Challenges doi: 10.3390/challe17020018

Authors: Ben Gray Hoani Smith

Tikanga Māori, the indigenous system of values, principles, and practices in Aotearoa New Zealand, offers a relational, ethics-based framework for responding to contemporary global challenges such as geopolitical instability, environmental degradation, and digital disruption. Dominant Western approaches, often grounded in individualism and resource extraction, are increasingly limited in addressing these issues. Drawing on Aotearoa New Zealand as a case study, tikanga is presented as a living system centred on interconnectedness, responsibility, and collective wellbeing. Examples from law, health, research ethics, and sport demonstrate how these values shape both institutional practice and everyday behaviour. Rather than functioning as a cultural add-on, tikanga provides an alternative way of understanding relationships between people, communities, and the environment. The analysis highlights the relevance of tikanga-informed approaches for rethinking governance, leadership, and sustainability in an increasingly complex and interconnected world.

Challenges doi: 10.3390/challe17020017

Authors: Meriam Bouri Tarek Agha Fikrettin Şahin

Climate change, soil degradation, and the disruption of global nutrient cycles are placing unprecedented pressure on agricultural systems and global food security. These challenges are increasingly recognized as central concerns for planetary health, as agriculture simultaneously depends upon and alters critical Earth system processes. Microbe-based agricultural inputs (including biofertilizers, biostimulants, and biocontrol agents) have been widely promoted as climate-smart solutions capable of enhancing productivity, resilience, and environmental sustainability. However, despite rapid scientific and commercial advances, their performance in the field remains highly variable and strongly context-dependent. This review critically examines the evidence base underpinning climate-smart microbial solutions, with a particular focus on their capacity to confer climate resilience across diverse crops, soils, and climatic conditions. We synthesize current knowledge on the functional roles of beneficial microorganisms, including extremophilic and stress-adapted taxa, while highlighting key biological, technological, ecological, and socio-economic constraints that limit predictability and scalability. Special attention is given to evidence gaps related to long-term field performance, ecosystem-level impacts, and the trade-offs associated with widespread microbial deployment. We further assess recent innovations such as synthetic microbial consortia, microbiome engineering, advanced formulations, and data-driven decision tools. Then we highlight how these new technologies may address context dependency but still need validation under real-world conditions. Finally, we discuss policy, regulatory, and capacity-building considerations required to responsibly integrate microbial solutions into climate-smart agriculture frameworks. Overall, this review argues that microbial inoculants should be viewed not as universal inputs but as context-specific tools whose successful deployment depends on robust evidence, ecological sensitivity, and system-level integration. Advancing microbial solutions for agriculture will therefore require aligning technological innovation with broader planetary health objectives, ensuring that efforts to enhance agricultural productivity also support long-term ecosystem stability and resilience.

Challenges doi: 10.3390/challe17020016

Authors: João Miguel Alves Ferreira Sergii Tukaiev

This article advances a transdisciplinary framework for planetary health education grounded in multispecies responsibility and Indigenous relational ontologies. Addressing the limitations of anthropocentric environmental paradigms, the paper proposes an expanded Stratified Relational Responsibility Model integrating ethical, ecological, and neurobiological dimensions of human–more-than-human relations. The framework bridges insights from environmental ethics, anthropology, and affective neuroscience to examine how relational awareness, emotional regulation, and embodied cognition shape pro-environmental behavior. Four pedagogical pillars are introduced to support behavioral transformation, emphasizing relational perception, affective attunement, ethical reflexivity, and collective responsibility. The article further discusses implementation challenges within Western educational contexts and highlights the need for culturally responsive adaptation. By situating human agency within multispecies networks, the model contributes to ongoing debates in planetary health and sustainability education, offering a theoretically robust and practically oriented approach to fostering ecological responsibility.

Challenges doi: 10.3390/challe17020015

Authors: Kalkidan Dessalegn Tesfay Mekonnen Ababe Kebede Ssemwanga Mohammed Melkamu Diriba Elias Fisha

This study presents the relationship between climate variables and malaria outbreaks and forecasts the future malaria incidence in Arba Minch Town and its surrounding areas. High-resolution gridded climate data (~4 km × 4 km) covering the period 1981 to 2020 was obtained from the Ethiopian Meteorological Institute. Additionally, Coupled Model Intercomparison Project Phase 6 (CMIP6) model simulations under two shared socioeconomic pathways (SSP2-4.5 and SSP5-8.5) were used to analyze future climate patterns. Malaria case data were obtained from local health centers located in Arba Minch town and surrounding woredas. Malaria projections were simulated using the Seasonal Autoregressive Integrated Moving Average (SARIMAX) model. Climate projections indicate a significant rise in mean temperature by the end of 21st century, increasing by 2.9 °C under SSP2-4.5 and 3.48 °C under SSP5-8.5. Average monthly rainfall during the baseline period (70.53 mm) is expected to increase to 94.18 mm and 86.09 mm under the SSP2-4.5 and SSP5-8.5 scenarios, respectively. Malaria case distribution during the baseline period (2005–2017) ranged from 79 to 552 cases per month, while future projections suggest that cases will increase by approximately 600 in the near-term and up to more than 1000 cases by the end of the century. The SARIMAX model effectively captured seasonal variations and short-term fluctuations demonstrating a strong forecasting performance. The model generally indicated that wetter conditions and moderate temperatures will favor mosquito breeding and intensify malaria transmission.

Challenges doi: 10.3390/challe17020014

Authors: Sara Caselles Rodríguez

Climate change and environmental degradation are increasingly recognized as major drivers of human mobility, operating through both sudden-onset disasters and slow-onset processes such as sea-level rise, desertification and resource scarcity. Although estimates vary widely, projections suggest that millions of people may become displaced by 2050 because of climate change, predominantly within their own countries but also across international borders. This article examines the emerging phenomenon of “environmental migration” against the backdrop of international refugee law and broader human rights frameworks. It first maps the diverse environmental scenarios that trigger displacement before analyzing the existing international legal landscape. Particular attention is paid to the contested terminology surrounding “climate refugees”, “environmental migrants” and “environmentally displaced persons” and to the protection gaps that arise from current categorizations. This article argues that, while existing norms on human rights, disaster risk reduction and internal displacement offer partial safeguards, they do not provide coherent legal status or systematic protection for people displaced across borders by climate-related harms. It concludes that climate-related displacement should be addressed through a combination of evolving human rights-based climate litigation, enhanced use of existing instruments and the progressive elaboration of specific normative frameworks.

Challenges doi: 10.3390/challe17020013

Authors: Manish Vaidya Soumya Bhowmick

Climate change has emerged as a defining global crisis, with the frequency and intensity of climate-induced disasters rising sharply and imposing disproportionate costs on developing economies and small island states. This article examines the role of climate-resilient infrastructure as a central pillar of climate-smart growth, integrating mitigation, adaptation, and long-term development objectives. It situates climate-resilient infrastructure within a planetary health setting, emphasizing the interdependence between human well-being, ecological systems, and infrastructure resilience. Climate-resilient infrastructure, not merely seen as an engineering solution but as a public good that generates significant positive externalities, reduces systemic macroeconomic risk and delivers welfare gains that exceed private financial returns. It discusses the cross-country heterogeneities in resilience outcomes, driven by differences in geographic exposure, economic capacity, institutional quality, and political economy constraints. Building on this, the study advances a welfare-based approach to infrastructure prioritization that incorporates service disruptions, distributional impacts, and fiscal risk, rather than asset values alone. It further outlines policy and financing strategies to bridge the gap between social and private returns, including public investment, concessional finance, blended instruments, and nature-based solutions. By embedding infrastructure within a planetary health lens, the paper argues that resilient systems are critical not only for safeguarding lives and livelihoods, but also for sustaining ecological stability, reducing health risks, and enabling inclusive, sustainable, and climate-smart economic growth.

Challenges doi: 10.3390/challe17020012

Authors: Roberta Daiho Rōfū Lavin Bhawana Kafle

While spirituality and contemplative practices are increasingly invoked in response to environmental crisis, the specific mechanisms by which they may mediate professional ethical action remain underdeveloped. This is particularly evident regarding nuclear harm, an existential planetary threat often siloed from health scholarship. This paper investigates the mediating mechanism of contemplative formation as the analytical link between spiritual ethics and planetary health. By centering this link, we demonstrate how professional nursing identity can be restructured to address existential threats like nuclear harm, which are currently under-integrated in health scholarship. We employed a convergent, integrative design combining a scoping review of the literature published in 2015–2025 with a contemplative autoethnography. The scoping review (n = 39) maps the scholarly evidence of spiritual–ecological constructs, while the autoethnography provides a situated, analytical account of the first author’s professional and spiritual formation. Integration was achieved through a four-step thematic synthesis that explicitly identifies where first-person lived experience and third-person scholarly evidence converge to illuminate the process of ethical integration. Four convergent themes describe the pathways linking contemplative practice to planetary health: (1) embodied practice (somatic resilience); (2) narrative meaning-making (transforming grief into purpose); (3) interconnected ethics (reframing remote harms as proximate responsibilities); and (4) reflective integration (the reflexive weaving of clinical and spiritual identities). The findings reveal that while contemplative traditions offer robust resources for systems thinking and equity, nuclear harm and nursing perspectives remain significantly under-integrated in the current planetary health literature. Contemplative formation functions as the mediating mechanism that turns planetary threats into sustained professional advocacy. The Interbeing Planetary Health Framework provides a pragmatic guide for nursing ethics under existential risks.

Challenges doi: 10.3390/challe17010011

Authors: Susan M. Kilgore Kathryn E. Krasinski Morenike A. Olushola-Oni Chani Lieu Chelsea Javier Jose Perdomo Baca Brei Snyder

Food waste is an issue that affects human and environmental health around the planet. At colleges and universities, food waste poses a serious concern, as its impact can be compared to that of mini-cities or large corporations. Identifying an institution’s capacity to reduce and redistribute food waste is critical to decreasing its carbon footprint and maintaining sustainability. Understanding the nature of waste produced at a university’s buildings is the first step in establishing effective waste management plans; however, campus cafeterias, being the primary source of food waste, are typically the focus. Limited research emphasis has been placed on assessing food waste generated in campus dormitories. This project tests the hypothesis that food waste generated from dormitories at the main campus of Adelphi University, a private liberal arts institution in New York, is a significant component of waste. To analyze post-consumer trash disposal patterns, garbology methods were utilized. Trash collected at dormitories between 2022 and 2024 was sorted and weighed. This mixed-methods analysis included student interviews of waste perceptions. Food waste was the primary waste type generated in the halls, followed by food and beverage packaging, including containers, napkins, and utensils. In particular, food waste comprised 32% of sampled dormitory waste. Interview results integrated with these quantitative results demonstrated student perceptions of food led to food waste, such as perceived level of cooking, portion sizes, and home context. These results suggest that any efforts to improve campus sustainability through management of food waste–such as composting or anaerobic digestion–must encompass dormitories as well as cafeterias. As the world’s population continues to rise at a rapid pace, primarily in metropolitan areas, the volume of waste generated by this growth must be managed to address planetary health.

Challenges doi: 10.3390/challe17010010

Authors: Molly M. Scanlon

This essay poses a novel integrative environmental health promotion (EHP) framework inclusive of spiritual tenets to increase interdisciplinary science as well as public engagement for improved people, place, and planetary (3P) health outcomes. Environmental public health professionals have typically relied upon quantitative scientific evidence related to negative human health outcomes from toxic exposures. Environmental health lags behind more progressive mixed-methods research frameworks leveraging health promotion and 3P health initiatives. This essay argues for a novel integrative EHP framework to encourage more mixed-methods research based on merging an integrative health (body-mind-spirit) perspective and the public health ecological model. Using a three-dimensional Cartesian Coordinate System, the author developed a visual integrative EHP framework with the future ability to record, interpret, and report data with units of measure in three dimensions rather than the traditional x- and y-axis variable relationships. The long-term goal is to engage researchers, study participants, and the general public in exploring new 3P health research and outcomes inclusive of the spiritual axis to leverage more scientific evidence for the care and nurturing of our common home as a basic tenet of civil society.

Challenges doi: 10.3390/challe17010009

Authors: Ahmed Tiamiyu Jubril Gbolahan Adigun

Plastic pollution constitutes a critical planetary health challenge, undermining the integrity of Earth systems while generating cascading harms to human health, livelihoods, and social equity particularly in low- and middle-income countries. Conventional top-down regulatory and technological responses have proven insufficient to address the complexity of plastic pollution, often excluding those most affected from decision-making and solution design. This paper examines how democratizing plastic governance through grassroots leadership can advance planetary health by simultaneously protecting ecosystems, improving human well-being, and strengthening socio-ecological resilience. Drawing on empirical evidence from the #RestorationX10000 initiative led by Community Action Against Plastic Waste (CAPws), this paper documents implementation processes and outcomes achieved between 2021 and 2025 across 71 impacted communities in 21 countries spanning Africa, Asia-Pacific, and Latin America. The initiative was designed to empower 10,000 youths and women as community leaders, practitioners, and advocates by equipping them with leadership, technical, and policy engagement skills to drive systemic change in plastic governance and circular economy practice. Using a transdisciplinary, community-based action research approach aligned with planetary health principles, the initiative integrates capacity building, citizen science, circular economy interventions (collection, sorting, repair, reuse, repurposing, and recycling), and policy advocacy. Quantitative and qualitative evidence demonstrates that grassroots-led interventions can simultaneously reduce plastic leakage, create decent green livelihoods, and strengthen environmental governance. We argue that inclusive, community-centered plastic governance is not only an environmental intervention but a planetary health strategy, offering policy-relevant insights for national plastic action plans, extended producer responsibility frameworks, and global negotiations toward a legally binding instrument on plastic pollution.

Challenges doi: 10.3390/challe17010008

Authors: Marie Gomez Goff

Early pandemic disruptions exposed critical vulnerabilities in special education systems, particularly in referral and evaluation processes governed by the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). This convergent mixed-methods study examined how 86 educational diagnosticians across Louisiana experienced and responded to these disruptions. Quantitative results showed a 38% decline in referrals during school closures followed by a 62% rebound, prolonged evaluation timelines, and notable increases in emotional/behavioral disabilities, other health impairments, and specific learning disabilities. Qualitative findings elaborated on these patterns, revealing challenges related to assessment validity, communication barriers, workload strain, and professional learning needs. Interpreted through systems theory and planetary health frameworks, the findings position special education evaluation systems as critical social infrastructure that links educational continuity, equity, and population well-being. Strengthening diagnostic capacity, digital infrastructure, and crisis-responsive practices is therefore essential not only for IDEA compliance, but for advancing planetary health goals related to resilience, justice, and sustainable human development.

Challenges doi: 10.3390/challe17010007

Authors: Sadhana Ojha Rishav Kumar Meena Goswami Vikas Pathak Kritima Kapoor Mukesh Gangwar

Livestock contributes to economic stability and food security by providing income, employment, and nutrient-dense animal-source foods, particularly in low- and middle-income regions. However, the sector is also a major source of anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions, primarily methane, nitrous oxide, and carbon dioxide, raising growing environmental and public health concerns. This review synthesizes current evidence on strategies to mitigate greenhouse gas emissions from livestock systems while safeguarding productivity, food security, and human health. Emphasis is placed on the need to balance supply-side mitigation measures with demand-side interventions to avoid unintended nutritional and socio-economic consequences. Key supply-side approaches discussed include genetic improvement, optimized feeding strategies, manure and land resource management, and system-level efficiency gains. Demand-side strategies include food loss and waste reduction, shifts toward sustainable dietary patterns, and the development of alternative protein sources. Central to this review is the integration of these approaches within a planetary health framework, highlighting the interconnectedness of environmental sustainability, human and animal health, and socio-economic resilience. The review underscores that mitigation policies should be context-specific, equity-focused, and health-centered to ensure that climate goals are met without compromising access to affordable, nutritious foods. Collectively, the evidence indicates that coordinated policy action across production, consumption, and health systems is essential for achieving sustainable animal-source food production with reduced climate impact.

