Environment, Enterprise and Development

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This is the collection for the University of Waterloo's School of Environment, Enterprise and Development.

Research outputs are organized by type (eg. Master Thesis, Article, Conference Paper).

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10-Year Changes of Food Consumption and Carbon Footprint in Ontario
(University of Waterloo, 2018-06-19) Topcu, Basak
What humans eat can have a significant impact on ecosystems and the climate. In order to attain the climate targets to keep global warming below 1.5 degrees Celsius, it is important to reduce consumption of carbon-intensive food products. Many studies have quantified the environmental impacts of food consumption. However, most of these prior diet-related environmental assessment studies have evaluated impacts based on a snapshot of food consumption, instead of evaluating the changes in food-related environmental impacts over a period of time. Understanding these changes is important in determining what factors affect consumer food consumption behaviours that would shift their food consumption patterns towards less resource intensive products. This thesis evaluates the changes in food, nutritional value, and carbon footprint (CF) of dietary patterns in Ontario in the last decade, broadly in three steps. First, change assessment is conducted by comparing the overall food consumption based on the 24-hour recall food intake data from the Canadian Community Health Survey-Nutrition in 2004 and 2015. Then seven dietary patterns are identified by analyzing the food types of each survey participant and Life Cycle Assessment is used to quantify CF of these dietary patterns. Canada’s Food Guide is used to assess the nutritional quality of actual dietary patterns, and then alternative nutritionally-balanced and low carbon dietary patterns are formulated and their CF is determined. The results suggest that: 1) overall, Ontarians are eating less red meat and more poultry and drinking less beverages high in sugar content; 2) Ontarians continue to overconsume daily protein, possibly because they do not consider protein from non-meat products, such as milk and cheese; 3) the CF of Ontarians food consumption has decreased in the last decade, specifically due to reductions in beef, which is the most carbon-intensive food product; and 4) also, the CF of nutritionally-balanced diets has decreased for all dietary patterns, only exception is Pescatarian that showed a slight increase. Changes in types and amounts of food consumed could be a result of health concerns, increase in climate change awareness, economic or cultural fluctuations. Overall, this thesis improves our understanding of the CF and nutritional assessment of Ontarians’ current food consumption and how this has changed in the last 10 years. By determining and understanding changes, this research could also be helpful to identify strategies to shift Ontarians’ food consumption behaviors towards nutritionally-balanced and low carbon-intensive food choices.
Accounting for Risks: Identifying Water Risks in the Food and Beverage Industry Using an Ecosystem Services Benchmarking Framework
(University of Waterloo, 2015-10-28) Saunders-Hogberg, Grace; Weber, Olaf, professor
Global population growth and economic development has placed unprecedented demand for freshwater resources. However the supply of freshwater is becoming increasingly uncertain, due to the variability of the hydrological cycle, climate change and ecosystem degradation. This thesis questions the effectiveness of current sustainability frameworks in screening for material water risks. A new framework was developed based on an ecosystem perspective of water resources. The advantage of this approach is that it focuses on the valuation of water through the context of risk and encourages broader ecosystem perspective to managing those risks throughout the value chain and within a river basin. The study applied a mixed method approach to examine the interaction between Corporate Water Risk Management with general sustainability performance (using KLD Social Ratings) and with Corporate Financial Performance. A sample of sixty-one food and beverage firms was compiled from a universal database that combined data from the Compustat database and KLD (2012) Historical Summary. Their corporate disclosures were appraised using the Corporate Water Risk Management framework. Regression analysis showed significant and positive relationships with accounting performance measures but non-significant association with market measures. Firm size was shown to have a strong influence on the accounting performance correlations. For the market measures, it was determined that there are many factors influencing market values and thus more sophisticated models are required to isolate the relationship between CSP activities and market performance.
Adaptive Responses of Small-Scale Fisheries to the Vulnerabilities Resulting from Crude Oil Extraction in Western Ghana
(University of Waterloo, 2021-09-16) Sekyi, Joyce
Offshore crude oil exploration activities affect marine-based occupations, including fishing. These activities lead to the loss of biodiversity, natural resources, and income. In many areas, fishing entrepreneurs/ professionals along the fish value chain have raised concerns ranging from declining fish catch to loss of properties and restricted access to fishing grounds. These issues require attention to promote resilience and support a transition of small-scale fisheries from vulnerability to viability. Previous research has focused on vulnerabilities fishers face as a result of crude oil extraction. However, limited knowledge exists on the adaptive responses used by small-scale fisheries (SSF) in response to vulnerabilities of crude oil extraction. Hence, in this research, the study aimed to 1) explore the extent of oil and gas activities in the Western Region of Ghana and the nature of Akwidaa SSF’s in the Western region of Ghana. Specific attention is on the impact of oil and gas activities on fisher livelihoods; 2) investigate the vulnerabilities SSF face due to crude oil production in Ghana; 3) provide an in-depth understanding of the adaptive responses available to SSF transitioning from vulnerability to viability. The study employed a Description and responses and Appraisal for Typology (IADAp-T) approach to extensively review and assess existing literature on vulnerabilities affecting SSF, their institutions, and various adaptation strategies that have been devised in the past in the face of growing oil and gas activities. The results from the assessment of past studies revealed that SSF is impacted by conflicts, low fish catch and increased social vices. Other impacts include environmental pollution and increased cost of accommodation and living expenses. These impacts have caused loss of income and the inability of SSF to provide for their families. In addition, the decreasing standard of living has led to a loss of livelihood resilience, declining well-being, and lack of capital. In response to these vulnerabilities, fishing groups resort to short- and long-term coping strategies. Livelihood intensification and diversification to enhance fishing efforts have been used in the past by fishers. Other adaptive responses include increased access to capital (social, natural, physical, financial, and cultural). Sustainable fisheries policy and participation, community mobilization, migration and education have proven successful in responding to stressors and enhancing the resilience of small-scale fisheries. The study recommends an improved avenue for representation of SSF in policymaking and development, enhanced access to capitals, capacity building and training and strict environmental regulations to improve well-being and resilience. Further studies on these strategies can strengthen communities and provide possible pathways for transitioning to viability.
