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Illustration of the three factors of the SDGs (social, economic, environmental) for each of the surveyed countries In group (a), there are no significant differences between the three factors within the countries. In group (b), the environmental factor is rated higher than the economic factor but not higher than the social factor. In group (c), the economic factor is rated lower than the other two factors. In group (d), the environmental factor is rated significantly higher than both the economic and environmental factors. For clarity, the significance levels are not marked with asterisks in the figure. Exact significance levels and effect sizes can be found in Supplementary Table 1. The boxes represent the mean of the components; the error bars represent the standard deviation.
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To fight the global problems of humanity, the United Nations has adopted 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). To achieve these goals, it is necessary that future decision-makers and stakeholders in society consider these goals to be important. Therefore, in this study, we examined how important students in 41 countries directly related to the e...
Citations
... Awareness in Germany for environmental problems has continued to rise in recent years, many Germans see the environment and climate as an important issue and are in favor of a climatefriendly restructuring of the economy [69]. Students in Germany in particular rate environmental problems as the most important problems currently faced by society [93]. Therefore, there may be a ceiling effect: even if the extreme weather event had an effect, it may be difficult to increase the already very high concern baseline values. ...
Background:
Due to climate change, extreme weather events are becoming more frequent worldwide. An example of such an extreme weather event was the flooding in Western Europe in July 2021. Currently, there are large research gaps regarding how such events, particularly those involving oil pollution, affect people's connection to nature and their perceptions of environmental problems. Perceptions and connections to nature are important factors that influence environmental behavior and decisions. This study examines the influence of the exposure of oil pollution during the 2021 floods on the perception of the natural environment (connection to nature) and of environmental problems (perception of planetary boundaries). To this end, people affected by flooding who have come into direct or indirect contact with oil pollution are examined, with people from unaffected regions serving as a control group.
Results:
No significant differences were found for both the connection to nature and the perception of planetary boundaries between the three groups studied. Connection to nature was at a moderate level in all three groups. In the case of planetary boundaries, it was observed that all boundaries were rated as significantly exceeded in all three groups. Especially the boundary of novel entities to which also oil pollution belongs, was evaluated as highly exceeded.
Conclusions:
The results suggest that extreme weather events do not negatively impact personal connection to nature. Additionally, no significant group differences were found in the assessment of planetary boundaries, which may be attributed to the inherently high assessment scores in Germany. The study provides evidence that perceptions of environmental problems and connection to nature are relatively stable in the face of an extreme weather event with a natural trigger. Further studies are needed to investigate the reasons and consequences of this stability.
... Water quality prediction is a topic of extensive research. The physical and chemical characteristics of water are typically assessed about the water's intended usage [3]. An acceptable and unacceptable range for each factor should be determined. ...
Clean water is one of the necessities for the sustainability of the life of living beings. But with various
affluents mixed in water, the condition of getting clean water for drinking is becoming hazardous.
There is a lot of water pollution in various sources of water, specifically potable water. The physical
and chemical characteristics of potable water are typically assessed, and the acceptable range of
every factor needs to be determined. This can be achieved by incorporating the use of machine
learning algorithms that evaluate the given factors like Ph, Chloramines, Sulfate, and Turbidity found
in water. This research paper investigates ten factors required to assess water quality using six
different machine learning algorithms and describes the best way to ensure Sustainable
Management of Water, thus enabling sustainable development goal 6. Random Forest was able to
give the highest accuracy of 82% among all the machine learning algorithms used.
... By providing professional development opportunities focused on sustainability education, teachers can gain the knowledge, skills, and resources necessary to effectively incorporate sustainability-related topics into their lesson plans and classroom activities. This training could include workshops, seminars, and courses specifically designed to help teachers understand the principles of sustainability, identify relevant connections within their respective disciplines, and develop instructional strategies that engage students in meaningful discussions and activities related to sustainability (Borsari;Vidrine, 2005;Hay et al., 2019;Kleespies;Dierkes, 2022;Machado;Davim, 2023 Investing in teacher education and training can also help build a community of practice among educators committed to sustainability education. ...
