• Energy Research
• 2021-2025close
• social sciences close
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Throughout the 21st century, urban reports demand solutions to the obsolescence and aging process suffered by the existing buildings, due to the growth and expansion of cities that took place in the second half of the 20th century [...]

Despite the growing interest in perceived social support as a means of achieving sustainable psychological development and well-being in the various contexts of the adolescent, its definition and composition remain unclear. The aim of this study is to test both the hierarchical order and the types and sources of a theoretical model of the social support perceived by adolescents. The model is based on the theories of Tardy and Lin, as well as on the findings of recent studies on the construct. Three theoretical models are compared using the structural equations method. The participants were 1081 randomly selected secondary school students (aged 12–18 years) from the north of Spain, who completed the APIK Perceived Social Support Questionnaire. The model positing that perceived social support comprises a hierarchical first level formed by sources of support (family, friends and teachers) and a lower second level derived from the first one, formed by types of support (emotional, material and informational), proved to be the first-choice solution. The results establish a solid theoretical base for both future studies on perceived social support during adolescence and possible educational interventions designed to improve social support for teenagers.

We examined whether institutional pressures explained sustainable company behavior based on sustainable Human Resource Management. Additionally, given that company voluntariness is a key factor of sustainable behavior, we analyzed the role of organizational engagement in employees. A sample of 206 firms in the chemical and chemical manufacturing industries as well as in the base metal manufacturing sector was used to test the hypotheses, using Partial Least-Squares Structural Equation Modelling. Our findings suggest that institutional pressures explain sustainable Human Resource Management and that organizational engagement mediates the relationship between institutional pressures and sustainable Human Resource Management. Moreover, a circular relationship develops that may play an even more pivotal role at the early stage of the diffusion of these practices.

Higher Education Institutions are facing a challenging situation: how to introduce concepts such as Sustainability or the Circular Economy into their curricula. This study presents how to organize a Computer Reuse Program, an educational proposal for the Reuse, Repair, Refurbishment, Remanufacture and Recycling of computers into a Curriculum and a case study. The proposal is based in the Service-Learning methodology, by which students develop technical and professional skills while undertaking a project that has a direct and real impact on society. Students work on old or broken computers provided by donors, thereby acquiring technical skills. These now flawlessly functioning computers are donated to NGOs and other non-profit organizations, thus endowing the equipment with a much longer life as well as reducing e-waste, one of the fastest-growing waste streams in the world. As a case study, this paper presents the UPC Computer Reuse Program, carried out at Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya UPC-BarcelonaTech. Since the program started in 2004, some 2500 computers have been donated to 359 different organizations in 29 countries, and more than 5200 students have participated. The paper analyzes the impact of the program on society, on the reduction of e-waste, on the environment and on student awareness regarding social justice and sustainability.

In recent years, a ban on short-haul flights for which alternative, more environmentally friendly transportation is available has been on European regulatory agendas, particularly in countries like Germany, with its well-developed high-speed rail (HSR) and a dense network of low-cost, point-to-point airline traffic. This study aims to quantify the potential impact on CO2 emissions of substituting short-haul flights with rail frequencies in 87 German air travel corridors. Using OAG data on passenger bookings and airline schedules for 2019, as well as current rail travel times, we determine the target flights by looking at the actual proportion of connecting passengers per frequency. We estimate a potential reduction in CO2 emissions of between 2.7% and 22%, depending on how strict the flight substitution is. However, the social benefits of those carbon emissions might fall short of the travel time losses experienced by the passengers. Increased investment to improve rail speeds and intermodal accessibility appears necessary before the substitution policies can be implemented.

This systematic review identifies the contributions of creativity to learning and its integration into teaching within educational approaches with an ecosocial and/or sustainable perspective based on scientific publications in the Web of Science and SCOPUS databases, following the PRISMA methodology guidelines. This study establishes a comprehensive understanding of creativity from a sociocultural perspective and examines the relationship between creativity and educational approaches based on sustainable education. The results highlight that creativity is incorporated into teaching in a cross-cutting manner in the ideation, design, and implementation of pedagogical strategies that include diverse techniques, resources, and methodologies. Creativity contributes to learning by being multifaceted and transforming the student experience through the identification, understanding, appropriation, and applicability of concepts. Various strategies and methodologies are identified that promote creativity by involving students in collaborative and reflective processes. Creativity stimulates imagination, interdisciplinary and intercultural integration, and experimentation. The fundamental role of the teacher and the learning environment is emphasized. Finally, the need to integrate creativity into educational plans from these approaches is highlighted, fostering the adaptability to uncertainty and the generation of creative and sustainable responses. This review provides a synthesized and updated resource for teachers and individuals interested in the relationship between creativity, learning, and sustainability.