The development of biodegradable packaging materials from renewable natural resources contributes to sustainable development and helps reduce the environmental impact of waste. Green packaging aims to promote the use of lightweight, recyclable, reusable, biodegradable materials while minimizing the presence of non-ecological components. Radiocarbon (14C) analysis enables the distinction between fossil-derived and bio-based carbon by measuring 14C/12C isotope ratio.

In this research, disposable packaging materials from Pakistan—including paper cups, paper plates, baking paper, paper boxes and wooden cutlery—were analyzed to determine their bio-based carbon content. Two independent analytical techniques were applied: liquid scintillation counting (LSC) and accelerator mass spectrometry (AMS) technique, performed at Gliwice 14C and Mass Spectrometry Laboratory (Silesian University of Technology, Poland) and Centro Nacional de Aceleradores (CNA Seville, Spain).

All examined samples exhibited elevated 14C concentrations, indicating that modern biomass was used in their production, although not necessarily as the sole raw material. Layer-by-layer AMS analysis revealed that outer waterproof coatings sometimes contained lower 14C values, indicating partial use of fossil-based polymers. The interlaboratory comparison demonstrated excellent agreement between LSC and AMS results, as well as between both AMS laboratories, with differences remaining within analytical uncertainty (<3%). These results confirm the reliability, reproducibility, and international comparability of radiocarbon-based bio-carbon measurements for disposable packaging materials.

Healthcare contributes up to 8.5 percent of global carbon emissions, amongst other environmental impacts including intensive water consumption, plastics in our environment and pharmaceutical associated pollution. Healthcare supply chains are the largest contributor of environmental impact, accounting for up to 80 percent of total health sector emissions. Health technology assessment (HTA) can help support the mitigation of this impact by integrating sustainability considerations into policy making. Current literature indicates emission values are being included in some procurement decisions, and some HTA agencies are collecting environmental data or developing environmental domains in their strategies. However, there are no HTA agencies globally that officially include environmental outcomes as part of the decision-making framework. Adapting HTA to include environmental impacts will require integrating multidisciplinary approaches to make decisions that promote environmental sustainability. A scoping review was undertaken to identify such multidisciplinary methods. Multiple databases and gray literature sources were searched to identify relevant studies. The identified methods were appraised based on predefined criteria for HTA suitability, focusing on comprehensiveness, feasibility, and transparency. Key methods and frameworks identified include environmental life cycle assessment, cost–benefit analysis, and discrete choice experiments. Frameworks were ranked based on their potential suitability for implementing environmental impacts into HTA. Approaches such as One Health and circular economy provide possible foundations for environmental sustainability frameworks in HTA. Combining assessment methods to support trade-off considerations may strengthen decision making, although further research should examine stakeholder perspectives and implementation barriers.

Medical waste management has become a critical sustainability challenge in developing countries due to increasing healthcare demand, inadequate waste treatment infrastructure, and weak regulatory implementation. Guided by circular economy theory, this study investigates the feasibility of adopting the 3R (Reduce, Reuse, Recycle) framework to improve medical waste management practices in Bangladesh. A qualitative research design was employed, involving in-depth interviews with 31 healthcare stakeholders, including cleaners, nurses, waste collectors, administrators, and waste management authorities. Data were analyzed using thematic analysis to explore existing waste management practices, implementation challenges, and opportunities for circular transformation. The outcomes reveal that healthcare facilities have partially adopted 3R practices through waste segregation, sterilization, resource recovery, wastewater treatment, and recycling initiatives. However, inadequate infrastructure, limited technical capacity, insufficient workforce training, and weak enforcement of existing regulations remain significant barriers to effective implementation. Despite these challenges, locally adapted circular practices demonstrate considerable potential to reduce environmental pollution, improve resource efficiency, and enhance healthcare sustainability. This study extends circular economy theory to healthcare waste management by introducing the concept of contextual circularity within resource-constrained settings. It offers practical recommendations for strengthening policy implementation, institutional capacity, and stakeholder collaboration while contributing to SDGs 3, 12, and 13. The quotes provide a scalable framework for advancing sustainable and climate-resilient healthcare waste management in developing economies.