Sustainability and rural development stand at the forefront of addressing pressing global challenges, from environmental degradation to social inequality. As we navigate an increasingly complex and interconnected world, the role of education in shaping the perspectives and actions of future professionals in agrarian and rural sectors becomes paramount. This study explores the integration of sustainability principles within the curriculum of the Agricultural Technical Vocational Education and Training (TVET) at the State Agricultural College of Toledo (CAET), located in the municipality of Toledo, Paraná, Brazil. By juxtaposing the curriculum's emphasis with students' perceptions of sustainability discussions across various disciplines, the investigation reveals a strong association between agriculture and sustainability. Agriculture emerges as the most frequently mentioned discipline among students, with agroecology closely following, underscoring its significance in promoting sustainable agricultural practices. Additionally, disciplines like Horticulture, Environmental Management, and Soils also receive notable mentions, suggesting their roles in addressing sustainability challenges within the agricultural sector. Interestingly, despite the curriculum not explicitly predicting the connection between certain disciplines, such as Horticulture, and sustainability topics, the teaching approach adopted by instructors appears aligned with sustainability conversations. However, a discrepancy exists between the perceived importance of sustainability discussions in core disciplines and their actual occurrence, suggesting a potential gap in integration by teachers. Addressing this gap may require investing in targeted education and training for teachers to ensure a more comprehensive incorporation of sustainability principles across all disciplines. This study highlights the need for a more deliberate and holistic approach to embedding sustainability in agrarian education, ensuring that future professionals are well-equipped to drive sustainable rural development.
... Environmental sustainability is closely intertwined with the endeavor to address climate change. By implementing measures targeted at reducing greenhouse gas emissions, promoting the adoption of renewable energy sources, and embracing sustainable practices, it is feasible to mitigate the impacts of climate change and advance toward a future defined by sustainability (Kleespies and Dierkes 2022). The effective implementation of sustainable practices across various sectors, such as industries, agriculture, and daily activities, has the potential to mitigate waste generation, preserve valuable resources, and minimize adverse environmental consequences. ...
The study aims to gauge the impact of economic policy uncertainty, ICT, and environmental tax on environmental sustainability, which is measured by carbon emission and ecological footprint in a panel of 22 nations from 1997 to 2021. The present study has implemented the advanced panel data estimation techniques, including continuously updated fully modified (CUP-FM) and continuously updated bias-corrected (CUP-BC), dynamic seemingly unrelated regressions (DSUR), and nonlinear autoregressive distributed lagged (NARDL) in documenting the elasticities of target variables. Moreover, the directional causality has been tested through the D-H causality test. Study findings documented a positive and statistically significant linkage between EPU and environmental degradation. That is, EPU amplifies the emission of CO2 and ecological instability. The effects of ET and ICT are positively associated with environmental sustainability; that is, ET and ICT control the emission of CO2 and bring ecological improvement. This study contributes to the existing body of literature by conducting a thorough analysis of the relationship between various factors and their impact on environmental degradation. The study emphasizes the significance of every factor in influencing environmental outcomes. It provides policy suggestions to reduce CO2 emissions and promote ecological sustainability. The findings add valuable insights to the ongoing conversation about how to tackle environmental challenges in our constantly evolving world.
... Existen numerosos ejemplos de la integración de los ODS en las universidades: los estudios SDSN (2017; 2020), la experiencia de las universidades españolas en relación con los ODS (Miñaño y García Haro, 2020), las universidades privadas en Colombia (Murillo Vargas et al., 2023), universidades públicas en Colombia (González-Campo et al., 2022), universidades en El Salvador (Calles, 2020) y campus sostenibles (Amar Cabrera y Uribe Castro, 2020; Xiong y Mok, 2020). También se han realizado investigaciones para comprender las percepciones de los estudiantes sobre los ODS (Kleespies y Dierkes, 2022, Moreno et al., 2019 y estudios sobre la dinámica docente relacionada con la educación para el desarrollo sostenible (Persson et al., 2023). ...
... Numerosos son los estudios a nivel mundial sobre la aplicación de los ODS en las universidades, muchos de los cuales utilizan cuestionarios como forma de recabar datos (González-Campo et al., 2022;Kleespies y Dierkes, 2022;Miñano y García Haro, 2020;Mallow et al., 2020;Moreno et al., 2019). Los resultados obtenidos por este trabajo muestran resultados similares a otros trabajos publicados. ...
