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- Creators: Morrison, Jessica
- Member of: School of Sustainability Graduate Culminating Experiences
Description
Day-to-day decision makers on agricultural operations play a key role in maintaining both a sustainable and food secure agricultural society. This population, also defined as Principal Producers by the 2017 USDA Agricultural Census Report, has witnessed a significant decline in recent years, raising many questions surrounding why farmers are retiring faster than they can be replaced. To look closely at this phenomenon, this study focuses on the State of Ohio to hear first-hand from producers what they need to be successful through a series of semi-structured interviews. This study also maps recent changes in variables that define this issue from 2007-2017 using QGIS and USDA Agricultural Census data. The findings from this study show the recent decline of mid-sized agricultural operations and provide evidence linking declining rates of principal producer populations with specific features consistent with industrial agriculture. These findings are specific to the State of Ohio, but also raise much larger questions about which populations are experiencing more rapid rates of farm exit, and what implications these trends have for food security on a broader scale.
ContributorsMoore, Phillip (Author) / Chhetri, Nalini (Contributor) / Leonard, Bryan (Contributor) / Shrestha, Milan (Contributor)
Created2020
Description
"Decarbonizing the building and construction industry, ""the built environment,"" is critical to aligning with the United Nations (U.N.) Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and achieving the goals outlined in the Paris Agreement. Due to numerous factors, including global population increases, the industry's growth and resulting impacts on emissions and resource depletion are increasing every year.
The global construction materials industry's financial value was $1,320.01 billion in 2023 and is projected to grow to $1,867.16 billion by 2032. Significant environmental challenges accompany this growth. The building and construction sector contributes 37% of global emissions through the embodied carbon of materials extraction, manufacturing, on-site construction, and operational emissions from heating, cooling, and lighting (Abergel et al., 2019).
Our research highlights critical materials, outlines seven stages of the material life cycle, identifies potential risks and impacts, and offers recommendations for a more just and sustainable future in the construction materials industry (Dsilva, 2023). This comprehensive approach aims to understand better the industry's current landscape and actionable insights for driving sustainable practices."
ContributorsChristiaanse, Madelon (Author) / Grimm, Nick (Author) / Haj, Christelle (Author) / Bethem, Jacob (Contributor) / Morrison, Jessica (Contributor) / BWD Strategic (Contributor)
Created2024-07-03
Description
UNIQA Pojistovna is an insurance provider in the Czech Republic and Slovakia with a goal to implement sustainability features into their retail product offerings. Without a consumer-facing strategy that meets internal goals for sustainability, there is a risk of decreased competitiveness and brand value as the European Union focuses on adopting mandatory ESG measures. This report covers background research on the insurance industry and best practices implemented by peers and competitors throughout the U.S., E.U., and U.K. markets. With an understanding of the market landscape, our group explores options for UNIQA to embed sustainability features into their home, car, life, and travel insurance products. Our recommendations include original ideas to create partnerships with various entities, including home improvement stores and car manufacturers, creating interactive educational tools for customers, enhancing internal education among brokers and corporate employees, and exploring green life insurance and end-of-life offerings. Finally, this report provides a recommended timeline for implementation and next-step actions.
ContributorsBiby, Shannon (Author) / Johnson, Mariah (Author) / Zelinska, Anya (Author) / Bethem, Dr. Jacob (Contributor) / Reeves, Charles (Contributor) / Morrison, Jessica (Contributor) / UNIQA Pojistovna (Contributor)
Created2024-07-10
Description
This report offers a robust analysis of Corporate Value Propositions for Collective Landscape Initiatives (L/JIs), authored by a distinguished team from Arizona State University's School of Sustainability (Conrado Guzman Flores, Rosana Naseh, Shannon Bowers-Smith, and Yuko Kamakura). It comprehensively examines the quantifiable benefits and metrics associated with L/JI engagement, highlighting the potential for significant value creation for participating corporations.
The report underscores a burgeoning trend: corporations increasingly recognize the strategic advantages of aligning with L/JIs. It emphasizes the critical importance of stakeholder engagement in achieving effective landscape management. Furthermore, the analysis delves into how organizations can effectively communicate the financial and non-financial benefits of L/JIs to corporations. Notably, the report proposes a groundbreaking financial analysis approach that leverages publicly available corporate data.
Beyond theoretical frameworks, the report provides a compelling examination of real-world corporate L/JI engagement examples, serving as a valuable roadmap for communicating the advantages of such partnerships. It further expands the discussion by introducing a comprehensive guide for corporations to strategically engage with supply chains and promote impactful local-level strategies.
The landscape analysis presented here transcends a mere enumeration of benefits. It sheds light on the transformative social, environmental, and economic benefits that corporations can achieve through L/JI engagement, with a particular emphasis on demonstrating financial relevance. The report presents robust financial analyses for prominent palm oil companies such as KAO, Fuji Oil, and L'Oreal, effectively showcasing the concrete financial gains associated with L/JI participation. Importantly, the report acknowledges the necessity of robust governance integration within these corporate programs to ensure long-term success.
ContributorsKamakura, Yuko (Author) / Naseh, Rosana (Author) / Cuzman Flores, Conrado (Author) / Bowers-Smith, Shannon (Author) / Reeves, Charles (Contributor) / Morrison, Jessica (Contributor) / Bethem, Jacob (Contributor) / CDP (Contributor)
Created2024-07-10