Sustainability

Research

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17 pages, 2556 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Assessing CO₂ Emissions of Online Food Delivery in Japan

by Xujie Hu, Chen Liu, Qiannan Zhuo and Dami Moon

Sustainability 2023, 15(10), 8084; https://doi.org/10.3390/su15108084 - 16 May 2023

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1709

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic and the subsequent lockdown of cities have led to the rapid growth of online food delivery (OFD). Moreover, there are concerns that OFD platforms may impose offers on users in order to continue to increase their market share, leading to [...] Read more.

The COVID-19 pandemic and the subsequent lockdown of cities have led to the rapid growth of online food delivery (OFD). Moreover, there are concerns that OFD platforms may impose offers on users in order to continue to increase their market share, leading to numerous environmental issues such as overconsumption and a significant increase in plastic packaging waste. Most studies have focused on the environmental impacts associated with food packaging and have been mostly limited to China. However, less research has been carried out on the overall CO₂ emissions of an OFD order including food. In this study, the CO₂ emissions of an OFD order were assessed by considering the production, distribution, consumption and disposal of the ingredients, based on lifecycle thinking and existing secondary data, for three representative food groups (Western food, Japanese food and Chinese food) in Japan. This study found that the food production of an OFD order accounts for more than 70% of the CO₂ emissions of the entire process, especially food ingredient production. Policy support and initiatives such as OFD platforms being able to serve different quantities of food based on actual consumer demand to avoid food waste, as well as changes in delivery methods, would help reduce the CO₂ emissions of OFD. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Living: An Interdisciplinary and Transdisciplinary Challenge for Researchers, Decision Makers and Practitioners)

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18 pages, 1927 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Assessing the Impact of Urban Lifestyle and Consumption Values on Conversion Intention: A Study towards Energy Sustainability

by Hilda Hilmiyati-Mas’adah, Achmad Sudiro, Fatchur Rohman, Agung Yuniarinto, Dzikri Firmansyah Hakam and Herry Nugraha

Sustainability 2023, 15(8), 6549; https://doi.org/10.3390/su15086549 - 12 Apr 2023

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1407

Abstract

Energy converter innovation has shifted the world’s cooking energy from wood, coal, kerosene, and liquid petroleum gas (LPG) to electricity. This paper identifies the factors influencing customers’ intention to switch their cooking energy from LPG to electricity. The study proposes a conversion intention [...] Read more.

Energy converter innovation has shifted the world’s cooking energy from wood, coal, kerosene, and liquid petroleum gas (LPG) to electricity. This paper identifies the factors influencing customers’ intention to switch their cooking energy from LPG to electricity. The study proposes a conversion intention (COIN) framework with urban convenience and perceived alternative value (PAV) as predictor variables and examines the mooring effect of conversion cost to COIN. The data were gathered by a cross-sectional survey, and the PLS-SEM approach was applied to 194 LPG users in Jakarta, Indonesia. The results reveal that PAV mainly determines cooking energy conversion and partially mediates the relationship between urban convenience and COIN. Conversion cost indicates no significant moderating effect of PAV on COIN. By conducting this study, we contribute to the literature by integrating the theory of consumption value (TCV) with the value-based adoption model (VAM), generating the indicators of urban convenience based on time-oriented advertisement categories and applying the consumption values of the TCV as the dimensions of PAV on the VAM framework. The findings of the paper provide a more in-depth understanding of customers’ motivations when switching from LPG to electric power, particularly for household cooking energy, as well as opportunities for the government and electronic manufacturers to promote more sustainable energy consumption patterns. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Living: An Interdisciplinary and Transdisciplinary Challenge for Researchers, Decision Makers and Practitioners)

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17 pages, 688 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Analyzing Diets’ Contribution to Greenhouse Gas Emissions in Brasilia, Brazil

by Victor Silva, Francisco Contreras, Ryu Koide and Chen Liu

Sustainability 2023, 15(7), 6174; https://doi.org/10.3390/su15076174 - 3 Apr 2023

Viewed by 1484

Abstract

Given the effort to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, understanding the consumption patterns that facilitate and support changes is essential. In this context, household food consumption constitutes a large part of society’s environmental impacts due to the production and solid waste generation stages. [...] Read more.

