The integration of the United Nations’ 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) into secondary education systems has been recognized as a critical strategy for promoting global sustainability. In the Greek context, a mixed-methods investigation was conducted to identify and evaluate effective practices for embedding the SDGs in secondary school settings by 2026. Drawing upon the theoretical frameworks of Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) and Experiential Learning Theory (ELT), the study sought to examine the extent to which institutional leadership, teacher preparedness, curriculum design, and stakeholder collaboration contribute to the establishment of sustainability-oriented education. Quantitative data were collected through surveys administered to 286 secondary school teachers, while qualitative insights were derived from semi-structured interviews involving educators, school administrators, and external stakeholders such as NGOs and local community representatives. The findings indicate that leadership support constitutes the most influential predictor of successful SDG implementation, particularly when accompanied by strategic planning and the provision of targeted resources. Teacher training initiatives were found to significantly enhance the instructional capacity for sustainability-focused pedagogies, especially in the context of project-based and participatory learning models. Furthermore, partnerships with non-formal educational actors were shown to facilitate access to additional expertise and learning materials, thereby enriching both curricular and extracurricular initiatives. Programs such as sustainability clubs and interdisciplinary projects were identified as effective mechanisms for fostering critical thinking and applied problem-solving among students. Nonetheless, several systemic constraints—most notably institutional rigidity and limited resource allocation—were observed to impede widespread adoption. It is therefore proposed that by addressing these structural challenges and drawing upon international best practices, Greek secondary schools may achieve more robust alignment with the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
Greenwashing—defined as the strategic misrepresentation of corporate environmental practices—has emerged as a focal point of critical discussion on social media platforms. In this study, discourse related to greenwashing on Twitter was analyzed to uncover key thematic structures, sentiment dynamics, and polarization patterns. A total of 308,075 tweets authored by 148,881 unique users between 1 January 2015 and 31 January 2023 were collected and subjected to topic modelling and sentiment analysis. Ten primary themes were identified: (1) Sustainability and Marketing, (2) Climate Change and Fossil Fuels, (3) International Summits and Activism, (4) The Green Deal, (5) Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) Investments, (6) Plastic Waste, (7) Fast Fashion, (8) The Automotive Industry, (9) Deforestation, and (10) Food and Agriculture. Sentiment analysis, conducted using the Valence Aware Dictionary and Sentiment Reasoner (VADER), revealed a predominantly critical tone across the dataset. Negative sentiment was detected in 35.54% of tweets, while only 12.86% conveyed a positive stance; the remaining 51.6% were classified as neutral. These findings underscore the pervasive skepticism towards corporate environmental claims and highlight the perceived dissonance between green marketing narratives and actual corporate behavior. Furthermore, the study illustrates how public sentiment clusters around specific themes, suggesting issue-based polarization in perceptions of environmental credibility. By integrating topic modelling with sentiment polarity analysis, this research offers an empirical framework for evaluating public discourse surrounding greenwashing. The insights derived may inform both corporate sustainability communication strategies and policy interventions aimed at fostering transparency and accountability. Overall, the evidence points to an urgent need for more authentic, verifiable, and ethically aligned environmental messaging to restore public trust in sustainability initiatives.
