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Sustainability and Sustainability policies in developing and developed countries.

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Sustainability and Sustainability policies in developing and developed countries.

Introduction

Sustainability is the practice of using resources, including those that are being protected,

at a rate that enables different people to meet their current requirements while also providing for

those of future generations (Holmberg & Sandbrook, 2019). With regard to current and future

development, sustainability focuses on the economy, society, and environment. As a result,

sustainable policies are declarations of strategy and dedication to advancing Sustainability

(Barbarossa, 2020). Numerous organizations struggle to fulfill their environmental obligations,

thus they utilize sustainable policies to promote sustainable development over time. The

importance of sustainable development has been disputed over the years.

Since environmental concerns were the main reason for the introduction of sustainability,

it has mostly been recognized as a way to improve conventional wisdom and enable economic

analysis, both of which are crucial for advancing ecological sustainability (Biermann, 2021). The

Brundtland Report, published in 1987, was the first to establish the idea of sustainable

development. Its major message was one of caution on the negative impacts of globalization and

economic growth on the environment (Tomislav, 2018). The idea was to identify the issues that

growing population growth and globalization were most likely to cause. Therefore, promoting

sustainable development is the most likely way to address a number of issues facing humanity,

such as inequality, water scarcity, climate change, and hunger.

The 2030 Agenda, which primarily comprises of the sustainable development goals that

have been crucial in promoting the well-being of people worldwide, was endorsed by the United

Nations in order to promote sustainable development (Dai & Menhas, 2020). The United Nations

Sustainable Development Summit in December 2015 in New York was when the majority of the
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17 sustainable development objectives were presented. This served as the global 2030 agenda

that countries are expected to achieve. The 17 Sustainable Development Goals were

consequently endorsed by all 193 United Nations Member States in 2015.

After a few months, in April 2016, a successful international pact was made to stop

human-caused climate change and global warming. The accords offer a thorough framework for

international collaboration that helps realize sustainable development goals more successfully.

Fu et al. (2019) claim that three factors—economic, environmental, and social—are crucial for

advancing sustainable development and accomplishing the objectives. As a result, the United

Nations' 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development includes the Goals that all nations are

expected to achieve.

In order to improve the effectiveness of the Goals negotiations, the UK took the lead. The

SDGs must be carefully considered by all nations in order to improve their effective

implementation across all sectors. The UK is now expected to take domestic action to advance

the goals' accomplishment and promote its success on a global basis. India has consistently

adopted major measures that have been crucial in achieving the SDGs. On the basis of the

execution of sustainable development goals, numerous research is done. But other studies have

indicated that sustainability levels are plummeting in developing nations. The bulk of the world's

population is in developing countries, so this is a serious issue. According to Zhang & Han

(2019), a multitude of elements in developing countries, including social, political, and economic

aspects, tend to hinder sustainable reporting. This study aims to investigate sustainable policies

and SDGs in both developing and wealthy nations, with a focus on the UK and India.

Literature Review
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When adopting sustainability in organizations, the long-term view has emerged as a

fundamental concern; yet, in this millennium, it has also emerged as one of the biggest sources of

anxiety for organizational leadership. In the literature, it has also been noted that corporate

culture and national cultural values have an impact on leadership choices that affect

organizational sustainability. In light of this, the literature review concluded that there are no best

practices or proven methods for achieving organizational sustainability. Instead, managers

should adopt holistic viewpoints and devise creative solutions to address the particular

sustainability problems that their organizations face. We may therefore draw the conclusion that

organizational leadership used from a comprehensive angle will greatly aid in building

organizational sustainability. Instead of taking a broad approach, future study should focus on

understanding organizational sustainability in specific contexts.

Sustainability Reporting

According to Hoang (2018), sustainability reporting entails a reporting system that

enables diverse organizations to comprehend and disseminate information to stakeholders on the

environment, the economy, and society. It improves comprehension of the internal and external

aspects crucial to the organization's ability to succeed in achieving its goals for sustainable

development. Environmental, social, and economic indicators are among the many categories of

sustainability reporting that are analyzed primarily through content analysis to get the score.

Sustainability reporting, according to Niemann & Hoppe (2018), is a crucial practice for

disclosing publicly on its social, environmental, and economic repercussions, which can either

positively or negatively affect the goals of sustainable development. The majority of the time,

sustainability reporting entails the measurement, disclosure, and accountability of how well a
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specific organization is performing in reaching sustainable development goals while taking both

internal and external stakeholders into consideration (Lashitew, 2021).