Rapid industrialization and urbanization have led to significant environmental challenges in China. These concerns have created an urgent need for sustainable development through green entrepreneurship among students. The purpose of this study is to determine the direct impact of the entrepreneurial behaviour of the students on green entrepreneurship to promote sustainability and business opportunities. This research also investigated the moderating role of sustainable development goals in students’ entrepreneurial behaviour and green entrepreneurship. The statistical analysis showed that green entrepreneurship is significantly and positively influenced by the entrepreneurial behaviour of students and green entrepreneurship further influences the environmental sustainability and creating business opportunities. The study also confirms that knowledge of sustainable development goals increases the student’s behaviour towards green entrepreneurship. The results of this research are critical for educational institutes to sensitize students’ behaviour towards sustainability and develop in them the potential for business that does not harm the environment. This study contributes significant insights into the correlation between students’ entrepreneurial behaviour, green entrepreneurship, and environmental sustainability. It offers implications for educational institutions to enhance sustainability awareness and foster the growth of eco-friendly businesses among students.

The Health Technology Assessment International (HTAi) 2025 annual meeting featured three main plenaries to explore next-generation (NextGen) evidence in health technology assessment (HTA). In this commentary, we capture the discussions of Plenary 2: NextGen Methods: Hype or Here to Stay? Each plenary panelist was tasked to convincingly debate the need, rigor, and implementability of one of three emerging method domains in HTA: (1) Environmental Sustainability, (2) Adaptive HTA, and (3) Artificial Intelligence (AI)-enabled Real-World Evidence (RWE). The three panelists convincingly debated that their method would endure beyond initial hype; all three methods were perceived to have a moderate to high level of need, rigor, and implementability by the audience. Key questions from the audience included a request for examples of where HTA reviews have considered environmental sustainability, a challenge for adaptive HTA to embrace other value elements outside of cost-effectiveness, and a question about how the human-in-the-loop principle fits into AI-driven RWE and what this means for HTA agencies that are already stretched for resources. In this commentary, we summarize the presentations, discussions, and audience engagement to provide readers with accessible insight into the debate about which method(s) are anticipated to endure beyond their initial hype.

The 2023 revision of the EU Horizontal Guidelines introduced a dedicated framework for sustainability-oriented cooperation agreements, marking the first systematic attempt to integrate environmental objectives into EU competition law. Yet, almost two years after they entered into force, DG COMP has not received a single request for informal guidance under the new provisions. This policy commentary explains this apparent policy failure by reconstructing the process through which sustainability concerns entered EU competition policy after the 2019 European elections and the European Green Deal. Drawing on historical-institutionalist process tracing, we show that the resulting adjustments were shaped by political urgency rather than gradual policy learning, and that the 2023 Guidelines reflected cautious compromise rather than transformative change. We then analyse why uptake has remained negligible: multinational firms face steep cross-border enforcement risks, particularly from jurisdictions such as the United States, where sustainability agreements can trigger antitrust liability. We conclude by assessing the EU’s strategic options (retreat, international convergence, or domestic regime stabilisation) and argue that the last of these offers the most realistic path.

The paradox of environmental sustainability is often framed as a trade-off between profit and planet. Mainstream sustainability approaches remain constrained by anthropocentric and reductionist assumptions that treat economy and ecology as separable domains. Guided by Kaupapa Māori (Māori approach) principles, this research explores an alternative relational approach grounded in te ao Māori (Māori world view). Drawing on Kōrero (Māori narrative approach) with 11 participants, analysed through reflexive thematic analysis, the paper develops the Whakapapa–Mauri–Utu Regenerative Cycle. In this framework, Whakapapa (genealogy) establishes non-negotiable governance responsibilities, Mauri (life force) serves as an evaluative indicator of ecosystem health, and Utu (reciprocity) reorients economic activity toward restoration and collective wellbeing. This paper contributes to paradox scholarship by demonstrating that sustainability tensions are reframed when organisations are understood as genealogically embedded within spiritual and ecological systems. Rather than being managed through trade-offs between separable objectives, sustainability becomes a relational obligation enacted through genealogical integrity.

