A framework for assessing sustainability of construction projects

Concerning the influence of corporate social responsibility (CSR) on teacher wellbeing within the higher education sector in China, this study is a synthesis of the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (UN-SDGs) for a broader understanding of the concept. By using structural equation modeling, this study investigates how CSR initiatives influence teachers by mediating the roles of educational institute culture and teacher admiration, with affective commitment as the moderator. The findings show that CSR endeavors provide direct payoff for teachers’ mental health and indirect payoff through a positive educational institution culture and teacher admiration. The role of affective commitment as a moderator is confirmed in the CSR–teacher admiration–wellbeing pathway. This research, therefore, shows that educational institutions have great potential to strategically align CSR with the UN-SDGs, not only for the benefit of teachers but also for the other sustainable development goals. This study therefore emphasizes the doubled role of educational institutes to make the lives of their staff better and to contribute to the global agenda of sustainable development by well-executed CSR initiatives.

The special issue on Managing Artificial Intelligence for Accelerating the Implementation of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, positioning it within the urgent global context of advancing the 2030 Agenda. The special issue is closely aligned with the United Nations (UN) Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by examining how Artificial Intelligence (AI) can act as a catalyst for comprehensive, sustainable, and data-driven development across critical areas such as poverty reduction, healthcare, education, climate action, and sustainable cities. In the current scenario, which is marked by rapid digital transformation, increasing global inequalities, and escalating environmental challenges, AI presents both unprecedented opportunities and complex ethical considerations. This issue addresses these dynamics by emphasising responsible AI governance, equitable access, and the integration of technological innovation with human-centred development principles. A distinctive feature of this special issue lies in the diversity of its contributions, bringing together interdisciplinary research, policy analyses, and applied case studies from academics, practitioners, and policymakers across different regions and sectors. The collection reflects a balance between theoretical insights and real-world applications, including contributions from both conference presentations and open-call submissions. The uniqueness of this issue is further demonstrated through its comprehensive thematic coverage-spanning governance, business transformation, and environmental sustainability while maintaining a strong focus on actionable outcomes and global collaboration. By bridging gaps between research, policy, and practice, this special issue offers timely and relevant insights for accelerating SDG implementation in an increasingly complex and interconnected world. Keywords: Artificial Intelligence; Sustainable Development Goals; Digital Transformation; Technological Innovation; Human-Centred Development; Ethical Considerations. Citation: Ahmed, A. and Naim, A. (2026): Managing Artificial Intelligence for Accelerating the Implementation of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. World Journal of Science, Technology and Sustainable Development (WJSTSD), Vol. 21, Nos. 1/2/3, pp. 1-10. WASD: London, United Kingdom.

