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Intro -- Foreword -- Table of contents -- Acronyms -- Executive summary -- Overall assessment and recommendations -- A framework for analysing policies for innovation, productivity and sustainability in the food and agricultural sector -- Challenges to increase agricultural productivity and competitiveness -- Moving towards a supportive overall policy framework is the main challenge to fostering innovation -- Agricultural policy can be better targeted to productivity and sustainability outcomes -- The agricultural innovation system is an effective provider of innovation, but adoption could be faster and more widespread -- References -- Overview of the food and agriculture situation in Brazil -- Challenges and opportunities: The need for innovation -- Importance of agriculture in the economy -- Characteristics of agriculture and the agri-food sector -- Productivity and sustainability performance of agriculture -- References -- Economic stability and trust in institutions in Brazil -- Macroeconomic policy environment -- Governance and quality of public institutions -- References -- Investment in the Brazilian food and agriculture system -- Regulatory environment -- Trade and investment policy -- Finance policy -- Tax policy -- Notes -- References -- Capacity building and services for the Brazilian food and agriculture system -- Infrastructure and rural development policies -- Labour market policy -- Education and skills policy -- Notes -- References -- Brazilian agricultural policy: Structural change, sustainability and innovation -- Agricultural policy objectives and instruments -- Agricultural trade policy -- Level and composition of agricultural support from the perspective of innovation -- Notes -- References -- Annex 6.A. Brazil's main investment credit programmes in agriculture -- The Brazilian Agricultural Innovation System.

Assessing and Measuring Environmental Impact and Sustainability answers the question "what are the available methodologies to assess the environmental sustainability of a product, system or process? Multiple well-known authors share their expertise in order to give a broad perspective of this issue from a chemical and environmental engineering perspective. This mathematical, quantitative book includes many case studies to assist with the practical application of environmental and sustainability methods. Readers learn how to efficiently assess and use these methods. This book summarizes all relevant environmental methodologies to assess the sustainability of a product and tools, in order to develop more green products or processes. With life cycle assessment as its main methodology, this book speaks to engineers interested in environmental impact and sustainability

Abstract Current definitions of sustainability and sustainable development are problematic. They reinforce the dominant capitalist paradigm of economic growth as a goal—a system which has contributed in no uncertain terms to the current state of the planet—and they exclude animals as moral entities. We propose that sustainability is primarily an ethical issue which connects people, the planet on which we live, and the animals and other organisms which inhabit it. Our definition of sustainability states that in all decisions and actions on any scale, from the individual to the institutional, we should minimise our immediate and future negative impact on humans, other animals, and the planet, while simultaneously maximising our positive impacts on these domains. We take an interdisciplinary approach in discussing trade-offs between these three broad interests, providing a rationale for adopting this more inclusive definition at every level of society. Our definition calls for a normative shift in discussions around sustainability, one of which is more inclusive of the animals and other organisms with which we share the planet. We believe that the paper forms a strong and coherent foundation for policy and communication about sustainability going forward.

PurposeThis paper aims to apply the debt sustainability framework using various ratios to review the current state of sovereign debt of Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) member countries.Design/methodology/approachDebt sustainability framework using various ratios (which include the present value approach, Country Policy and Institutional Assessment debt policy assessment ranking and solvency ratio of external debt) for the period 2010 and 2017 were used for the analysis to determine external debt sustainability and solvency of ECOWAS members.FindingsThe findings indicate that most ECOWAS countries are already turning at the unsustainable debt path and may renege in their debt obligations, thus creating a vicious cycle of external borrowing that could lead to capital flight.Originality/valueThis paper offers the empirical evidence to identify which of the ECOWAS countries are already at the threshold of external debt stress, and in the likelihood to renege on their debt obligations.

This highly readable yet challenging book provides a critical examination of the failings of mainstream economics and the resultant environmental problems we are facing. Most importantly, it articulates what an alternative economics for sustainability would look like in both theory and practice. The book provides a brief history of economics and looks at the intersection between politics and the often hidden values embedded in economics. Also covered are the roles of individuals and organizations, political structures and institutions, democracy, environmental decision-making, sustainability a

Sustainability is both a vague and politicized term, yet it is precisely because the world community has rallied around sustainability and sustainable development as normative goals of ecological-economic performance that the stakes are high for defining the concept in a manner that is true to its spirit. To do so, one must counteract definitions that either suit particular interests or are so broad and vague that most of what people do for selfinterested reasons fits within them. Like other fields, water resources has struggled to bring the concept of sustainability to bear in the realm of practice. For example, what allocation of water in the Klamath River basin best achieves sustainability? Are plans to pipeline fossil ground water from the Ogallala of North Texas to the growing cities of Dallas and San Antonio consistent with sustainability? Is it sustainable to forego renewable hydroelectric power in hopes that it will prevent the extinction of a strain of chinook or coho salmon? Is the recent completion of the Three Gorges dam project on the Yangtze River an example of sustainable development? How sustainable is it to live in a world where about one billion people lack access to safe drinking water and two billion lack access to the basic benefits of the sanitation revolution (DeVilliers 2000)?