The intersection of political dynasties and environmental policymaking in Asia between 2015 and 2025 has been examined through a comprehensive bibliometric synthesis. Drawing upon 2,395 publications indexed in the Scopus database, the analysis was conducted using Biblioshiny, an interactive platform based on the Bibliometrix R package. A combination of thematic mapping, co-occurrence network analysis, and multiple correspondence analysis (MCA) was employed to identify prevailing research patterns, thematic structures, and collaborative networks across national and institutional contexts. Emphasis was placed on six Asian countries—India, Indonesia, Japan, Pakistan, the Philippines, and Thailand—where dynastic political continuity is notably entrenched and environmental policy challenges are particularly acute. Findings reveal that political dynasties have exerted both facilitative and obstructive influences on environmental governance, contingent upon national political structures, institutional robustness, and civil society engagement. Although a marked increase in transnational scientific output and institutional collaboration was observed—reflecting the growing global salience of environmental concerns—evidence suggests that entrenched dynastic interests frequently inhibit the translation of scientific knowledge into effective policy implementation. In particular, short-term political incentives and elite preservation strategies have been found to undermine regulatory continuity and transparency. Despite expanding scholarly engagement, gaps remain in policy accountability, especially in regions where dynastic influence dominates legislative and executive processes. It is therefore recommended that policy frameworks be restructured to enhance procedural transparency, institutional independence, and public participation in environmental decision-making. Strengthened international oversight mechanisms and cross-border cooperation are also proposed as means to mitigate the regressive effects of dynastic politics on environmental sustainability. By situating political dynasties within the broader discourse on environmental governance, this study contributes to a nuanced understanding of how elite continuity shapes policy efficacy and sustainable development trajectories in Asia.
With the growing concentration of populations in urban centres, ensuring resilient and sustainable food systems has become a critical priority. Disruptions in food supply chains, particularly in small cities with limited logistical flexibility, can severely compromise food availability. In response, the utilisation of urban green spaces for food production has been increasingly recognised as a viable strategy to enhance local self-sufficiency while contributing to broader environmental goals. This study evaluated the potential for integrating urban orchards, berry bushes, and apiaries within the public green spaces of Maribor, a small Slovenian city with a total area of 40 km². Emphasis was placed on publicly owned or publicly accessible land—including municipal holdings, state-owned plots, and land managed by public companies—that remains underutilised yet suitable for edible landscaping. Using spatial analysis conducted through QGis, available green space was quantified and assessed for suitability in supporting fruit trees, edible shrubs, and beekeeping installations. Estimates were then derived for the number of fruit and berry seedlings that could be planted, the volume of potential fruit and honey yields, and the corresponding contribution to carbon dioxide reduction through enhanced urban vegetation and decreased food transport dependency. The results indicate that even fragmented and seemingly marginal green areas possess significant aggregate potential for improving local food resilience, fostering community engagement, and delivering measurable carbon mitigation benefits. Furthermore, urban food forests and community orchards were identified as multifunctional landscape interventions that not only enhance food security but also improve urban biodiversity, air quality, and residents’ mental well-being. These findings align with the European Union’s objectives for urban ecosystem efficiency and carbon neutrality by 2050 and underscore the importance of integrating edible green infrastructure into urban planning frameworks. The study contributes to the growing body of evidence supporting the role of decentralised, nature-based solutions in urban sustainability transitions.
Driven by the accelerating global demand for lithium as a strategic raw material for renewable energy storage systems and electric mobility, extensive extraction projects have been proposed across Europe. Among the most prominent is the development of lithium reserves in the Cínovec region of the Czech Republic. This study investigates how local actors perceive the anticipated environmental, economic, and social impacts of lithium mining in the region, and whether current regulatory and governance frameworks are perceived as sufficient to ensure sustainable mining practices. A mixed-methods approach has been employed, combining qualitative data from semi-structured interviews with policymakers, municipal leaders, mining license holders, and regional stakeholders, with quantitative analysis of public opinion data obtained through a survey of 256 residents, along with the systematic review of Environmental Impact Assessments (EIA), policy documents, and socio-economic datasets. The findings reveal a prevailing skepticism among local stakeholders regarding the project, with strong opposition rooted in concerns over environmental degradation—including risks to water quality, biodiversity, and landscape integrity. While economic benefits such as job creation and regional investment are acknowledged, doubts have been expressed about the equitable distribution of these benefits and the transparency of decision-making processes. A lack of effective public engagement and communication has been identified as a key factor exacerbating community distrust. Moreover, regulatory instruments have been perceived as fragmented and insufficiently enforced, raising questions about institutional readiness for sustainable resource governance. It is concluded that without substantial reforms to enhance procedural transparency, participatory governance, and environmental oversight, social acceptance of the project is unlikely to be secured. These results underscore the importance of aligning resource extraction initiatives with local socio-environmental contexts and of embedding sustainability principles within all phases of project development. The study contributes to current debates on critical raw material governance in the European Union and offers policy-relevant recommendations for designing inclusive, transparent, and environmentally responsible mining strategies that are sensitive to community resilience and long-term regional sustainability.
