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Human activities in recent years with the excessive emission of greenhouse gases have had a negative impact on increasing global temperatures. In this regard, one of the best ways to control it is to move toward sustainability with more use of renewable energy. Therefore, this study aims to assess the indicators of sustainable energy, explore benefits of sustainable energy and evaluate strategies to enhance energy sustainability in line with Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 7.

Quantitative research strategy was adopted. Questionnaires were developed and administered through convenience and snowball sampling techniques to professionals in the energy sector. Data collected was validated by using Cronbach’s alpha coefficient and discriminant validity, whereas objectives were analyzed by using the relative importance index, mean score ranking and Kruskal–Wallis test.

From the findings, the significant indicators of sustainable energy were as follows: reduction in greenhouse gas emissions from energy production, use of renewable energies and policies on proper utilization of energy resources. Furthermore, a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions, less harm caused to the environment and an increase in the economic and social development process were the major benefits of sustainable energy. Finally, the findings of the study revealed that a strong and accounted policy program, adopting sustainable energy indicators and strategic communication are the significant strategies needed to be put in place to enhance energy sustainability.

The study serves as a reminder to policymakers of the crucial role they have to play in enhancing energy sustainability by putting in place suitable policy programs and methods.

The originality of this study is that it is arguably a pioneering study in Ghana and contributes to the body of knowledge on energy sustainability.

This chapter explores the problems of social exclusion and inclusion in the fields of arts and culture. After a theoretical elaboration of the key concepts, the chapter investigates interconnected topics of (1) social features of cultural and creative work with the focus on the importance of economic, social and cultural capital, (2) the difficulties of achieving social inclusivity in the cultural and creative sector, and (3) the possibility of fostering communication amongst disparate social groups. The concepts of exclusion and inclusion deal with the ability and opportunities citizens have to participate in economic, social, political and cultural activities. Even though policy documents highlight the agenda of social inclusion, participation and the importance of opening cultural programs to wider social circles of workers and audiences, inclusion is still difficult to achieve. Research has shown that, even though this line of work is marked by atypical forms of employment, burnout syndrome and exploitation, cultural workers are still motivated by the idea of working for the community and bringing positive social change. However, previous research has also shown that the wider community often does not recognise these endeavours. The aim of the chapter is to articulate potential elements of exclusivity of cultural and creative work. In doing so, the ambivalent identity configuration of cultural and creative workers that simultaneously occupy social positions of symbolic privilege and economic deprivation is taken into consideration as a potential bridge for fostering communication and solidarity amongst other marginalised and disparate social groups.

The ageing and disabled population is fast growing, which emphasises the need to effectively modify current homes and environments to support healthy ageing and increasingly diverse health needs. This paper aims to bring together findings and analyses from three adaptations-focussed projects, drawing on perspectives from key stakeholders alongside the lived experiences of service users acquiring adaptations.

Following an Adaptations Framework developed from interviews and focus groups with older people and key stakeholders, the paper discusses barriers experienced by older people and front-line workers in receiving and delivering adaptations through all stages of the process.

This paper reveals how experiences around adaptations might diverge with unseen, hidden investment and need amongst individuals, and how conceptual and cost-focussed evidence gaps impact wider understandings of adaptations delivery. In so doing, this paper highlights how the adaptations process is perceived as a “fight” that does not work smoothly for either those delivering or receiving adaptations services.

The paper suggests a systematic failure such that the adaptations process needs to be rehauled, reset and prioritised within social and public policy if the housing, health and social care sectors are to support healthy ageing and prepare for the future ageing population.

The paper brings together insights from key stakeholders alongside service users' experiences of adaptations to highlight key policy drivers and barriers to accessing and delivering adaptations.

This study aims to investigate whether giving consumers choice over which ads they watch before accessing online content can enhance their attitude toward the advertised brand and the overall viewing experience.

All participants were shown a pre-roll ad before watching a focal piece of content, but some participants were randomized to receive an illusory (Study 1) or actual choice (Study 2–3) over which ad they would watch.

Pre-roll ad choice enhanced brand attitude and attitude toward the overall viewing experience (Study 1–3), but only when consumers could choose between ads from competing brands (Study 2). These advantageous effects arose through the mediating influence of empowerment (Study 1–2), but only among those with a negative attitude toward online advertising (brand attitude and attitude towards the viewing experience; Study 3) or who had limited interest in purchasing from the product category being advertised (brand attitude; Study 3).

Potential rebound effects, where consumers become more critical of any disliked ads that they selected for viewing, were not examined.

