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Purpose -To explore some of the factors that could obstruct the implementation of the sustainability initiatives in higher education institutions as a way for assisting key players to improve the effectiveness of their potential or current sustainability initiatives and being ready for the United Nations Decade of Education for Sustainable Development. Design/methodology/approach -It was conducted a literature review of published and unpublished articles, conference proceedings, university reports, books, and website documents. It was not target any specific discipline. However, most of the material was from engineering, economics, sociology, and related sciences. The time frame of the literature review was from 1990 to 2002. Important references prior to 1990 were also analyzed. Findings -The adequate conditions for the successful implementation of sustainability programs do not exist. There are many obstacles preventing the success of sustainability initiatives on campuses around the world. However, sustainability initiatives on campuses are flourishing despite these difficulties. Originality/value -Usually, literature about sustainability on campus is focused most on good experiences, paying little or no attention to describe the issues hampering their evolution. What went wrong is mentioned without sufficient consideration or given a secondary status making it impossible to learn from bad experiences. This paper reveals several failures as a way to anticipate solutions for overcoming institutional barriers confronted in particular situations.

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The COVID-19 pandemic was declared a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC) in January 2020. Since then, 10 million cases and nearly 500,000 deaths have been reported globally. The sudden coronavirus global pandemic has also pointed to the importance of tackling the global climate crisis even more urgently. This article discusses six lessons drawn from the COVID-19 pandemic that can inform and facilitate greater future engagement in the global climate crisis. These lessons were identified through monitoring and analyzing media coverage of COVID-19 related events during the initial onset of COVID-19 in late January 2020 to June 30, 2020. The key lessons included the potentiality of reducing fossil fuel consumption and greenhouse emissions, the significance of responding late, a case for strong sustainability, the limits of rugged individualism, a (mis)trust in science, and the possibility of large-scale change. The insights put forward point to the fact that, like the COVID-19 pandemic, people need to continue to attach their health to expectations of government action in the context of the global climate crisis.

Purpose -The concepts of sustainable development (SD) and management systems (MS) are finding increasing acceptance in a variety of fields, including academy, politics, and non-governmental organizations. These concepts are also being used by the general population. This paper aims to describe the perception of different experts by discussing the usefulness of sustainability management systems (SMS) as holistic systems that might integrate environmental, social, and economic elements. Design/methodology/approach -This research was framed by the general systems theory and its nature is totally qualitative and exploratory in order to understand the significant attributes that affect or benefit a management system to reach sustainability. A total of 14 interviews were conducted with several experts around the world. Some are professional persons in sustainability issues in general, and some in environmental, health and safety (EHS) issues in particular. Findings -The results shows that, although there is a continuous debate on the sustainability approach, several core elements can be addressed for sustainability management systems (SMS). For instance, 71.4 percent of the interviewees agreed that management systems are useful for sustainable development, or at least potentially useful, and 42.9 percent of the experts declared that having a clear understanding of the long-term economic benefits for the company is an important incentive for their implementation.Research limitations/implications -Interviews were conducted with a limited number of experts and there was no field verification of claims. Therefore, conclusions derived from these sources depend on the veracity of the information provided by participants. Expert bias may also have an impact on the outcomes of this research. Practical implications -The findings provide management systems' practitioners with key elements when sustainability management systems are being created, maintained and evaluated. Originality/value -The findings are not results from general concepts, but rather elicited from empirical data from fourteen sustainability, and health and safety experts around the world.

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to identify research priorities to guide transportation stakeholders in their practice, education, and research. Design/methodology/approach – A literature review of published, conference proceedings, agency reports, books, and web site documents was conducted, aiming at the identification of the diverging strategies and practices undertaken by transportation stakeholders in order to be able to generate initial meaningful insights about a sustainable transportation system. Findings – Sustainable transportation systems are in certain way a new paradigm where a business-as-usual approach is not possible. Vehicle makers produce more energy efficient vehicles. Nevertheless, fossil fuel is still the predominant source of energy. Regarding the level of carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions, non-motorized transport modes are preferable over motorized transport modes, and public transportation modes preferable to private transportation modes. It is also import to include environmental consideration along the design, construction, maintenance, and operation of the transportation infrastructure. While vehicles powered by alternate fuel such as biofuel, electricity, and/or fuel cell are becoming more popular, shifting to more sustainable transport modes would also require changes on commuter behaviors and individual preferences. Practical implications – The paper discusses the efforts that are underway for decoupling transport and CO2 emissions, being useful for transportation stakeholders to implement or improve the effectiveness of their potential or current sustainability transport initiatives through the identification of strategies, opportunities, and barriers. Originality/value – Although there is plenty of good information about sustainability and transportation modes in literature, most of the articles analyzed focus on specific factors of the whole transportation system. The originality/value of this paper is found in the holistic perspective, here presented, of the state of the art issues that a sustainable transport system would encompass.

College laboratories are generally perceived to be low-risk environments in comparison to industrial laboratories and plant operations. However, accidents in college chemistry laboratories have revealed the safety conditions to which both students and staff may be exposed. Improving the effectiveness of laboratory safety training programs and chemical safety education requires gaining an understanding of how undergraduate students may perceive the risk associated with chemistry laboratory settings. This study characterized risk perceptions of safety hazards in chemistry laboratories among college students. Undergraduate college students from the chemistry and biology department of a university in Mexico were surveyed. The Workers’ Risk Perception Dimensional Evaluation (EDRP-T) was used to characterize risk perceptions through nine dimensions and the overall perceived risk for three risk factors: laboratory work, chemical splashes, and chemical-substances inhalation. Perceived risk was characterized in a sample of 521 undergraduate students. Students felt confident in successfully dealing with the risk factors evaluated despite feelings of dread and vulnerability as well as concerns about the severity of the consequences of an injury. Their perceived ability to control and avoid these risks might have reflected the students’ self-efficacy. Discrepancies in characterizing risk perception as a multidimensional construct or a direct, measurable characteristic were identified. Gaining an understanding about what undergraduate students do and do not perceive as hazardous is a valuable input to develop risk management and communication strategies with the potential to influence students’ decision-making process that can result in safer behaviors. Successful design and implementation of chemical education programs requires recognizing gaps at all levels.

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to debate how companies may better become a sustainable learning organization by offering the most used and insightful concepts of sustainability.Design/methodology/approachThrough literature review, learning organization and sustainability perspectives are explored and compared.FindingsLearning sustainability experiences around the world have provided tools and mechanics to companies to enhance economic growth without affecting environment and communities.Originality/valueThe paper explains points of convergence and divergence between learning organization and sustainability approaches and provides insightful remarks from literature.