Governments commonly use deliberation as a part of the policy-making process, but it is usually conducted internally and behind closed doors, thereby excluding the public.  However, efforts to involve the public in the deliberative stage are quite rare and, for the most part, governments do not have a reliable methodol ...

The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) recognize the importance of action locally for achieving socioeconomic sustainability globally.  Local communities must focus on a locally relevant subset of goals and understand potential future pathways for key drivers that influence local sustainability to contribute to natio ...

We are witnessing unprecedented climate change due to the rapidly increasing concentration of CO₂ in the atmosphere.  Climate change is having severe consequences for communities that are designed for steady climatic conditions – not for the predicted climate extremes.  Data collected over the recent decades shows that ...

There is widespread concern that current trends in resource use are unsustainable.  The over-exploitation and depletion of nature and natural resources and the strong economic stratification of society into the rich elites and the poor commoners are evident in all historical societal collapses, either of which can inde ...

Circular economy (CE) as a framework to advance the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) has serious risks and various shortcomings.  Where CE and the SDGs are misaligned, there is a gap between products, the socioeconomic circumstances of the people who produce and use them, and the environment where the products are ...

The building and construction industry plays a critical role in achieving global sustainability, especially in tackling the global climate crisis.  The scope and breadth of sustainability encompassed by the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) is an integral part of the business case for global real estate.  The SDG ...

The investment in sustainable development and climate actions is at the center of the SDG agenda and climate negotiations.  However, there are many obstacles to realizing the potential synergies between the SDGs and climate action.  The financing gap to achieve the global climate target of 1.5°C by 2030 set out in the ...

The study models two scenarios for the period 2022 to 2050 and their impact on the economy and the labor market as well as on energy consumption/production, energy prices, and greenhouse gas emissions in the EU and Austria.  The main objective of the study is to show the macroeconomic impact of certain industrial polic ...

The ongoing effects of global warming, biodiversity loss, and pollution pose a serious risk to the enjoyment of fundamental human rights, including the right to life, health, and private and family life.  The impacts of global warming have led to the recognition of a human rights-based approach to addressing climate ch ...

Sustainable development of communities requires leadership and relies on the involvement and participation of stakeholders in the future sustainability of communities.  Development is implemented at the local level by communities and their stakeholders, whether residents or visitors.  Organizations at international and ...

Innovation can only be meaningful if focused on sustainability.  Enel recognizes that innovation and sustainability are inextricably linked and that innovation is the key to sustainable success – Enel calls this “innovability”. Society can only be sustainable by generating measurable long-term social and environmental ...

In the EU Biodiversity Strategy to 2030, the EU and its Member States have committed to implement more than 100 measures by 2030, including the EU Nature Restoration Plan to protect and restore at least 30% of the degraded and carbon-rich ecosystems by law.  In Austria as in most EU countries, conservative parties and ...

Human societies and biodiversity on Earth are under threat because human resource consumption is exceeding or threatening the physical and ecological boundaries of our planet.  To discuss and address the challenges, find solutions, and take urgent measures to tackle climate change, the terminology used in discussions a ...

Data centers house the critical servers, storage, and networking equipment that keep data flowing smoothly in local communities and around the world.  The development and operation of data centres require thorough assessment and consideration of land valuation, site analysis, power consumption and consumption capacity. ...

Four interactions – changes in climate affecting water runoff; changes in climate affecting vegetation cover; changes in vegetation cover affecting climate; and changes in vegetation cover affecting water runoff – are deemed of utmost importance for understanding the impact on the Earth system on policy-relevant timefr ...