Limitations of market driven sustainability : the case of environmental management systems for food production in Australia

Environmental Management Systems (EMSs) address environmental risks in supply chains and certification of environmental claims. Governments supporting EMSs have encouraged producers to respond to anticipated consumer environmental concerns. Attempts at implementing EMSs have rarely been in direct response to market demand but are usually farmer organisation driven – to forestall increased regulation. In Australia, consumer demand for foods produced to environmentally sustainable standards is minimal because consumers don’t believe these products offer special benefits. EMS implementation is expensive and onerous; and the products require a market premium. Food consumers have difficulty differentiating the terms organic, environmentally-friendly, and sustainably-produced in food labelling.

Sustainability of a long-term volunteer-based bird monitoring program : recruitment, retention and attrition

With an increasing demand and reliance on volunteers in a host of different sectors, the need for organisations to understand motivating factors behind volunteering, and how to retain volunteer services, is crucial. This paper examines the recruitment, retention and attrition among a group of volunteers participating in a long-term monitoring program for the critically endangered orange-bellied parrot Neophema chrysogaster. This project is one of the longest running of its type in Australia with more than 20 years of survey activities. Volunteers were most often recruited via other environmental agencies. Almost three-quarters of respondents had been involved in birdwatching or other bird monitoring activities usually in connection with conservation organisations. The modal response was an involvement of 10-20 years, with most other responses in the range 0-5 years. The majority intend to continue volunteering, but cited perceived health and time commitments as the main factors behind possible future decisions to cease volunteering. Respondents suggested improvements in the volunteer management of the program, and in particular, thought a personal 'thank you', would maintain motivation and participation.

Regional sustainability : how useful are current tools of sustainability assessment at the regional scale?

Sustainability assessment methods are primarily aimed at global, national or state scales. However, modelling sustainability at finer spatial scales, such as the region, is essential for understanding and achieving sustainability. Regions are emerging as an essential focus for sustainability researchers, natural resource managers and strategic planners working to develop and implement sustainability goals. This paper evaluates the effectiveness of current sustainability assessment methods – ecological footprint, wellbeing assessment, ecosystem health assessment, quality of life and natural resource availability – at the regional scale. Each of these assessment methods are tested using South East Queensland (SEQ) as a case study. It was selected because of its ecological and demographic diversity, its combination of coastal and land management issues, and its urban metropolitan and rural farm and non-farm communities. The applicability of each of these methods to regional assessment was examined using an evaluation criteria matrix, which describes the attributes of an effective method and the characteristics that make these methods useful for regional management and building community capacity to progress sustainability. We found that the methods tested failed to effectively measure progress toward sustainability at the regional scale, demonstrating the need for a new method for assessing regional sustainability.

A green profession? A global survey of RICS members and their engagement with the sustainability agenda

Purpose – This study seeks to provide a review of the background and context to the engagement of RICS members with the sustainability agenda, and to examine the extent to which the surveying profession uses relevant information, tools and techniques to achieve the key objectives of sustainable development (or sustainability).

Design/methodology/approach – The paper analyses results from a major international online survey of 4,600 RICS respondent members, supported by 31 structured telephone interviews.

Findings – The results suggest that, although sustainability is highly relevant to RICS members' work, a lack of knowledge and expertise is making it more difficult for sustainability tools and other information to be used effectively.

Research limitations/implications – The survey is based on a substantial number of responses which are broadly representative of the global RICS population. A key implication is that “laggard” faculties include the disciplines of commercial property and valuation.

Practical implications – The research suggests that key stakeholders must work together to provide better information, guidance and education and training to “hardwire” the sustainability agenda across RICS faculties.

Originality/value – This is the first truly global survey of its kind and focuses particularly on those faculties that play a major role in property investment and finance (i.e. valuation and commercial property), comparing their position with that of other faculties in an international context.

Feature-based image fusion quality metrics

Image fusion quality metrics have evolved from image processing quality metrics. They measure the quality of fused images by estimating how much localized information has been transferred from the source images into the fused image. However, this technique assumes that it is actually possible to fuse two images into one without any loss. In practice, some features must be sacrificed and relaxed in both source images. Relaxed features might be very important, like edges, gradients and texture elements. The importance of a certain feature is application dependant. This paper presents a new method for image fusion quality assessment. It depends on estimating how much valuable information has not been transferred.

The Chihuahua sustainability practice: lots of shivering but no real action. Practical sustainability acceptance is low in German and New Zealand firms

Purpose – This paper aims to describe the extent to which corporate organizations in Germany and in New Zealand have included sustainability practices as part of their strategic planning process.

Design/methodology/approach – Current literature is reviewed to make a case for sustainability to be a driver behind corporate decision making and long-term performance. The results of surveys of several hundred firms in both Germany and New Zealand, countries with a publicly stated commitment to sustainability, are reviewed to compare the adoption rates of sustainability practices.

Findings – There is a significant difference between what firms do and what their managers think is important. Managers largely consider sustainability practices an important factor for their future careers, while firms to a large extent do not include sustainability as part of their strategic or operational planning process.

Research limitations/implications – The International Sustainability Acceptance Measurement (ISAM) collects data in several countries through local-language versions of the same online survey tool (www.worldreply.com). The findings in this report are specific only to New Zealand and Germany.