Sustainability reporting is now expected by all stakeholders and is no longer optional.

Most company executives are aware of this: S&P 500 corporations currently publish

sustainability reports to the public in 90% of cases. By reporting, they gain access to a number of

internal and external advantages, such as satisfying regulatory requirements, fostering better

stakeholder relationships, boosting credibility and reputation, elucidating a company's

performance on sustainability issues (which may spur increased focus on improvement), and

identifying sustainability risks and opportunities. However, as the reporting environment

changes, there are more demands placed on the sustainability report. Good performance on a

company's material challenges is both benefited by and enabled by sustainability reporting. Two

essential points are still evident despite the recent developments: Second, stakeholders—the

users and readers of the report, including investors, customers, suppliers, NGOs, and others—

expect high-quality and robust information on both the company's impact on sustainability and

sustainability's impact on the company. First, the sustainability report will continue to play a

crucial role in the future of company disclosure.

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Sustainability and sustainable development

The capacity to secure something's continuing existence, such as a product or earnings, is

known as sustainability. Sustainable development is the process of carrying out development

while making sure that the resources are still available to future generations. Because of

sustainability, the current generation has a moral duty to make sure that future generations can

benefit from the same resources as they do. Environmental policymakers embrace this method of

valuing ecosystem services because it makes it easier to evaluate the costs and benefits of any

interactions with the ecosystem. This means that before beginning any development, the project's

costs in terms of ecosystem devastation must be evaluated against the benefits to both the present

and future generations.

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However, future value should be the basis for effectively determining the ecosystem's

value. Because receiving a $ 50 sum today is preferable than receiving the same sum in the

future, it is troublesome for future generations to utilize net present value; certain services and

goods shouldn't be discounted based on net present value. For instance, receiving $1 billion to

clear a forest today is far less than obtaining $1 billion in 20 years. In essence, it indicates that

services that cannot be replaced are priceless. The job of environmentalists in such situations is

to inform the public of the value of certain services, which in this circumstance should be

preserved.

Sustainability, Sustainability policies, and their importance.

By protecting local natural resources and ecosystems, sustainability promotes the

equitable fulfillment of human needs for the present while taking future generations' needs into

account (Verma, 2021). Sustainability, according to Holmberg & Sandbrook (2019), is the use of

resources, their development, and their conservation at a rate that enables people to meet both

their immediate and long-term needs. Future decisions made by individuals, their ecosystems,

and the larger economy are governed by sustainable policies. Enhancing societal advantages of

bettering human needs and the environment requires sustainability (Mensah, 2019). Businesses

that want to adopt sustainable policies are more likely to see an increase in profits and

productivity.
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Sustainable development Goals in developed and developing countries.

Sustainability has emerged as a pressing problem that needs to be resolved right away by

every country in the world. Different goals have been set by international organizations for each

nation to attain sustainability and combat problems that are most likely to have negative

consequences, such as social inequality and climate change (Roth, 2021). The United Nations

explicitly established an urgent Agenda for Sustainable Development for all nations to be able to

adhere to. The Sustainable Development Goals, which are to be attained by 2030, were the

primary name given to the Agenda's 17 components. The Sustainable Development Goals

prioritize eradicating hunger and poverty, increasing access to clean water and sanitation,

promoting human welfare and education, as well as other objectives that aim to accelerate the

spread of peace and prosperity across various global populations (Echendu, 2020). Since the

objectives pertain to both developed and developing nations, they work toward achieving

universal human rights. The following goals for sustainable development are highlighted:
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Sustainability Policies that are executed by the government of India and the UK.

Governments around the world have greatly improved sustainable policies (Wang, Tang

& Pan, 2019). As a result, market operations have become more effective, and efforts to achieve

sustainable development goals have advanced. India and the UK are two examples of nations

with rapidly expanding economies and dense populations, which have led to industrialization and

environmental destruction (Azam, 2019). India is one of the most polluted nations in the world,

with around twenty-two out of thirty cities having the worst pollution, claim Mahato & Ghosh

(2020). Based on the concepts of justice and shared but distinct responsibilities, India has

consistently increased its commitment to implementing climate actions. The SDGs index for

India is displayed in the table below.

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The UK developed the Environment Act, which became law in 2021, to improve proper

environmental protection. The UK has assured sustainable policies focused on the laws on water

quality and nature conservation (Rahman, 2022).