Challenges doi: 10.3390/challe17010006

Authors: Karen B. Kirkness

Understanding how inner development capacities are embodied at biological levels remains an underexplored dimension of planetary health research. The aim of this viewpoint is to provide transdisciplinary integration across neuroscience, cell biology, education, and social systems toward addressing planetary health challenges. Despite growing recognition of the Inner Development Goals (IDG) framework as complementary to the UN Sustainable Development Goals, the biophysical dynamics underlying personal and collective transformation remain largely unexplored. This viewpoint presents key molecular pathways that may underpin the Embodied Neuroplastic Resilience Model (ENRM) via calcium signaling and hyaluronan (the CHA axis). This viewpoint explores educational and therapeutic implications while simultaneously illuminating how socioeconomic inequalities constrain access to neuroplasticity-supporting practices. Four key conclusions emerge: (1) The CHA axis provides a compelling mechanistic framework for understanding how bodily experiences can reshape neural circuits through calcium signaling and hyaluronic acid matrix dynamics; (2) Mapping molecular mechanisms to complex human inner development capacities remains provisional, requiring further interdisciplinary investigation; (3) Socioeconomic inequality creates structural barriers to neuroplasticity and inner development, necessitating an integrated approach that connects mechanistic understanding with equitable access to transformative practices; (4) Enhanced understanding of embodied neuroplasticity must serve compassion and systemic transformation, moving beyond individual optimization toward collective well-being. By bridging neuroscience and sustainability frameworks, this viewpoint calls for a nuanced understanding of inner development that transcends individual optimization and emphasizes collective transformation.

Challenges doi: 10.3390/challe17010005

Authors: Jess Haines Kate Parizeau Katherine F. Eckert Fumi Hayashi Yukari Takemi Siti Helmyati Widjaja Lukito Ludovica Principato Martina Toni Nimbe Torres Diana De Jesús-Jacintos Wendelin Slusser

Sustainable diet transitions are required to protect human and planetary health, and consumers are important food systems actors who can foster positive changes. However, little is known about how consumers perceive the concept of sustainable diets. This study explored perceptions of sustainable diets across five high- and middle-income countries: Japan, Indonesia, Italy, Canada, and Mexico. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 184 young adults (30–45 per country), and transcripts were analyzed using values coding to understand the values, attitudes, and beliefs that shape behaviours related to sustainable diets. Results revealed that defining “sustainable eating” was challenging for participants across all countries. While participants’ values regarding sustainable diets were often context-specific with marked differences across countries, common themes across countries included concern about food waste and packaging and the belief that sustainability should be the responsibility of all actors across the food system, not just the individual. These findings indicate that food policy should address both individual and systemic dimensions of food sustainability, specifically prioritizing strategies for waste and packaging infrastructure. Furthermore, public health strategies must be values-oriented and culturally tailored to ensure they resonate with local consumer priorities.

Challenges doi: 10.3390/challe17010004

Authors: Chamara Panakaduwa Paul Coates Nishan Mallikarachchi Harshi Bamunuachchige Srimal Samansiri

Housing stock is observed to be associated with high carbon emissions, high fuel poverty and low comfort levels in the UK. Retrofitting the housing stock is one of the best solutions to address these problems. This paper directly corresponds with human and planetary health in terms of climate change, human health and mental health by addressing the challenges of housing retrofit at scale. Retrofitting houses can also contribute to social equity, reduced use of planetary resources and better financial and physical comfort. Despite the availability of the right technology, government grants and the potential to acquire supply chain and skilled labour, the progress of retrofit is extremely poor. Importantly, the UK is off track to achieve net zero by 2050, and the housing stock contributes 18.72% of the total emissions. The problem is further exacerbated by the 30.4 million units of housing stock. Robust strategies are required to retrofit the housing stock at scale. The study uses a qualitative modelling method under the diffusion of innovations theory to formulate a retrofit-at-scale strategy for the UK. Findings recommend focusing on skill development, show homes, research and innovation, supply chain development, business models, government grants and regulatory tools in a trajectory from 2025 to 2050. The proposed strategy is aligned with the segments of the diffusion of innovation theory. Although the analysis was performed with reference to the UK, the findings are transferable, considering the broader and urgent concerns related to human and planetary health.

Challenges doi: 10.3390/challe17010003

Authors: Julia Wright Janus Bojesen Jensen Charlotte Dufour Noemi Altobelli Dan McTiernan Hannah Gosnell Susan L. Prescott Thomas Legrand

Amid escalating ecological degradation, social fragmentation, and rising mental health challenges—especially in rural and agricultural communities—there is an urgent need to reimagine systems that support both planetary and human flourishing. This viewpoint examines an emerging paradigm in agriculture that emphasizes the role of farmers’ inner development in fostering practices that enhance ecological health, community well-being, and a resilient food system. A key goal is to draw more academic attention to growing community calls for more holistic, relational, and spiritually grounded approaches to food systems as an important focus for ongoing research. Drawing on diverse case studies from Japan, India, and Europe, we examine how small-scale and natural farming initiatives are integrating inner development, universal human values, and ecological consciousness. These case studies were developed and/or refined through a program led by the Conscious Food Systems Alliance (CoFSA), an initiative of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) that seeks to integrate inner transformation with sustainable food systems change. The initiatives are intended as illustrative examples of how agriculture can transcend its conventional, anthropocentric role as a food production system to become a site for cultivating deeper self-awareness, spiritual connection, and regenerative relationships with nature. Participants in these cases reported significant shifts in mindset—from materialistic and extractive worldviews to more relational and value-driven orientations rooted in care, cooperation, and sustainability. Core practices such as mindfulness, experiential learning, and spiritual ecology helped reframe farming as a holistic process that nurtures both land and life. These exploratory case studies suggest that when farmers are supported in aligning with inner values and natural systems, they become empowered as agents of systemic change. By linking personal growth with planetary stewardship, these models offer pathways toward more integrated, life-affirming approaches to agriculture and future academic research.

Challenges doi: 10.3390/challe17010002

Authors: Raoul Ndikebeng Kometa Cletus Fru Forba Wanie Clarkson Mvo Jude Ndzifon Kimengsi

The global literature underscores a set of human wellbeing challenges and opportunities for forestland exploitation, albeit the lack of region-specific evidence. This concerns the Congo Basin, the second-largest forest ecosystem in the world. This study uses the case of the Campo Ma’an Landscape to: (i) analyze the challenges linked to the exploitation of forestland resources, and (ii) explore forest resource exploitation opportunities in the landscape. The study employed a random sample of 200 natural resource-dependent households drawn from four study zones—Niete, Campo, Ma’an and Akom II. This was complemented by focus group discussions (n = 4), key informant (n = 6) and expert (n = 6) interviews. The descriptive and inferential analyses led to the following results: First, economic, technical, socio-cultural and institutional challenges affect the sustainable exploitation of forestland resources in the Campo Ma’an Landscape. The economic challenges of forest (B = −0.389, p = 0.01) and land resource exploitation (B = −0.423, p = 0.006) significantly affect sustainable exploitation compared to other challenges, leading to biodiversity loss and deforestation. These constitute a threat to planetary health systems. Almost all households rely on forestland resources for their livelihoods and development, with opportunities for land resource exploitation outweighing those in forest resource exploitation. Protected area management and agriculture are affected owing to competing interests among farmers, conservationists and other land users. Thus, short-term economic gains are prioritized over long-term sustainability, putting the resource landscape at risk of degradation and future uncertainties. Integrated stakeholder engagement, capacity building, and policy revision could enhance the planetary health approach by linking the social, economic and environmental dimensions of forestland resource management.

Challenges doi: 10.3390/challe17010001

Authors: Stephen M. Posner

Amidst deepening ecological disruption and widespread disconnection from nature, this study explores the emerging field of Earth Awareness (EA) as a relational and experiential aspect of advancing planetary health. EA practices—rooted in Buddhist, Indigenous, mindfulness, and nature-based traditions—support direct experiences of interconnectedness with Earth, ecological awareness and consciousness, and opportunities to transform underlying patterns and systems. Through 45 reflective dialogues with teachers and practitioners across traditions, this participatory research identifies common inspirations, intentions, and challenges that shape the emerging EA field. Findings reveal that EA is characterized by contemplative practices, rituals, and ceremonies that bridge inner transformation and outer action in the world. Central intentions such as healing, interconnectedness, and justice align closely with planetary health priorities, including mental well-being, equity, and stewardship of the living world. Although the field faces challenges related to access, risk of cultural appropriation, and systemic separation, participants identified opportunities for community building, intercultural exchange, and centering Earth as teacher and co-participant. By mapping coherence in this diverse field, this study highlights EA’s potential to contribute to planetary health by reconnecting people with place, fostering a more ecological consciousness, and supporting culturally grounded pathways for collective action and care for Earth.

Challenges doi: 10.3390/challe16040059

Authors: Pascal Stiefenhofer Cafer Deniz

Artificial General Intelligence (AGI) is emerging not only as a technological breakthrough but as a defining challenge for planetary health and global governance. Its potential to accelerate discovery, optimise resource use, and improve health systems is counterbalanced by risks of inequality, domination, and ecological overshoot. This paper introduces a Justice-First Pluralist Framework that embeds fairness, capability expansion, relational equality, procedural legitimacy, and ecological sustainability as constitutive conditions for governing intelligent systems. The framework is realised through a stylised, simulation-based study designed to demonstrate the possibility of formally analysing justice-relevant paradoxes rather than to produce empirically validated results. Three structural paradoxes are examined: (i) efficiency gains that accelerate ecological degradation, (ii) local fairness that externalises global harm, and (iii) coordination that reinforces concentration of power. Monte Carlo ensembles comprising thousands of stochastic runs indicate that justice-compatible trajectories are statistically rare, showing that ethical and sustainable AGI outcomes do not arise spontaneously. The study is conceptual and diagnostic in nature, illustrating how justice can be treated as a feasibility boundary—integrating social equity, ecological limits, and procedural legitimacy—rather than as an after-the-fact correction. Aligning AGI with planetary stewardship therefore requires anticipatory governance, transparent design, and institutional calibration to the safe and just operating space for humanity.

Challenges doi: 10.3390/challe16040058

Authors: Sailesh Krishna Rao Gerard Wedderburn-Bisshop

Planetary boundary transgressions occur as the result of a conflict between human-engineered systems and the natural life-support systems on Earth. In this paper, we validate the Berkana Institute’s Two Loops Theory of Change which posits that big living systems cannot be changed from within. We can only abandon them and start over. We show that the desired objectives of world peace and planetary health can be attained through a “Planet B” style engineering of human systems to meet the 17 UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDG), sans SDG #8 (Economic Growth) and with the addition of Beyond Cruelty Foundation’s SDG #18 (Zero Animal Exploitation). We show that the transition to fully plant-based systems as envisioned in SDG #18 mitigates all seven planetary boundary transgressions and aids in the development of a regenerative, equitable, and sustainable civilization that we call Planet B.

Challenges doi: 10.3390/challe16040057

Authors: Emiliano Hersch-González Horacio Riojas-Rodríguez

In Latin America, coffee is cultivated in distinct coffee agroecosystems (CASs), ranging from traditional agroforestry (“shade”) systems (CAFSs) to intensive, unshaded (“sun”) monocultures (UCASs). While various socioenvironmental impacts of these systems have been studied, their implications have not yet been integrated within a planetary health perspective. This review of 146 studies applies the Planetary Boundaries and Nature’s Contributions to People frameworks and the DPSEEA (Drivers, Pressures, State, Exposure, Effects, Actions) model to map the relationships between socioenvironmental drivers of change, different CASs, the state of natural systems at local and global scales, and human health and well-being. The analysis shows that conventional intensification, driven by low revenues for producers, climate change, and disease outbreaks, has accelerated deforestation, biodiversity loss, greenhouse gas emissions, agrochemical use and leakage, and water pressures. These changes create health risks for coffee-growing communities, such as pesticide exposure and increased vulnerability to external shocks. Conversely, agroecological practices can mitigate environmental pressures while reducing exposure to health hazards and improving resilience, food security, and income stability. However, mainstreaming these practices requires addressing structural inequities in the global coffee value chain to ensure fairer revenue distribution, stronger institutional support, and the protection of coffee-growing communities.

Challenges doi: 10.3390/challe16040056

Authors: Tracy Levett-Jones Katie J. Tunks Leach Heidi Honegger Rogers Catelyn Richards Aletha Ward Samuel Lapkin

(1) Background: Planetary empathy includes deep reflection on one’s relationship with nature, curiosity about other worldviews, and an assumption of responsibility for creating a healthier and more equitable world for current and future generations. (2) Purpose: This paper presents a study that aimed to develop and conduct preliminary validation of the Planetary Empathy Scale for healthcare professionals. (3) Methods: The Planetary Empathy Scale was developed based on a concept analysis and preliminary validation was conducted in accordance with COSMIN guidelines. Data from 231 healthcare students and professionals informed item analysis. Cronbach’s alpha, known-groups comparisons, and exploratory factor analysis were used to assess reliability and validity. (4) Results: Initial psychometric testing supported a six-factor structure representing distinct yet interrelated dimensions of planetary empathy. The Scale demonstrated adequate structural validity, internal consistency, and construct validity. (5) Conclusions: The Planetary Empathy Scale proved to be a valid and reliable instrument. Participants had generally high levels of planetary empathy. Further psychometric testing with diverse cohorts is recommended.

Challenges doi: 10.3390/challe16040055

Authors: Christiana Papapostolou Kosmas Kavadias Stefanos Tzelepis Gilles Notton Marie-Laure Nivet Jean-Laurent Duchaud Ghjuvan Antone Faggianelli

Education can play a pivotal role in the eradication of energy poverty by facilitating the transfer of knowledge and skills to all interested stakeholders whilst also promoting the adoption of sustainable energy solutions. In the context of this paper, a comprehensive review of European master’s programs related to energy poverty is carried out, resulting in the identification of approximately of 100 programs across seven European countries that either explicitly or implicitly address the topic. In most cases, energy poverty is embedded in a broader academic discipline—such as energy systems, renewable energy, or sustainable development—rather than being treated as a standalone field. In Europe, the United Kingdom, France, Greece, and Romania were singled out as the leading contributors to energy poverty education. Within the framework of the EU-funded project “MSc in Energy Poverty Alleviation Technologies”, implemented in collaboration with South African universities, this study focuses on South Africa, which represents a characteristic example of a country facing high levels of energy poverty and significant inequalities in energy access. This work highlights the critical need for targeted academic curricula specifically designed to bridge the persistent gap between academic research and its real-world applications, particularly in regions of the world where such integration is most urgent. It also emphasizes the essential role of linking STEM education with the social and humanitarian sciences. Finally, this work underscores the need for interdisciplinary approaches that connect energy poverty alleviation and education by additionally expanding the research and documentation of relevant good initiatives from Asia (China).

Challenges doi: 10.3390/challe16040054

Authors: Peter R. J. Trim Richard C. L. Trim

The 17 sustainable development goals advocated by the United Nations have played a big role in focusing the minds of policy makers in terms of sustainability issues and have also highlighted the issue of social inclusion and the need to make society more equitable. As well as referencing the sustainable development goals, attention is given to the planetary health concept as it is known to deepen our understanding of the ecological interdependence brought about by cultural, environmental and socio-economic factors, which have relevance in terms of mankind achieving the sustainable development goals. This paper addresses the following question: How can a framework to foster global partnerships leading to sustainable development be underpinned by a philosophical argument that strengthens the case for social inclusion? Consequently, a wide body of literature is reviewed, with key concepts such as collaboration being placed in context and reinforced through stakeholder theory. A philosophical discussion is entered into embracing Moore’s open question argument regarding the reliance on Intuitionism to explain how actions can be coined as immoral or moral. Such arguments are useful for raising moral issues that often end in moral disagreements, and which raise and help solve ethical problems. To effectively deal with the complexity involved, policy makers should support the use of frameworks that can be used to support and encourage social inclusion. In adopting this viewpoint, we put forward a sustainable partnership framework that provides guidance to policy makers and their advisors in terms of tackling the issue of social inclusion. In order to achieve social inclusion, policy makers need to understand the role that symbolic representation plays and how the influence of major influencers generates collaborative knowledge that is reappraised through philosophical argument. The outcome of the philosophical argument is a change in a nation’s cultural value system and the implementation of social inclusion policy.