Sustainability aims to fulfill the current generation's needs without jeopardizing the quality of life for future generations. This is primarily achieved through saving the environment, enhancing society, and prospering the economy; hence, developing a construction sustainability assessment framework for buildings in Uganda will help to streamline the construction industry towards achieving environmental, social, and economic sustainability. The purpose of this research was to develop a Uganda Building Sustainability Assessment Framework (UBSAF). The rationale is based on the fact that sustainability assessment of buildings has acquired new momentum in recent years. Currently, the Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Method (BREEAM) in the United Kingdom (UK), LEED Green Building Rating System in the US), and the Green Star Assessment Method (GSAM) in Australia (AU) are being used as best practices globally. However, these methods have been criticized for their unsuitability and inability to consider country and regional contexts, such as global variations in climate, geographical differences, etc., which need consideration. Therefore, this study was intended to address this challenge by developing a building assessment framework specifically for buildings in Uganda. Triangulation research method was used to collect relevant data for the study. A systematic literature search and review was conducted on the available literature, and various sustainability assessment indicators were established under the environmental, social, and economic aspects. Forty nine (49) sustainability assessment indicators were obtained from the literature and the pilot study done by industry experts. Delph technique was used to obtain primary data from an expert group of 30 construction industry experts, including structural engineers, urban planners, environmentalists, architects, quantity surveyors, mechanical engineers, and academicians. A three-round questionnaire was administered to construction industry experts to ascertain the importance of the various sustainability indicators in the construction industry in Uganda, with the overall objective of achieving consistency in the construction industry experts' opinions about the various sustainability indicators. The contribution of this research will be developing a sustainability assessment framework for buildings in Uganda. Several statistical measures like weighted mean score, standard deviation, Cronbach's alpha reliability test, a Shapiro-Wilk test of normality, Kendall's concordance test, Chi-square test, and inter rater agreement (IRA), were used to analyze the various sustainability indicators and discussions. Consistency was achieved after Delphi round three; hence, the various sustainability indicators relevant to the construction industry were attained. These indicators include but are not limited to land use, access to social, domestic, and socio-economic facilities, building form and orientation, daylighting and viewing comfort, building total lifecycle costs, access to public transport, parking capacity, annual operating costs, natural ventilation, and affordability. The relative weights of the sub-criteria (indicators) were determined using the CRiteria Importance Through Intercriteria Correlation (CRITIC) method, a Multi-Criteria Decision Analysis (MCDA) technique. This method measures the correlation between different criteria and helps to determine their relative weights. The study used the Normalized Weighted Mean Score (NWMS) to evaluate the sustainability of construction projects in Uganda. This is a commonly used sustainability study technique that aggregates the scores of different sub criteria to provide an overall score for sustainability. To test the proposed framework's practicality, the study applied it to three case studies, including one completed and two ongoing construction projects. The framework's applicability was determined by consulting with experts, and the results indicated that it could be widely used in different projects to assess their sustainability. The proposed framework will enable contractors and developers to evaluate sustainability in new construction. In addition, the framework promotes corporate social responsibility, which can enhance the quality and standards of the construction industry.

Human habitat, human society and science today stands in the midst of a deep crevice of scientific ingenuity and deep scientific regeneration. Medical science and the science of psychiatry in the similar vein stands tall and affirmative as man and mankind traverses the weary path of United Nations and World Sustainable Development Goals. The science of psychology and psychiatry needs to be truly re- envisioned and revamped with the passage of global engineering history and time. The author is suffering from schizophrenia since November,1993. From October, 2012 he was diagnosed with glaucoma in his right eye. The author in this article deeply elucidates with scientific profundity and insight the course of his years of illness and slow recovery. Today he is beset with one health issue over another. Provision of advanced healthcare is one of the pillars of World Sustainable Development Goals. A deep introspection and a comprehensive review on the science of schizophrenia are the utmost needs of the hour. The author deeply reviews the veritable needs and necessities of advanced healthcare in the diagnosis of the treatment of schizophrenia. Surely and remarkably a newer epoch in the field of neuropsychiatry will emerge if scientists, researchers and policy makers across the globe takes concerted efforts in dealing with the proper application of United Nations and World Sustainable Development Goals. Advanced healthcare is the need of the hour. The author deeply stresses the needs of United Nations Sustainable Development Goals in the futuristic pathway of science and technology.

The World Health Organization recognizes that physical activity (PA) during childhood is crucial for healthy development, aligning well with the achievement of several United Nations (UN) Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). This study aimed to explore the associations between 10 key indicators of PA for children and adolescents assessed in the Global Matrix 4.0 project, and the UN SDGs. Data from 57 countries/jurisdictions of the Global Matrix 4.0 project were used. The UN SDG indicators were sourced from the SDG Transformation Center, which publishes each country's performance on each of the 17 SDGs. Given the robust evidence supporting plausible links between PA and SDGs 3 (good health and well-being), 9 (industry, innovation, and infrastructure), 11 (sustainable cities and communities), 13 (climate action), and 16 (peace, justice, and strong institutions), these SDGs were investigated. Countries/jurisdictions with good and moderate performance in achieving SDG 3, SDG 9, SDG 11, and SDG 16 had higher grades than countries/jurisdictions with fair performance in achieving these SDGs for the following indicators: Organized Sports and PA, Community and Environment, and Government Investments and Strategies. However, countries/jurisdictions with good performance in achieving SDG 13 had lower grades than countries/jurisdictions with fair performance in achieving SDG 13 for the following indicators: Organized Sports and PA, Community and Environment, and Government Investments and Strategies. Organized Sports and PA, Community and Environment, and Government Investments and Strategies were the indicators that demonstrated differences between countries/jurisdictions with good and poor performance in achieving the SDGs.

This article calls for the need for integration of physical literacy into Physical Education (PE) curricula in Africa to support the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly good health and well-being (SDG 3), quality education (SDG 4), and climate action (SDG 13). Traditional PE often emphasizes competitive sports and physical benchmarks, overlooking inclusive, ecological, and lifelong development. Physical literacy defined by motivation, confidence, competence, and knowledge for lifelong physical activity offers a transformative approach to align PE with sustainability goals. The proposed framework promotes active lifestyles, inclusive teaching practices, and environmental stewardship through curriculum redesign, teacher training, outdoor learning, community engagement, and multidimensional assessments. Despite challenges such as limited resources, lack of teacher preparedness, and definitional ambiguity, opportunities exist through technology, cultural relevance, and alignment with global Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) goals. By embedding physical literacy, PE can become a vehicle for nurturing health-conscious, environmentally aware, and socially responsible individuals. This article reimagines PE as a critical tool for addressing modern health, education, and environmental challenges, advocating for systemic reforms that position physical literacy at the core of sustainable development strategies. The urgency of this transformation underscores the need for equity, inclusivity, and intersectoral collaboration in educational practice.

Building Information Modelling (BIM) plays a very significant role in the construction industry, especially in project management decision-making and data integration efforts during the preliminary planning and design stage. This is aligned with the National Construction Policy (NCP 2030) by the Ministry of Work Malaysia, highlighting that it is timely for the construction industry players to move towards sustainability. BIM must be implemented to ensure the smooth delivery of sustainable housing construction projects in Malaysia due to its critical role in assisting in construction cost optimisation, green building implementation, minimising environmental impact, and waste reduction. However, the BIM implementation rate in Malaysia is still minimal due to the challenges in its execution. Therefore, this paper is aimed to propose BIM’s critical strategies in the development of Malaysian sustainable housing construction projects as envisaged in the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UNSDGs). A thorough systematic literature review and questionnaire survey of fifty (50) BIM players in housing construction projects in Malaysia shows that from sixteen (16) BIM strategies, three (3) items are identified as critically important strategies, whereas another five (5) items are identified as important strategies. The outcome of the study shall benefit the construction industry players who are involved in the sustainable housing construction project and mainly drives the Public Work Department (PWD) BIM Strategic Plan 2021–2025, thus supporting the earlier mentioned NCP 2030 agenda by the Ministry of Work Malaysia.

This research paper explores the transformation of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) from a compliance-driven obligation to a commitment-based strategic approach aligned with sustainable development. It examines the historical evolution of CSR, critiques the limitations of rule-based practices, and introduces the concept of commitment-based CSR, characterized by voluntary action, stakeholder engagement, long-term vision, and integration into core business strategy. The paper analyzes how this approach contributes directly to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), offering real-world examples from companies such as Unilever, Tata, and Interface. It also outlines the business and societal benefits of commitment-based CSR, including enhanced reputation, innovation, and systemic social impact. Challenges such as short-termism, measurement gaps, and organizational inertia are addressed, along with practical strategies for successful implementation. The findings emphasize that genuine corporate commitment is not only vital for sustainability but also serves as a catalyst for resilience, ethical leadership, and inclusive global progress. Keywords: Corporate Social Responsibility, Sustainable Development Goals, Commitment-Based CSR, BusinessEthics, Stakeholder Engagement

PurposeThis paper introduces a special section devoted to accounting scholarship that addresses the United Nations (UN) Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and has three purposes. First, to explore the puzzle of a relative absence of accounting-related scholarship that addresses the SDGs. Second, the papers within the special section are introduced and located within streams of existing research and practice. Third, the paper then suggests framings, approaches and/or conditions under which the authors might see more accounting scholarship in support of advancing the SDGs.Design/methodology/approachA structured review of publication patterns in accounting journals over the last five years is undertaken to explore the nature and extent of SDGs-related accounting research. These patterns and foundational accounting literature are used to shape a series of observations and propositions underlying the line of argument developed in the paper.FindingsDespite the SDGs' prominence in the policy world, and the widespread embrace of their utility for shaping understandings of organizational responsibilities, accounting scholars have been slow to engage in SDGs-motivated research. This gap creates two issues. First, accounting scholarship is less available to the web of knowledge that is being developed about how to enact the ambitions of the SDGs. Second, accounting scholarship is not developing in a way that incorporates SDGs-related challenges facing organizations. This paper suggests ways in which accounting scholarship can overcome these limitations.Originality/valueAccounting research on the SDGs is in an early stage of development, despite almost five years having elapsed since their formal adoption. This paper highlights avenues for accounting scholars' engagement with the SDGs’ agenda.