Key policy responses in a framework for sustainable development policies

In order to close these knowledge and execution gaps, a thorough plan is required.

Governments in the OECD must take the initiative. They should make their policy toolset, in

particular, more market-oriented, integrative, and inclusive of the concerns of developing

countries. A defined agenda is also necessary for progress, with particular emphasis placed on

those areas where nonsustainable patterns of development pose the greatest hazards, such as the

management of other natural resources and climate change. Below are some suggestions for

enhancing the efficacy of policy interventions, which are addressed in further depth in the

complete policy report. Not all of the guidelines are applicable to all OECD nations or situations.

When thinking about how to execute them effectively, different priorities and institutional

circumstances will need to be taken into consideration.

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However, when fully implemented, these suggestions offer a useful framework for

moving toward sustainable development. Member nations are in charge of implementation.

However, the OECD itself can contribute significantly to the success of these initiatives. The

OECD offers a venue for "without prejudice" conversations where Members can come to

consensus outside of negotiation fora. Additionally, it can help to monitor progress towards

sustainable development, gather comparable data in important areas, such as indicators of

subsidies and their effects, develop recommendations for sustainable development policy

characteristics, examine the socioeconomic and environmental effects of various policies, and

periodically assess the implementation of domestic policies via its peer-review system.

Using markets to advance sustainability

The OECD region has ample room to increase the use of market-based instruments and

reform support initiatives in order to improve the coherence of pricing signals and decouple

environmental concerns from economic growth. The use of market-based tools could help

achieve a number of environmental goals more affordably. This would entail eliminating

externalities and market imperfections by utilizing environmental levies and tradable permit

systems more effectively, as well as resolving institutional flaws by changing ecologically

harmful subsidies. Improved international coordination, targeted interventions, like

compensating those most affected by reforms in a way that does not reduce the environmental

effectiveness of market-based instruments, and general measures, like phasing in reforms and

programs to increase public acceptance, can all be used to overcome obstacles to these reforms.

Market-based tools will typically need to be used in conjunction with other interventions

including rules, agreements made voluntarily, and information.

Theoretical Framework
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The study that looks at sustainability policies in industrialized and developing nations is

supported by the notion of planned behavior. The idea has mostly been applied to offer a

thorough justification for a diverse variety of activities. It says that behavioral success depends

on aptitude and drive (Token & Imakulata, 2019). For instance, there is inspiration by the choice

for a lively and healthier neighborhood, including good public transportation, to promote the

improved economy in several Indian and UK countries. Evidence from empirical research

conducted in India and the UK suggests a link between green purchasing habits and the

consumption of green products.

Key obstacles in decoupling environmental concerns from economic expansion

Do we have a sustainable course? Not without significant adjustments meant to

disentangle a number of environmental concerns from economic growth in order to prevent

future environmental damage as a result of sustained economic growth. Sustainable development

is centered on how economic expansion and the environment it depends on interact. Higher

levels of human well-being are a result of economic expansion, which also gives the means to

meet a variety of environmental goals. However, when the incentives for their use are wrong and

the external repercussions aren't absorbed, economic growth can also result in excessive

destruction of the environment and natural resources. In the past, economic progress has

necessitated the conversion of many natural resource stocks held by societies into other types of

capital. Today, it is understood that sustaining healthy ecosystems that can foster economic and

social growth is essential for development to endure, especially when there are no alternatives.

One area where de-coupling is crucial is human intervention with the climate system.

Several of the changes brought about by rising levels of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere may

turn out to be irreversible, and many of the climatic services offered by nature have no
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alternatives. Burning fossil fuels, which is responsible for over 85% of world emissions, as well

as a number of other economic activities have raised greenhouse gas concentrations due to

human activity.

The well-being of humans depends on the provision of certain life-supporting services,

and there is a risk that existing patterns of production and consumption could jeopardize these

services. In the past, resource management in OECD nations has mainly ignored values that are

not reflected in markets and instead concentrated on the market-based values of natural

resources. All ecosystem services must be taken into account for sustainable development

because they depend on both the quantity (total stock) and the quality (resilience) of the

resources used. The majority of nations' management frameworks are progressively beginning to

take this broader perspective into account, especially when it comes to biodiversity, farming,

forests, water, and living marine resources. Over the past 20 years, the international community

has established a number of conventions and treaties to address these issues. But non-ratification

has frequently weakened the legitimacy of this treaty process.