Anthropogenic climate change, driven primarily by the intensification of greenhouse gas emissions since the Industrial Revolution, continues to pose significant environmental and socio-economic challenges. Among the most promising mitigation strategies is carbon capture, utilisation and storage (CCUS), which facilitates the reduction of carbon dioxide (CO₂) emissions by capturing CO₂ from large point sources and storing it in geological formations, such as depleted oil and gas reservoirs. In some configurations, CCUS has also been employed to enhance hydrocarbon recovery. While the technology is widely recognised for its potential to contribute to decarbonisation goals, particularly in fossil fuel-dependent economies, its large-scale deployment remains constrained by considerable economic and regulatory barriers. In Indonesia, a country with ambitious commitments to achieve net-zero emissions by 2060 but a continued reliance on fossil energy, CCUS is increasingly being considered a strategic pathway for transitioning the energy sector toward sustainability. This study undertakes a systematic review of existing and near-operational CCUS initiatives globally, with a focus on economic performance, cost structures, and policy frameworks. Evidence from the literature suggests that although CO₂-enhanced oil recovery (CO₂-EOR) can yield short-term productivity gains, the high capital and operational expenditures associated with CCUS systems often undermine their economic feasibility in the absence of supportive policy instruments or carbon pricing mechanisms. Furthermore, the lack of integrated regulatory frameworks and stakeholder coordination has been identified as a critical barrier to progress in Indonesia. It is therefore argued that a comprehensive national strategy is required—one that aligns with Article 6 of the Paris Agreement and incorporates targeted subsidies, regulatory clarity, and inter-sectoral collaboration among emitters and storage providers. The analysis underscores the necessity of embedding CCUS into Indonesia’s long-term decarbonisation roadmap through an approach that balances environmental obligations with economic pragmatism.
The integration of economic growth, social cohesion, and environmental sustainability within European Union (EU) development frameworks has been strategically aligned with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). These objectives have been positioned to reinforce the EU’s welfare state model while fostering harmonization across member states. In this study, the performance trajectories of 27 EU countries from 2000 to 2023 have been assessed to determine whether convergence in SDG outcomes has occurred, and whether progress towards sustainable development has followed a common pathway. The SDG Index and data for 16 individual SDGs were analyzed using the club convergence methodology and the log t-regression test, allowing for the identification of heterogeneous dynamic patterns and latent convergence clubs. The results indicate that a singular equilibrium in SDG performance has not yet been achieved, with evidence of structural divergence across several key goals. While convergence has been observed for Goals 1, 9, 12, and 13, significant divergence persists for Goals 2, 5, 6, and 8. These findings underscore the limitations of a uniform policy approach and suggest that differentiated, context-sensitive strategies may be required to close performance gaps. The presence of club convergence further implies that member states are evolving towards distinct equilibria, shaped by domestic policy frameworks, institutional capacities, and socioeconomic contexts. This study addresses a significant gap in the literature by providing a systematic and longitudinal analysis of SDG performance heterogeneity within the EU and contributes to ongoing debates on the effectiveness of supranational sustainability governance. It is argued that recognizing and responding to these differentiated trajectories is critical for the design of targeted policy interventions capable of advancing inclusive and balanced sustainable development across the union.
Submit to CiS
Review for CiS
Propose a Special Issue 
Open Access
Journal Metrics
Journal Overview
Associated Journals