is to provide massive open online education for everyone. This article aims to explore the impact of MOOCs on learning about climate change. This is necessary in order to evaluate whether MOOCs can make a substantial contribution to lifelong learning about sustainable development for a wider audience. We therefore present findings from self-assessment questionnaires of participants from two climate change MOOCs provided by two-distance learning universities in Germany and Portugal. Both MOOCs aimed at imparting to the participants the competencies to better understand the topic of climate change. The objective of the survey was a competency-based evaluation to review which learning outcomes have been achieved. The results indicate that taking part in either of the MOOCs increased the participants’ competencies to critically engage in the climate change debate. MOOCs are able to convey certain learning outcomes to the students and thus can contribute to climate change literacy. For further research, we recommend a more differentiated view on MOOCs and the learning opportunities for participants. Options for potential improvement are to think of better ways of how to integrate MOOCs into climate change education or to consider possibilities to increase the attractiveness of MOOCs for instance by using innovative formats to overcome the barriers between formal and informal learning.
Daniel Otto; Sandra Caeiro; Paula Nicolau; Antje Disterheft; António Teixeira; Sara Becker; Alexander Bollmann; Kirsten Sander. Can MOOCs empower people to critically think about climate change? A learning outcome based comparison of two MOOCs. Journal of Cleaner Production 2019, 222, 12 -21.
AMA StyleDaniel Otto, Sandra Caeiro, Paula Nicolau, Antje Disterheft, António Teixeira, Sara Becker, Alexander Bollmann, Kirsten Sander. Can MOOCs empower people to critically think about climate change? A learning outcome based comparison of two MOOCs. Journal of Cleaner Production. 2019; 222 ():12-21.
Chicago/Turabian StyleDaniel Otto; Sandra Caeiro; Paula Nicolau; Antje Disterheft; António Teixeira; Sara Becker; Alexander Bollmann; Kirsten Sander. 2019. "Can MOOCs empower people to critically think about climate change? A learning outcome based comparison of two MOOCs." Journal of Cleaner Production 222, no. : 12-21.
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.
Purpose This paper aims to determine, from key actors’ perspective, how sustainability has been integrated into the policies and strategies of higher education institutions (HEIs), particularly Portuguese public universities, within the framework of the United Nations Decade of Education for Sustainable Development (UN DESD) 2005-2014. Design/methodology/approach Semi-structured exploratory interviews were conducted after gathering a sample of 15 key actors in decision-making processes who designed and implemented Portuguese education for sustainable development (ESD). Seven interviews with the key actors were undertaken and analyzed, leading to other plans, policies and programs that were not publicly accessible. Findings The main findings are the lack of commitment from governmental institutions to implementing ESD at the university level and how few documents are partially linked to sustainable development, according to the key actors’ opinions. Nevertheless, Portuguese universities’ autonomy and their social responsibility have lead them to develop several initiatives and policies toward ESD. Research limitations/implications Convenience sample does not allow results to be generalized to all Portuguese HEIs. Future investigation will be undertaken, including the analysis of plans, policies and strategies at university level, and a questionnaire survey will be applied to those responsible for implementing sustainability in Portuguese universities. Practical implications This study provides findings, conclusions and recommendations that ultimately motivate HEIs to achieve sustainable development and to be more effective in integrating sustainability into their policies and strategies. Originality/value The paper contributes to the literature by reflecting the lack of integration of policies and strategies in HEIs in a southern European country (Portugal), within the framework and goals of the UN DESD 2005-2014, and by explaining similar patterns probably existing in other countries.
Carla Sofia Farinha; Ulisses Azeiteiro; Sandra Sofia Caeiro. Education for sustainable development in Portuguese universities. International Journal of Sustainability in Higher Education 2018, 19, 912 -941.
AMA StyleCarla Sofia Farinha, Ulisses Azeiteiro, Sandra Sofia Caeiro. Education for sustainable development in Portuguese universities. International Journal of Sustainability in Higher Education. 2018; 19 (5):912-941.
Chicago/Turabian StyleCarla Sofia Farinha; Ulisses Azeiteiro; Sandra Sofia Caeiro. 2018. "Education for sustainable development in Portuguese universities." International Journal of Sustainability in Higher Education 19, no. 5: 912-941.
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.