PurposeThis paper seeks to describe a framework used to help MBA students understand and reconcile the different sustainability perspectives.Design/methodology/approachA review of the corporate sustainability literature is undertaken to develop the sustainability framework.FindingsThe sustainability framework relates basic concepts and assumptions within the ecocentric, ecological modernization and neoclassical paradigms to organizational practice and behavior. For the most part, the MBA students have only been exposed to neoclassical economic thinking within the other MBA subjects. The aim of the sustainability framework is to shift the students' thinking by engaging with sustainability from different perspectives, rather than presenting one version of sustainability to them. The framework has proven to be useful in developing critical and reflective thinking and discussion.Originality/valueThe paper provides a summary of sustainability concepts as applied to business practices and describes how this is used in teaching sustainability to business students.

The proponents of the infrastructural megaprojects promise much but often fail to deliver. These projects are complex interactions of numerous stakeholders often providing technical solutions to many end-users. The extent to which megaprojects identify and adequately address risks to sustainability is of concern to the societies employing the megaproject framework for investing in infrastructure. The goal of infrastructural engineering is to design and build infrastructure that supports society. Sustainability in megaprojects is concerned with the delivery of products and services that benefit society over the long-term. Failure to do so can result in social pushback such as protests seeking accountability and a refusal to pay. The result is a burden on society who do not reap the benefits promised to them by the project proponents. This paper seeks to establish the strategic risks which have an impact on sustainability in megaprojects. The research has emerged from interviews with professionals and documented sources. The study uses a qualitative research approach of grounded theory to investigate how megaprojects can better stay on track to deliver the infrastructure they promised for the benefit of society, both now and for future generations. A model was developed using a theory building process based on a concern variable and the seven core categories that emerged during data collection and analysis. The model likened the strategic risks to sustainability to those of the semi-generic archetype of Shifting the Burden. The model was then applied to the case of the Gauteng Freeway Improvements Project to test for practical adequacy. Recommendations for further research are to investigate government guarantees, risk allocation, and responsibility as they relate to sustainability. Of importance is the lack of resilience in megaprojects, which prevents stakeholders from adapting to a changing world. Building resilience in mega-projects would allow for better adaption in the face of uncertainty.

The Research Institute for Sustainability Science and Technology under the Master degree in Sustainability Science and Technology organises the course action research workshop on Science and Technology for Sustainability (5 ECTS). The authors have been coordinating the course during the academic years 13/14, 14/15 and 15/16. The purpose of the workshop is to put together civil society organisations, local administrations, students and educators to collaboratively undertake responsible research, performing transdisciplinary learning environments and by an action research framework, to answer questions such as: Who are we researching for? Who profits from our research? What are the impacts of our research? Which methodologies and tools should be used when dealing with sociotechnical sustainability challenges? Students work on real projects, related to local sustainability problems, represented by a community entity (Service learning and Campus Lab). Action research methodology is used with a two-cycle approach. In each real-life project, students, faculty and stakeholders are asked to follow the action–reflexion process of action research projects: Action 1—Jointly defining: Project purpose; Customer and interest; Involved actors; Reflexion 1—Students define: research question, initial situation, needed additional information, action Strategy, Tasks planning and distribution: Action 2—Items returning and discussing with stakeholders, Reflexion 2—Revising and reformulating. Having now run the workshop three times, we can conclude that: first, students realised the significance of framing an investigation under a research methodological framework that allows bringing research to the community, enhancing transdisciplinarity in any initiative or action in sustainability science. They set out the importance of some topics and the difficulty to hold them. Second, the formulation of the problem became one of the most arduous tasks in the process; difficulties were mainly related to the perception of the problem from distinct community group motivations. Third, interaction and communication with stakeholders and the recognition of their role was problematic as engineering students are not usually trained to work in wicked problems nor accompany stakeholders during the whole process. Finally, it is relevant to highlight that during the process students faced conflict and frustrating situations both within their team and with stakeholders. To help tackle this problem, an Emotional Intelligence module was introduced in the workshop which proved useful in helping students to solve some paralysing situations, which could otherwise have stopped the progress of the project. We suggest that engineering students need specific training in transdisciplinary research and in conflict resolution, to avoid collapsing in frustration when dealing with real transdisciplinary sustainability transitions.

Autonomous Shipping – from autonomy to sustainability
Autonomy has been in the R&D roadmaps for over a decade, and it is getting serious. Contrary to common- places, it is not a goal by itself, but it can have a terrific impact on the shipping sector's sustainability, safety, and environmental targets. As a matter of fact, recent and famous projects like Yara Birkeland and ASKO show that environmental targets have driven investments into autonomous shipping vessels by cargo owners. Here Marco Molica Colella, Senior Innovation Consultant at CiaoTech (PNO Group) looks at the autonomous shipping industry and the journey it will take to improve its sustainability.