• Energy Research

El término "prosumidores" acuñado por Toffler, se refiere a aquellos clientes que también se dedican a la co-creación de productos, que solo consumen parcialmente, y cuyo saldo se pone a disposición de un grupo más amplio. Pero a pesar de que el papel de los prosumidores es cada vez más relevante a medida que un número más amplio de personas se involucra en la producción de productos para ser compartidos por otros, existe la necesidad de estudios que apunten a identificar qué tan extendidos están y la contribución concreta que están proporcionando a algún área clave, como la energía, la generación y distribución de energía. Basado en la necesidad de abordar esta brecha de investigación, este artículo informa sobre un estudio sobre el comportamiento del prosumidor en un contexto de desarrollo sostenible (SD), con un enfoque en el sector energético. El documento despliega un enfoque de métodos mixtos que implica un análisis bibliométrico de los prosumidores desde una perspectiva de sostenibilidad, para obtener una mejor comprensión del tema, un estudio cuantitativo del comportamiento de los prosumidores en el campo de las energías renovables que involucra a encuestados de 44 países, y un conjunto de estudios de casos, respaldados por la literatura, que ilustra las tendencias actuales. La novedad de este documento reside en el hecho de que explora el papel de los prosumidores en un contexto de SD en muchos países en el área crítica de la generación y el uso de energía, describiendo los impulsores del comportamiento positivo e identificando algunas necesidades de información adicionales. Le terme « prosommateurs » inventé par Toffler, concerne les clients qui s'engagent également dans la co-création de produits, qu'ils ne consomment que partiellement, et dont le solde est mis à la disposition d'un groupe plus large. Mais même si le rôle des prosommateurs est de plus en plus pertinent car un nombre plus complet de personnes s'engagent dans la production de produits à partager par d'autres, il est nécessaire de mener des études visant à identifier leur ampleur et la contribution concrète qu'ils apportent à certains domaines clés tels que l'énergie, la production et la distribution d'énergie. Sur la base de la nécessité de combler cette lacune de la recherche, cet article rend compte d'une étude sur le comportement des prosommateurs dans un contexte de développement durable (DD), en mettant l'accent sur le secteur de l'énergie. L'article déploie une approche mixte qui implique une analyse bibliométrique des prosommateurs dans une perspective de durabilité - pour mieux comprendre le sujet -, une étude quantitative du comportement des prosommateurs dans le domaine des énergies renouvelables impliquant des répondants de 44 pays, et un ensemble d'études de cas, étayées par la littérature, qui illustre les tendances actuelles. La nouveauté de cet article réside dans le fait qu'il explore le rôle des prosommateurs dans un contexte de développement durable dans de nombreux pays dans le domaine critique de la production et de l'utilisation de l'énergie, décrivant les moteurs d'un comportement positif et identifiant certains besoins d'informations supplémentaires. The term "prosumers" coined by Toffler, relates to those customers who also engage in the co-creation of products, which they only partly consume, and whose balance is made available to a broader group. But even though the role of prosumers is increasingly relevant as a more comprehensive number of people are engaging in the production of products to be shared by others, there is a need for studies that aim at identifying how widespread they are, and the concrete contribution they are providing to some key area such as, for energy, energy generation and distribution. Based on the need to address this research gap, this paper reports on a study on prosumer behaviour in a sustainable development (SD) context, with a focus on the energy sector. The paper deploys a mixed-methods approach which entails a bibliometric analysis of prosumers from a sustainability perspective - to gain a better understanding of the topic -, a quantitative study of prosumers' behaviour in the field of renewable energy involving respondents from 44 countries, and a set of case studies, supported by the literature, which illustrates current trends. The novelty of this paper resides in the fact that it explores the role of prosumers in an SD context across many countries in the critical area of energy generation and use, outlining the drivers of positive behaviour and identifying some further information needs. يتعلق مصطلح "المشترين" الذي صاغه توفلر بالعملاء الذين يشاركون أيضًا في الإنشاء المشترك للمنتجات، والتي يستهلكونها جزئيًا فقط، والذين يتم توفير رصيدهم لمجموعة أوسع. ولكن على الرغم من أن دور المستوردين يزداد أهمية حيث يشارك عدد أكثر شمولاً من الأشخاص في إنتاج المنتجات التي سيشاركها الآخرون، إلا أن هناك حاجة إلى دراسات تهدف إلى تحديد مدى انتشارها، والمساهمة الملموسة التي يقدمونها لبعض المجالات الرئيسية مثل الطاقة وتوليد الطاقة وتوزيعها. بناءً على الحاجة إلى معالجة هذه الفجوة البحثية، تقدم هذه الورقة تقريرًا عن دراسة حول سلوك المستهلك في سياق التنمية المستدامة، مع التركيز على قطاع الطاقة. تنشر الورقة نهجًا مختلطًا يستلزم تحليلًا ببليومتريًا للمستهلكين من منظور الاستدامة - للحصول على فهم أفضل للموضوع -، ودراسة كمية لسلوك المستهلكين في مجال الطاقة المتجددة تشمل مستجيبين من 44 دولة، ومجموعة من دراسات الحالة، مدعومة بالأدبيات، والتي توضح الاتجاهات الحالية. تكمن حداثة هذه الورقة في حقيقة أنها تستكشف دور المستوردين في سياق التنمية المستدامة عبر العديد من البلدان في المجال الحاسم لتوليد الطاقة واستخدامها، وتحدد دوافع السلوك الإيجابي وتحدد بعض الاحتياجات الإضافية من المعلومات.