Practical implications – The paper points academics, corporate executives and sustainability fanatics to an alarming inconsistency between what is publicly reported as commitment to sustainability and what is practically achieved.

Originality/value – This paper adds value to the discussion of how sustainability practices have migrated into the operation of firms.

Assurance of sustainability reports : impact on report users' perceptions of reliability

This study examined whether (1) assurance, (2) the level of assurance (reasonable vs. limited), and (3) the type of assurance provider (accountant vs. specialist consultant) affect users’ perceptions of reliability of sustainability reports. Based on an experimental questionnaire, we find that the provision of assurance improves report users’ perceived reliability of the environmental and social information. There were no significant main effects between the two experimental factors; level of assurance and type of assurance provider, and report users’ perceptions of the reliability of sustainability reports. However, a significant interaction was found between the two experimental factors and report users’ perceptions of reliability of such reports. More specifically, report users placed more confidence in the sustainability reports where the level of assurance provided is reasonable (high), and when such assurance is provided by a top tier accountancy firm, rather than when the assurance is provided by a specialist consultant. No such difference was found when the level of assurance provided was limited (low) for either type of assurance provider group. The results of this study thus highlight the relevance of assurance for sustainability reporting.

Community development and ecology : engaging ecological sustainability through community development : selected papers from a conference held in Melbourne, 26-28 March 2008

The papers consider such questions as how to build community resilience in the context of profound environmental threat, how to ensure sustainability through community processes and how to assess community progress in responding to threats to the ecosystem.

The business case for incorporating sustainability in office buildings : the adaptive reuse of existing buildings

The effect of climate change and global warming has received increased attention in society with constant reminders about the importance of energy efficiency and sustainability in buildings. Whilst the focus is often placed on smaller items such as plastic bags, air conditioners and motor vehicles, the emphasis has recently shifted to structures in the built environment. Office buildings have been identified as contributing significantly to global warming during their building lifecycle with a substantial contribution to CO2 omissions. In response, building designs and construction techniques have evolved over time to improve energy efficiency and reduce CO2 omissions. Whilst property valuers, managers and analysts must remain up-to-date regarding changes, relatively little research has been conducted about whether and how increased sustainability, such as signified in a Green Star rating affects a property’s highest and best value and long-term lifecycle. This study investigates the degree to which sustainability is understood in the property marketplace, especially in relation to property values with the emphasis placed on a cost- benefit analysis from both an owner’s and tenant’s perspective. Whilst it may be argued that incorporating sustainability into a new office building is cost prohibitive on a financial cost-benefit analysis, often various minor steps can be taken to upgrade the sustainability of an existing building. This project examines recent trends in capital expenditure to increase the sustainability of offices and where Green Star ratings have been applied to establish whether any corresponding increase in value is evident. In order to develop a researchframework, a thorough literature review will be conducted of recent Australian and overseas studies. This will enable links between sustainability and office buildings to be highlighted, and vitally how they affect a property’s value in both the short and long-term.

Journal impact factors: implications for the nursing profession

Background: The journal impact factor (IF) has become widely used as an absolute measure of the quality of professional journals. It is also increasingly used as a tool for measuring the academic performance of researchers and to inform decisions concerning the appointment and tenure of academic staff as well as the viability of their departments/schools. In keeping with these IF-related trends, nurse researchers and faculty the world over are being increasingly expected to publish only in journals that have a high IF and to abandon all other forms of publishing (including books and book chapters) that do not attract IF rankings.

Issues: The IF obsession is placing in jeopardy the sustainability and hence viability of nursing journals and academic nursing publication lists (academic texts). If nurse authors abandon their publishing agenda and publish only in 'elite' journals (many of which may be outside nursing), the capacity of the nursing profession to develop and control the cutting edge of its disciplinary knowledge could be placed at risk.

Actions: Other means for assessing the quality and impact of nursing journals need to be devised. In addition, other works (such as books and book chapters) need also to be included in quality metrics. Nurse authors and journal editors must work together and devise ways to ensure the sustainability and viability of nursing publications.

Architecture, multiculturalism and cultural sustainability in Australian cities

The way that the built environment represents and accommodates people of different cultures is an important facet of developing a holistically sustainable future. Architecture intervenes, maps and signifies and in doing so it constructs identities. It helps to shape how we know the world by mediating power, social relations and cultural values. Events such as the settlement, inhabitation and establishment of diasporic communities involve the occupation of space. Architecture provides the armature of this space, its form and its image. Building is a potent means by which identity can be formed. A most significant part of people’s well-being and capacity is their participation in literally building communities. This paper will illustrate this issue through discussion of contemporary Australian cities. The buildings of a wide variety of immigrants to Australia have since the 1950s contributed greatly to the changing nature of its cities. They are the physical manifestation of the great demographic changes that have occurred across the nation during this period. The combination of people of different backgrounds and cultures lends a unique quality to Australian built environments, and this needs not only be understood but celebrated, as they are contributing to the development of Australian urban culture. Increased knowledge and understanding of the impact of immigration and multiculturalism on our built environment will add substantially to understanding of the diversity of Australia’s cultural heritage, and the potential of future planners, architects, and members of the general public to create inclusive and dynamic Australian cities.