Las actividades docentes que realizan las universidades, pueden realizar aportes al cumplimiento de los Objetivos de Desarrollo Sostenible (ODS), a partir del desarrollo de conocimiento y capacidad proporcionando a los estudiantes y al personal de la universidad los conocimientos, habilidades yactitudes necesarios para abordar los complejos desafíos del desarrollo sostenible, articulados por la Agenda 2030.Para abordar los ODS se requiere que las actividades docentes incluyan estos conceptos en los procesos de enseñanza aprendizaje y se discutan las interacciones entre los diferentes objetivos y sus metas.La Universidad Nacional de Moreno (UNM) incluyó en sus Lineamientos Estratégicos de Investigación Científica y Desarrollo Tecnológico para el período 2022/2027, a los 17 ODS como marco básico para la orientación de las actividades de investigación y desarrollo de la universidad.Para diseñar estrategias para apoyar la implementación de ODS, es necesario conocer la situación actual, por ello en el marco del proyecto de investigación «Objetivos de Desarrollo Sostenible en la UNM: diagnóstico, sensibilización y prospectiva», se presentan los resultados de la fase exploratoria, a fin de identificar qué se está haciendo en la UNM en materia de docencia en relación con los ODS y proponer líneas de acción.
... As a result, people all across the globe are paying attention to the UN's education strategy for sustainable development (Leal Filho et al., 2022). Educating society about the ecosystem's vitality and changing the social behavior of leaders and management is one of the vital goals of SD (Kleespies & Dierkes, 2022). Numerous initiatives have been taken by the United Nations, among which education has been identified as an essential means for transforming people's behaviors and creating awareness (Leithwood et al., 2008;Massari et al., 2022). ...
Globally, as we progress toward a more sustainable future, the sustainable development goals (SDGs) must be incorporated into various sectors, including education. This article explores the significant impact of inventive leadership styles on SDGs in education at the secondary school level in Pakistan. Based on this study, four hypotheses were developed using leadership variables such as empowerment of leadership, inspiring learners, resilient visions, and lead transformation. A quantitative survey method was utilized in this study. The researchers selected convenient sampling to collect data from 288 teachers, including heads of schools and administrators from 89 institutions. The data collection process included using a survey questionnaire to collect data on leadership styles and their relationship regarding SDGs within the field of education. In order to analyze the given data, two software programs were used, namely SPSS and Smart PLS 4.0. Several statistical methods were used to examine the collected data, such as confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) and structural equation modeling (SEM), which were implemented to confirm the measurement model. Additionally, path analysis was conducted to determine the relationship between independent and dependent variables. The findings revealed that overall leadership styles have a great positive impact on SDGs in education. Based on results, it has been found that it would be beneficial if leaders/teachers enhance their struggle using inventive leadership styles for achieving SDGs, fostering transformative education, and ensuring that learners and societies benefit from a more equitable and resilient future. Additionally, the need for more resources, resistance to change, and a need for leaders’/teachers’ professional development have been identified as potential obstacles. To overcome these challenges, a collaborative approach among stakeholders, policy support, and innovative practices are recommended.
... Various past research has outlined that the subjects taught in secondary schools directly influences student's interest in those particular subjects at the tertiary and higher education level (Chen et al., 2015;Grossman & Stodolsky, 1995;Hoque et al., 2022;Iroaganachi et al., 2021;Sund & Gericke, 2020). According to various researchers, the presence of structured, detailed and interactive subjects in secondary level of education equips students early with the basic knowledge, future implications, limitations and gaps and career opportunities in those subjects' fields thus allowing them to gain interest and motivation to pursue those subjects in their higher education and career (Grossman & Stodolsky, 1995;Kleespies & Dierkes, 2022). Similarly having RE education and ESD in the current secondary school curriculum will play a pivotal role in enhancing students' interest in pursuing higher education and career in the RE sector. ...
This study responds to the critical imperative of strengthening renewable energy (RE) education and fostering sustainable development awareness among secondary school students in Malaysia and Oman. It investigates the feasibility of using the mobile learning module named "MyREL" to enhance students' understanding, awareness, and interest for RE and sustainable development. The research findings underscore significant improvements in students' knowledge levels post-implementation of the "MyREL" module, with a more substantial increase observed in Oman. Developed content within "MyREL" plays a pivotal role in enhancing students' awareness of RE and climate issues, addressing the initial low levels of awareness in both countries. Notably, the study reveals a remarkable boost in students' interest in pursuing higher education and careers in the RE sector, highlighting the module's effectiveness in nurturing interest. While acknowledging study limitations, such as a small sample size and a brief intervention period, the research encourages future exploration to refine content, employ diverse teaching strategies, and conduct long-term assessments for knowledge and interest retention. Ultimately, this feasibility study underscores the significance of technology-enhanced learning, exemplified by "MyREL," in advancing RE literacy and advancing global efforts to combat climate change while facilitating the transition to cleaner energy sources
... While there is a growing recognition of the importance of achieving the SDGs [20,21], a more granular analysis is required to discern the specific factors that influence the successful implementation of sustainable practices. Sector-specific research facilitates the understanding of different development strategies and policies linked to the characteristics of each industry, taking into consideration factors such as available resources and the complexity of the industry in connection to the regulatory frameworks at the national level. ...
