Sustainability and urban settlements: urban metabolism as a framework for achieving sustainable development

Urban settlements, with their role as economic and governance nerve centres, are rapidly expanding in size and in consumption of resources, and consequently have significant impacts on the environment. The transition to an ‘eco-city’ - an urban settlement that adopts the goals and principles in the urban metabolism model - needs to occur to meet the challenges posed by a multitude of pressures including population growth, climate change and resource depletion. Thus, the adoption and integration of ‘sustainable development’ into the management of urban growth is one of the most critical governance issues for urban settlements. A framework in which sustainable development can be achieved is through the lenses of the established theoretical concept of ‘urban metabolism’. The key facet of the proposed ‘Integrated Urban Metabolism Framework’ is the provision of a platform whereby different fields can appreciate, absorb and learn from other areas, to increase the understanding of where each and every one of the pieces fit together in order to create a larger, holistic approach to the currently stagnant problem of unsustainable development.

A conceptual analysis of strategic capability development within product innovation projects

Strategic capability development refers to the renewal of the organisational capabilities which are sources of competitive advantage. The aim of this paper is to examine how strategic capability and competitive advantage build up over time. Recent literature points to the integration of dynamic capability and ambidexterity perspectives in explaining organisational capability development. Literature analysis reveals the role of knowledge integration and product innovation in integrating dynamic capability and ambidexterity. However, little attention has yet been paid to knowledge integration within innovation projects as a context for capability development. Accordingly, this paper aims to develop a conceptual framework for strategic capability development focusing on the role of knowledge integration within product innovation projects. This framework contributes to identifying and emphasising the role of micro processes in capability renewal which in turn enhances our understanding of strategic capability development.

L’organisation Opale : comment un modèle d'organisation influence-t-il l'intégration du développement durable?

Depuis plus d’un siècle, les organisations dominent par d’imposantes structures hiérarchiques et bureaucratiques. Cependant, face aux pressions externes et à l’environnement de plus en plus complexe, certaines adoptent peu à peu des pratiques plus flexibles afin de s’adapter à ce contexte. Un modèle organisationnel se démarque particulièrement en modifiant complètement son design et sa culture. Développée par Frédéric Laloux, l’organisation Opale se base sur trois principes : l’autogouvernance, la plénitude ainsi que la raison d’être évolutive. Le modèle Opale intègre un nouveau paradigme organisationnel axé sur une vision du monde véritablement intégrée, systémique et cohésive. Face à ce renouveau, cette étude vise à comprendre l’influence de ce modèle vis-à-vis de l’intégration du développement durable. Ainsi, cet essai a permis de déterminer si les principes de durabilité sont appliqués à l’intérieur de ce modèle. En complément, l’application des principes a aussi été évaluée auprès de deux cas au Québec similaires au modèle Opale. Pour ce faire, un outil d’analyse qualitative a été développé avec l’aide de deux cadres en développement durable reconnus et largement appliqués en organisations, soit le Framework for Strategic Sustainable Development et le référentiel québécois BNQ 21000. La grille d’analyse inclut des critères à l’intérieur de quatre sphères du développement durable : gouvernance, sociale, environnementale et économique. Deux analyses distinctes ont donc été réalisées : la première porte sur le modèle Opale et l’autre traite des deux cas d’organisation comparables au modèle Opale. Suite aux évaluations, les constats sont sensiblement les mêmes. Les résultats démontrent que l’intégration se manifeste davantage dans les sphères de gouvernance et sociale, mais nettement moins à l’intérieur de celles économique et environnementale. En effet, la sphère sociale reçoit un résultat parfait et la sphère de gouvernance se démarque principalement auprès des critères d’influence et de transparence. Étant donné que l’organisation Opale est au service d’une raison d’être évolutive, la dimension économique reçoit une attention différente. En effet, chez les organisations Opales, l’économie n’est jamais une finalité en soi, mais un moyen pour réaliser leur mission. Sur le plan environnemental, on remarque que seules les initiatives qui émergent des individus permettent l’intégration de cette sphère dans les cas où celle-ci ne fait pas formellement partie de l’énoncé de mission. Enfin, suite aux résultats, des pistes de réflexion additionnelles seraient intéressantes à poursuivre. D’abord, il s’avèrerait pertinent d’explorer davantage la gouvernance interne dans l’intégration du développement durable, car son influence semble être éminente. De plus, il apparait pertinent de cibler des méthodes permettant l’intégration de façon soutenue de la sphère environnementale. D’autres discussions traitent de l’impact d’une centralisation autour de la raison d’être, des démarches permettant d’intégrer le développement durable et leur potentiel, l’ampleur d’une transition d’un modèle traditionnel à un modèle autogéré ainsi que la possibilité de combiner ces modèles.

Sustainable development 20 years on from the earth summit: progress, gaps and strategic guidelines for Latin America and the Caribbean

Includes bibliography

Integrated coastal zone management and sustainable development of coastal area : a short overview of international legal framework

This chapter contains sections titled: Introduction ICZM and sustainable development of coastal zone International legal framework for ICZM Implementation of international legal obligations in domestic arena Concluding remarks References

Institutional, policy and regulatory framework for sustainable development of the Egyptian aquaculture sector

This report presents the findings of a mission to critically review the institutional, policy and regulatory framework for sustainable development of the Egyptian aquaculture sector. The study was undertaken by an International Expert on Aquaculture Policy, and a National Expert on Institutions, on behalf of the Project “Improving Employment and Income through the Development of Egypt’s Aquaculture Sector“, implemented by WorldFish and CARE, and funded by the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation(SDC). The objective of the mission was to assess the current status of the Egyptian aquaculture sector, in terms of the policy, legal and institutional environment, with a view to suggesting the major issues to be addressed within a future policy dialogue.

A global ocean observing system framework for sustainable development

Sustainable development depends on maintaining ecosystem services which are concentrated in coastal marine and estuarine ecosystems. Analyses of the science needed to manage human uses of ecosystem services have concentrated on terrestrial ecosystems. Our focus is on the provision of multidisciplinary data needed to inform adaptive, ecosystem-based approaches (EBAs) for maintaining coastal ecosystem services based on comparative ecosystem analyses. Key indicators of pressures on coastal ecosystems, ecosystem states and the impacts of changes in states on services are identified for monitoring and analysis at a global coastal network of sentinel sites nested in the ocean-climate observing system. Biodiversity is targeted as the “master” indicator because of its importance to a broad spectrum of services. Ultimately, successful implementation of EBAs will depend on establishing integrated, holistic approaches to ocean governance that oversee the development of integrated, operational ocean observing systems based on the data and information requirements specified by a broad spectrum of stakeholders for sustainable development. Sustained engagement of such a spectrum of stakeholders on a global scale is not feasible. The global coastal network will need to be customized locally and regionally based on priorities established by stakeholders in their respective regions. The E.U. Marine Strategy Framework Directive and the U.S. Recommendations of the Interagency Ocean Policy Task Force are important examples of emerging regional scale approaches. The effectiveness of these policies will depend on the co-evolution of ocean policy and the observing system under the auspices of integrated ocean governance.

Sustainable development 20 years on from the earth summit: progress, gaps and strategic guidelines for Latin America and the Caribbean. Summary

Includes bibliography

Report of the meeting of government-designated experts of Latin America and the Caribbean preparatory to Rio+20: a green economy in the context of sustainable development and poverty eradication and the institutional framework for sustainable development

Incluye Bibliografía

Framework for implementation of the outcomes of the World Summit on Sustainable Development (WSSD) in the small island developing states of the Caribbean subregion

Includes bibliography