Given the effort to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, understanding the consumption patterns that facilitate and support changes is essential. In this context, household food consumption constitutes a large part of society’s environmental impacts due to the production and solid waste generation stages. Hence, we focus on applying the Life Cycle Assessment to estimate Brasilia’s GHG emissions associated with household food consumption. We have used microdata from the Personal Food Consumption Analysis to address consumption patterns. The life cycle approach relies on the adaptations for Brasilia’s scenario of the inventories available in the databases of Ecoinvent 3.6 Cutoff and Agribalyse 3.0.1. Individuals’ GHG emissions results were classified according to sociodemographic groups and dietary patterns and analyzed through Analysis of Variance (ANOVA). The results indicate that household food consumption contributes 11,062.39 t CO₂e daily, averaging 5.05 kg CO₂e per capita. Meat consumption accounts for the largest share of emissions (55.27%), followed by beverages (18.78%) and cereals (7.29%). The ANOVA results indicate that individuals living in houses, individuals between 45 and 54 years old, and men have a higher carbon footprint. Therefore, future analyses for potential reduction should incorporate these target groups. Regarding dietary patterns, vegan individuals contribute 3.05 kg CO₂e/day, 59.00% fewer emissions than omnivorous people. The no red meat, pescatarian, and vegetarian diets also imply lower food-related GHG emissions. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Living: An Interdisciplinary and Transdisciplinary Challenge for Researchers, Decision Makers and Practitioners)

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28 pages, 809 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Low-Carbon Lifestyles beyond Decarbonisation: Toward a More Creative Use of the Carbon Footprinting Method

by Atsushi Watabe and Alice Marie Yamabe-Ledoux

Sustainability 2023, 15(5), 4681; https://doi.org/10.3390/su15054681 - 6 Mar 2023

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 2202

Abstract

There is a growing recognition of the urgent need to change citizens’ lifestyles to realise decarbonised societies. Consumption-based accounting (carbon footprinting) is a helpful indicator for measuring the impacts of peoples’ consumption on climate change by capturing both direct and embedded carbon emissions. [...] Read more.

There is a growing recognition of the urgent need to change citizens’ lifestyles to realise decarbonised societies. Consumption-based accounting (carbon footprinting) is a helpful indicator for measuring the impacts of peoples’ consumption on climate change by capturing both direct and embedded carbon emissions. However, while carbon footprinting can propose impactful behaviour changes to reduce carbon footprints immediately, it may deflect people’s attention from the much needed but time-consuming efforts to reshape the “systems of provisions” to enable decarbonised living. To propose a more constructive application of carbon footprinting, the paper examines the three cases of using carbon footprinting derived from the 1.5-degree lifestyles project, including citizens’ discussions and experiments in six cities in 2020 and 2021, citizens’ workshops contributing to the local policy development in 2022, and lectures and mini-workshops since 2020. Based on the examination of the cases, the article argues the broader purposes of using scientific data in citizens’ engagement in climate actions, namely to help deepen understanding of the systemic causes of the incumbent carbon-intensive society, to guide discussions on the desired conditional changes to support lifestyles shifts, and to help identify possible risks or negative consequences of changes to specific groups in society. These benefits contribute to developing relevant stakeholders’ essential capacities to promote changes at the individual, collective and public levels toward decarbonised societies. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Living: An Interdisciplinary and Transdisciplinary Challenge for Researchers, Decision Makers and Practitioners)

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23 pages, 4463 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Exploring the Opportunities and Challenges of ICT-Mediated Food Sharing in Japan

by Alice Marie Yamabe-Ledoux, Osamu Saito and Keiko Hori

Sustainability 2023, 15(5), 4584; https://doi.org/10.3390/su15054584 - 3 Mar 2023

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 1831

Abstract

Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) have been identified as potential enablers for alternative forms of sharing surplus food to prevent food loss and waste. Food sharing platforms can also provide an entry point to the sustainability transition by encouraging its users to confront [...] Read more.

Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) have been identified as potential enablers for alternative forms of sharing surplus food to prevent food loss and waste. Food sharing platforms can also provide an entry point to the sustainability transition by encouraging its users to confront the systemic causes of unsustainable and inequitable food systems. The paper explores the opportunities and challenges of ICT-mediated food sharing platforms in Japan. A comparative case study of 10 food sharing platforms operating in Japan was drawn from a web content analysis and semi-structured interviews. A consumer-side analysis was conducted, based on a Japan-wide survey of 10,000 respondents, to understand consumers’ general attitudes towards ICT-mediated food sharing and identify key challenges and drivers for its expansion. This paper provides initial contributions to understanding the Japanese experience of ICT-mediated food sharing from both the supply and consumption sides. All investigated food sharing platforms embedded food waste reduction and sustainable objectives in their mission. However, a consumer-side survey suggests that participation in food sharing was mainly driven by price consciousness and convenience orientation. Distrust towards the safety of redistributed food and reluctance to engage in a sharing community were some of the main barriers identified to food sharing. Highlighting convergences and divergences between platforms and consumers was key to starting developing intervention designs towards expanding online food sharing and leading consumers’ behaviour change. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Living: An Interdisciplinary and Transdisciplinary Challenge for Researchers, Decision Makers and Practitioners)

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20 pages, 2309 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Creating Monetary Collaborative Spaces for Social and Ecological Transformation

by Christian Gelleri

Sustainability 2022, 14(23), 15528; https://doi.org/10.3390/su142315528 - 22 Nov 2022

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 44824

Abstract

Complementary currencies have spread to many places around the world at the beginning of the 21st century. Creating sustainable economic cycles and short transport routes are often the goals of introducing them. Due to their manageability, regional currencies can be embedded in debates [...] Read more.