Pre-roll ad choice allows consumers to tailor their online viewing experience, benefitting not only the brands that leverage it (through enhanced brand attitude) but also the online platforms that implement it (through enhanced attitude toward the viewing experience).

Pre-roll ad choice acts as a salve to the disruption of goal pursuit that such ads normally engender by generating feelings of empowerment. By extension, consumers for whom pre-roll ads do not disrupt goal pursuit do not respond to ad choice.

This study aims to analyse the reporting practices of a sample of companies listed in Italy and Spain that prepare a Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures (TCFD) report. The main purpose is to analyse the reporting’s compliance with the TCFD framework and the extent of climate-related information disclosed.

This study performs a content and comparative analysis of climate-related information disclosed by Italian and Spanish companies listed on the FTSE MIB and IBEX-35, following the consolidated narrative interrogation (CONI) model. The analysis is carried out on 31 TCFD reports published in 2020, 2021, 2022 and 2023, using NVivo software for content analysis and information coding.

Overall, the study shows that Italian and Spanish companies comply with the TCFD framework. However, some topics, such as governance-related aspects and risk management, are disclosed differently and may merit more in-depth reporting.

The findings of this study are valuable for companies and their stakeholders, in particular investors. The increasing focus on mandatory climate reporting and the adoption of new climate standards are increasing the pressure on companies to manage these issues, and the results of this work already indicate which aspects of the reporting process need to be improved to meet the new information requirement.

This study strengthens the theoretical and empirical literature on climate change information by conducting a cross-country content analysis of TCFD reports. The results provide a basis for future analysis of climate disclosure according to the latest developments in standards and frameworks.

This study aims to examine how individual differences and contextual factors affect audience responses to sponsored video content. Specifically, this study tests whether executive function (EF, both hot and cool) skills in young adults influence persuasion knowledge and advertising responses. The study further tests the moderating role of disclosure presence and country of participants (US vs The Netherlands).

An online experiment (N = 368) with a 2 (disclosure: present versus absent) × 2 (country: US versus The Netherlands) between subjects design featuring young adults (M age = 21.06; SDage = 3.06) is conducted.

Participants with more advanced cool EF showed a better understanding of the persuasive intent of the video, and hot EF was associated with higher brand recall. In addition, disclosures only enhance the understanding of persuasive intent of the video for people with less advanced levels of hot EF. Lastly, Dutch participants were more responsive toward the disclosure.

This study provides key insights regarding how young adults process sponsored content and the role that cognition plays in shaping responses.

This paper aims to apply a socio-ecological systems framework to demonstrate that pastoral adaptation to climate change necessitates a comprehensive approach.

The authors evaluated the depth of knowledge regarding pastoral adaptation in Africa using bibliometric and content-based analyses.

The analysis of 40 eligible articles, conducted through R Studio, revealed a significant emphasis on climate change adaptation measures. However, there was a noticeable scarcity of research on the role of governance, policy and institutional interventions.

The scope of the research is limited to the African continent.

This research shed light on how inadequate governance structures and insufficient institutional support, particularly in terms of skills and capacity-building, hinder pastoral communities’ resilience. These limitations may potentially affect pastoral livelihoods adversely, with severe consequences for food security and poverty levels in Africa.

A comprehensive understanding of the challenges pastoralists face in Africa to adapt to climate change will assist in defining high-level policies and interventions to improve pastoral communities’ adaptation actions.

The study used the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses approach to ensure a thorough and systematic investigation. Furthermore, using an established framework and clearly defined methods will greatly aid in replicating the research.

Subject searching in the library catalog is a challenge for any user, but may be especially so for members of marginalized groups whose language diverges even further from established systems of subject headings. In this study, researchers employed the concept of code-switching to better understand the linguistic divide that members of the LGBTQ+ community face when formulating subject searches in the library catalog.

Through a set of 15 interviews with adult library users identifying as LGBTQ+, researchers examined the difference between participants’ natural language when discussing books and their suggested search terms for these same items. Analysis of language switching was guided by a linguistic framework of semantic, syntactic and lexical elements.

Results show that LGBTQ+ catalog users employ linguistic shifts when approaching the library catalog, particularly semantic shifts around terminology for genres and LGBTQ+ identities. Almost all participants were aware of their language switching to some extent, with many purposely employing it in an anticipatory attempt to match their perceptions of the catalog’s language.

For libraries looking to better support marginalized communities, this study offers insight into the linguistic perceptions and practices of these users and the disconnect they may face when searching for resources related to their identities. Pluralistic approaches to subject representation may offer one means of addressing this.

This study takes the novel approach of applying the concept of code-switching to better understand the needs and perceptions of library catalog users.