El cambio climático, ¿reto para la Responsabilidad Social Empresarial?

La existencia de un cambio climático global (CC) está ya constatada en el informe científico del Panel Intergubernamental sobre Cambio Climático (IPCC). Entre las causas de este, se encuentra la actividad humana junto con las causas naturales del planeta. Todo ello ha dado lugar al desarrollo de diferentes instrumentos de lucha contra el CC, con objetivos que deberán ser alcanzados por las sociedades. Las empresas no son ajenas a este proceso, ni a la causa del problema, ni a su solución. Analizamos en este trabajo cómo encajan la problemática y los objetivos sobre el CC en el contexto de la Responsabilidad Social Empresarial, y los retos a los que se enfrentan las empresas, centrándonos principalmente en el caso de España en el contexto de la Unión Europea

Mobility infrastructures in cities and climate change: An analysis through the superblocks in Barcelona

Cities are key actors in the fight against climate change since they are major sources of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions while at the same time they experience the negative impact of this phenomenon. Mitigating and adapting to climate change requires fundamental changes in urbanism and city automobile traffic. Superblocks, a grid of blocks and basic roads forming a polygon, approximately 400 by 400 m, are one of the instruments for such changes. These type of city Superblocks represent a new model of mobility that restructures the typical urban road network, thereby substantially reducing automobile traffic, and accordingly GHG emissions, while increasing green space in the city and improving the health and quality of life of its inhabitants.Furthermore, the Superblocks do not require investment in hard infrastructures, nor do they involvedemolishing buildings or undertaking massive development; they are in fact very low-tech urbanism.The city of Barcelona has been implementing Superblocks as one of the measures to combat climate change with very positive results. The paper analyzes the concept of the Superblock and its relation with climate change in cities. Along these lines, it analyzes the pioneer experience of Barcelona in the development and implementation of the Superblocks, as a radical plan aimed at taking back the streets from cars. The role of political power and institutional leadership has been key in societal acceptance and the achievement of tangible results. But there are also obstacles and drawbacks in the development of these types of Superblocks, such as the necessity to redesign the collective transport network so that car traffic can truly be reduced in cities, the possible negative influence on traffic going in and out of the city, the lack of visible advantages if they are not implemented in the entire city, the risk of gentrification in the areas with Superblocks, public opposition, and opposition from certain sectors of the business communityPostprint (published version

Socioeconomic Indicators for the Evaluation and Monitoring of Climate Change in National Parks: An Analysis of the Sierra de Guadarrama National Park (Spain)

This paper analyzes the importance of assessing and controlling the social and economic impact of climate change in national parks. To this end, a system of indicators for evaluation and monitoring is proposed for the Sierra de Guadarrama National Park, one of the most important in Spain. Based on the Driving forces-Pressure-State-Impact-Response (DPSIR) framework, the designed system uses official statistical data in combination with data to be collected through ad hoc qualitative research. The result is a system of indicators that monitors the use of natural resources, the demographic evolution, economic activities, social interactions, and policies. Adapted to different contexts, these indicators could also be used in other national parks and similar natural protected areas throughout the world. This type of indicator system is one of the first to be carried out in Spain's national parks. The result is a system that can be useful not only in itself, but also one that can catalyze climate change planning and management of national parks.This research was funded by Fundación Biodiversidad. We did not received funds for covering the costs to publish in open access

LA CONTRIBUCIÓN DE LA TRUFICULTURA AL DESARROLLO EMPRESARIAL Y AL EMPLEO LOCAL EN LAS PROVINCIAS DE TERUEL Y ZARAGOZA

La truficultura es una actividad que está creciendo considerablemente en Aragón de manera que es la principal región exportadora de trufa negra del mundo. Esta productividad se da en zonas muy exclusivas que a su vez sufren desde hace años de un proceso de despoblación severo. Nos referimos a las Comarcas de Gúdar Javalambre, Maestrazgo, Matarraña y Valle del Jiloca y Daroca. Este trabajo aborda la cuestión de cómo influye dicha actividad en la creación de puestos de trabajo, tanto directos como indirectos, y de este modo contribuye a su vez a luchar contra la despoblación. La truficultura es una alternativa para los jóvenes de estas localidades y para los desempleados que se vieron obligados a dejar sus antiguos cultivos la no poder complementarlos con esta actividad que presenta gran rentabilidad en pequeños cultivos.<br /

La dimensión social del concepto de desarrollo sostenible: ¿La eterna olvidada?