Addressing Human Dimensions within the criteria for conservation and sustainable use of Ramsar Wetlands
(University of Waterloo, 2023-05-09) Samiee-Zafarghandy, Mina
Wetlands are unique ecosystems that provide many direct and indirect services to the human population. Several policy frameworks have been developed and implemented at various levels of government worldwide to address the social, environmental and economic consequences of the loss of wetland services. These frameworks have varying degrees of flexibility to balance the need to protect remaining wetlands and pursue economic development. Therefore, this research addresses the importance of considering human dimension criteria on the International Conservation and Wetlands Ramsar Site to encourage local policy maker to understand the binding effect of decision-making and governance of wetlands in their countries on local coastal community and international socio-economy for sustainable wetland and increase of livelihood of dependence community. The finding of this research addresses the importance of human relations with wetlands sustainability and community economic survival. It suggests the importance of considering the human dimension in the International Wetland Ramsar Site based on the findings in this research. This research analyzes pathways of vulnerability resulting from mismanagement and the effect of policies and governance; in general, and the case study area of the Chilika Lagoon, the largest coastal Lagoon on the east coast of India and the lifeline of the state of Odisha as an example to show the importance of addressing human dimension and its effect on survival of local and international wetland. This research examines and analyses the critical elements of the social well-being of coastal communities and reviews the ecosystem services of wetlands suggested on the Ramsar Site and other academic works of literature to make a linkage between the two elements and the direct and indirect impacts of natural and anthropogenic factors that have profoundly affected the vulnerable coastal community’s socio-economy and wetland sustainability and survival. Overall, the research addresses the sustainable management of coastal communities of SSFs by providing details on how fisher vulnerability may be closely linked to wetland management and governance and its related impacts. Further, the research provides some answers to how SSF viability can be achieved through coping and adaptive responses by small-scale fishing communities to the changes in local and international wetland management. The results of this thesis indicated that improving the social well-being of coastal communities could provide valuable insights to achieve improved control of food and fisheries resources. The result of this study will imply the importance of addressing Human Dimension criteria on the International Ramsar Site as one of the essential criteria next to the nine ecological base criteria on the Site to suggest more sustainable wetlands on the local and international level and improve the socio-economy of the costa community as they are connected.
An analysis of Canadian young adults’ eating behaviours towards sustainable food choices
(University of Waterloo, 2023-04-21) Mollaei, Sadaf
Human health has always been a major concern when it comes to policy design, decision-making, and planning. However, in recent years and with ideas about sustainability gaining traction, planetary health has also been gaining attention from researchers, policy makers and even businesses. There is an inevitable link between human and planetary health. Activities related to food provision and food systems in general are a major determinant of human health and environmental sustainability. The global food system requires a transformation to reduce its adverse impacts on both human and environmental health and to achieve food security. While major improvements have been made in practices related to food production, advances are required from the demand side as well. From the demand side, focusing on food consumption can be a promising approach to alleviate the negative impacts associated with food systems. In terms of sustainable eating behaviours, young adults are a critical population. They often have poor eating habits and habits gained at this stage of life can sustain overtime and become their regular eating habits. Furthermore, given the current global environmental changes, young people will experience stronger consequences from environmental challenges, such as climate change. Therefore, their habits and behaviours, including those associated with how they eat, can have major impacts on their future. This dissertation focuses on the eating habits of young adults ages 18 to 24. In this dissertation, the first study is a quantitative analysis where a Canada-wide survey was conducted among young adults to identify the main individual, environmental, and behavioral factors affecting eating behaviours and to categorize this target population into consumer segments reflecting their eating behaviours. The study found, there were six major factors influencing eating behaviours among young adults in Canada including: (1) beliefs (ethical, environmental and personal), (2) familiarity and convenience, (3) joy and experience, (4) food influencers and Sociability, (5) cultural identity, and (6) body image; the respondents were segmented into six groups based on the importance they attributed to each of the identified factors as follows: (1) the conventional consumer, (2) the concerned consumer, (3) the non-trend follower consumer, (4) the tradition-follower consumer, (5) the indifferent consumer and (6) the ‘eat what you love’ consumer; and, more than half of the population in this study have specific considerations and criteria for their food choices, which distinctly differentiates each segment. The second study is a qualitative analysis where focus groups were conducted among university students to first identify the perceived meaning of sustainable food and sustainable eating, and second, to identify the determinants of sustainable eating behaviours among university students. The study