Research Questions

Sustainability is a discipline that is always evolving, and policies and methods of

implementation differ widely across industrialized and developing nations. What are the

sustainable policies and Sustainable Development Goals in developing and developed countries,

and what are their effects? is the study issue that will be pursued.

What difficulties do developing and developed nations encounter when putting sustainability

policy into practice?

What are the benefits and drawbacks of policies promoting sustainability in both emerging and

wealthy nations?
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This essay will contrast the two to shed light on how sustainability measures could advance

society as a whole.

Methodology and Methods of data collection

To improve the efficiency of the research process, this study makes use of a number of

data collection techniques. It primarily makes use of systematic literature reviews to improve

data collecting for the project. A systematic literature review is a type of research that is done

specifically to improve the gathering and assessment of papers on a particular subject. It is

frequently done for a number of purposes, such as to identify, review, assess, and interpret the

area of interest in light of the research questions. A systematic review, according to Goyal and

Kumar (2021), is a high-level summary of research based on a specific research topic that is

important in identifying high-quality evidence that usually relates to the subject for proper

understanding and replying. PRISMA (preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and

meta-analyses) criteria are used in the methodology.

PRISMA Guidelines are primarily concerned with identification, screening, and

reporting; as a result, they tend to be a minimum set of requirements based on evidence to

improve the effectiveness of systematic review reporting.The stages of this method, according to

Ali, Hong, and Chung (2021), are defining the eligibility criteria, identifying the information

sources, choosing the study, the process of gathering data, and choosing the data item and

eligibility criteria. The study also employs the variables connected to sustainability in developing

and developed countries as the systematic review guidelines, as well as all the original, peer-

reviewed literature written in English. The majority of researchers choose to publish their

findings in English, hence those studies are chosen. As a result, the study does not include

reports that integrate sustainability and financial data.

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Information Source

Information will be looked up using Elsevier (SCOPUS), an online database with more

than 23500 peer-reviewed articles and a large collection of academic papers. The study does not

include any articles that are not entirely accessible. To improve the efficiency of the research

process, Google Scholar will also be used to find publications and journals relevant to the studied

phenomenon.

Study Selection

 The following stages are used to choose the studies;

 Choose terms from the same report depending on the study questions, sustainability

determinants, or other keywords.

 evaluating the abstract, keywords, and titles of the chosen articles in light of the eligibility

requirements.

 evaluating all of the articles that were not previously deleted while carefully considering the

qualifying requirements.

Data Collection Process

In order to effectively answer the study objectives, data collection entails systematic

information gathering from variables of interest (Jordan & Troth, 2020). The type of article,

name of the journal, title, year of publication, and research data, including the country of the

research location, indicators of Sustainability, and variables related to the determinants of

Sustainability variables, are all manually collected data through content analysis-based data

extraction. To strengthen its data gathering, the study also makes use of secondary data sources.

Secondary sources are crucial for gaining knowledge from earlier research and for comparing the

insights from the study's findings with those from other publications and research. A case study
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methodology will improve data gathering for the general research. Journals, studies, books,

statistics from the OECD, and publications are a few examples of potential data sources. The

study will evaluate the sustainable policies and advancements in India and the UK by primarily

focusing on the case studies of the UK and India. Therefore, the meta-analysis, which entails

identification, screening, eligibility, and induction, will be used to examine the data gathered.

Since collecting primary data takes time and needs ethics clearance, it won't be used in this

study.

Data Items

According to the researchers, publication year, research goals, research variables,

sustainability determinants, and research outcome connected to the determinants of

sustainability, the data items that were taken from each publication are summarized. The stages

of systematic literature are shown in the figure below;

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Gantt Chart

Title: Critically Examining sustainability policies in developed and developing countries

Proposed Dissertation Timetable

Ser

No. Task Status  August  September October  June  July  August

1 Literature

review and

Data

collection Complete              

2  Collection

from

secondary

data  Complete            

3 Data analysis  Complete            

4 Submission

of analysis

feedback

from the

lecturer  Complete            

5 First draft  Complete            

development

and
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conclusion

6  Dissertation

Binding and  In

Submission progress            

Limitations

This study is not an exception to the rule that research is frequently subject to restrictions.

There was little information accessible about the development of sustainable policies and goals

in industrialized nations; hence, future resources should take into account offering more

extensive empirical studies to improve practical understanding. Future researchers should take

into consideration employing reliable secondary sources to boost practical study because

resource limitations may make it difficult to conduct efficient investigation and collect data.
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