El eje vertebrador del concepto de desarrollo sostenible se sustenta en la alianza que forman la economía, la justicia social y la protección del medio ambiente. Sin embargo, este concepto se ha basado desde sus orígenes principalmente en su posición medioambiental y económica, en detrimento de su dimensión social. La cuestión que se plantea por tanto es: ¿Es la perspectiva social y en particular la justicia ambiental y la equidad de la sostenibilidad la gran olvidada? Este artículo expondrá las razo- nes por las que la dimensión social se considera de crucial importancia para el concepto de desarrollo sostenible. También se abordará cómo se articula la interacción entre la dimensión social y la am- biental, concretamente a partir de conceptos muy prometedores como son los de justicia ambiental, espacio ambiental, huella ecológica y deuda eco- lógica, contribuyendo con todo ello a la profundiza- ción en el paradigma de la Sostenibilidad Just

Alterações climáticas, avaliação técnica e opinião pública: perspectivas ibéricas no contexto europeu

Tendo em mente o cenário imposto pelas alterações climáticas na Europa, as páginas seguintes procurarão contribuir para fazer um balanço geral da situação nos países ibéricos, no contexto da União Europeia, com dois tipos de dados complementares. Por um lado, dados objetivos assentes no conhecimento técnico-científico, avançados pelo Índice de Desempenho em Alterações Climáticas (CCPI – Climate Change Performance Index). Por outro lado, fazendo uso do Eurobarômetro Especial 490 de 2019, analisar-se-ão dados de origem fundamentalmente leiga e mais subjetiva que, versando as mesmas matérias, assentam no ponto de vista dos cidadãos, suas percepções e atitudes. Procura-se, fundamentalmente, contrapor duas fontes de conhecimento distintas (perito e leigo) e, a partir daí, retirar ilações para o futuro da Europa e, particularmente, para o futuro dos dois países ibéricos aqui em foco

Sostenibilidad del consumo de energía en los hogares en el contexto del COVID-19

En el presente trabajo fin de grado se lleva a cabo una investigación sobre el efecto que ha tenido la pandemia del COVID-19 en el consumo de energía en los hogares de los/as estudiantes de la Facultad de Ciencias Sociales y del Trabajo de la Universidad de Zaragoza. Este coste y consumo de energía está directamente relacionado con la pobreza energética en los hogares. Para ello, hemos realizado una encuesta on line a un total de 150 estudiantes en el año 2020. Los resultados del estudio ponen de relieve el mayor consumo de energía en el hogar para poder mantener la vivienda a la temperatura adecuada y las dificultades para hacer frente a las facturas de gas y electricidad. Ello se explica por el mayor tiempo que pasan en la vivienda, así como los gastos adicionales derivados de la utilización de tecnologías para formación o las relaciones sociales.<br /

Vesicles Shed by Pathological Murine Adipocytes Spread Pathology: Characterization and Functional Role of Insulin Resistant/Hypertrophied Adiposomes

Extracellular vesicles (EVs) have recently emerged as a relevant way of cell to cell communication, and its analysis has become an indirect approach to assess the cell/tissue of origin status. However, the knowledge about their nature and role on metabolic diseases is still very scarce. We have established an insulin resistant (IR) and two lipid (palmitic/oleic) hypertrophied adipocyte cell models to isolate EVs to perform a protein cargo qualitative and quantitative Sequential Window Acquisition of All Theoretical Mass Spectra (SWATH) analysis by mass spectrometry. Our results show a high proportion of obesity and IR-related proteins in pathological EVs; thus, we propose a panel of potential obese adipose tissue EV-biomarkers. Among those, lipid hypertrophied vesicles are characterized by ceruloplasmin, mimecan, and perilipin 1 adipokines, and those from the IR by the striking presence of the adiposity and IR related transforming growth factor-beta-induced protein ig-h3 (TFGBI). Interestingly, functional assays show that IR and hypertrophied adipocytes induce differentiation/hypertrophy and IR in healthy adipocytes through secreted EVs. Finally, we demonstrate that lipid atrophied adipocytes shed EVs promote macrophage inflammation by stimulating IL-6 and TNFα expression. Thus, we conclude that pathological adipocytes release vesicles containing representative protein cargo of the cell of origin that are able to induce metabolic alterations on healthy cells probably exacerbating the disease once establishedThis research was funded by Instituto de Salud Carlos III-FEDER, grant number PI16/01212S