This study's aim was to develop and implement an integrative epidemiologic cross-sectional study that allows identifying and characterising exposure pathways of populations living and working on the shores of a contaminated estuarine environment. Population residing in Carrasqueira, located on the Sado estuary with known contaminated areas was compared to another population on a noncontaminated estuary (Vila Nova de Mil Fontes - VNMF), considered a nonexposed population. Simple random samples of individuals were selected in each study population from the National Health Service Lists: 140 individuals were selected in Carrasqueira and 219 in VNMF. Participation rates were higher in the exposed group (62.5%, n=102 in Carrasqueira and 48.3%, n=100 individuals in VNMF). The same structured questionnaire was used in both populations, including questions on occupational activities, leisure activities, consumption of food (including fish and mollusks from the estuary) and use of water for human intake and agriculture. Results showed that a significantly higher proportion of Carrasqueira participants reported doing tasks in their job that promote direct (48.8% vs 1.2% in VNMF, p-value<0.001) or indirect (30% vs 11.9% in VNMF, p-value=0.004) contact with water from the estuary. Regarding seafood consumption, the exposed population of Carrasqueira had a higher frequency of consumption of cuttlefish (23.5% vs 9% in VNMF, p-value=0.007), sole (22.5% vs 4% in VNMF, p-value<0.001) and clams (18.6% vs 5.0 in VNMF, p-value=0.004). The comparative study design, with exposed and nonexposed populations living on the shores of two different estuaries allowed us to confirm the hypothesis of a higher risk of contamination from the contaminated estuarine environment. The study design and the selection of both populations were adequate for this type of epidemiologic study of potential routes of human contamination in a mixture of contaminated estuarine environment and can be used in other estuarine areas with similar environmental risk.
Ausenda Machado; Ana Paula Fernandes; Eleonora Paixão; Sandra Caeiro; Carlos Matias-Dias. An epidemiological approach to characterise the human exposure pathways in a contaminated estuarine environment. Science of The Total Environment 2017, 601-602, 1753 -1761.
AMA StyleAusenda Machado, Ana Paula Fernandes, Eleonora Paixão, Sandra Caeiro, Carlos Matias-Dias. An epidemiological approach to characterise the human exposure pathways in a contaminated estuarine environment. Science of The Total Environment. 2017; 601-602 ():1753-1761.
Chicago/Turabian StyleAusenda Machado; Ana Paula Fernandes; Eleonora Paixão; Sandra Caeiro; Carlos Matias-Dias. 2017. "An epidemiological approach to characterise the human exposure pathways in a contaminated estuarine environment." Science of The Total Environment 601-602, no. : 1753-1761.
Organisations are increasingly adopting sustainability performance assessment tools. However, these formal organisational sustainability assessments are typically managed and prepared by technical staff. There is a lack of research on approaches that enable a stakeholder-driven performance assessment. This paper develops a framework of informal/complementary stakeholder-driven sustainability performance assessment, from the perspective of employee voluntary collaboration. The framework composes a checklist of questions covering the main sustainability domains: perceptions, individual practices, and voluntary monitoring indicators. In an exploratory case study in a public organisation, the checklist was evaluated by employees in a participatory workshop. The evaluation criteria of understanding and usefulness were rated more positively than reliability. This paper shows a novel way of integrating employee inputs for informal sustainability assessment and supports the importance of empowering public organisations, thereby increasing their understanding of sustainability management frameworks. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and ERP Environment
Vera Coutinho; Ana Rita Domingues; Sandra Caeiro; Marco Painho; Paula Antunes; Rui Santos; Nuno Videira; Richard M. Walker; Donald Huisingh; Tomás B. Ramos. Employee-Driven Sustainability Performance Assessment in Public Organisations. Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental Management 2017, 25, 29 -46.
AMA StyleVera Coutinho, Ana Rita Domingues, Sandra Caeiro, Marco Painho, Paula Antunes, Rui Santos, Nuno Videira, Richard M. Walker, Donald Huisingh, Tomás B. Ramos. Employee-Driven Sustainability Performance Assessment in Public Organisations. Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental Management. 2017; 25 (1):29-46.
Chicago/Turabian StyleVera Coutinho; Ana Rita Domingues; Sandra Caeiro; Marco Painho; Paula Antunes; Rui Santos; Nuno Videira; Richard M. Walker; Donald Huisingh; Tomás B. Ramos. 2017. "Employee-Driven Sustainability Performance Assessment in Public Organisations." Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental Management 25, no. 1: 29-46.
