This book provides insightful approaches to how to improve business sustainability. The volume includes an integrated analysis of different relevant aspects of Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) and provides an international view of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR). The book explores these topics with the aim to share ideas and visions for a sustainable future and to provide useful tips for academics, practitioners, and policy-makers in the context of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development of the United Nations.

Based on an interdisciplinary investigation of future visions, scenarios, and case-studies of low carbon innovation taking place across economic domains, Decarbonising Economies analyses the ways in which questions of agency, power, geography and materiality shape the conditions of possibility for a low carbon future. It explores how and why the challenge of changing our economies are variously ascribed to a lack of finance, a lack of technology, a lack of policy and a lack of public engagement, and shows how the realities constraining change are more fundamentally tied to the inertia of our existing high carbon society and limited visions for what a future low carbon world might become. Through showcasing the first seeds of innovation seeking to enable transformative change, Decarbonising Economies will also chart a course for future research and policy action towards our climate goals. This title is also available as Open Access on Cambridge Core.

Public libraries, through their mission, vision, and position in the community, play a significant part in building community sustainability and are already positioned to serve as a “backbone support organization” for collective impact initiatives.

Climate change and environmental degradation have intensified the pressures on crucial resources such as food and water security and air quality. In this collection, academic researchers and practitioners who have lived and worked in countries as geographically and culturally diverse as Brazil, China, India, Ghana, Palestine, Uganda and Venezuela draw on their wide-ranging international and inter-sectoral experience to offer valuable comparative insights into the relationship between research and evidence-based policy for sustaining natural resources. Their contributions provide a novel mix of disciplinary perspectives ranging across geography, ecology, social policy, the political economy, philosophy, international development, engineering technology, architecture and urban planning. They examine the institutions involved in generating and mediating evidence about the sustainability of natural resources in a changing environment, and the different methodologies employed in collecting and assessing evidence, informing policy and contributing to governance. The authors demonstrate not only that social science evidence on governance and policy implementation to sustain natural resources must complement natural science inputs, but also that local communities must be an integral part of any programme development. This book was originally published as a special issue of Contemporary Social Science.

With reference to Singapore's smart urban initiatives, this book provides insights into how urban planning, digital technology and sustainability issues are impacting people and businesses.The chapters are loosely structured with regards to key dimensions of smart cities such as urban innovation spaces; open innovation ecosystems; smart manufacturing; undergraduate education with regards to A.I. readiness, gamified leadership & team-building skills, and digital sustainability; ESG, environmental handprint, workplace sustainability and climate resilience; pillars of successful aging & inclusiveness; and smart city management challenges.How does Singapore develop vibrant urban innovation spaces? In what ways can living labs create sustainable impact? How can SMEs benefit from the adoption of Industry 4.0? What is the role of chatbots in making undergraduate students 'AI-ready'? How does gamification help learners to acquire leadership and team-building skills? Why is digital sustainability important and how can educators sensitize youths toward cultivating more sustainable ways of living? What is the business case for ESG (environmental, social, and corporate governance) stewardship? How to steer Singapore's built environment towards a sustainable future? How to connect companies and help them to combat climate change by regenerating our planet? How to induct new employees to an organization and acclimatize them to the company's culture of sustainability, job roles and workplace sustainability? How to enable smart(er) aging? What is the future of inclusive smart cities? What are some of the opportunities for more theory-based, empirical research on smart city management challenges from a purpose-driven business perspective linked to human betterment? These questions and more are addressed in this book.Visions for the Future is a complementary reading resource suitable for anyone interested in understanding how the concept of Smart Cities can improve lives and livelihoods for all in a sustainable manner — from undergraduate and graduate students to smart city stakeholders in business and society as well as educators and municipal leaders.