Purpose Higher education institutions (HEIs) offer courses and programmes focusing on sustainability in economics, as courses on sustainable development (SD), which examine the economic, social and environmental dimensions of SD. This paper aims to examine sustainability integration in economics degree programmes. Design/methodology/approach Through an extensive literature review in Web of Science (WoS) and information search in Google, conducting to 28 relevant case studies, this paper elucidates the emphasis given to sustainability as part of economics degree programmes in HEIs. Findings The results suggest that, whereas the inclusion of sustainability components in this field is a growing trend, much still needs to be done to ensure that matters related to SD are part of the routine of university students studying economics. Research limitations/implications It is worth noting that the literature review conducted in WoS was primarily aimed at assisting in the selection of university case studies. The 28 university case studies scrutinised in this study may lack sufficient representation from numerous developing countries. Practical implications This study highlights challenges in integrating the SD into economics degree programmes, suggesting the need for curriculum adjustments as underscoring operational issues, acting as barriers. The inclusion of sustainability in economics programmes must navigate operational issues stemming from packed timetables and busy schedules, requiring innovative solutions. Social implications As far as the authors are aware, this study holds substantial importance in its emphasis on implementing sustainability within HEIs’ economics programmes, assisting in pursuing SD. Originality/value The novelty of this study lies in addressing sustainability with the specific economics focus programmes within the HEIs context.

Abstract The concept of climate justice extends traditional environmentalism by emphasizing the social dimensions of environmental issues. Recently, it has gained much attention due to the growing impacts of climate change, especially on vulnerable communities that contribute minimally to global emissions. Based on the need for research in this field, this paper reports on a study that examined how higher education institutions (HEIs) are integrating climate justice into education, based on a literature review and a set of case studies. These cases highlight actions undertaken by various HEIs to incorporate climate justice into education across the globe. Based on the increasing number of publications, the findings show a growing research interest in the topic and reveal that some countries such as the US, the UK, China, Australia, and Germany have a visible presence in the literature. It also provides a wide range of perspectives on educational practices in climate justice, including real-world examples of courses implemented in HEIs. The findings reveal that HEIs have significant potential to address climate justice in their educational programs, which may help to transform students’ values and actions despite challenges.

Food packaging improves shelf life and allows longer transportation distances in global food supply chains, but it is also responsible for huge volumes of waste. The transition to sustainable packaging by food companies has often been slow and inconsistent. How decisions on (sustainable) packaging are made within companies in the food sector remains mostly opaque to research. To explore the decision-making process and identify barriers for cleaner, more resource efficient food packaging, we carried out 17 interviews in four European countries across different food sectors using the theoretical decision-making process of Nutt (1984) as an analytical framework. Through qualitative content analysis, we found that decision-making processes often lack structure and extend over long stretches of time. Frequently, they are initiated in response to packaging material manufacturers or suppliers. Switching to more sustainable packaging often implies costly investments into new machinery. Economic sustainability takes precedence over ecological sustainability. We recommend companies move to life-cycle cost models for packaging decisions, commit to mono- and other recyclable materials, and establish structured decision-making processes with clear cut-off criteria so as to streamline implementation decisions. Our results further support a call for progressive legislation towards a circular economy in the packaging sector. This article/publication is based upon work from COST Action Circul-a-bility, supported by COST (European Cooperation in Science and Technology), www.cost.eu. info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion