Within the context of EU efforts to achieve the objectives of sustainable development, this article presents the findings of a study that uses a selection of thirty-two economic, social, and ...environmental indicators to evaluate the extent of achieving these objectives in Slovenian statistical regions from 2010 to 2014. Based on the favorable or unfavorable state and trends established, the indicator values are assigned scores that make it possible to calculate the average values for individual development areas and their total average (i.e., the indicator of sustainable regional development). The calculations confirmed the hypothesis that the differences between Slovenian regions are the greatest with regard to economic issues and the smallest with regard to environmental issues. Both in Slovenia and in the EU in general, unfavorable environmental trends resulting from unsustainable use of energy and natural resources persist, even though Slovenia’s environment remains above average in terms of its conservation.
Over the last few decades, the European Union has intensified its commitments to decouple socio-economic progress from resource use and environmental impacts. This article examines the performance of ...countries in implementing selected aspects of these commitments in the period 1990–2016. To this end, it focuses on the relationships between progress in human development, in particular in raising people’s incomes, and pressures on natural resources and ecosystem services, as incorporated in the concept of ecological footprint. The results show a certain measure of success in decoupling the two among the countries of the European Union, but the same cannot be said of the world’s countries more generally.
Plans for achieving sustainable development around the world are based on the assumption that socio-economic progress can be ensured only by staying within the carrying capacity of the environment, ...which has already been exceeded in a number of areas. In this paper the concepts of human development and ecological footprint have been combined in order to shed light on the current state and trends over time. Using available data for the human development index and the ecological footprint, 175 countries were included in the analysis of the current state (based on data from 2016), while 121 countries were analysed in the study of trends from 1990 to 2016. Based on their degree of success or failure in approaching decoupling targets, the countries were further classified into three types. All countries have shown progress in human development, which has been accompanied on a global scale by a large increase in environmental pressures, and this is still reflected in the high correlation of the human development index and the ecological footprint per capita. However, for only 38% of countries could it be concluded that socio-economic progress in the period 1990-2016 was achieved while reducing the per capita consumption of natural resources and ecosystem services.
Zmanjševanje regionalnih razvojnih razlik in uravnotežen razvoj, temelječ na načelih trajnostnega razvoja, sta osrednja cilja regionalne politike v Sloveniji, zato v članku preučujemo uspešnost ...slovenskih regij pri doseganju teh ciljev na socialno-ekonomskem in okoljskem področju po letu 2010. V ta namen so bili preučeni štirje sintezni kazalniki (bruto domači proizvod na prebivalca, ekološki odtis na prebivalca, indeks razvojne ogroženosti in kazalnik trajnostnega regionalnega razvoja) in 32 posameznih ekonomskih, socialnih in okoljskih kazalnikov, ki so vključeni tudi v izračun kazalnika trajnostnega regionalnega razvoja. Večina ekonomskih in socialnih kazalnikov kaže približevanje strateškim razvojnim ciljem, večina okoljskih pa oddaljevanje od njih.
V članku so predstavljene možnosti rabe kalkulatorja ekološkega odtisa v vzgoji in izobraževanju, še posebej z vidika razvijanja kompetenc za trajnostni razvoj. Čeprav je empirična raziskava potekala ...v visokošolskem prostoru (študentke in študenti geografije na Univerzi v Ljubljani), je v prilagojeni obliki mogoče opisani pristop k obravnavi posameznikovih pritiskov na okolje in možnosti njihovega zmanjševanja prenesti tudi v osnovnošolsko in srednješolsko prakso. Večina sodelujočih je v obravnavi ekološkega odtisa prepoznala pomemben prispevek k vzgoji in izobraževanju za trajnostni razvoj.
Considering the settlement pattern in Slovenia, small towns with a population of 5,000 to 15,000 are very important for balanced regional and local development, especially for the achievement of ...sustainable development goals. This paper presents findings from a study of the level of sustainability in 32 Slovenian small towns, as assessed using a set of twelve economic, social, and environmental indicators of sustainable development. A comparison of the results for the years 2002 and 2018 shows that over the past two decades, Slovenian small towns have for the most part successfully advanced towards the goals of sustainable development. The small towns that lag behind in these efforts were identified, as were the development areas where sustainability trends are less favorable.
Ambient nitrogen dioxide (NO
) concentrations are regularly measured at only two monitoring stations in the city centre of Ljubljana, and such scanty data are inadequate for drawing conclusions about ...spatial patterns of pollution within the city, or to decide on effective measures to further improve air quality. In order to determine the spatial distribution of NO
concentrations in different types of urban space in Ljubljana, two measuring campaigns throughout the city were carried out, during the summer of 2013 and during the winter of 2014. The main source of NO
in Ljubljana is road transport. Accordingly, three types of urban space have been identified (urban background, open space along roads, and street canyon), and their NO
pollution level was measured using Palmes diffusive samplers at a total of 108 measuring spots. This article analyses the results of both measuring campaigns and compares the pollution levels of different types of urban space.
Purpose
This paper aims to reflect education for sustainable development (ESD) principles and their manifestation in higher education (HE) in Central and Eastern European (CEE) countries which share ...a similar policy situation owing to post-socialist transition processes.
Design/methodology/approach
Observations from comprehensive mapping of ESD in professional development of university educators in CEE within the University Educators for Sustainable Development project provided the initial input for this research. To justify the findings, a questionnaire was distributed among informed respondents and assessed qualitatively. ESD success factors were identified to support the interpretation of the results within the overall HE policy context.
Findings
Opportunities for educators’ competence development are lower and less diverse in the CEE region than in other parts of Europe. Historical reasons and the policy context may contribute to this situation; the most important factor being the underfinanced HE sector which is currently undergoing profound structural transformation.
Research limitations/implications
The sample of respondents is not representative; they are informed experts in ESD. The results are of an illustrative nature; different sources of information are combined to draw a broad picture.
Social implications
University educators in CEE have considerable know-how and experience in ESD and thus represent significant potential for the development of this field under more favourable conditions.
Originality/value
This research is based on more than two years of cooperation within a broad partnership of European universities; it represents a contribution to the debate from a specific regional perspective. It shows opportunities for critical, creative and participatory approaches in HE, analyses current trends in historical and policy contexts and provides impulses for theoretically and practically oriented efforts.
Gorjanci, Haloze, Kum and Pohorje are four Slovenian areas in which the Natura 2000 network seeks to preserve important European habitat types of grasslands along with their species. This article ...presents a survey of attitudes towards nature conservation and Natura 2000 sites among farmers who in the period 2015–2020 actively participated in a LIFE project aimed at the management and conservation of dry grasslands. Compared to other residents of Slovenia, the farmers participating in the project are more aware of Natura 2000 sites and have a more positive attitude towards them. As a result of the project, a significant share of farmers changed their views on the importance of preserving species-rich grasslands (58%) and on agricultural practices carried out in them (43%).
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