Environmental degradation, social unrest, and uneven development in Nigeria’s Niger Delta have intensified calls for innovative, sustainability-driven strategies that reconcile economic activity with environmental responsibility. Hence, this study aims to critically examine how environmental marketing functions as a strategic instrument for advancing sustainable development in Nigeria’s Niger Delta region. Adopting a qualitative content analysis approach, the research analyzed 50 purposively selected documents published between 2013 and 2024, including peer-reviewed articles, corporate sustainability reports, and government policy papers. Findings revealed that Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) emerged as the dominant environmental marketing theme, cited in 85% of reviewed materials, followed by eco-friendly product promotion (72%), environmental certifications (60%), and stakeholder engagement (55%). These findings demonstrate a growing awareness of sustainability underscore the limited translation of policy into practice. The study further mapped environmental marketing initiatives against the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), identifying the strongest alignments with SDG 12 (Responsible Consumption and Production) and SDG 13 (Climate Action), while SDG 15 (Life on Land) received less emphasis, exposing a gap in biodiversity-centered marketing strategies. Analytical interpretation, grounded in Kotler’s Societal Marketing Concept and Peattie’s Sustainable Marketing Model, suggests that environmental marketing in the Niger Delta often remains surface-level—driven more by branding imperatives than by genuine ecological accountability. Key challenges identified include weak regulatory enforcement, minimal community participation, and insufficient transparency in environmental data reporting. It concludes that environmental marketing must transition from symbolic CSR to a participatory, evidence-based practice grounded in transparency, localized green innovation, and community engagement. While, It recommends stronger policy enforcement, inclusive stakeholder collaboration, and integration of environmental education into corporate and governmental sustainability programs.

This article considers the motivational nature of business contributions toward sustainable development through corporate social responsibility. This study measures the corporate social responsibility contributions to maintain sustainable development by performing different sustainable development goals projects. The researchers use the quantitative techniques to analyze the data collected by using the monkey survey research method from the top 200 corporate social responsibility international origin companies, including public sector undertaking, private and exchange-listed companies (Bombay Stock Exchange, and National Stock Exchange) in India. For analysis purposes, results are calculated through coding, sorting, figures, and tabulation methods. Study results illustrate that corporate social responsibility is the best source to maintain sustainable development as overall contributions towards sustainable development goals are positive. But a particular contribution towards sustainable energy as sustainable development goal 7 is low, such as only 5.5%. It is possible that India's green energy sector may be advanced if more companies invest in energy-related projects like the others sustainable development goals performance. Based on the results, possible steps are also needed from the Indian government to maintain sustainable development at the national and global levels.

This paper considers noise and its control in the context of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Sustainable development involves the simultaneous pursuit of economic prosperity, environmental quality, and social equity, and the UN SDGs describe the major development challenges in these pursuits. The SDG Framework comprises 17 broad goals, that cover a wide range of issues including poverty, hunger, health, education, gender equality, clean water, clean energy, sustainable cities and communities, climate, responsible consumption, and production, amongst others. Although noise and its management are not clearly identified in any of the 17 goals, this paper posits that noise is an issue cross-cutting through almost all of the goals. Through the lens of the SDGs, this paper summarizes how a failure to adequately address noise presents a significant challenge to the realization of sustainable development. This paper considers noise and its control, in the context of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Sustainable development involves the simultaneous pursuit of economic prosperity, environmental quality and social equity, and the UN SDGs describe the major development challenges in these pursuits. The SDG Framework comprises of 17 broad goals, that cover a wide range of issues including poverty, hunger, health, education, gender equality, clean water, clean energy, sustainable cities and communities, climate, responsible consumption and production, amongst others. Although noise and its management are not clearly identified in any of the 17 goals, this paper posits that noise is an issue cross-cutting through almost all of the goals. Through the lens of the SDGs, this paper summarizes how a failure to address noise presents a significant challenge to the realization of these goals.