The United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDGs) were introduced in 2015 to advance the 2030 Agenda of sustainable development in all supporting countries. The SDGs are applicable to countries, non-governmental organizations, industries, and companies. In this article, we focus on the contribution of listed companies headquartered in the European Union (EU) to the SDGs. The EU intends to be the front-runner in the race for sustainable development and has adopted comprehensive strategies that mirror the UN SDGs. For this reason, we collected relevant data points from the Refinitiv Eikon database for 1156 companies headquartered in EU countries for the financial year 2022. The data collected refer to contributions to each SDG and the adoption of corporate sustainability policies. Data were statistically analyzed per country and sector to generate a comprehensive image of industry contributions to the SDGs in the EU. By applying a comparative analysis of country-level achievements and policies, the results point to four EU countries that are significant contributors to the SDGs through their economic activities. At the same time, other EU countries are still facing significant challenges in this domain. The socioeconomic considerations for these cases are laid out in the Discussion section. The present article offers a snapshot of corporate contributions to the SDGs as climate and geopolitical challenges become more prominent.
... The matrix approach was successfully used in integrating sustainability into business education [11] and the current study explored its use in integrating SDGs into a STEM course. The results of this study demonstrate that the matrix approach is highly useful in integrating SDGs into STEM education since SDGs are closely related to sustainability and its three pillars: social, economic, and environmental [23]. The educational system at various levels including HEI plays an important role in increasing the awareness of the SDGs among instructors and students [23]. ...
... The results of this study demonstrate that the matrix approach is highly useful in integrating SDGs into STEM education since SDGs are closely related to sustainability and its three pillars: social, economic, and environmental [23]. The educational system at various levels including HEI plays an important role in increasing the awareness of the SDGs among instructors and students [23]. Higher education institutes (e.g., universities, colleges) are particularly relevant since they educate future decision-makers and leaders [24][25][26]. ...
The United Nations (UN) Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) offer an opportunity to improve soil science education on sustainability because they provide specific context to educate faculty and students about SDGs from various disciplines, including Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM). Soil science is a STEM discipline with a wide range of applications in the SDGs. The objectives of this study were to use a matrix approach (framework for presenting options for discussion and implementation) to integrate SDGs into an existing introductory soil science course taught to undergraduate students from different STEM fields (environmental and natural resources; wildlife biology, and forestry). The course was enriched with a lecture on SDGs and students were asked to link soil properties and class activities to specific SDGs. Post-assessment survey revealed an increase in students’ familiarity with SDGs, their relevance to soil properties and course activities. Students acknowledged the importance of soils and individual actions for achieving the SDGs. There was an overall increase in student familiarity (+59.4%) with SDGs. Most students agreed (46.7%) and strongly agreed (23.3%) that the course activities were an effective way to learn about SDGs with examples from soil science. Identified learning gaps in subject matter found through the surveys on SDGs were clarified during later classroom discussions. The advantage of this teaching approach is that it seamlessly integrates SDGs with existing course materials while relying on students' critical thinking skills to effectively analyze soil science information and form a judgement on how it relates to SDGs.
... Achieving the SDGs is crucial, but it is no easy task and requires a deep transformation in our way of our thinking and acting [6]. Undoubtedly, education can be a powerful and transformative tool to take action for achieving the SDGs, and schools have an important role in facilitating this [8,9]. It follows that integrating the SDGs into K-12 education can help to ensure that all individuals gain the theoretical and practical knowledge necessary for us to achieve the SDGs by the year 2030 [10]. ...
Perhaps the largest lesson in our time is to teach students how to sustain our world’s resources while improving well-being for people all over the world. Integrating the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) with the curriculum for K-12 education would help middle students understand why the world’s resources are important, how the world should be treated and protected, and how they play a vital role in its future. However, there is a lack of curriculum material to put into practice regarding SDGs at K-12 levels. This study set out to address this need through design-based research, leading to the development and evaluation of the application of a learn–think–act approach-based Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) unit. This unit was implemented over 8 weeks to help enhance middle school students’ SDG knowledge. Participants were a group of 20 7th grade students attending an environmental education and climate change elective course at a public school in Turkey. Data on SDG knowledge were collected from students through semi-structured interviews before and after the application of the unit. Transcriptions of the interviews were analyzed with deductive content analysis based on the rubric. The results revealed that a learn–think–act approach-based Sustainable Development Goals unit enhanced middle school students’ SDG knowledge.