Challenges doi: 10.3390/challe16040053

Authors: Alessandra Norici Cristina Truzzi Caterina Gerotto Anna Annibaldi Silvia Illuminati Alessandra Petrucciani Lorenzo Mollo Graziana Spinelli Miles Minio Lorenzo Massi Federico Girolametti Behixhe Ajdini Matteo Fanelli Irene Biancarosa Giuseppe Dipietro Matteo Palmucci Rosa Martino

This report presents the activities and outcomes of an educational project aimed at promoting sustainable food awareness among high-school students in Italy through the active contributions from young researchers, profit partners and school educators. The project involved two final-year classes—one from a scientific lyceum and one from a technical chemistry institute—and integrated theoretical lessons, laboratory activities, and experiential learning focused on planetary boundaries, sustainable diets, and alternative proteins such as from algae and insects. To assess the impact of the project, pre- and post-intervention questionnaires were administered and are here discussed. The intervention significantly enhanced the students’ cognitive and affective engagement both during the sessions and in the immediate aftermath, as evidenced by elevated levels of satisfaction and retention of key concepts. Overall, the project fostered great environmental awareness and openness to sustainable food choices, demonstrating the potential of targeted hands-on educational programs to influence both attitudes and behaviours in younger generations of western high-income countries. The project serves as a replicable model of a transdisciplinary approach for integrating Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) and education for Planetary Health into secondary school curricula.

Challenges doi: 10.3390/challe16040052

Authors: Aluwani Innocent Muneri Benett Siyabonga Madonsela Thabang Maphanga

Air quality is a key priority in environmental policy agendas worldwide, yet rapid urban growth in developing countries disproportionately affects urban air quality. In sub-Saharan Africa, the spatial and temporal dynamics of key pollutants remain underexplored. This knowledge gap limits the ability to understand how pollution hotspots emerge, how they shift over time, and how they interact with the broader planetary processes such as climate change. This study analysed the spatial distribution of ozone (O3) and carbon monoxide (CO) hotspots in Diepkloof and Klieprivier townships, Johannesburg, South Africa, using data from 2019 to 2023 obtained from air quality monitoring stations. Spatial patterns were mapped using Inverse Distance Weighting (IDW) interpolation in a Geographic Information System (GIS), and meteorological influences were assessed through multiple linear regression. Results showed distinct spatial trends: Diepkloof experienced a decrease in O3 from 23 ppb to 16 ppb, whereas Klieprivier remained stable but exhibited marked seasonal variation, peaking at 30 ppb in spring. Wind speed, wind direction, and humidity were significant predictors (p < 0.05) of both CO and O3. In Klieprivier, meteorological factors explained 54.2% of O3 variability, with temperature being the strongest predictor. These findings provide valuable insight into pollutant behaviour in urban townships and highlight the importance of integrating spatial analysis with meteorological modelling for targeted air quality management.

Challenges doi: 10.3390/challe16040051

Authors: Nadini Persaud Ruby Dagher

The United Nations 2030 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) Agenda has been derailed by various events (e.g., COVID-19, economic crises, democratic backsliding, economic illiberalism, decreasing regard for human rights, and war). These events have diverted attention from the Agenda, and consumed precious limited financial resources that could be used to advance the SDGs. With only five years remaining, this initiative is at serious risk of not achieving its desired objectives and impact. Internal contradictions between the goals, challenges to the funding mechanism, and power imbalances within a country, regionally, and globally need to be addressed. This paper will examine the myriad challenges that countries face in trying to implement the Agenda post COVID-19, including those linked to the actions of developed countries, and explore how important changes to the Agenda could be undertaken all while helping to protect a country’s own policy space.

Challenges doi: 10.3390/challe16040050

Authors: Isaías Lescher Soto Bernabé Vidal Lorenzo Verger Gustavo J. Nagy

The planetary health approach has gained traction in academic and international governance spheres; however, its limited integration into education systems has hindered its emergence as a universal framework for addressing the triple planetary crisis (climate change, biodiversity loss, and pollution) and its impacts on individual well-being and global health systems. We mapped the evolution of the educational approach to planetary health between 2015 and 2025 from a critical and constructive perspective, using a bibliometric and thematic analysis. Through the bibliometric analysis, we found that publications from the Global North predominate, focusing on health programmes and topics such as climate change, One Health, Global Health and Public Health. The thematic analysis, based on inductive categorisation, allowed us to identify criticisms of the educational approach, such as its curricular marginalisation and limited scalability. From an epistemological perspective, these criticisms refer to technoscientific reductionism, the invisibility of non-Western epistemologies and the decoupling of cognition and environment. Given these limitations, we propose a reconstruction of the planetary health approach along three critical dimensions: Motivation, Legitimacy and Epistemology. This reconstruction is projected into short-, medium- and long-term scenarios at the university level, particularly as part of curriculum reform efforts, to broaden the pedagogical impact and promote a more inclusive and transformative vision.

Challenges doi: 10.3390/challe16040049

Authors: Moses Nyakuwanika

This case study examines the experience of solastalgia among individuals residing in gold mining towns in Zimbabwe, particularly as environmental degradation intensified, to illustrate the experience of solastalgia through the expressions and reflections of individuals who have been impacted by it. Ecological degradation has intensified, and national forest cover has been declining at an average rate of 327,000 hectares per year between 2000 and 2010. Meanwhile, artisanal gold mining releases more than 24 tons of mercury into ecosystems annually, contaminating water bodies. The research employed a qualitative design grounded in the interpretivist paradigm and utilized an inductive methodology. Data were obtained through in-depth interviews with 11 individuals who had resided in areas impacted by mining for an extended period. Thematic analysis was employed to examine individuals’ emotions, thoughts, and behaviours in response to environmental changes, with an emphasis on feelings of loss, sadness, frustration, and disconnection from place. Participants exhibited intense emotional reactions to environmental changes, including profound sadness, anger, feelings of helplessness, and a longing for the past. Of the participants, 70% reported experiencing profound sorrow, while 60% indicated that they employed community support as a coping strategy. The degradation of forests, water sources, and biodiversity contributed to a sense of alienation regarding their environment and identity. Nevertheless, some demonstrated resilience through their faith, community support, and efforts to safeguard the environment. However, their ability to heal and adapt was hindered by persistent systematic neglect and unfulfilled commitments. This case study contributes to the growing literature on solastalgia by presenting specific instances from Zimbabwe, a region where the phenomenon remains inadequately comprehended. This expands the concept of solastalgia to encompass the ecological degradation resulting from mining activities in Africa.

Challenges doi: 10.3390/challe16040048

Authors: Ivan Bergier

This study analyzes the relational architecture of Brazilian traceable beef exports using a tripartite network model that connects certified meatpacking plants, AgriTrace sustainability protocols, and importing countries. By leveraging export authorization data from the Brazilian Ministry of Agriculture, it is shown that certification protocols function not merely as compliance tools but as relational governance infrastructures, mediating legitimacy, market access, and coordination within global value chains. Bipartite projections allowed the deriving and analyzing of two secondary networks: one mapping connections between meatpacking plants that share certifications, and the other linking consumer nations through common supply channels. The meatpacking plant network displays high modularity, featuring two dominant clusters alongside several smaller, regionally coherent clusters. This structure reflects diverse governance capabilities and strategic certification adoptions. Conversely, the consumer nation network shows lower modularity but identifies central hubs that organize international demand and signal regulatory alignment. These patterns reveal underlying dynamics of coopetition, where actors collaborate through shared standards yet compete through innovation. By integrating the Inner Development Goals (IDG) framework, it is revealed internal capacities, such as trust, complexity awareness, and shared purpose, underpinning the efficacy of traceability systems as ethical and adaptive infrastructures. This values-based lens provides a novel perspective on how technical systems can foster resilient, inclusive, and sustainable trade, thereby contributing to planetary health and human-centered development in global livestock governance.

Challenges doi: 10.3390/challe16040047

Authors: Shreesha Pandeya Binayak Prakash Mishra Sushmita Bhatta

The hilly and mountainous regions of Nepal provide a suitable environment for the cultivation of large cardamom, a high-value cash crop with significant global market potential. However, climate change poses significant threats to its production and the livelihoods of farmers dependent on this crop. To cope with these challenges, adopting climate-resilient agricultural practices is essential, particularly among smallholder farmers of rural communities. However, the extent of their implementation remains largely unknown. We surveyed 158 households in Ilam and Tehrathum districts to assess the adoption intensity of climate-resilient practices among large cardamom farmers using the Ordered Probit Model. Findings revealed considerable variation in the adoption intensity of climate-resilient practices. Traditional practices like tillering, weeding, and irrigation were highly adopted, while more innovative, knowledge-intensive methods were less adopted. Education was found to have a positive influence on the high adoption intensity of climate-resilient practices. Each additional unit of year of schooling increases the probability of high adoption of practices by 3.4%. Membership in farmers’ groups increases the likelihood of high adoption by 12.9%, while labor availability and regular extension contact rises by 21.9% and 17.8%, respectively. Similarly, age shows a smaller but significant effect, increasing adoption by 0.5% at p-value = 0.08. The use of traditional practices is common; however, the uptake of scientifically recommended practices for climate resilience remains limited. Policy initiatives focusing on farmer education, promoting farmer organizations, addressing labor shortages, and strengthening extension services are important for enhancing resilience in the large cardamom sector of Nepal.

Challenges doi: 10.3390/challe16040046

Authors: Susan L. Prescott David Webb Challenges—Journal of Planetary Health Editorial Office

We are delighted to announce an exciting new chapter in the life of our journal [...]

Challenges doi: 10.3390/challe16040045

Authors: Dan Daugaard Sana Ejaz Ayobolawole Adewale Ogundipe

Greenwashing threatens both consumer trust and the integrity of planetary health initiatives. Transparency in sustainability claims is therefore critical for promoting ecological wellbeing, strengthening food security, and fostering equitable development in the Anthropocene. This paper investigates greenwashing by adapting the Gompers Governance Index methodology to the context of sustainability claims. The focus of our greenwashing index in this case is the sustainability claims made by canned tuna brands in Australia. The index is created from a comprehensive set of criteria for environmental claims, based on the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC)’s principles for trustworthy claims. We show that the canned tuna brands form two clusters: one at a very high level of achievement and a second group with notable opportunities to improve on their sustainability communication and transparency. The results also highlight several key issues, most notably a lack of information regarding future sustainability transition plans across most brands. A deeper analysis of the scoring scheme shows that the brands with third-party sustainability certification generally achieved a better alignment with the ACCC principles than other brands. Future iterations of this analysis could incorporate online transparency and third-party verification to provide a more comprehensive assessment. Overall, this study underscores the need for clearer sustainability messaging, greater regulatory enforcement, and improved accountability among brands to ensure consumers can make informed choices.

Challenges doi: 10.3390/challe16030044

Authors: Gavin Melles Suresh Gautam Richan Shrestha

Nepal, like its South Asian neighbours, is exploring Circular Economy (CE) as a pathway to Green Economy and Net Zero commitments. Current studies focus primarily on sector-specific 3R (Reduce, Reuse, Recycle) waste management strategies. However, these approaches overlook the broader sustainability transformation implied by a Sustainable Circular Economy (SCE). This study examines whether a locally relevant SCE model is feasible for Nepal. We conducted thematic analysis of interviews with thirteen representatives from nine CE organizations, supplemented by a literature review. Our findings reveal that while most SCE elements exist individually in Nepal’s context, integration into a comprehensive socially inclusive framework remains underdeveloped. We propose a Nepal-specific SCE framework that could challenge conventional industrial development trajectories focused solely on growth. The authors believe that this Nepal case study has valuable lessons for other developing countries pursuing CE as a strategy, as it suggests that a wider SCE scope is necessary to achieve inclusive development.

Challenges doi: 10.3390/challe16030043

Authors: Víctor Fabregat

The reclaimed water sector is poised for significant growth driven by urbanization, technological advancements, and increasing demand for alternative water sources, with an emphasis on improving treatment capacities and promoting water reuse for various applications. This study examines the challenges and market potential of reclaimed water as a strategic solution to address water scarcity in Europe, assessing the regulatory framework, associated risks, and reuse potential. A multi-phase analysis was conducted, including a review of the European directives, an analysis of water scarcity, an evaluation of wastewater reuse potential, identification of risks and technological challenges, and segmentation of the reclaimed water market across various European regions. Results highlight the significant underutilization of treated wastewater in Europe; only about 3% of urban wastewater is reused, equal to 1 billion m3/year (2.4% of effluent, <0.5% of freshwater withdrawals). Wastewater is often regarded as a pollutant rather than a resource; yet, advances in recycling and treatment technologies have increased safety and efficiency, making it a practical solution to water scarcity while strengthening climate resilience. At the strategic level, the study concludes that Europe holds strong potential for water recovery and a substantial opportunity to tackle water scarcity through innovative recovery solutions, thereby contributing to sustainability, fostering a circular economy, and promoting planetary health.

Challenges doi: 10.3390/challe16030042

Authors: Ivy Chumo Blessing Mberu Caroline Kabaria

The journal retracts the review article “The Value of Community Capitals in Sustainable Urban Development: A Qualitative Exploration of Urban Informal Workers” [...]

Challenges doi: 10.3390/challe16030041

Authors: Philia Vironika Mira Maulida

This study investigates the factors influencing green purchase behavior in emerging economies, focusing on Indonesian consumers’ preferences for organic food products. While sustainability awareness is growing globally, limited research has examined how environmental knowledge and trust interact with marketing efforts to shape green purchasing decisions in developing market contexts like Indonesia. The research model incorporates five constructs: environmental knowledge (awareness of ecological issues), green trust (confidence in environmental claims), green marketing mix (eco-oriented strategies for product, price, place, and promotion), green purchase intention (likelihood of buying eco-friendly products), and green purchase behavior (actual sustainable buying decisions). Data from 211 valid respondents were analyzed using structural equation modeling. The results indicate that environmental knowledge directly influences green trust and the green marketing mix but not green purchase intention or behavior. Instead, it affects behavior indirectly through trust and intention. Contrary to expectations, green trust does not influence the green marketing mix, suggesting it may operate independently of marketing strategies. Similarly, the green marketing mix does not significantly influence green purchase intention or behavior, suggesting that marketing strategies alone may be insufficient in driving sustainable consumer choices. These findings highlight the important role of environmental knowledge in fostering consumer trust and indirectly guiding green purchasing behavior in emerging markets. By promoting sustainable consumption through knowledge and trust, this study offers insights into consumer behavior as a pathway to advancing planetary health. This study advances the Theory of Planned Behavior by integrating green trust and the green marketing mix to explain how trust and economic factors shape green purchasing behavior. Practical implications suggest that businesses should adopt targeted green marketing strategies, such as educational campaigns, eco-labeling, or certifications, to enhance environmental awareness, build consumer trust, and encourage sustainable purchasing decisions. This study contributes to the literature by examining how environmental knowledge indirectly influences green purchase behavior through the mediation of trust and intention within the context of an emerging market.