Faith-based organizations (FBOs) have long played a role in international development, and are increasingly involved in environmental sustainability initiatives. Despite these contributions they have, until recently, been largely ignored in scholarship and by secular agencies. This article adds to the growing recognition of FBOs, exploring the identity and function of FBOs doing environmental and development work in Kenya through document review, qualitative questionnaires and participant observation. A diverse group of FBOs with varied identities and engaged in a broad range of activities revealed several strengths and challenges of faith-based environmental and development work. Of particular note is the key role churches and faith-based agencies can play in effecting sustainable and holistic change in Global South countries, due to their rootedness in the community, the social capital they help to produce, and the respect they receive from the people.

Diabetes affects over 500 million people worldwide and contributes substantially to the environmental impact of health care, including carbon emissions and plastic waste. As healthcare systems globally aim to reduce their environmental footprint, there is a need to embed environmental sustainability into decision making and foster innovation in health and life sciences.

This commentary outlines the environmental sustainability challenges and opportunities across the diabetes care pathway, highlighting innovations that reduce the demand for healthcare resources and associated environmental impact. We discuss the current and potential role of health technology assessment (HTA) agencies in promoting more sustainable health systems, by incorporating environmental considerations into the value assessment of technologies. Several approaches, such as integrated and parallel evaluation, are emerging to support this aim, whereas HTA agencies increasingly consider parameters of environmental life cycle assessment (eLCA), a comprehensive framework for evaluating the environmental sustainability of technology. Although a framework is evolving, early implementation by HTA bodies, for example, in the United Kingdom, Thailand, Canada, and Italy, highlights growing momentum. Moreover, sustainability policies at government and health system levels are developing globally, signaling opportunities to incorporate environmental sustainability in HTA (ESHTA).

Given the scale of health care’s environmental footprint, large disease areas offer critical opportunities for sustainable action. Diabetes, with its growing global prevalence, presents a particularly suitable domain for piloting the integration of environmental sustainability into HTA.

The multilevel dimensions of sustainable diets associating food systems, public health, environmental sustainability, and culture are presented in this paper. It begins by defining sustainable diets as those that are healthful, have low environmental impacts, are affordable, and culturally acceptable. The discussion includes the history of research on sustainable diets, from initial studies focused on environmental impacts to more recent, comprehensive frameworks that integrate affordability, cultural relevance, and nutritional adequacy as key dimensions of diet sustainability. In addition, the paper highlights recent innovations, such as the Planetary Health Diet of EAT–Lancet and the SHARP model, and the conflicts and optimum trade-offs between sustainability and nutrition, particularly within low- and middle-income countries. Case descriptions of Mediterranean Diet with a focus on Traditional Lebanese Diet, and African Indigenous Foods demonstrate culturally confined dietary patterns associated with sustainability objectives. These examples show that sustainable diets are not a single set of prescriptions, but a series of multiple pathways that are shaped by local food environments, ecological belts, and sociocultural heritages. The paper also describes major policy and governance activities necessary to promote sustainable diets. Finally, the paper addresses measurement challenges and advocates for better indicator options to measure sustainable food systems in all their facets and for participatory and context-specific approaches. The discussion concludes that fairer and culturally diverse inclusion strategies, system change, and political determination are imperative in achieving sustainable diets. Diets able to sustain are posited as agents capable of driving the 2030 agenda, enhancing planetary health and social integrity.

A national food guide for the UK, providing food based dietary guidelines was first issued in 1995. It was last revised and published as the Eatwell Guide in 2016. The Guide is a pie chart indicating the proportions of foods from different food groups that should make up the ideal diet from a health perspective. The number of segments for the pie chart, the names of the food groups that comprise those segments and the list of individual foods that fit into the wider food groups was in essence decided in around 1995 and have remained essentially unchanged since then. The 2016 edition of the guide – the Eatwell Guide – was the first to employ optimisation modelling to calculate the angles of the segments of the pie chart. This was a significant improvement to the scientific basis to the guide. But still the Eatwell Guide leaves much to be desired and it is time for its revision. This review paper outlines the aims of the guide, provides a brief history of the Eatwell Guide, outlines its strengths and weaknesses and suggests some ways by which the Eatwell Guide might be improved.

