A framework for developing green building rating tools based on Pakistan’s local context

Most countries have developed green building rating tools that are based on social, environmental, and economic dimensions. Pakistan followed a similar approach and has developed a rating tool known as Sustainability in Energy and Environmental Development (SEED). However, SEED is built on developed western countries’ rating tool standards which do not address Pakistan’s unique local context, especially from the cultural and governmental perspectives. This research aims to fill this research gap by developing a holistic framework of building rating tools that incorporates cultural and governmental dimensions. Based on an extensive literature review, a hypothetical framework, incorporating Pakistan’s unique local contexts and adding cultural and governmental dimensions to the widely adopted social, environmental, and economic dimensions of sustainability, was proposed in this paper. This framework was further validated by in-depth interviews with multiple stakeholders in Pakistan. A qualitative analysis of the interview results was carried out, and the final framework was proposed with key indicators, reflecting all five dimensions of sustainability. The verified sustainability framework can be used to improve or develop green building rating tools for Pakistan, and it can also inform other developing countries’ rating tool development

The importance of institutional differences among countries in SDGs achievement: A cross‐country empirical study

Based upon the “quintuple helix” model (Carayannis et al., 2012; Carayannis & Campbell, 2010), this research analyzes whether the differences in the level of achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) among 64 countries worldwide can be explained by a series of 19 institutional variables related to five dimensions such as cultural orientation, economic development, the education-labor system, the political-legal system and innovation. Our results highlight the crucial role of public policies in attaining SDGs through the improvement of institutional quality, governance systems and economic freedom as well as with the promotion of education and the innovation ecosystem. In this regard, the adoption of the “quintuple helix” model through the interrelation of the government, Universities and the private sector is deemed relevant in order to face the social and environmental challenges posed by the SDGs.We thank to the Ministry of Science and Innovation, project GELESMAT (ref. PID2021-122419OB-I00) for financial support

Antecedente E Consequentes da Eco-Inovação para a Sustentabilidade: Percepções das Gerações no Brasil e Em Portugal

Purpose – This study aims to analyze the perception of generations (Baby boomers, X and Y) about the influence of Holistic Helixes of Innovation on Eco-innovation, as well as Eco-innovation on Environmental Practices, Cleaner Production, Social Actions, Regional Development, Smart Cities and Sustainable Development. Theoretical framework – Holistic Helixes of Innovation, Eco-innovation, Environmental Practices, Cleaner Production, Social Actions, Regional Development, Smart Cities and Sustainable Development. Design/methodology/approach – The method used was a descriptive, quantitative research, applied to 1032 individuals residing in Brazil and Portugal, analyzed using Structural Equation Modeling. Findings – Holistic Helixes of Innovation strongly influence Eco-innovation. This finding can contribute to the promotion of public policies to encourage integration among stakeholders of holistic innovation helices, such as universities, government, industries, technology parks, spin-offs, incubators, startup, consulting teams, non-governmental organizations, shareholders, suppliers, and customers. The study also shows the positive influence of eco-innovation on environmental practices, cleaner production, social actions, smart cities, sustainable development, with emphasis on regional development. Research, Practical & Social implications – The Eco-innovation precepts are key to trigger positive influences on socio-environmental aspects, smart cities and regional and sustainable development. In this sense, organizations and governments can contribute to society, with greater efficiency, allocating resources in projects that develop socio-environmental innovations. Originality/value – It is relevant for science to know the variables that can help governments and other organizations to develop policies and actions to promote the improvement of people's quality of life from a long-term triple bottom line perspective

Smart specialisation for regional economic transformation

The aim of this paper is to provide a quick yet comprehensive understanding of the nature and logic of smart specialisation as a place-based strategy for economic transformation and development. The origin and characteristics of the smart specialisation approach in the European Union are presented together with the main challenges for a successful implementation. Smart specialisation is about identifying and pursuing sub-sectoral and inter-sectoral activities, which can be explored by existing but also new entrant firms, where technology can facilitate either radical innovation, or the incremental utilisation of existing skills/strengths in new niches, fostering regional and national technology-savvy economic transformation. Stakeholder involvement through an entrepreneurial discovery process is a defining feature of this approach.JRC.J.2-Knowledge for Growt

Wykorzystanie złożonego indeksu zielonej gospodarki EEPSE do oceny postępu gospodarek rozwijających się w osiąganiu Celów zrównoważonego rozwoju