Challenges doi: 10.3390/challe16030040

Authors: Edgar Manuel Cambaza

Mozambican traditional healing is a longstanding, community-embedded practice grounded in local knowledge systems and biodiversity. Despite its resilience, it has been persistently marginalized—from colonial impositions to enduring legal ambiguities—while Western medicine, rooted in Hippocratic, Galenic, and Cartesian paradigms, has become the normative model. This article explores the ethical, legal, and consequentialist dimensions of emancipating traditional healing, analyzing four policy options: prohibition, indifference, protection, and encouragement. Emancipation is presented not as subordination to biomedical standards but as a process of epistemic justice, affirming cultural sovereignty and community agency. Core values such as justice, equity, and respect for plural worldviews underpin the discussion. Traditional healers are often spiritually mandated and serve over 80% of the population, particularly in underserved areas, yet remain institutionally undervalued. Promoting respectful dialogue among stakeholders is crucial to avoid reductive adaptations and foster inclusive, sustainable health systems. Recognizing traditional healing as a legitimate and complementary system not only strengthens Mozambique’s National Health System (SNS) but also contributes to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) related to health, inclusion, and cultural rights. This article argues that empowering traditional healing is both a moral imperative and a strategic investment in planetary health and human flourishing.

Challenges doi: 10.3390/challe16030039

Authors: Hannah Gosnell Ethan Gordon

A growing body of scholarship recognizes the importance of understanding the inner dimensions of transformations to sustainability at individual, collective, and system levels and their influence on the behavior of individuals and groups and the types of institutions that prevail. This review summarizes and synthesizes scholarship on the inner dimensions of regeneration, a subject of growing interest in the sustainability science literature. Regeneration refers to a process of rebuilding or renewing an asset, resource, ecosystem, individual, family, organization, community, or place. It enables the expression of nature’s capacity for self-organization and empowers social-ecological systems to revive themselves through positive reinforcing cycles. The review seeks to improve understanding of the characteristics and meanings of regenerative mental models, mindsets, and cultures. It begins with definitions, then describes methods, summarizes results, and discusses what regenerative mental models and mindsets look like when they become part of culture and are scaled to larger social-ecological systems.

Challenges doi: 10.3390/challe16030038

Authors: Michael F. Royer Afton Kechter Dara L. James Margaret Moeller Maricarmen Vizcaino Christopher Wharton

Introduction: The wellbeing of humans and the planet is negatively impacted by unhealthy eating behaviors and excessive food waste. Mindfulness approaches have the potential to help people modify their behavior to achieve healthier outcomes. Pilot testing methods to sustainably support healthy eating and reduce food waste are essential for identifying effective ways to promote human and planetary health. Methods: A pilot study was conducted to test a virtual mindful eating program to improve eating behaviors and reduce food waste among a small sample of U.S. adults. Mixed-methods approaches were used to identify the efficacy of the piloted intervention on mindfulness, eating behaviors, and food waste while identifying participant perspectives of the mindful eating program. Results: Quantitative study outcomes indicated positive intervention effects on hunger/satiety cues and food appreciation. No significant intervention effects were detected on mindfulness or food waste. Qualitative findings highlighted participant reports of experiencing greater self-awareness, an improved relationship with food, and a sense of creativity with meal preparation. Conclusions: This pilot study tested a novel mindful eating program that improved eating behaviors related to hunger/satiety and increased food appreciation. The program was accepted by participants, but it did not increase mindfulness or reduce food waste. Future iterations of this mindful eating program will require modifications to test different approaches for increasing mindfulness and reducing food waste while expanding the positive effects on healthy eating.

Challenges doi: 10.3390/challe16030037

Authors: Ishaan Rahman Chris Willott

Tuberculosis (TB) remains a leading cause of death in Bangladesh, disproportionately affecting low socio-economic status (SES) populations. This review, guided by the WHO Social Determinants of Health framework and Rockefeller-Lancet Planetary Health Report, examined how social, economic, and ecological factors link SES to TB burden. The first literature search identified 28 articles focused on SES-TB relationships in Bangladesh. A second search through snowballing and conceptual mapping yielded 55 more papers of diverse source types and disciplines. Low-SES groups face elevated TB risk due to smoking, biomass fuel use, malnutrition, limited education, stigma, financial barriers, and hazardous housing or workplaces. These factors delay care-seeking, worsen outcomes, and fuel transmission, especially among women. High-SES groups more often face comorbidities like diabetes, which increase TB risk. Broader contextual drivers include urbanisation, weak labour protections, cultural norms, and poor governance. Recommendations include housing and labour reform, gender parity in education, and integrating private providers into TB programmes. These align with the WHO End TB Strategy, UN SDGs and Planetary Health Quadruple Aims, which expand the traditional Triple Aim for health system design by integrating environmental sustainability alongside improved patient outcomes, population health, and cost efficiency. Future research should explore trust in frontline workers, reasons for consulting informal carers, links between makeshift housing and TB, and integrating ecological determinants into existing frameworks.

Challenges doi: 10.3390/challe16030036

Authors: Jochen Knies Gerrit Lohmann Stijn De Schepper Monica Winsborrow Juliane Müller Mohamed M. Ezat Petra M. Langebroek

The Arctic Ocean is turning blue. Abrupt Arctic warming and amplification is driving rapid sea ice decline and irreversible deglaciation of Greenland. The already emerging, substantial consequences for the planet and society are intensifying and yet, model-based projections lack validatory consensus. To date, we cannot anticipate how a blue Arctic will respond to and amplify an increasingly warmer future climate, nor how it will impact the wider planet and society. Climate projections are inconclusive as we critically lack key Arctic geological archives that preserved the answers. This “Arctic Challenge” of global significance can only be addressed by investigating the processes, consequences, and impacts of past “greenhouse” (warmer-than-present) climate states. To address this challenge, the ERC Synergy Grant project Into the Blue (i2B) is undertaking a program of research focused on retrieving new Arctic geological archives of past warmth and key breakthroughs in climate model performance to deliver a ground-breaking, synergistic framework to answer the central question: “Why and what were the global ramifications of a “blue” (ice-free) Arctic during past warmer-than-present climates?” Here, we present the proposed research plan that will be conducted as part of this program. Into the Blue will quantify cryosphere (sea ice and land ice) change in a warmer world that will form the scientific basis for understanding the dynamics of Arctic cryosphere and ocean changes to enable the quantitative assessment of the impact of Arctic change on ocean biosphere, climate extremes, and society that will underpin future cryosphere-inclusive IPCC assessments.

Challenges doi: 10.3390/challe16030035

Authors: Irene Rizzini Mariana Menezes Neumann

The climate crisis poses profound risks to present and future generations. Nonetheless, the perspectives of children and young people internationally, and more specifically in Brazil, remain underexplored. Based on a multi-discipline literature review on climate anxiety and nature (dis)connectedness, the hypothesis is that the effects and symptoms of increasing (dis)connection with natural environments have short-, medium-, and long-term consequences. Access to natural spaces is a vital response to counteract the negative impacts of climate change. This article discusses findings from a study conducted in urban Brazil with 200 young people aged 12 to 18 years old, with the aim of addressing three research questions from ten questions that comprised the complete survey. The major research questions were as follows: 1. ‘Climate change worries me’: How do you relate to this statement? 2. How does climate change affect you?, and 3. Do you think some young people are more affected by climate change than others? The results show that young people care about and are preoccupied with climate change, especially when they reflect on their futures and the future generations. Although young participants are deeply concerned about climate change and feel its effects personally in the form of anxiety, fear, and insecurity, they often lack clear pathways for contributing to broader environmental efforts beyond individual actions. These findings highlight an urgent need to foster community-based approaches and enhance education and resources for enlarging and improving youth engagement, especially to rethink the everyday strategies addressing these challenges, and to foster new paradigms of interaction with the natural world based on (re)connection with natural spaces. The correlation between climate anxiety and nature (dis)connection offers an approach that is still little explored, especially concerning children and young people.

Challenges doi: 10.3390/challe16030034

Authors: Per M. Jensen Marten Sørensen

Increasing temperatures associated with climate change will lead to (periodic) temperature-induced reductions in food intake in human and other mammal populations. Human adults, however, are both tolerant and resilient to periodic nutritional deficits, and the associated health effects should be limited. Intermittent nutritional deficits may also cause growth restriction in developing foetuses and young children, which potentially affects their food intake in later life. Therefore, temperature-induced hypophagia can be hypothesised to manifest as later compensatory responses with multiple concomitant (or extended) lags of varying temporal dimensions. We examined the relationship between calorie intake and ambient outdoor temperatures for a time series covering past decades (FAO data for 1961–2013) in 80 countries to determine if humans alter their food intake in response to elevated temperatures. We included eleven different temporal “windows of exposure” of varying lag. These windows considered current and recent exposure, just as lagged effects allowed for a consideration of past effects on mothers, their children, and childhood exposure. It was hypothesised that one of these could provide a basis for predicting future changes in human calorie intake in response to climate change. Our analyses showed no apparent association with temperatures in ten of the eleven hypotheses/models. The remaining hypothesis suggests that current calorie intake is linked to decadal mean temperatures with a lag of approximately three decades, pointing to an impact on mothers and their (developing) children. The impact of an increase in mean temperature varies with temperature amplitudes, and negative impacts are only found in countries with low temperature amplitudes (warmer countries), albeit the impact on calorie intake caused by a 2–3 °C change in temperatures or temperature amplitudes is generally modest. However, in considering calorie intake, we only address quantities of food (with unspecified quality), which insufficiently reflect the full range of nutritional challenges associated with increasing temperatures. Understanding climate-driven changes in human food intake requires global interdisciplinary collaboration across public health, environmental science, and policy.

Challenges doi: 10.3390/challe16030033

Authors: Susan L. Prescott Alan C. Logan

Dietary choices and patterns have enormous consequences along the lines of individual, community, and planetary health. Excess meat consumption has been linked to chronic disease risk, and at large scales, the underlying industries maintain a massive environmental footprint. For these reasons, public and planetary health experts are unified in emphasizing a whole or minimally processed plant-based diet. In response, the purveyors of ultra-processed foods have added “meat alternatives” to their ultra-processed commercial portfolios; multinational corporations have been joined by “start-ups” with new ultra-processed meat analogues. Here, in our Viewpoint, we revisit the 1990s food industry rhetoric and product innovation, a time in which multinational corporations pushed a great “low-fat transition.” We focus on the McLean Deluxe burger, a carrageenan-rich product introduced by the McDonald’s Corporation in 1991. Propelled by a marketing and media-driven fear of dietary fats, the lower-fat burger was presented with great fanfare. We reflect this history off the current “great protein transition,” a period once again rich in rhetoric, with similar displays of industry detachment from concerns about the health consequences of innovation. We scrutinize the safety of carrageenan and argue that the McLean burger should serve as a cautionary tale for planetary health and 21st century food innovation.

Challenges doi: 10.3390/challe16030032

Authors: Marie Beresford-Dey

Uniquely rooted in regenerative leadership and complemented by Complexity Leadership Theory (CLT), this conceptual essay offers a theoretical exploration of how educational institutions can act as dynamic systems that catalyze adaptive, community-led responses to anthropocentric socio-environmental crises. Rather than sustaining existing structures, educational leadership for regeneration seeks to restore ecological balance and nurture emergent capacities for long-term resilience. Positioned as key sites of influence, educational institutions are explored as engines of innovation capable of mobilizing students, educators, and communities toward collective environmental action. CLT offers a valuable lens for understanding how leadership emerges from nonlinear, adaptive processes within schools, enabling the development of innovative, collaborative, and responsive strategies required for navigating complexity and leading planetary-positive change. Drawing on a synthesis of the recent global literature, this paper begins by outlining the need to go beyond sustainability in envisioning regenerative futures, followed by an introduction to regenerative principles. It then examines the current and evolving role of educational leadership, the relevance in enabling whole-institution transformation, and how this relates to regenerative practices. The theoretical frameworks of systems thinking and CLT are introduced before noting their application within regenerative educational leadership. The final sections identify implementation challenges and offer practical recommendations, including curriculum innovation, professional development, and youth-led advocacy, before concluding with a call for education as a vehicle for cultivating planetary-conscious citizens and systemic change. This work contributes a timely and theoretically grounded model for reimagining educational leadership in an era of global turbulence.

Challenges doi: 10.3390/challe16030031

Authors: Khaled Alhosani

This study investigates the empowering role of public–private partnerships (PPPs) in the economic sustainability of waste management (ESW) and the circular industry economy (CIE), specifically in the small, rapidly industrialising Emirate of Ajman, UAE. Embracing a circular economy is vital for the sustainability agenda while forging a transformative commitment to planetary health (PH) in a manner that is especially crucial for small states with limited carrying capabilities. A quantitative methodological orientation is employed in a survey-based research design, followed by the Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modelling statistical technique to test the hypothesised relationships. Sampling involved the three sub-populations of government employees (n = 123), managers/employees of private waste collection businesses (n = 106), and employees of private industrial waste generation industries (n = 276). Findings indicate that PPP empowerment positively impacts ESW and contributes to the creation of CIE. Moreover, ESW fosters the growth of CIE in Ajman. Notably, the perspectives of government stakeholders differ from those of non-government actors. This research underscores the significance of PPP empowerment in the development of CIE towards SDGs 11, 12, and 17, emphasising the mediating role of ESW between PPPs and CIE in small, rapidly industrialising states. The study recommends that the Ajman government implement training and social initiatives aimed at aligning the sustainability perspectives of all stakeholders involved in waste management to promote the mutual benefits of “people, places, and planet”.

Challenges doi: 10.3390/challe16030030

Authors: Elizabeth Halliday Jessica Bockler

Climate scientists, systems theorists, and policymakers increasingly suggest that global sustainability challenges stem from dysfunctional worldviews and values that drive individual and collective behaviors, undermining both human flourishing and planetary health. Recognizing that paradigmatic shifts in values and worldviews can arise from transformative experiences, this study employed Integral Inquiry in a mixed-methods design to examine the nature of the relationship between such experiences and engagement with sustainability. A sample of 145 adults was recruited based on self-identification of having undergone a life-changing experience and demonstrated evidence of transformative growth and integration. In the qualitative phase, 73 participants completed an open-text survey detailing their perspectives on sustainability and their related practices and behaviors. Ten individuals from this subset were interviewed to explore the depth and dimensions of their engagement with sustainability. Using Constructivist Grounded Theory analysis, three tentative themes emerged: intraconnection, personal equilibrium, and defining social change. Whilst the study was exploratory in nature, the analysis indicated that transformative experiences seemed to foster a profound felt sense of intraconnection—a deep awareness of interconnectedness with all life. This awareness appeared to naturally clarify participants’ values and beliefs, aligning their actions toward sustainability. Moreover, participants emphasized the importance of cultivating personal equilibrium—a state of inner balance and congruence in daily choices—as a foundation for meaningful social and environmental change. This study tentatively highlights the role transformative experiences can play in bringing about more pro-ecological behavior, and it underscores the need for further research into how such experiences can be more readily integrated to support global sustainability efforts.

Challenges doi: 10.3390/challe16020029

Authors: Alan C. Logan Colleen M. Berryessa John S. Callender Gregg D. Caruso Fiona A. Hagenbeek Pragya Mishra Susan L. Prescott

Planetary health is a transdisciplinary concept that erases the dividing lines between individual and community health, and the natural systems that support the wellbeing of humankind. Despite planetary health’s broad emphasis on justice, the promotion of science-based policies, and stated commitments to fairness, equity, and harm reduction, the criminal justice system has largely escaped scrutiny. This seems to be a major oversight, especially because the criminalization of mental illness is commonplace, and the system continues to be oriented around a prescientific compass of retribution and folk beliefs in willpower, moral fiber, and blameworthiness. Justice-involved juveniles and adults are funneled into landscapes of mass incarceration with ingrained prescientific assumptions. In non-criminal realms, such as obesity, there is a growing consensus that folk psychology ideas must be addressed at the root and branch. With this background, the Nova Institute for Health convened a transdisciplinary roundtable to explore the need for a ‘Copernican Revolution’ in the application of biopsychosocial sciences in law and criminal justice. This included discussions of scientific advances in neurobiology and omics technologies (e.g., the identification of metabolites and other biological molecules involved in behavior), the need for science education, ethical considerations, and the public health quarantine model of safety that abandons retribution.