Drawing on the New Economics of Labour Migration and debt overhang theories, this study investigates the joint impact of remittances and external debt on CO2 emissions in India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka from 1991 to 2023. Using balanced panel data and multi-stage estimation techniques—including pooled OLS, Driscoll–Kraay standard errors and Feasible GLS—the study finds that remittance inflows consistently reduce emissions, likely by enabling cleaner household investments. In contrast, both external debt stock and debt servicing increase emissions, suggesting that debt burdens may crowd out environmentally friendly public spending. Notably, the interaction between debt stock and servicing shows a mitigating effect, while heavy debt servicing diminishes the environmental benefits of remittances. Additionally, urbanization and financial development contribute to higher emissions. These findings highlight the need for integrated policies that direct remittances towards green investments and incorporate environmental conditions into debt-servicing frameworks, helping South Asian countries pursue more sustainable development paths.

Humanity faces an unprecedented challenge in the necessity to rapidly change behaviors across various life domains to address multiple environmental crises, such as climate change, pollution, and biodiversity loss. This includes the behavior of individuals at work and within organizations. Industrial and organizational (I-O) psychology is uniquely positioned to provide evidence-based recommendations for changing organizational decision-making and behavior toward greater environmental sustainability. Although a substantial body of research on this topic has emerged over the past decade, the discipline has yet to realize its full potential because the topic is currently not prioritized and the practical and societal impact of previous research is limited. This article aims to propel research on environmental sustainability at work forward. To do so, it (a) outlines the interconnections between organizations and environmental sustainability; (b) portrays previous research efforts on environmental sustainability at work, resulting in an integrative conceptual framework across micro, meso, macro, and magno levels; and (c) provides actionable recommendations for high-impact future I-O psychology research and practice related to environmental sustainability. Following an “impact-first” rationale, we identified 10 areas for future research across the four levels of the conceptual framework. For each area, we present relevant theoretical perspectives, methodological approaches, and connections to related disciplines. Finally, we provide suggestions for effective science–practice transfer. Overall, the article seeks to spark discussion on this crucial topic within the community and to inspire I-O psychology researchers and practitioners to contribute to environmental sustainability.

This study explored whether lifestyle therapy that promoted adherence to a Mediterranean-style diet as a treatment for depression led to environmental co-benefits. Participants (n 75 complete case) were Australian adults in the Curbing Anxiety and Depression using Lifestyle Medicine non-inferiority, randomised controlled trial, which showed that lifestyle therapy was non-inferior to psychotherapy in reducing depressive symptoms, when delivered in group format via video conferencing over an 8-week treatment period. In this secondary analysis, we hypothesised that the lifestyle arm would be superior to the psychotherapy arm in reducing the environmental impact of self-reported diet over time. Dietary intake derived from FFQ at baseline and 8 weeks was transformed into environmental impact scores by calculating global warming potential (GWP)*. GWP* was calculated for total dietary intake and distinct food groups (Australian Dietary Guidelines and NOVA classifications). Within-arm changes in GWP* over time were calculated using the median difference. Neither arm showed significant changes. Between-arm differences in percentage change in GWP* scores over time were analysed using generalised estimating equations models. No between-arm difference for total GWP* score was found (β = 11·06 (–7·04, 29·15)). When examining distinct food groups, results were mixed. These novel findings contribute to the sparse evidence base that has measured the environmental impact of diets in a clinical trial context. Whilst lifestyle therapy that reduced depressive symptoms did not have clear environmental benefits relative to psychotherapy, nutritional counselling that focuses on the environmental impact of food choices may drive more pronounced planetary co-benefits.