This chapter examines why countries under sanctions comply with the international norms such as the implementation of the United Nations (UN) Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), with a particular focus on the case of North Korea. Countries under international sanctions paradoxically comply with the sustainable development agenda by submitting Voluntary National Reviews (VNRs), while also breaching other sets of international norms, such as universal human rights accords or non-proliferation treaties. With this in mind, this chapter addresses the question of why countries comply with international norms such as the SDGs, while having limited access to development assistance due to sanctions. In doing so, the chapter explores existing literature that addresses this issue and analyzes the case of North Korea by looking at whether the North Korean case is commensurate with others. Particular focus is given to the VNR for the purpose of comparison.

Purpose The study responds to address the practical problem faced by the digital marketers, content creators and digital business agencies on creating content, which is both human-readable and LLM-compatible. The present study identifies and analyses the key factors influencing content optimization for Large Language Models (LLMs) to develop a strategic framework for Large Language Model Optimization (LLMO) that aligns with modern search paradigms. Design/methodology/approach This research employs a two-phases multi-criteria decision-making (MCDM) approach combining CRITIC (Criteria Importance Through Intercriteria Correlation) to determine factor weights, and DEMATEL (Decision-Making Trial and Evaluation Laboratory) to map causal relationships. A panel of 15 experts across three countries (India, UAE and USA) rated the influence of five identified factors. Findings The study identifies five critical factors for LLMO: Retrieval Augmentation, Readability Enhancement, Content Quality Assurance, Filtering of Unsafe Content and User-Centric Content Design. Retrieval Augmentation and User-Centric Design emerged as key causal factors, while Readability and Content Quality acted as bridges or effects. Although factor weights were relatively balanced, the DEMATEL analysis revealed interdependencies highlighting the dynamic nature of LLMO. Practical implications The results provide actionable guidance to digital marketing experts and agencies, content strategists, marketing heads and developers to structure web content that is both human-readable and LLM-compatible. The study offers insights to organizations on how they can enhance their digital visibility and authority in AI-powered search ecosystems. Originality/value This study fills a critical gap by offering the first integrated CRITIC-DEMATEL framework for LLMO. It distinguishes LLMO from traditional SEO and offers a novel causal model to support the development of holistic, future-ready content strategies.

The European Union (EU) is committed to tackling the issue of climate change, which poses serious risks to the global environment and human well-being. Supporting renewable energy is a key policy direction for the EU to lower its contributions to climate change. However, renewable energy technologies have diverse effects on the environment and on society. These effects can be considered a complex system of interacting elements and are challenging to assess. Conceptual models are a way of synthesizing this information to obtain an overview of the system and essential insights. We present the results of an activity to assess the impacts of EU renewable energy policies on overseas biodiversity and the United Nations (UN) Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). This was carried out as part of the EKLIPSE (EKLIPSE (Establishing a European Knowledge and Learning Mechanism to Improve the Policy-Science-Society Interface on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services) mechanism to synthesise environmental knowledge in response to specific requests by decision-makers at the European level. We carried out a participatory process to collate expert knowledge into a conceptual model using a Fuzzy Cognitive Mapping Approach (Özesmi and Özesmi 2004), with the Mental Modeler software for mapping (Gray et al. 2013). The participants were guided to connect significant EU policies associated with renewable energy, the technologies they support, and known impacts of these technologies on biodiversity and the SDGs, drawing on a preliminary review of the literature. The individual models obtained were integrated into a single model (see Suppl. material 1 for images). This was then subject to network analysis, which reveals the collective effects of different renewable energy technologies (RETs) on the wider socioecological system. Our findings highlight that RETs have complex and at times disparate effects on biodiversity and the SDGs, acting through a variety of mediating processes. They benefit the SDGs on balance, particularly climate-related SDGs. Mitigation of biodiversity impacts remains a concern, and processes such as habitat change were found to be influential here. Our results suggest that policymakers must focus on implementing appropriate environmental impact assessments, guided by these mediating processes. This would minimize any negative environmental impacts of RETs, while maximizing the benefits.