Challenges doi: 10.3390/challe16020028

Authors: Indunil Chamara Helitha Nilmalgoda Eranga Wimalasiri

The increasing demand for fossil fuels has led the oil industry to explore biodiesel as a renewable alternative, which is crucial for advancing planetary health. Biodiesel offers environmental benefits and shares similar properties with petroleum diesel, making it a promising substitute. However, Palm Oil Mill Effluent (POME), containing sludge palm oil (SPO), presents challenges due to its high free fatty acid (FFA) content. This study proposes novel optimization strategies to reduce FFAs in SPO and improve biodiesel yield. A combination of base neutralization, esterification, and transesterification processes was employed. Neutralization with sodium hydroxide (NaOH) at concentrations ranging from 0.1% to 0.5% w/w was followed by esterification using sulfuric acid (H2SO4) with varying methanol-to-oil ratios. The optimal FFA reduction of 2.26% was achieved at a 6:1 methanol ratio. Transesterification with a 7:1 methanol-to-oil ratio yielded the highest biodiesel output of 71.25%. The biodiesel met ASTM standards, with a calorific value of 40.01 MJ/kg, a flash point of 180.5 °C, and a density of 0.86 g/cm3. Economic analysis estimates an annual net profit of USD 244,901,600, demonstrating that this approach provides a financially viable solution while advancing planetary health by reducing dependency on fossil fuels, mitigating climate change, and supporting sustainable fuel production.

Challenges doi: 10.3390/challe16020027

Authors: Laura U. Schneider Nancy Boyd

The realities of climate change are here, and in the absence of encompassing U.S. federal policies directing action, it is left to the states to help set our course for the future. At the forefront of state action is Michigan, which in 2023 passed sweeping legislation requiring the state to achieve climate neutrality, a significant investment in electric vehicle infrastructure, and a commitment to environmental justice. The bold climate-forward actions by the state have been described by many as vaulting the state of Michigan into a national leader on climate policy. This perspective uses Michigan’s novel collection of climate-related policies to examine the connections between infrastructure, environmental justice, and climate change in Michigan. The legislation was passed with strong Democratic support, but Republicans and some environmentalists are concerned about the feasibility of the state to implement the legislation, especially when some states like California are having to back down from their green energy goals. We find that the legislation focuses on the triple bottom line by supporting economic growth in the state, advancing the interests of rural and urban communities alike, and embracing ambitious environmental goals. Michigan is already seeing successful implementation of this policy, and the lessons of this action can help provide a roadmap for other states seeking to move forward on climate policy. This novel perspective demonstrates the unique qualities Michigan is bringing to climate legislation, and the newness of the policies opens new research opportunities for a variety of scholarship interests.

Challenges doi: 10.3390/challe16020026

Authors: Michelle Ritchie Sarah Heaton Alexander Scheid Hannah Mott Gudrun Mobus Bernhards Sloane Sengson Kathryn Foral Jon Calabria

Studies at the intersection of climate change and futures research are needed. In response, we interviewed Icelanders (n = 63) to understand individuals’ visions of the future. Linguistic analysis revealed that participants expressed themselves informally with moderate confidence, high authenticity, and a negative tone. Deductive thematic analysis revealed three overarching visions of the future: (1) a utopian future characterized by environmental and social harmony where people return to nature; (2) a stable future reminiscent of today with improved infrastructure, connectivity, and continued sustainability and adaptation practices that maintain a rural lifestyle; and (3) a dystopian future marked by climate disruptions, overpopulation, and new environmental hazards requiring more emergency management resources alongside cultural barriers to adaptation that lead to the decay of infrastructure. The findings underscore the need to understand community-specific values and concerns for developing culturally sensitive and sustainable climate change adaptation strategies.

Challenges doi: 10.3390/challe16020025

Authors: Dragana Favre

This article argues that environmental education must move beyond knowledge transmission to become a transformative, psychological, and relational practice. Rooted in the One Health framework, which emphasizes the interconnectedness of human, animal, and ecological well-being, this article positions curiosity as a central catalyst for ecological and psychological integration. While this article specifically engages with the One Health framework, the same integrative principles apply equally to the closely related Planetary Health perspective, emphasizing interconnected human, ecological, and planetary well-being. Drawing from Jungian and post-Jungian psychology, ecopsychology, and educational theory, it redefines curiosity as a symbolic, ethical, and affective mode of engagement with the Other, both within the psyche and in the more-than-human world. Through boredom, dialogue, narrative, and embodied practices, curiosity creates space for inner movement, narrative reconfiguration, and a relational mode of knowing that can confront ecological crises with imagination, patience, and integrity. This article offers pedagogical strategies to cultivate this deeper form of curiosity as a foundation for lifelong ecological engagement.

Challenges doi: 10.3390/challe16020024

Authors: Susan L. Prescott Aterah Nusrat Richard Scott David Nelson Heidi Honegger Rogers Mona S. El-Sherbini Knellee Bisram Yvonne Vizina Sara L. Warber David Webb

In the face of the growing challenges of the Anthropocene—marked by climate change, biodiversity loss, and increasing rates of disease and despair—this paper explores the need for holistic solutions that integrate cultural and spiritual transformation as essential dimensions of change. Recognizing that the interconnected challenges to planetary health stem from destructive socio-political agendas and unhealthy economic structures, we underscore the importance of worldviews and value systems as root causes of social and ecological injustices. Solutions require an understanding of the complex interdependence of systems, fostering mutualistic mindsets, and healing the ‘relationship crisis’ between humans and the natural world by cultivating a deeper level of consciousness. In response to these urgent needs, we describe Earthrise—a community of engaged contemplative practice led by the Nova Institute for Health in collaboration with the Planetary Health Alliance—dedicated to spiritual and cultural transformation in the face of today’s complex crises. Through intentional spiritual relationships—with ourselves, each other, and the natural world—our community emphasizes the power of narrative co-creation in building social cohesion and collective action for environmental stewardship. Our work is not solely contemplative, but also relational and integrative—embodying values through lived practice, community, and ecological engagement. Our activities focus on developing cultural capacities and self-awareness as essential foundations for fair and sustainable social transformation. By integrating diverse perspectives, including ancestral wisdom and Indigenous knowledge systems, we enrich worldviews and deepen our connection to the planet. The Earthrise community seeks to cultivate a sense of belonging, nurturing the meaningful relationships that foster compassion and care. Central to our approach is the use of creative emergence, leveraging the arts to inspire change and catalyze new paradigms. Through this exploration of interconnected themes, we contend that spiritual and cultural transformation is vital to advancing a thriving future, where human flourishing and planetary health are understood as inseparable and interconnected goals.

Challenges doi: 10.3390/challe16020023

Authors: Mulye Tadesse Tafesse Matewos Samuel Jilo Dira Fekadu Israel Alambo Tenaw Fentaw Dessie

Social innovation has emerged as a prominent strategy in development practice, attracting substantial scholarly attention. In Ethiopia’s pastoral and agro-pastoral areas, characterized by vulnerability and persistent development challenges, non-governmental organizations have begun implementing social innovations as alternatives to traditional interventions. However, the empirical understanding of the uptake of these innovations and the degree to which communities perceive ownership is limited. This study aims to investigate the adoption patterns of social innovations and evaluate community ownership of these innovations towards sustainability in specific Ethiopian contexts. Methods included partial participant observation, 12 case studies, 33 key informant interviews, and a sample survey of 392 respondents. The findings indicate that the average age of respondents is approximately 41 years old, with the youngest being 15 and the oldest being 94. Descriptive and inferential statistics showed that social innovations improved the management of the water system in Meda Wollabu and the enhanced goat market in Dasenech, with a developed sense of ownership benefitting and improving communities’ livelihood and sustainable development. The study concludes that developed sense of community ownership effective information dissemination, relative advantage and participation in training, highlighting the importance of tailored social innovation strategies that enhance community resilience and sustainability.

Challenges doi: 10.3390/challe16020022

Authors: Madeline E. Graham Brenda A. Wilson Davendra Ramkumar Holly Rosencranz Japhia Ramkumar

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is an urgent global health threat with many anthropogenic drivers outside of healthcare. The impacts of modern agriculture on human health are manifold, from the food systems and dietary patterns they support to the less apparent effects of environmental stresses and biodiversity loss in ecosystems. Intensive practices, such as chemical fertilizers, pesticides, and herbicides, induce abiotic stresses that deplete biodiversity and drive AMR in soil and aquatic microbiomes. The overuse of antibiotics in livestock production is another major driver of AMR. Changes in weather patterns due to climate change have the potential to exacerbate these issues as warmer and wetter weather increases the potential for bacterial infection. While practices exist to address healthcare-associated drivers, the impact of agriculture and environmental destruction are not widely appreciated in healthcare and biomedical sciences. It is imperative that healthcare professionals and public health experts understand these connections to properly address the emergent issue of AMR. This review aims to summarize the current data on important agricultural and environmental drivers of AMR for educational purposes, to fill gaps in knowledge, and to improve current practices and stimulate further research.

Challenges doi: 10.3390/challe16020021

Authors: Wendy Ellyatt

This paper expands on the anthropocentric focus of the Self-Directed Flourishing (SDF) framework by introducing the Eco-Systemic Flourishing (ESF) framework. The primary contribution of the ESF is the integration of ecological systems thinking, place-based education, and regenerative learning into existing flourishing frameworks. Methodologically, the paper synthesizes interdisciplinary perspectives from developmental psychology, systems theory and sustainability education and to propose a transformative educational approach. The results outline how the ESF framework positions education as a crucial driver for fostering relational awareness and ecological literacy, thus promoting both human and planetary flourishing. The framework’s implications are significant, offering a scalable model for sustainability integration in educational systems, curriculum design, and policy development. Future empirical validation, through longitudinal studies, is recommended to evaluate ESF’s effectiveness in enhancing educational outcomes and ecological stewardship.

Challenges doi: 10.3390/challe16020020

Authors: Sisira Kumara Naradda Gamage Solanga Arachchige U. Niranjala Jayasooriya Mudiyanselage Harshana M. Upulwehera Allayarov Piratdin Kumara Bandage Thilini Udesha K. Bandara Hatharakorale Gedara Kolitha N. Bandara Hetti Arachchige Buddhika W. Hettiarachchi Adikari Mudiyanselage P. Adikari Sumanapalage D. Amasha Sumanapala Manamendra K. Nilakshi Pabasara Ran Pathige Indika R. Prasanna

Climate change is a substantial threat to worldwide food security, affecting the supply, stability, accessibility, and quality of food. This study aimed to explore the impact of climate change on household food security of farming communities in dry zones in Sri Lanka, focusing on water resource limitations and agricultural productivity, using a qualitative case study method with 13 cases. The impact of climate change on farming and food security was identified under the key themes of food production and yield, income and economic stability, water resources and management, food availability and access, nutrition quality, and dietary diversity. The findings revealed that climate change can indirectly affect food security by impacting household and personal incomes. It also influences health, access to clean water, and the ability to utilize food effectively. Such climatic changes significantly impact household food security and distinctly affect nutrition quality and dietary diversity, which are identifiable as the primary food security elements. This study suggests moving other income sources to enhance the economic stability of farming households, adopting new farming techniques, organizing government assistance programs, and establishing social safety nets such as food aid programs and financial support for affected households. Such activities will help to address the decline of yield production that is caused by climate change, and will mitigate the effect that climate change has on household food security. It further emphasizes the need to combine modern policy interventions and the existing domestic adaptation framework. This investigation employs a qualitative research method to explore how communities experience actual climate change effects, including water issues and farm failures. It effectively captures and contributes detailed knowledge to the current research on this subject.

Challenges doi: 10.3390/challe16020019

Authors: Dan Smyer Yü Ambika Aiyadurai Mamang Dai Razzeko Delley Rashila Deshar Iftekhar Iqbal Chi Huyen Truong Bhargabi Das Mongfing Lepcha Thinley Dema Madan Koirala Zainab Khalid Zhen Ma

We, a group of native scholars based in the Himalayan region, co-author this article to propose an environmental humanities South—concurrently as an Asia-specific interdisciplinary field and a planetary human–nature epistemology of the Global South inextricably entwined with that of the Global North. Framed in the broader field of planetary health, this article begins with a perspectival shift by reconceptualizing the Global South and the Global North as the Planetary South and the Planetary North for the purpose of laying the epistemological groundwork for two interconnected arguments and subsequent discussions. First, the Planetary South is not merely epistemological, but is at once geographically epistemological and epistemologically geographical. Our debates with the currently dominant epistemologies of the South open up a decolonial conversation with what we call the Australian School of the environmental humanities, the initial seed bank of our interdisciplinary environmental work in Asia’s Planetary South. These multilayered epistemological debates and conversations lead to the second argument that the South and the North relate to one another simultaneously in symbiotic and paradoxical terms. Through these two arguments, the article addresses the conundrum of what we call the “postcolonial continuation of the colonial environmentality” and attempts to interweave the meaningful return of the eroding Himalayan native knowledges of nature with modern scientific findings in a way that appreciates the livingness of the earth and is inclusive of nonwestern environmental worldviews.

Challenges doi: 10.3390/challe16010018

Authors: Suvechhya Bastola Maria Alba Abad Anurag Adhikari Gaurav Adhikari Aagat Awasthi Ashim Dhakal Rijan Maharjan Rojlina Manandhar Rukumesh Paudyal Sunil Pokhrel Amina Singh Neha Shrestha Lekhendra Tripathee Remco Kort Prajwal Rajbhandari

The Fifth International Conference on Bioscience and Biotechnology, 2024 (ICBB-2024), held in Godawari, Nepal, from 21 to 24 April 2024, aimed to address planetary health challenges within the local context of Nepal while fostering global dialogue. Bringing together 240 participants from 10 countries, including 20 international invited speakers, the conference sought to explore the intersections of human health, environmental sustainability, and societal well-being. Jointly organized by the Research Institute for Bioscience and Biotechnology (RIBB), the University of Nepal Development Board (UoN-DB), Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam (VUA), and the Himalayan Environment Research Institute (HERI) and co-organized by Phutung Research Institute (PRI), Kathmandu Research Institute for Biological Sciences (KRIBS), Engage Nepal with Science (ENwS), and Kathmandu Center for Research and Education (KCRE), the conference represented a collaboration of 15 institutions and companies. With attendees from diverse backgrounds—academia, research institutes, private companies, NGOs, and government organizations—the conference featured a robust program of keynotes, workshops, panel discussions, focus group discussions, and oral and poster presentations. Thematic focuses included sessions on Air and Water, Climate Change, Ecology, Evolutionary and Environmental Sciences, and Global Health. A major highlight was the recognition of Nepal’s rich biodiversity and its vulnerability to the impacts of climate change. The event drew inspiration from the European Planetary Health Hub, convening and exploring sustainable, locally relevant solutions to global planetary health issues. Outcomes of the conference included new research collaborations, an enhanced focus on interdisciplinary approaches to biodiversity conservation, and a deeper understanding of how indigenous knowledge can play a crucial role in environmental sustainability. Additionally, ICBB-2024 set a precedent for eco-friendly conferencing practices by emphasizing sustainability throughout the event. In conclusion, ICBB-2024 succeeded in fostering meaningful dialogue and collaboration, inspiring both local and global actions to address pressing planetary health challenges. The event underscored the importance of integrating science, policy, and traditional knowledge in the pursuit of sustainable solutions for planetary health.