As a concept, the green economy refers to the transition from coal to renewable energy sources to reduce pollution, the energy efficiency of production processes to achieve savings, the reuse of materials from waste in business and energy production, changes designed to stop harmful climate change and bring new opportunities for economic development. In this way, conflicts between economic development and environmental issues are resolved, with the aim of achieving sustainability of the economy and society. The aim of the study is to provide a comparative analysis of the level of development of the green economy in selected 20 emerging economies and their progress towards achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) from the 2030 Agenda using the EEPSE Green Economy Index (EEPSE GEI), based on Quintuple  Helix Innovation Model (QHIM), and examine the interdependence between each of the 5 subsystems (quality of education system, economic aspects, political system, civil society, and natural environment) with this index. The results indicate that among the group of countries observed, Estonia is the best performer, while Egypt has the lowest performance. The results, also, indicate the important role of each of the subsystems in EEPSE GEI. The study can be useful for policy makers to identify weaknesses in achieving the SDGs.Jako koncepcja, zielona gospodarka odnosi się do przejścia z węgla na odnawialne źródła energii w celu ograniczenia zanieczyszczeń, efektywności energetycznej procesów produkcyjnych w celu osiągnięcia oszczędności, ponownego wykorzystania materiałów z odpadów w biznesie i produkcji energii, zmian mających na celu zatrzymać szkodliwe zmiany klimatyczne i stworzyć nowe możliwości rozwoju gospodarczego. W ten sposób rozwiązywane są konflikty pomiędzy rozwojem gospodarczym a kwestiami środowiskowymi, umożliwiając osiągnięcie zrównoważonego rozwoju gospodarki i społeczeństwa. Celem artykułu jest dokonanie analizy porównawczej poziomu rozwoju zielonej gospodarki w wybranych 20 gospodarkach rozwijających się  oraz ich postępu w realizacji Celów zrównoważonego rozwoju (SDGs) wynikających z Agendy 2030 z wykorzystaniem Indeksu Zielonej Gospodarki EEPSE (EEPSE GEI), w oparciu o Model Innowacji Pięciokrotnej Helisy (QHIM) i bada współzależność pomiędzy każdym z 5 podsystemów (jakość systemu edukacji, aspekty ekonomiczne, system polityczny, społeczeństwo obywatelskie i środowisko naturalne) za pomocą tego indeksu. Wyniki wskazują, że wśród obserwowanej grupy krajów najlepiej radzi sobie Estonia, a najgorzej Egipt. Wyniki wskazują także na ważną rolę każdego z podsystemów w EEPSE GEI. Badanie może być przydatne dla decydentów w celu zidentyfikowania słabych punktów w osiąganiu Celów zrównoważonego rozwoju

Green roof evaluation: A holistic ‘long life, loose fit, low energy’ approach

Green roofs have potential to improve the social and environmental performance of detached housing in Australia, yet often they are overlooked due to prohibitive capital cost and a range of other perceptions that are difficult to quantify. A classic evaluation problem is invoked that must balance short and long term benefits. Using two distinct designs of the same floor area, green roof and traditional housing prototypes are analysed to determine the relative ‘breakeven’ point when long-term benefits become feasible. It is discovered that green roofs are unlikely to be viable in their own right, but when coupled with an overall design strategy of long life (durability), loose fit (adaptability) and low energy (sustainability) they can deliver least cost (affordability) over time as well as unlock valuable social and environmental rewards. This outcome can be realised within 25% of a home’s expected design life of at least one hundred years. The results demonstrate that residential green roofs, when integrated as part of a holistic approach, can be both individually and collectively justified on key economic, social and environmental criteria, and are therefore able to claim a valuable contribution towards wider sustainable development goals

Towards a Triple Helix based efficiency index of innovation systems

This article presents a novel application of a two-phase Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) for evaluating the efficiency of innovation systems based on the Triple Helix neo-evolutionary model. The authors identify a niche to measure Triple Helix-based efficiency of innovation systems scrutinizing different methodologies for measuring Triple Helix performance and indicating different perspectives on policy implications. The paper presents a new Triple Helix-based index that engages a comprehensive dataset and helps provide useful feedback to policymakers. It is based on a set of 19 indicators collected from the official reports of 34 OECD countries and applied in a two-phase DEA model: the indicators are aggregated into pillars according to the Assurance Region Global and DEA super-efficiency model; pillar scores are aggregated according to the Benefit-of-the-Doubt based DEA model. The results provide a rank of 34 countries outlining strengths and weaknesses of each observed innovation system. The research implies a variable set of weights to be a major advantage of DEA allowing less developed countries to excel in evaluating innovation systems efficiency. The results of Triple Helix efficiency index measurement presented in this paper help better account for the European Innovation Paradox.publishedVersionPeer reviewe

Proposal of a system for assessment of the sustainability of municipalities (Sasmu) included in the spanish network of national parks and their surroundings

It is usually considered that Protected Areas (PAs) are an efficient tool for policies to conserve biodiversity. However, there is evidence that some pressures and threats arise from processes taking place both inside them and in their surroundings territories—habitat loss, changes in land use, fragmentation of natural ecosystems. In this paper, we aim to test the hypothesis that municipalities located in the Socioeconomic Influence Zones (SIZs) of the fifteen National Parks (NPs) in Spain are more sustainable than those in their surroundings or, conversely, that the municipalities of their surroundings are more unsustainable. To measure their sustainability, we propose a system for assessment using fifteen indicators selected by experts. The methodology is based on the normalization of the data of each indicator, comparing them with a desirable target value defined in terms of sector policies and strategies. We then aggregate the indicators for each group in three indices that cover the classic dimensions of sustainability—environmental, economic and social. On a network scale, the results show that municipalities inside the SIZs are 1.594 points more sustainable environmentally, 0.108 economically and 0.068 socially than those of their surroundings. A system for assessment of the sustainability of municipalities (SASMU) may be a useful tool for NP managers, and for local and regional administrations, when setting priorities for policies, projects and compensation for regulatory restrictions related to NPs