In this paper we refine consideration of the topic of ‘sustainability’ through an analysis of its ontological and epistemological assumptions. The concepts of ‘Strong’ and ‘Weak’ sustainability are defined, compared and contrasted in terms of their respective emphases on Complexity and Humanism, and on Reductionism and Rationalism. A model for assessment of these emphases is presented. It is su...

This paper develops an empirical methodology to consistently compare alternative sustainability paradigms (weak sustainability (WS), strong sustainability (SS), a-growth (AG), and de-growth (DG)) and different assessment approaches (LCA, CBA, and MCA) within alternative relationship frameworks (economic general equilibrium (EGE) and ecosystem services (ESS)). The goal is to suggest different en...

General interest and international regulations have begun to create a world in which consumers demand to know how their products are made and companies must provide that transparency. With over 15,000 suppliers, Li & Fung wants to obtain better insight into its suppliers' environmental sustainability characteristics. The Sustainable Apparel Coalition's (SAC) Higg Index is currently viewed as th...

This study reexamines the sustainability of budget stance of Sarawak state, 1970-2008. Using the intertemporal borrowing constraint as a framework, the study tests the long-run relationship between government revenue and expenditure. Empirical results demonstrate a long-run equilibrium relationship among the variables. The cointegration test result suggests that Sarawak state’s fiscal stance sa...

Agricultural sustainability refers to the ability of a cropping system to produce, without causing irreversible damage tothe ecosystem. There is an increasing need to view cropping systems and identify management practices in a holisticindicator-based impact assessment. The main objective of this study was to compare and rank the cropping systems of theMarvdasht plain in Fars Province; in order...

Sustainability assessment of resource recovery from waste is an important prerequisite for informed and sound decision-making. Life Cycle Sustainability Assessment (LCSA) has been developed to support this process, yet its use is still constrained by the difficulty of identifying the most relevant impact parameters. This paper, seeks to inform LCSA for resource recovery from waste based on a pa...

Today, along with the increasing environmental awareness in the politic, public and industries, the demand on environmentally friendly products and technologies has been increasing. Therefore within the research and development of a product or technology in industries as well as in national or international funded R&D activities the method of Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) is often implemented in ...

Biodiesel production may provide a sustainable route to reduce environmental pollution caused by fossil fuel consumption. In order to minimize environmental impacts of biodiesel production, the chemical process should be optimized to minimize waste generation and energy consumption. Therefore, it is important to design biodiesel chemical reactions and processes using green chemistry and green e...