Challenges doi: 10.3390/challe16010017

Authors: Cristian Armijo Castillo Rodolfo Morrison

This study examines the collective experience of the TAIKAN group, a social organization located in the municipality of Canela, Coquimbo Region, Chile. Through a systematization of experience methodology, this research analyzes how the group’s inclusive grassroots practices contribute to social participation, community resilience, and sustainable development in rural contexts. The study employs qualitative methods, including document review, semi-structured interviews, participant observation, and discussion groups, to capture the lived experiences of its members and assess the impact of their initiatives. The findings highlight that TAIKAN fosters a cultural shift towards inclusion by positioning people with disabilities as active agents in their community, promoting autonomy through productive workshops, and engaging in collaborative efforts to reduce structural inequalities. Furthermore, the study situates the TAIKAN experience within the framework of planetary health, demonstrating how local initiatives can align with global efforts to advance social and environmental justice. These insights provide a replicable framework for strengthening marginalized communities in similar rural settings.

Challenges doi: 10.3390/challe16010016

Authors: Romulus Gruia Liviu Gaceu Oana Bianca Oprea

This paper explores the concept of “bioharmonism” as a model for addressing sustainability and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by integrating the principles of biological balance and life harmony at various levels of nature and society. The purpose of this paper is to propose an integrative paradigm that rationally organizes the component concepts of different approaches and nuances developed over time in an attempt to find a path forward regarding contemporary societal changes. Thus, along the lines of transdisciplinary and holistic approaches, a connection is made between natural sciences, specifically life sciences, and social sciences, to understand in this way the evolution of human society. Specifically, the objective of this conceptual viewpoint is related to sustainability, resilience, and planetary health, indicating the need to analyze planetary bioharmony and transfer the model to the structure and functionality of human society. This is achieved by describing the pillars of this complex endeavor in a unified and coherent approach to highlight the bioharmonization process. This paper analyzes the definition and role of societal bioharmonism, then the methodological argumentation based on specific notions, principles, and laws, and finally, describes the application lines of the pillars of bioharmonism, using as a case study the provision of food for the human population. Solutions are highlighted that can conceptually contribute to the evolution of contemporary society, considering the convergence of anthroposystems with ecosystems, based on the interconnection of the current Biological Revolution with the performances offered by the Information Era. These solutions aim at societal bioharmonization, supported complementarily by its specific conceptual pillars, which, through integration and emergence, lead to a dynamic systemic balance. This, in turn, lays the foundation for reintegrating the environment and biodiversity into the economic equation, the citizen into the social equation, and science into the political equation.

Challenges doi: 10.3390/challe16010015

Authors: Alan C. Logan Pragya Mishra

In an ongoing series of interviews, Challenges Advisory Board member and Nova Institute for Health Fellow Alan C. Logan meets with thought leaders, scientists, scholars, healthcare professionals, artisans, and visionaries concerned about health at the scale of individuals, communities, and the planet. Here, Dr. Pragya Mishra responds to a set of questions posed by Challenges. Dr. Mishra, a legal academician and one of the few global scholars with a PhD specifically in neurolaw, is at the forefront of research examining the intersection of law and brain sciences. As a concept and developing field, the promise of neurolaw is that it will lead to a more equitable and less punitive justice system, one based on objective science rather than prescientific assumptions of blameworthiness and willpower. Here, Dr. Mishra reflects on the promises and pitfalls of neurolaw, the growing challenges to the free will assumptions held by the courts, and her work in a field that epitomizes a transdisciplinary effort. She discusses the place of contemplative practices within neurolaw, with special emphasis on the hope of rehabilitation. Dr. Mishra describes neurolaw through a holistic lens, one that embraces future possibilities and the shaping of evidence-based policy changes. While planetary health embraces justice as a broad term, it has paid little attention to the criminal justice system. Discussions of neurolaw are important to the ethical frameworks of planetary health. Neurolaw, as Dr. Mishra explains, is at the heart of the many interconnected challenges of our time.

Challenges doi: 10.3390/challe16010014

Authors: Leonie Hallo Anastasia Hanzis Caroline Rowe

Our world now faces significant challenges including complex issues arising from human–machine interaction. This paper explores how we could address these challenges using a new approach called Cybernetics 3.0. This approach highlights human agency and the co-evolution of humans and machines, particularly regarding how we make decisions. Rather than viewing machines as separate from people, Cybernetics 3.0 views machines as extensions of human action, which is vital in our complex world. This paper argues that when this approach is combined with advanced Web 3.0 technologies, we can create better decision-making systems that integrate both human values and machine capabilities. This paper uses diagrams to illustrate how human and machine decision-making are interconnected and provides a healthcare example to demonstrate the practical value of this framework. Through a holistic and systems thinking approach, we can foster sustainable and wise decisions that will promote human flourishing and planetary health. The discipline of cybernetics is a promising way to better understand the interaction between humans and technology via its focus on systems of control, human–AI learning and communication, feedback loops, self-regulating systems, and knowledge enhancement in humans and machines. Ultimately this approach could help us to address critical issues such as inequality, climate change, and other complex threats to our planet and society.

Challenges doi: 10.3390/challe16010013

Authors: Holly Eagleston Michelle Bester Jubair Yusuf Adit Damodaran Matthew J. Reno

Wildfires are projected to increase in severity and frequency due to climate change, and the electric grid is both a cause of wildfires and is vulnerable to wildfires. Equipment from the electric grid accounts for 10% of fires burned in California and 3% of fires nationally. Recent catastrophic wildfires, such as the Lahaina Fire, Camp Fire, Marshall Fire, and Smokehouse Creek fires, were all started by electrical equipment and show how devastating these events can be because they threaten lives and structures. Vegetation structure, weather and winds, climate and vegetation response, land use, and human activities all impact the likelihood of severe wildfires. We explore the relationship between the built environment, electric grid infrastructure specifically, and its role in causing catastrophic wildfires to find lessons learned for increasing resilience. Electric grid utility companies currently employ multiple methods to mitigate fire, including (1) early detection, (2) grid hardening, (3) vegetation management, and (4) pre-emptive shutoffs. Utility companies need to consider the conditions for wildfire and the impact that each mitigation strategy has on drivers of wildfire behavior, as a single solution will not be adequate. Utility companies need to work with stakeholders to develop a holistic strategy to reduce ignition likelihood and spread likelihood to reduce catastrophic wildfires and improve resiliency.

Challenges doi: 10.3390/challe16010012

Authors: Paul Moore Oyeniyi Akeem Alimi Ahmed Abu-Siada

The global shift towards renewable energy sources (RESs) presents significant challenges to power grid stability, particularly in grids with a high penetration of inverter-based resources (IBRs). The shift to RESs is critical to improve planetary health; however, grids must remain reliable and affordable throughout the transition to ensure economies can thrive and critical infrastructure remains secure. Towards that goal, this review introduces the issues of declining system strength and inertia in such grids, illustrated by case studies of curtailment measures employed by system operators in the deregulated electricity markets of Australia, Ireland, and Texas. In these high-IBR markets, curtailment has become essential to maintain system security. This paper presents the current mitigation strategies used by system operators and discusses their limitations. In addition, the paper presents a comprehensive review and analysis of current research on system strength and inertia estimation techniques, grid modelling approaches, and advanced inverter control, with a particular focus on virtual inertia. Future research directions and recommendations are outlined based on the identified gaps. These recommendations are intended to minimise system operator intervention and RES curtailment while maintaining reliable and affordable grid operation. The insights presented in this paper provide a framework to guide system operators, researchers, and policymakers toward enhancing grid stability while targeting 100% RES.

Challenges doi: 10.3390/challe16010011

Authors: Mal Ridges

Climate change has been described as an existential crisis for humanity. Much has been studied and written about the biophysical and economic factors contributing to climate change, but very little on the psychology of its human-induced origins. In a self-reflective viewpoint influenced by working with Aboriginal people in Australia and connecting deeply with its landscape, this paper explores what connection with nature really means and why some of humanity lost it. It is argued that an alternative avenue for understanding humanity’s existential crisis is to see it as a trauma problem. At the beginning of the Holocene, several cultures around the world, at around the same time, switched to a food storage economy triggered by a rapid change in climate. Little research has explored the psychology of this change, with most focusing on it being an evolutionary success because of the civilised pathway it enabled. However, this paper suggests that it might also be seen as a traumatising process affecting generations of people for millennia and fundamentally altering many people’s relationship with the planet. It is proposed that understanding the psychological origins of the human drivers of climate change could enable collective healing of our relationship with the natural world and that this is necessary to realise planetary health.

Challenges doi: 10.3390/challe16010010

Authors: Patrick Gad Iradukunda Arnaud Iradukunda Pierre Gashema Emile Ngabo Jean de Dieu Tuyishime Tumusime Musafiri Thérèse Umuhoza Ulysse Uwayo Enos Moyo Richard Habimana Claude Mambo Muvunyi Tafadzwa Dzinamarira

The COVID-19 pandemic, caused by SARS-CoV-2, disrupted work and life patterns worldwide, underscoring the urgency of addressing climate change. Despite contributing minimally to global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, Africa faces disproportionate vulnerability to the impacts of climate change. This commentary explores the benefits of blended work models (remote and in-office work) and the readiness of African cities to adopt them. Notably, the shift to working from home (WFH) during the pandemic improved individual well-being and reduced office energy consumption and commuting-related emissions. Robust digital infrastructure and organizational and sustainable policies are essential to fully leverage blended work for urban sustainability. The unexpected opportunities that arose during the pandemic could help African cities address climate change through careful planning and investment.

Challenges doi: 10.3390/challe16010009

Authors: Ajay Khatter

The hospitality sector’s corporate social responsibility (CSR) is dynamic and constantly evolving. This article examines CSR implementation in the hospitality industry and investigates the growing prevalence of CSR initiatives. This research examines the implementation and challenges of CSR in the hospitality sector through a qualitative literature review methodology. The study highlights trends such as community engagement, ethical labour practices, and sustainable resource utilisation while identifying barriers like financial constraints and stakeholder resistance. Moreover, it examines the determinants that influence these patterns, including consumer inclinations, governmental policies, and industry recognition of the social and ecological repercussions. This research enhances the field of theory by consolidating and expanding upon current knowledge regarding CSR, building on Archie Carroll’s Pyramid theory’s focus on economic, legal, ethical, and philanthropic responsibilities and R. Edward Freeman’s Stakeholder Theory’s emphasis on business ethics and corporate governance. Modifications are made to these frameworks to adhere to the precise requirements of the hospitality industry. This research presents an alternative perspective on the intricate relationship between environmental sustainability, social accountability, and financial prosperity within the hospitality sector. This study questions the idea that CSR is either a mandatory obligation or an optional behaviour. Key findings reveal that integrating CSR into business strategies enhances operational efficiency, stakeholder trust, and financial performance. By building on established theoretical frameworks, this research provides actionable insights. It contributes to the global discourse on sustainability, offering a nuanced perspective on the hospitality industry’s evolving role in advancing environmental, social, and financial prosperity.

Challenges doi: 10.3390/challe16010008

Authors: Gavin Melles Suresh Gautam Richan Shrestha

The circular economy (CE) is a global proposition about decoupling consumption and production from resource use through reduce, reuse, and recycle (3R) and other r-strategies. In addition to promoting responsible consumption and production (SDG12), advocates claim the CE has wide-ranging impacts on sustainable development. Critics, however, see ambiguous definitions, practical conflicts with sustainability, and limited global appetite for a sustainability transition through the CE. Despite these criticisms, following the lead of other countries in Asia, Nepal has recently adopted the CE as an answer to waste recycling, sustainable tourism, energy generation, e.g., biogas, and and sustainable development in general. Until recently, the discussion about promoting circular r-strategies in Nepal, such as recycling, has lacked any critical review of circular claims for Nepal. Addressing this lack, this perspectives paper critically examines the scope and claims for the CE in Nepal relative to its sustainable development commitments. In contrast to the prevailing enthusiasm, our review finds that the CE may contribute little to Nepal’s development ambitions, that the EU influence is questionable, and the mainstream CE ignores a tradition of resource efficiency in Nepal. Our review suggests that other institutional demands must be met before with a transition to a sustainable circular economy can happen. The authors hope this perspectives paper will be read by governments, businesses, and other actors to inform a critical review of Nepal’s CE ambitions.

Challenges doi: 10.3390/challe16010007

Authors: Kevin N. Metuge Betrand A. Tambe Fabrice Tonfack Djikeng Aduni Ufuan Achidi Given Chipili Xikombiso G. Mbhenyane

Concerns about global food insecurity have been growing, particularly in low- and middle-income countries. This study aimed to assess the determinants of food security among internally displaced persons (IDPs)—people who have been forced to flee their homes due to conflict, natural disasters, or other crises—and their children under five, as well as the influence on their nutritional status. Using random sampling, the caregivers of IDPs and children under five in households were included in the study. The caregivers were interviewed using a validated structured questionnaire, while nutritional assessments of both children and adults were conducted through anthropometric and clinical evaluation methods. The findings revealed a high prevalence of food insecurity, with 97.6% of IDP households experiencing some degree of insecurity. Additionally, 28.3% of the surveyed households had high dietary diversity. Among the children, 50.6% were stunted, over a third were underweight, and 15.8% were wasted, indicating severe nutritional deficiencies. Among adults, 28.4% were overweight or obese, while a significant number were underweight. Multiple linear regression analysis showed that the caregivers’ monthly salary and the average amount spent on food were associated with a decrease in food insecurity. Conversely, large household sizes and coping strategies employed to mitigate food insecurity were linked to increased food insecurity. In conclusion, the study highlights a high prevalence of food insecurity among IDP households, forcing families to adopt coping strategies, mainly through dietary modifications. This, in turn, contributes to low dietary diversity and poor nutritional status, with children suffering from underweight, wasting, and stunting. These findings underscore the urgent need for comprehensive interventions, including the distribution of food vouchers, cash transfers, food banks, and support for home gardening and small-scale farming, as well as education on meal rationing, meal planning, and family planning services. Addressing the root causes of food insecurity—namely low household income and large family sizes—can improve access to nutritious food and ensure the health and well-being of IDPs. Furthermore, addressing food insecurity within this vulnerable group is critical to the broader goals of planetary health, as it highlights the intersection of human health, social equity, and environmental sustainability. By promoting sustainable food systems and supporting vulnerable populations, these interventions can contribute to the resilience of both communities and eco-systems in the face of ongoing global challenges.

Challenges doi: 10.3390/challe16010006

Authors: Filippo Dal Fiore

The current global academic system, rooted in a reductionist, materialist and westernized worldview, reflects the modern industrial era in which it took shape and is therefore ill-equipped to address the complex challenges of today’s polycrisis. This viewpoint offers a vision for a complementary system aimed at filling this gap, one grounded on an expanded notion of what science and higher education can be and how best they can serve the world. It is part of an independent research and book project on the broad topic of Reimagining Academia, developed in dialogue with pioneering and spiritually oriented scientific and professional networks. Moving from the recognition of the principal limits of today’s universities, the paper describes an alternative home for all those scholars, students, practitioners and social constituencies whose worldviews and knowledge systems are shifting towards more holistic approaches. Grounded on a new ontological framework and on a human-centered modus operandi, the proposed system would aim to revive scientific disciplines from the inside out, by means of new life-affirming assumptions and purposes. The paper concludes by outlining practical steps for the realization of this vision, proposing a global alliance of scientific, cultural, and social actors.

