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In this work we analyzed the mapping of Sustainable Development Goals in the curricular units of the undergraduate courses of the School of Social Sciences at the University of Évora. Of a total of 449 curricular units, only 374 had students enrolled in 2020/2021. The data presented refer to the 187 course units that had Sustainable Development Goals in addition to SDG4 (Quality Education) assigned to all the course units. Considering the set of curricular units, the results showed that the most mentioned objectives were those related to Gender Equality (SDG 5), Reduced Inequalities (SDG 10), Decent Work and Economic Growth (SDG 8) and Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions (SDG 16). Regarding the differences between the departments, which are also distinct scientific areas, we have observed that the Departments of Economics and Management had more objectives related to labor and economic growth, while the other departments mentioned more objectives related to inequalities, gender or other.

Various studies have investigated the business model (BM) in different dimensions. However, bibliometric analyses in this discipline are still limited. This study aims to conduct a bibliometric analysis of business model research, identifying the state of the art, trends, and other indicators by analyzing articles published on the Web of Science (WoS) platform from 2017 to 2022. The present study examines the simultaneous occurrence of publications by year, keyword trends, bibliographic coupling, analysis of co-authorship, cities, and institutions, and finds that the literature on business models rapidly expanded between 2017 and 2020. A total of 14,881 articles were obtained as samples. The present study employs VOSviewer software to analyze the data. A considerable amount of literature has been produced on BMs, but researchers have stopped developing further literature which is thought-provoking. Based on the findings of this study, it is concluded that there is a need to research BMs in different domains such as sustainability and digitalization.

The effects of climate dynamics on urban areas involve the aggravation of existing conditions and the potential for emergence of new hazards or risk factors. Floods are recognized as a leading source of consequences to society, including disruption of critical functions in urban areas, and to the environment. Consideration of the interplay between services providers ensuring urban functions is essential to deal with climate dynamics and associated risks. Assessment of resilience to multiple hazards requires integrated and multi-sectoral approaches embracing each strategic urban sector and interactions between them. A common limitation resides in the limited data and tools available for undertaking these complex assessments. The paper proposes a methodology to undertake the spatial characterization of the flood related hazards and exposure of both essential functions and services providers in urban areas, in the context of limitations in data and in ready-to-use tools. Results support the resilience assessment of these hazards, taking into account interdependencies and cascading effects. The approach is applied to Lisbon city as the study case. Results are promising in demonstrating the potential of combining data and knowledge from different sources with dual modelling approaches, allowing us to obtain trends on the magnitude of effects of climate scenarios and to assess potential benefits of adaptation strategies. Quantification of the effects is reached, but results need to be assessed together with the underlying levels of uncertainty. The methodology can facilitate dialogue among stakeholders and between different decision levels.

The purpose of this study is to evaluate the economic and environmental gains that result from the implementation of cleaner production in a small enterprise (SE) from the metal and mechanics industry, allowing for overcoming barriers and contributing to sustainable development goals. The research work builds on a case study that involved several data sources, including semi structured interviewing and non-participant observation. Data analysis involved the calculation of mass balance, building solid and liquid waste that were minimized in the process. The results suggest that cleaner production led to economic gains, by allowing for reduction in losses and promoting a better use of raw materials. It also led to environmental improvements by means of the implementation of a wastewater treatment station that allowed for the reuse of water in the manufacturing process. It was concluded that the economic gain in the project played a determinant role for the SE to overcome the barriers for the implementation of CP and leading to the reduction of the environmental impact in the abiotic, biotic, water and air compartments, as estimated with the Mass Intensity Factor. The study offers a timely and relevant contribution for the literature in the field, while offering insights for o managerial practice, and the attainment of the Sustainable Development Goals defined by the United Nations Development Program.

Urban drainage systems face intrinsic constraints related to the deterioration of infrastructure, the interaction between systems, and increasing requirements and stresses that lower the quality of provided services. Furthermore, climate change and the need for the efficient use of resources are providing additional pressures that cannot be addressed solely with “Business-as-usual” solutions. In this paper, the consequences of such problems and limitations on the urban environment have been assessed through the identification of linked major impacts (e.g., urban flooding and pollution events) and societal externalities (e.g., economic losses, health and social issues, and environmental risks). Since Nature-based Solutions (NBS) consider human well-being, socio-economic development, and governance principles, they open new perspectives regarding urban sustainability, quality of life, and climate change adaptation. To highlight their added value to existing Urban Drainage Systems (UDS), the synergies that result from implementing NBS with traditional urban drainage systems were identified and assessed. Based on a comprehensive framework, for both wastewater and stormwater, the relevant opportunities for rethinking UDS and NBS were identified. Most relevant positive effects go beyond the mitigation of existing intrinsic constraints of traditional systems (e.g., dealing with the control of pollutants or stormwater management) since NBS also provide important economic, social, and environmental co-benefits by including water in urban planning and providing greener open spaces. This integrated and complementary solution not only represents a contribution to the sustainable management of urban water, but also enables an increase in the resilience of urban areas and, in particular, water services against climate change and for additional social co-benefits.

Innovation plays a key role in meeting the challenges of the future, but despite the unprecedented investment in innovation, Portugal has seen a decline in the various indicators that assess the country’s performance. This study aims to answer questions about the state of innovation in Portugal, based on the relevant global and European innovation indicators, comparing the country’s performance with that of Ireland, Belgium, and the Czech Republic. Using secondary data collected from the reports of the last four years, explanatory research was conducted based on statistical and graphical methods in order to establish causal relationships. The areas where the main changes have taken place are presented, highlighting the aspects in which Portugal stands out for superior or poor performance, providing a benchmark for the definition of policies to foster innovation in Portugal. The results demonstrate that institutions, business sophistication, and knowledge and technology score negatively, while creativity stands out as a strength. Environmental sustainability, firms’ investment in innovation, and the impact of innovation on sales are aspects that Portugal needs to improve; human capital and the attractiveness of the R&D system deserve positive remarks. It is fundamental to understand how Portugal is preparing for the future and what the country can learn from others. This study is limited by the specific period in analysis, which could affect causal relationships, and the historical perspective could provide guidelines to the understanding of the relative position of the country. This study contributes new perspectives and knowledge about the state of innovation in Portugal, providing clues to entrepreneurs, policy makers, and the scientific community.

Several factors and processes, both natural and anthropogenic, can threaten the integrity of any geosite, leading to their degradation. For this reason, geoheritage degradation risks should be considered a fundamental step in any geoconservation strategy, all the more when the aim is to tackle the effects of climate change. The present work proposes a quantitative methodology for the degradation risk assessment of geosites by considering the extrinsic factors that can damage the geoheritage. The methodology has been tested on the Maltese Islands, where considerable previous research has been undertaken in order to highlight the international significance of the Maltese landscapes. Three criteria to assess the degradation risk are proposed: natural vulnerability, anthropogenic vulnerability and public use. For each criterion, several parameters have been identified in order to propose a detailed numerical evaluation. The results show that the degradation risk of geosites is mainly related to negligence and lack of knowledge of its inherent geological heritage, and which leads to public misuse and mismanagement of the geosites. The results give an overview of the condition of the geosites and provide information for the design and management of suitable protection measures, especially in the light of future threats related to climate change.