Environmental risk assessment of complex ecosystems such as estuaries is a challenge, where innovative and integrated approaches are needed. The present work aimed at developing an innovative integrative methodology to evaluate in an impacted estuary (the Sado, in Portugal, was taken as case study), the adverse effects onto both ecosystem and human health. For the purpose, new standardized lines of evidence based on multiple quantitative data were integrated into a weight of evidence according to a best expert judgment approach. The best professional judgment for a weight of evidence approach in the present study was based on the following lines of evidence: i) human contamination pathways; ii) human health effects: chronic disease; iii) human health effects: reproductive health; iv) human health effects: health care; v) human exposure through consumption of local agriculture produce; vi) exposure to contaminated of water wells and agriculture soils; vii) contamination of the estuarine sedimentary environment (metal and organic contaminants); viii) effects on benthic organisms with commercial value; and ix) genotoxic potential of sediments. Each line of evidence was then ordinally ranked by levels of ecological or human health risk, according to a tabular decision matrix and expert judgment. Fifteen experts scored two fishing areas of the Sado estuary and a control estuarine area, in a scale of increasing environmental risk and management actions to be taken. The integrated assessment allowed concluding that the estuary should not be regarded as impacted by a specific toxicant, such as metals and organic compounds hitherto measured, but by the cumulative risk of a complex mixture of contaminants. The proven adverse effects on species with commercial value may be used to witness the environmental quality of the estuarine ecosystem. This method argues in favor of expert judgment and qualitative assessment as a decision support tool to the integrative management of estuaries. Namely it allows communicating environmental risk and proposing mitigation measures to local authorities and population under a holistic perspective as an alternative to narrow single line of evidence approaches, which is mandatory to understand cause and effect relationships in complex areas like estuaries.The present research was financed by FCT, Portugal, and co- financed by the European Community FEDER through the program COMPETE (project reference PTDC/SAU-ESA/100107/2008). The authors acknowledge the contributions from Miguel Pinto, Henriqueta Louro, Susana Silva, Ines Coelho, Mario Diniz and Angel Del Valls (from University of Cadiz, and consultant in the project) to this work.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio
S. Caeiro; Ana Paula Figueira Vaz Fernandes; Ana Paula Teixeira Martinho; Pedro M. Costa; Maria Joao Silva; J. Lavinha; Carlos Matias Dias; A. Machado; Isabel Castanheira; Maria Helena Costa. Environmental risk assessment in a contaminated estuary: An integrated weight of evidence approach as a decision support tool. Ocean & Coastal Management 2017, 143, 51 -62.
AMA StyleS. Caeiro, Ana Paula Figueira Vaz Fernandes, Ana Paula Teixeira Martinho, Pedro M. Costa, Maria Joao Silva, J. Lavinha, Carlos Matias Dias, A. Machado, Isabel Castanheira, Maria Helena Costa. Environmental risk assessment in a contaminated estuary: An integrated weight of evidence approach as a decision support tool. Ocean & Coastal Management. 2017; 143 ():51-62.
Chicago/Turabian StyleS. Caeiro; Ana Paula Figueira Vaz Fernandes; Ana Paula Teixeira Martinho; Pedro M. Costa; Maria Joao Silva; J. Lavinha; Carlos Matias Dias; A. Machado; Isabel Castanheira; Maria Helena Costa. 2017. "Environmental risk assessment in a contaminated estuary: An integrated weight of evidence approach as a decision support tool." Ocean & Coastal Management 143, no. : 51-62.
Walter Leal Filho; Ulisses Azeiteiro; Fatima Alves; Paul Pace; Mark Mifsud; Luciana Brandli; Sandra S. Caeiro; Antje Disterheft. Reinvigorating the sustainable development research agenda: the role of the sustainable development goals (SDG). International Journal of Sustainable Development & World Ecology 2017, 25, 131 -142.
AMA StyleWalter Leal Filho, Ulisses Azeiteiro, Fatima Alves, Paul Pace, Mark Mifsud, Luciana Brandli, Sandra S. Caeiro, Antje Disterheft. Reinvigorating the sustainable development research agenda: the role of the sustainable development goals (SDG). International Journal of Sustainable Development & World Ecology. 2017; 25 (2):131-142.
Chicago/Turabian StyleWalter Leal Filho; Ulisses Azeiteiro; Fatima Alves; Paul Pace; Mark Mifsud; Luciana Brandli; Sandra S. Caeiro; Antje Disterheft. 2017. "Reinvigorating the sustainable development research agenda: the role of the sustainable development goals (SDG)." International Journal of Sustainable Development & World Ecology 25, no. 2: 131-142.