Challenges doi: 10.3390/challe16010005

Authors: Ingela Steij Stålbrand Ive Brissman Lovisa Nyman Erik Sidenvall Mattias Tranberg Anika Wallin Christine Wamsler Juliet Jacobsen

Existential threats, including threats to the self, society, and the planet, are present throughout the lifespan and form a core element of the human experience. To consolidate knowledge and constructs about how people can adequately respond to existential threats, we convened an interdisciplinary working group, which consisted of eight researchers from the fields of psychology, systemic theology, practical theology, religious studies, cognitive science, palliative care, and sustainability science. The group met one day per week for 9 months to engage in an interactive co-creative process of data collection and analyses, discussion, iterative presentations, and writing. The process resulted in the development of an interdisciplinary model that pulls together the key themes of how people, societies, and systems can foster existential resilience and transformation. The model consists of three axes across which we (individuals, groups, systems) have to strengthen or stretch our “inner muscles”: connectedness, agency, and time. All axes contribute to the development of our inner capacities and, ultimately, meaning and purpose, which are crucial to support resilience and transformation. Our interdisciplinary overarching model provides a common conceptualization for existential resilience and transformation that can bridge existing research to support individual, collective, and large-scale system-change work. Its relevance and potential implementation are illustrated and presented from different disciplinary angles.

Challenges doi: 10.3390/challe16010004

Authors: Aristide Guillaume Silapeux Kamda Pricillia Anjeh Gillian Asoba Solange Nwobonche Chiakeh Elizabeth Nebale Francesca Baldi Samuel Metugue Fidelis Ebong Chiara Frazzoli

Food contact materials release bioactive molecules that are potentially detrimental to health. Despite the relevance of this daily and repeated exposure, little attention is paid to single-use materials in contact with food. In Cameroon, despite the local tradition of using biodegradable and compostable leafy plants and the government’s decision to ban the use and marketing of plastics, they are still massively used in contact with food. The aim of this study was to explore the dynamics of the ongoing trend in the use of plastics for food handling. A cross-sectional study was conducted in March 2023 to investigate consumers’ perceptions of the benefits and drawbacks of plastics and traditional leaves as food contact materials. Two hundred consumers were interviewed at eight restaurants in Kumba municipalities through a structured questionnaire. The result of this study revealed that consumers considered that plant-based materials do not affect human health; they know that leaves, compared to plastics, are easier to dispose of and that plastic is an environmental hazard. Age and education turned out to significantly affect all the answers, while income did not. The current study highlights the need to provide clear and updated information on the long-term danger posed to health and the environment by plastics used to cook, store, protect, and transport food. Despite the numerous advantages and benefits of traditional leaves as food contact material, their traditional use by the population has been lost. Consumers in Cameroon are at a critical juncture in choosing biodegradable and compostable food contact materials. This transition can be accelerated if governments invest in actions and measures to curb and potentially reverse the widespread adoption of plastics as a symbol of modernity. Scientific and technological research should engage in the innovation of traditional plant-based materials. This local example is also intended to provide impetus for more global investment in traditional plant-based materials for food packaging to support sustainability and the planetary health agenda.

Challenges doi: 10.3390/challe16010003

Authors: Fenella Ross Campbell Middleton Olivia Remes

Climate change will lead to widespread adverse global impacts on nature, people and economies. The importance of gender in tackling climate change is becoming increasingly evident, with the Paris Agreement highlighting this. According to the evidence base, women typically show higher levels of concern and action towards climate change within the general public, within politics and on company boards. However, few studies have investigated the influence of gender on climate concerns and action within the workforce. The construction industry is one of the biggest emitters of greenhouse gases; therefore, this is a key sector to focus on with respect to decarbonisation. Simultaneously, construction is dominated by men and has significant gender inequity issues. Given the importance of including women in climate change decisions, it is important to assess construction employees’ knowledge and awareness regarding this key issue. Quota and snowball sampling techniques were used to recruit UK-based participants (n = 30) from a large engineering/construction company to explore the perceived concern, importance and action towards climate change, and qualitative analysis using NVivo 14 software was employed to identify key themes. This qualitative work provides initial important insights for an industry with one of the largest carbon footprints in the world and that also reports significant gender inequities.

Challenges doi: 10.3390/challe16010002

Authors: Alessandro Indelicato Rossella Maria Pia Di Rocco Juan Carlos Martín Vincenzo Marinello

The most visible and well-known consequence of natural and environmental disasters is displacement. The paper analyzes environmentally induced displacement and attitudes towards climate change in Italy between 2013 and 2023. For this purpose, the Gradient Boosting Model (GBM) is used to analyze environmental displacement, while the Fuzzy-Hybrid TOPSIS is implemented to study climate change concerns. The results show that weather-related disasters are the most important casual climate effect on displacement. Furthermore, the issue of climate change is far from uniform and varies significantly across socio-economic factors such as age, education, religion, and income.

Challenges doi: 10.3390/challe16010001

Authors: Zulaikha Mokhtar Steven Kenway Irdayanti Mat Nashir

This study thoroughly examines the environmental challenges faced by Malaysian industries in adhering to industrial effluent regulations, addressing the question: what are the obstacles to compliance from the industry’s perspective? This study focuses on eight industries known for low environmental compliance over a seven-year period. Interviews with 13 stakeholders with combined operational experience of over 200 years were conducted to uncover barriers to compliance from the industry’s viewpoint. Key challenges identified include costs, employee attitudes, technology, management support, public complaints, and jurisdictional issues. The responses highlighted the complexity of compliance issues, ranging from divergent to unified viewpoints. According to respondents, enhancing compliance hinges on behavioral changes driven by awareness, incentives, enforcement, guidance, industry ratings, management commitment, and public disclosure of emissions data. This approach provides fresh practical insights that contribute to policy development, insights not previously documented in the literature. This study underscores the government’s crucial role in regulation adherence and the need to analyze barriers and explore alternative approaches. Understanding industry perspectives and strategies for continuous improvement is imperative. Therefore, analyzing current challenges and adopting adaptive measures are essential steps towards achieving self-compliance, continuous improvement, and ensuring environmental sustainability.

Challenges doi: 10.3390/challe15040047

Authors: Erik Persson

In the published paper [1], the link in reference [11] was not correct; the corrected one is as follows:11 [...]

Challenges doi: 10.3390/challe15040046

Authors: Jessica LeClair De-Ann Sheppard Robin Evans-Agnew

Humans and more-than-humans experience injustices related to the triple planetary crisis of climate change, pollution, and biodiversity loss. Nurses hold the power and shared Responsibility (Note on Capitalization: Indigenous Scholars resist colonial grammatical structures and recognize ancestral knowledge by capitalizing references to Indigenous Ways of Knowing (Respect, Relations, and Responsibilities are capitalized to acknowledge Indigenous Mi’kmaw Teachings of our collective Responsibilities to m’sit no’ko’maq (All our Relations). Respect for Land, Nature, Knowledge Keepers, Elders, and the names of Tribes, including the Salmon People and sacred spaces, such as the Longhouse, are also denoted with capitals)) to support the health and well-being of each other and Mother Earth. The heart of the Planetary Health movement to address these impacts centers on an understanding of humanity’s interconnection within Nature. As nurses, we seek partnerships with more-than-human communities to promote personal and collective wellness, Planetary Health, and multispecies justice. This article introduces a longitudinal, collaborative autoethnography of our initial engagement with more-than-human communities. In this research, we utilize reflexive photovoice and shared journals to describe our early conversation about this interconnection with three waterways across diverse geographies. This work acknowledges the importance of relational and embodied Ways of Knowing and Being. We invite nurses to embrace the heart of the Planetary Health movement and share these stories with their more-than-human community partners.

Challenges doi: 10.3390/challe15040045

Authors: Kira L. Johnson Maya K. Gislason Diego S. Silva Maxwell J. Smith Chris Buse

Planetary health definitions are clear about advancing human well-being, aiming for the highest standard of health worldwide. Planetary health recognizes human health is dependent on natural systems; however, framing human health as the central consideration of planetary health may risk rendering invisible the non-human species that are central to the viability of ecosystem services and human survival. This review seeks to discover and describe opportunities for advancing discourses on planetary health justice through exploration of the interspecies justice literature. This rapid review of forty-three articles asks the following: how does health arise in interspecies justice literature and how can interspecies justice advance broader conceptualizations of justice in planetary health? Results suggest opportunities for epistemological expansion within planetary health to include consideration of other species, ecosystems, and relationships between them. Examining what health is for more-than-humans, reflecting on how we understand these interdependencies, and advocating for decolonizing planetary health study and practice are critical to growing planetary health justice.

Challenges doi: 10.3390/challe15040044

Authors: Ivy Chumo Blessing Mberu Caroline Kabaria

Urban informality, often viewed negatively, is not solely the product of the urban poor but also reflects the failure of formal systems to adapt. Informal workers, who make up about 61% of the global workforce, operate outside formal labor laws and significantly contribute to urban development. Understanding and harnessing community capitals are vital for sustainable urban development. This qualitative study explored the community capitals framework (CCF) in an urban context, addressing the limitations of quantitative data on CCF, which often overlooks critical social factors. This study team conducted in-depth interviews with 36 informal service providers from the education, healthcare, water, sanitation, and solid waste management sectors. Additionally, four local leaders from two urban informal settlements in Nairobi, Kenya, were interviewed. The data from the transcripts were analyzed using thematic framework analysis, guided by the community capitals framework. We identified seven forms of community capital that benefit informal workers: natural, cultural, human, social, political, financial, and built. Human capital, which focuses on skills and qualities, was the most frequently utilized, followed by social capital, which centers on connections and relationships. Next in importance were financial and political capital. Although cultural capital was the least implemented, it was described as important for reflecting community knowledge and traditions. Examples of these capitals in action included solid waste workers, manual pit emptiers, education providers, health workers, and water service providers, who all contributed to urban development and well-being through waste management, sanitation, education, healthcare, and access to clean water. In conclusion, service providers use community capitals as a planning tool to understand dynamics, refine strategies, and build trust for urban development. Each capital functions like a community bank account, containing strengths and opportunities. Although cultural capital was ranked last, it warrants further research to explore its drivers. Additional research is needed to fully grasp the relationships among the various capitals and their impact on service delivery.

Challenges doi: 10.3390/challe15040043

Authors: Shilpi Tewari Nidhi Pandey Jierui Dong

Air pollution is a pervasive global issue affecting human health, ecosystems, and the environment. This paper reviews the evolution and implementation of air quality legislation in Australia and Canada, providing a comparative analysis of their approaches to managing air pollution. Both countries have established robust legal frameworks to address air quality issues, involving governmental policies, regulatory mechanisms, and collaborative efforts among stakeholders. Australia began its air quality regulation at the state level in the 1950s, evolving into a national framework with the National Environment Protection Measure for Ambient Air Quality in 1998. In contrast, Canada centralized its efforts with the Clean Air Act in 1971, complemented by the National Air Pollution Surveillance program. Key findings reveal that, while both nations have achieved significant improvements in air quality, challenges remain in addressing the broader impacts of air pollution, such as climate change and health-related economic burdens. Australia’s air quality standards are generally more stringent than Canada’s for particulate matter but more relaxed for sulfur dioxide, nitrogen dioxide, and ozone. Both countries employ advanced air quality monitoring and reporting systems, with Australia’s Air Quality Index and Canada’s Air Quality Health Index providing critical public health information. The study highlights the need for continuous improvement and a more integrated approach to air quality management. By examining the legislative and regulatory landscapes of Australia and Canada, this paper offers valuable insights for other countries striving to enhance their air quality governance and mitigate the adverse effects of air pollution on a global scale.

Challenges doi: 10.3390/challe15040042

Authors: Wendy Ellyatt

Worldviews, the foundational assumptions guiding human behaviour and societal systems, are pivotal in shaping planetary health and human flourishing. This paper discusses two divergent worldviews that have prevailed in human populations over time and which are still evident today: the Holistic/Non-linear Worldview, which emphasises interconnectedness and harmony with nature, and the Dualistic/Linear Worldview, which prioritises human-centric activities and the more recent exploitation of nature. The characteristics of human worldviews are explored, including how these are formed in early life via the vital role of human communication and storytelling and the expressive role of the arts. To support the future of human flourishing, this paper makes the case for an integrative worldview that would enable us to embrace paradox and complexity, to seek synthesis, and to promote an integrated approach that reconciles the tensions between seemingly opposing ways of understanding our world. The principle of “Right Relationship”—fostering reciprocal, respectful, and sustainable interactions between humans and the natural world—is examined as a possible framework that could be employed to help humanity navigate today’s global crises and create the conditions for a sustainable, flourishing future.

Challenges doi: 10.3390/challe15040041

Authors: Jennifer Cole Mutiat Adetona Afisu Basiru Wasiu Jimoh Somrat Abdulsalami Rodhiat Ade-Yusuf Karimat Babalola Victoria Adetunji Akeem Ahmed Ismail Adeyemo Abiola Olajide Abdulfatai Aremu Ismail Odetokun Mahmoud Eltholth

This paper presents a case study of Fulani herdsmen in Nigeria, whose traditional ethnoveterinary practices risk being lost as the country transitions to more intensive and enclosed livestock practices. We use a planetary health framing to make visible the value of indigenous practices that are less damaging to the environment, animal welfare, and human health. Through ethnographic observation, focus group discussions (FGDs), and key stakeholder interviews, we show that the Fulani use a complex system of herbal medicines and traditional herding practices to maintain herd health, and to manage and treat animal disease when it arises. However, their traditions often sit uncomfortably with commercial farming practices. As traditional Fulani grazing lands are eroded, dispossessed Fulani take employment from businessmen farmers. Both parties’ inexperience with shed hygiene, artificial feed, and less environmentally resilient crossbreeds leads to an increased incidence of infectious disease. This, in turn, drives the higher use of antibiotics. There is, thus, a ‘causal chain’ of underlying drivers that lead, through poorer environmental, animal, and human health, to the increased use of antibiotics. The antibiotic resistance that emerges from this chain threatens human health now and in the future. Through a planetary health framing, we advocate for a deeper understanding of the knowledge held by Fulani herdsmen and their traditional ethnoveterinary practices as an alternative to increasing antibiotic use (ABU).

Challenges doi: 10.3390/challe15040040

Authors: Leocardia Ranga Francesco Noci Maria Dermiki

While insect-based foods could contribute towards sustainable protein consumption and production, their successful adoption relies largely on consumer acceptance. This case study aims to explore factors affecting acceptance and to identify the insect-based foods that participants would like to be developed and introduced to the market. Three focus groups incorporating optional tasting sessions of insect-based foods were conducted in Ireland, a country where these foods were unavailable at the time of the study. Findings showed that before the tasting sessions, public opinion, portion size comparisons (insects vs. meat), and witnessing entomophagy-related disturbing experiences through television were some of the factors that negatively influenced acceptance. Lack of availability in Ireland was the main factor that hindered consumption among participants willing to consume these foods. Participants’ usual food choice motives, sensory attributes, and inclusion percentages of insects in food were some factors which affected acceptance following the tasting sessions. A variety of insect-based foods was suggested for product development, which were mostly components of a main meal. The findings of this study could give an initial indication of product ideas that could be explored further for product development in regions where insect-based foods are not readily available on the market. These findings could contribute to future studies that would aim to build quantitative tools.

Challenges doi: 10.3390/challe15040039

Authors: Alice A. Gaughan Laura J. Rush Ann Scheck McAlearney

Long COVID affects millions of people worldwide and has emerged as a major health consequence of the COVID-19 pandemic. While quantitative studies have helped paint a picture of ongoing symptomatology, there are very few longitudinal qualitative studies that present patients’ perspectives about the significant and persistent impact Long COVID has on their daily lives. To address this gap, we conducted semi-structured qualitative interviews with nine Long COVID patients about 15 months after we performed an initial set of interviews with those patients who were seeking care at a Long COVID specialty clinic. Most patients that we re-interviewed reported having lingering symptoms that continue to impact their lives. Many described suffering with mental health issues, particularly depression and anxiety. Others described financial stress. Most reported not yet being unable to return to their pre-COVID level of health and well-being. Our work demonstrates the ongoing need to study Long COVID and provide robust social support, mental health resources, and healthcare focused on symptom relief.