Complementary currencies have spread to many places around the world at the beginning of the 21st century. Creating sustainable economic cycles and short transport routes are often the goals of introducing them. Due to their manageability, regional currencies can be embedded in debates of regional economics and sustainability. Above all, they are suitable for democratic experiments that can show in real environments whether currency designs work as examples of collaborative communities and research. One of these monetary experiments is the climate bonus, which is linked to the local currency Chiemgauer. The research path goes into the daily routine of a real laboratory to find out which methods would be effective enough to deliver carbon savings. The climate bonus creates a monetary network where people can try out new behaviors in a protected space. As a result, three years after the initiation of the project, carbon reductions are above expectations. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Living: An Interdisciplinary and Transdisciplinary Challenge for Researchers, Decision Makers and Practitioners)

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Review

Jump to: Research

31 pages, 4529 KiB

Open AccessReview

Roadmap to a Circular Economy by 2030: A Comparative Review of Circular Business Model Visions in Germany and Japan

by Laura Montag

Sustainability 2023, 15(6), 5374; https://doi.org/10.3390/su15065374 - 17 Mar 2023

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 3214

Abstract

Circular business models operate differently from traditional linear models: by developing products designed for disassembly, reuse, and recycling; by using materials and products for as long as possible; and by replacing physical products with virtual ones, they aim to reduce the environmental impact [...] Read more.

Circular business models operate differently from traditional linear models: by developing products designed for disassembly, reuse, and recycling; by using materials and products for as long as possible; and by replacing physical products with virtual ones, they aim to reduce the environmental impact of their operations and facilitate the creation of a more sustainable future. In this article, the framework for circular business models is discussed from two perspectives: first, a systematic literature review is conducted to explore the academic point of view; second, a comparative policy review is conducted to analyze the past, present, and future visions of Germany and Japan in relation to their circular transition, particularly with regard to each country’s vision of circular business models. A first outcome is a synthesis of current circular business model archetypes and the developed circular business model matrix, which adds value to the literature by providing information on circular goals, strategies, the actors involved, and the social and political implications of each circular business model typology. A second outcome is a comparative, in-depth analysis of the current policy frameworks and strategies for circular business models in Germany and Japan. This article outlines the main ways in which both countries are currently making the transition to a circular economy, providing an important knowledge base for further development. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Living: An Interdisciplinary and Transdisciplinary Challenge for Researchers, Decision Makers and Practitioners)

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22 pages, 1197 KiB

Open AccessReview

An Overview of Carbon Footprint of Coal Mining to Curtail Greenhouse Gas Emissions

by Svetlana Ivanova, Anna Vesnina, Nataly Fotina and Alexander Prosekov

Sustainability 2022, 14(22), 15135; https://doi.org/10.3390/su142215135 - 15 Nov 2022

Cited by 7 | Viewed by 5640

Abstract

Despite the trend of a transition to “clean” energy, the coal industry still plays a significant role in the global economy. The constant need for raw materials and energy for production leads to an environmental crisis—an increase in the content of greenhouse gases [...] Read more.

Despite the trend of a transition to “clean” energy, the coal industry still plays a significant role in the global economy. The constant need for raw materials and energy for production leads to an environmental crisis—an increase in the content of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, especially in the mining regions. The purpose of this study was to analyze the impact of the carbon footprint on the environment and to study ways to reduce the negative impact of coal mining enterprises on the ecology. To analyze the chosen topic, the available reviews and research articles on the impact of the carbon footprint of coal mining enterprises, and the ways to reduce it and restore the biodiversity of wastelands, were used. It was found out that a complete ban on the extraction and use of coal in the industry will not lead to the desired result. The main ways to reduce the negative impact of coal mining enterprises on the environment were considered. The most promising direction for reducing the carbon footprint is the restoration of the vegetation cover by phytoremediation methods and the creation of carbon landfills in reclaimed territories in technogenically polluted coal mining regions. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Living: An Interdisciplinary and Transdisciplinary Challenge for Researchers, Decision Makers and Practitioners)

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