Challenges doi: 10.3390/challe15030038

Authors: Carol Nash

The seventeen UN SDGs address critical global challenges. Among them, Goal 10—reducing inequality—and Goal 16—promoting peace, justice, and strong institutions—serve as foundational pillars in democracies, enabling the achievement of all other goals. Children, youth, and persons with disabilities are among those who stand to benefit most from these goals. Insights from the naturalistic decision-making practices of intentional communities, often framed as Contenders or Deviants in social construction theory, could be instrumental in advancing these objectives. This study examines the decision-making practices of three intentional communities representing youth, disabled persons, and children, each fostering a different version of equitable, peaceful, and justice-oriented governance to build strong institutions. The communities studied include a self-producing Korean popular music (K-pop) group representing youth Contenders, a mental health-supporting annual English conference for individuals on the autistic spectrum, and a Canadian alternative education, self-directed public senior elementary and secondary school—both considered Deviant societies in social construction theory, one focusing on disabled persons and the other on children. The historical method assesses the effectiveness of these communities’ preferred practices in achieving Goals 10 and 16. The results offer actionable insights for enhancing equality, peace, and justice while strengthening institutions to realize the full range of UN SDGs in democratic societies.

Challenges doi: 10.3390/challe15030037

Authors: Amir Khorram-Manesh Krzysztof Goniewicz Frederick M. Burkle

The United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (UN’s SDG) are a set of actionable frameworks, which can be achieved through collaboration among nations, emphasizing the significant role of leadership. Recent geopolitical trends have spotlighted leaders with pronounced sociopathic narcissistic characteristics, opposing any collaborative approach to achieving the UN’s SDGs. This study used a mix method (a scoping review and action research), to critically investigate the impact of leadership, narcissistic leadership in particular, on achieving the UN’s SDGs. The results showed that publications discussing the impacts of narcissism on achieving interconnected SDGs are scarce. The systemic negative factors enabling narcissistic leaders to rise above and keep power, and potential strategies to inhibit such leadership styles were critically discussed. The loss of the Sustainable Development Goals remains the best indicator of the global negative impact of narcissistic leadership and its influence on global health systems. It is not country-specific and is the only legitimate global measure available. Preventing the rise of such leadership, particularly in low- and middle-income countries may avert wars, conflicts, and their deadly outcomes from national and global perspectives. Novel global policies are urgently needed to safeguard global peace, health, and security.

Challenges doi: 10.3390/challe15030036

Authors: Bianca Briciu Sergio Michel Rosario Chavez

This paper analyzes Safe Space for Dialogue as a group practice for accessing connected consciousness through the safe expression of emotional experience, empathic listening, and compassionate witnessing. It highlights the importance of connected consciousness to overcome architectures of separation that breed fear, isolation, domination, and instrumentalization of relationships. Connected consciousness is an intersubjective, relational experience that makes possible connection, compassion, and empathic and generative dialogue. This article offers an outline of the main qualities of connected consciousness—safety, empathy and compassion, attunement, and resonance; it analyzes how the practice of Safe Space for Dialogue develops expanded awareness and compassion, supporting participants’ access to the connected consciousness.

Challenges doi: 10.3390/challe15030035

Authors: Pilar Posadas de Julián Carmen Verdejo Lucas Belén de Rueda Villén María del Mar Haro-Soler José Gijón-Puerta Elvira Cámara Aguilera Mercedes García de Quesada

We are currently facing a potential ‘polycrisis’, a critical inflection point that requires a holistic response aimed at building collective foresight and preparedness for short-, medium-, and long-term risks. The role of higher education institutions and social stakeholders is decisive for sustainability goals. This paper presents a case study where academia, governance, and industry have aligned to challenge, inspire, and encourage universities to enhance student growth and bind macro-scale measures leading to a sustainable future. A teaching innovation project has served as a transforming lever, in combination with the private sector, to create a platform that reaches more than 50,000 undergraduate students and teaching staff. This structure, rooted in the 2031 Strategic Plan of the University of Granada, has also served to channel local and regional initiatives, establish effective partnerships with broad social members, raise awareness, and promote actions to advance in the pursuit of Sustainable Development Goals. A comprehensive overview is provided, which details its chronology, materials, results, challenges, impact, and descriptions of the various courses, programs, and actions. The paper concludes with recommendations for future research, policy and cooperation among stakeholders.

Challenges doi: 10.3390/challe15030034

Authors: Paolo Raile

Eco-anxiety, a growing psychological concern, affects an increasing number of individuals distressed about environmental degradation and climate change. Morita therapy, a psychological approach developed in Japan, that emphasizes acceptance and action has potential applicability for treating modern anxieties such as eco-anxiety. An illustrative case report focusing on Waltraud M., a 29-year-old legal professional experiencing eco-anxiety is used as an example for the basis of exploring eco-anxiety in general and Morita therapy more specifically. The therapeutic intervention was conducted over several months, and the progress was documented through therapeutic diary entries, which detailed her emotional state and actions. Waltraud reported significant improvements in managing her anxiety. Initially overwhelmed by her ecological concerns, she learned to channel her anxieties into positive actions, such as making lifestyle adjustments that align with her environmental values. Notably, her ability to focus on immediate actions rather than future uncertainties helped reduce her anxiety symptoms. Morita therapy proved beneficial in managing Waltraud’s eco-anxiety by facilitating a shift from passive worry to active engagement with life’s challenges. The therapy’s focus on accepting emotions as they are, without trying to change them, and prioritizing meaningful action was effective in reducing the psychological distress associated with eco-anxiety. While promising, these findings are based on a single case report, and further research involving diverse populations and control groups is necessary to generalize the results and fully ascertain the therapy’s efficacy across different cultural and clinical settings.

Challenges doi: 10.3390/challe15030033

Authors: Tshidi Mokgatsane Baloyi Thabang Maphanga Benett Siyabonga Madonsela Qolani Golden Mongwe Karabo Concelia Malakane Xolisiwe Sinalo Grangxabe Babalwa Gqomfa

The integration of indigenous knowledge systems into the discussion of bush encroachment management is of paramount importance. Indigenous knowledge and formal monitoring may be mutually beneficial, and using both approaches can improve natural resource management. Savannah rangeland landscapes hold deep cultural and spiritual significance for indigenous communities, and their perceptions can provide valuable insights into creating more effective, community-driven conservation initiatives. This study was aimed at filling the existing knowledge and research gap on bush encroachment control by focusing on the integration of indigenous knowledge systems. To achieve this, the current research included three distinct non-probability sampling strategies: (1) Purposive, (2) Snowball, (3) Convenience sampling methods. The results showed that 90.3% of the participants indicated that the main encroaching species of concern was sickle bush (Dichrostachys cinerea) and it is therefore perceived as a problem in the rangeland. The majority of farmer respondents indicated that they cut the encroacher plant down, uproot all root systems, then burn the remaining roots. This is reported to be a more effective way of managing sickle bush as an encroacher plant. Both genders generally believe in the efficacy of these systems, with variations in levels of agreement. However, a gender disparity emerges in opinions on incorporating communal-based approaches, emphasizing the need to consider gender perspectives in environmental management initiatives. Therefore, considering this, the study concludes that a holistic approach, integrating both formal and informal knowledge systems, may be crucial for sustainable and effective management strategies. Given that, recognizing the diversity of perspectives within the community, particularly regarding gender differences, is essential for developing inclusive and community-driven environmental management initiatives.

Challenges doi: 10.3390/challe15020032

Authors: Louise Manning

The current geopolitical and socioeconomic landscape creates a difficult and uncertain operating environment for farming and agri-food businesses. Technological innovation has not been suggested to be a “silver bullet” but is one of the ways organizations can seek to reduce environmental impact, deliver net zero, address the rural skills and labor deficit and produce more output from fewer resources and as a result, make space for nature. But what barriers limit this promissory narrative from delivering in practice? The purpose of the paper is to firstly explore the reported social, technical and systemic barriers to agri-technology adoption in an increasingly uncertain world and then secondly identify potential research gaps that highlight areas for future research and inform key research questions. Socio-technical and infrastructural barriers have been identified within the context of the complex hollowing out and infilling of rural communities across the world. These barriers include seventeen factors that emerge, firstly those external to the farm (economic conditions, external conditions including bureaucracy, market conditions, weather uncertainty and the narratives about farmers), those internal to the farm business (farming conditions, employee relations, general finance, technology and time pressures) and then personal factors (living conditions, personal finances, physical health, role conflict, social isolation and social pressure). Adaptive resilience strategies at personal, organizational and community levels are essential to address these barriers and to navigate agri-technology adoption in an uncertain and dynamic world.

Challenges doi: 10.3390/challe15020031

Authors: Paula Regina Humbelino de Melo Péricles Vale Alves Vandoir Bourscheidt Tatiana Souza de Camargo

The Brazilian Legal Amazon, crucial for ecosystem services such as biodiversity, carbon sequestration, and climate regulation, has declined over time in its capacity to absorb carbon dioxide. In response, global policies are being developed to mitigate climate change, which has emerged as a central issue in the planetary health approach. The objective of this study was to investigate how elementary school students in a rural school in the Southern Amazonas state perceive climate change and understand its implications for the health of the planet. Understanding the phenomenon’s complexity, we conducted research with students from riverside communities in the Southern Amazon region. The data were analyzed using relative, absolute and percentage frequency tables, with a Fisher’s test applied at a 5% significance level. A significant finding was the predominant difficulty students had in accurately conceptualizing climate change, highlighting notable gaps in their understanding of these wide-ranging issues. In the context of the global climate crisis we are experiencing, the integration of concepts related to climate change in basic education becomes indispensable. This study emphasizes not only the existing knowledge gap but also the urgency of educational approaches that prepare children and young people for the challenges of mitigation, adaptation, and understanding the complexities of climate change and its planetary implications.

Challenges doi: 10.3390/challe15020030

Authors: Valesca S. M. Venhof Carolyn Stephens Pim Martens

Circumpolar Indigenous People, such as the Sámi, confront significant challenges stemming from environmental shifts and interrelated issues, profoundly affecting their mental health. Nonetheless, they possess invaluable knowledge and capabilities to navigate and adapt to these transformations. This review aims to investigate peer-reviewed scientific literature, exploring the nexus between environmental changes and mental well-being within the broader Circumpolar Indigenous community, with a special focus on the Sámi People. Conducting a systematic literature review with two arms, one encompassing the broader Circumpolar Indigenous population and the other focusing specifically on the Sámi, followed by thematic analysis, we delved into their experiences of environmental changes, perceptions regarding the intertwining of environmental shifts and mental well-being, and insights into protective factors and resilience-promoting elements. By engaging with Indigenous perspectives, public health initiatives can pinpoint and leverage existing strengths within Indigenous communities and families to bolster their ability to navigate environmental shifts and safeguard mental well-being. However, our review highlighted a lack of scientific investigation of ’strength-based’ factors fostering mental resilience among Indigenous populations inhabiting the Circumpolar North, such as the Sámi. Future qualitative research can address this gap, incorporating the viewpoints of individual Circumpolar Indigenous groups to explore both their distinctiveness and interconnectedness.

Challenges doi: 10.3390/challe15020029

Authors: Brian L. Ott

Efforts to create a sustainable future require careful and complex thinking, interdisciplinary and cross-organizational collaboration, and effective and ethical communication. However, the structural biases of digital communication technologies foster modes of thought and expression that undermine or impede these necessities. While one possible solution to this problem is digital literacy, the two prevailing paradigms of digital literacy both reproduce the myth of technological neutrality. This myth further inhibits sustainability by wrongly suggesting that digital technologies are appropriate to all communication goals and tasks. As a corrective to these models, I propose a new paradigm of digital literacy, one rooted in media ecology. The adoption of this model, I maintain, allows us to consciously co-create our social world rather than merely inhabit it.

Challenges doi: 10.3390/challe15020028

Authors: Birgitta Nordén

Methodologies for future-oriented research are mutually beneficial in highlighting different methodological perspectives and proposals for extending higher-education didactics toward sustainability. This study explores how different augmented-reality applications can enable new ways of teaching and learning. It systematically investigates how student teachers (n = 18) in higher education experienced ongoing realities while designing learning activities for a hybrid conference and interconnecting sustainability knowings via didactic modeling and design thinking. This qualitative study aims to develop a conceptual hybrid framework concerning the implications of student teachers incorporating design thinking and inner transition into their professional work with future-oriented methodologies on didactic modeling for sustainability commitment. With a qualitative approach, data were collected during and after a hackathon-like workshop through student teachers’ reflections, post-workshop surveys, and observation field notes. The thematic analysis shed light on transgressive learning and a transition in sustainability mindset through the activation of inner dimensions. Findings reinforcing sustainability commitment evolved around the following categories: being authentic (intra-personal competence), collaborating co-creatively (interpersonal competence), thinking long-term-oriented (futures-thinking competence on implementing didactics understanding), relating to creative confidence (values-thinking competence as embodied engagement), and acting based on perseverant professional knowledge-driven change (bridging didactics) by connecting theory-loaded empiricism and empirically loaded theory. The results highlight some of the key features of future-oriented methodologies and approaches to future-oriented methodologies, which include collaboration, boundary crossing, and exploration, and show the conditions that can support or hinder methodological development and innovation.

Challenges doi: 10.3390/challe15020027

Authors: Tual Sawn Khai Jacob Oppong Nkansah Abdul Wali Khan Muhammad Asaduzzaman

The rapid growth of the elderly population is a major global demographic and social issue. Unfortunately, there is a shortage of pension plans and social security programmes for this population in developing countries, which has severe consequences for their quality of life and well-being. In this article, we aim to better understand the pension systems in developing country contexts such as Ghana, Pakistan, and Myanmar by reviewing official government materials (for example, pension reports) and the published literature to suggest relevant policy recommendations. We observed several policy implementation gaps and inequities in pension schemes for older people, specifically for informal and private sector workers. Considering the size of formal versus informal economies and the level of development index of each country, we suggest a wide variety of options for pension policies, financing, designing cash benefits, and pension payments to cover all older citizens. This article addresses the unmet needs of the elderly and their wider economic sustainability to ensure social justice and resource utilisation. Governments in developing countries should embrace and establish unique, inclusive, and friendly policies encompassing the informal sector to warrant older adults’ functional and social well-being with dignity and honour.

Challenges doi: 10.3390/challe15020026

Authors: Susan L. Prescott David Webb

Since its inception in 2010, Challenges has had a strong interdisciplinary focus on sustainability and global challenges, including many important contributions to advances in renewable energies, biodiversity, food security, climate change, urban and rural development, green design, and the interrelated implications for human and environmental health [...]

Challenges doi: 10.3390/challe15020025

Authors: Charlotte Petersson Troije Ebba Lisberg Jensen David Redmalm Lena Wiklund Gustin

White-collar workers around the world are reconfiguring their ways of working. Some have found their way out, performing office work outdoors, through walk-and-talks, outdoor meetings, or reading sessions. Working outdoors has proved both invigorating and challenging. This qualitative interview study aims to develop a conceptual framework concerning the implications of white-collar workers incorporating the outdoors into their everyday work life. Applying a constructivist grounded theory approach, 27 interviews with a total of 15 participants were systematically analyzed. Findings evolved around the following categories: practicing outdoor office work, challenging the taken-for-granted, enjoying freedom and disconnection, feeling connected and interdependent, promoting health and well-being, enhancing performance, and finally adding a dimension to work. These categories were worked into a conceptual model, building on the dynamic relationship between the practice of working outdoors on one hand, and how this challenges the system in which office work traditionally takes place on the other. Interviews reflected the profound learning process of the employees. Drawing on the concepts of free space and resonance, we demonstrate how performing office work outdoors may unlock a transformative potential by opening up connectedness and interdependence and contribute to a sustainable work life as well as overall sustainable development.