found, university students had a wide range of perceptions regarding defining the attributes of sustainable food, and the aspects of sustainable eating behaviours. In addition to the factors previously presented in the framework by Deliens et al., ‘environmental and social values and beliefs’, ‘campus food’, ‘the pandemic’ and ‘food guides and expert recommendation’ were added as determinants of sustainable eating behaviours. Among all categories, the top two themes mentioned by the participants were food literacy, and campus food (meal plan and university food outlet). Finally, identified personal and environmental factors can motivate or act as a barrier for sustainable and healthy behaviors of university students. Finally, in third study I looked at the dietary trends of young adults in Canada and how it has changed from 2004 to 2015. Using the CCHS-Nutrition data, I presented the average diet of a Canadian young adult. Additionally, I looked at the carbon footprint (CF) of the average diet and its changes over the 10-year period. Three dietary trends were identified; first, there was a shift towards the consumption of food that is heavily recommended by Canada’s Food guide; second, there was a shift towards the consumption of food that is considered to have lower CF; and third, protein intake increased and was mainly from animal-based sources for both years with almost identical ratio for animal-based to plant-based protein. The study also identified the overall CF of self-reported diets decreased only slightly in 2015. The identified trends demonstrated that although diets of Canadian young adults are moving towards the right direction (healthy and with lower environmental impact), the shift is not significant and needs major interventions, particularly regarding reducing CF. The research presented in this dissertation has contributed to knowledge and the scholarly literature regarding eating behaviours that support both human health and planetary health. This study also helps with the design and implementation of food-choice interventions underscoring the need for population-specific interventions, emphasis on knowledge translation and highlighting the link between food choices and their environmental impacts such as carbon footprint, and the need for interventions at the campus food environment level present a significant opportunity.
Analysis of Environmental and Social Performance of Sustainability-linked Bonds and Loans (SLBLs) in the Fashion Industry
(University of Waterloo, 2023-08-18) Sarker, Tanusri
The fashion industry has been criticized for its adverse effects on the environment and society. To address this, fashion retailers and brands are increasingly using Sustainability Linked Bonds and Loans (SLBLs) which aim to fund their operations in sustainability related activities and goals. However, there is a lack of academic research on the sustainability objectives targeted by these financial tool. Moreover, they are criticized for being driven by market participants rather than addressing sustainability concerns. This study aims to analyze the environmental and social performance of these SLBLs issued by fashion retailers and brands, using the Higg BRM, which is a comprehensive sustainability assessment tool which, using a set of questions and guidelines, helps companies measure and improve their sustainability performance solely for the apparel and footwear industry. The study used an exploratory sequential mixed method research approach, conducting content analysis of bond, sustainability and loan reports of SLBLs issuing fashion brands and retailers and coding based on the Higg BRM guideline. The findings suggest that three main sections of the Higg BRM namely brand, store, operations and logistics are primarily addressed through sub-sections related to the environment. 100% of SLBLs focus on reducing Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions, and nearly 65% focus on sustainable materials used in products. Other factors such as packaging and water and wastewater management are covered in around 30% and 20% respectively. However, other environmental issues like water usage, wastewater management, post-consumer waste, and social and human rights issues associated with the fashion industry have the lowest coverage on the Higg BRM scale. In comparing information from sustainability reports, bond reports, and loan reports, the reports’ respective adherence to the Higgs BRM questions was explored. It was found that sustainability reports covered 2% more Higgs BRM questions overall compared to bond or loan reports. Regarding specific topics, bond or loan reports covered 53% of the questions related to GHG emission reduction, while sustainability reports covered 47%. In the product section, sustainability reports addressed 33% of the related questions, while bond or loan reports covered 26%. Similarly, in terms of water and wastewater, sustainability reports had slightly over 30% coverage, which was 10% higher than that of bond or loan reports. Finally, in terms of packaging and other sections, both reports had the same coverage numbers, 35% and 100% respectively. Utilizing the study's findings will help the decision-makers who develop SLBLs in the fashion industry to develop SLBLs that emphasize broader material sustainability concerns. Furthermore, this research can aid institutional and private investors in gaining a clear understanding of the current emphasis placed on SLBLs within the fashion industry and be a catalyst to help bridge the gap between sustainability concerns addressed by SLBLs. This research will enhance the existing literature on sustainability finance within the fashion industry by presenting a comprehensive overview of Sustainable Linked Bonds and Loans (SLBLs) in this sector. Future researchers can leverage this study as a foundation for conducting in-depth investigations into investor behavior within the realm of SLBLs.
An Analysis of Physical Climate Change Events on Commercial Bank Stock Prices
(University of Waterloo, 2020-06-17) D'Arbasie, Adrian
Events resulting from climate change can cause a wide range of serious implications for investors and insurance companies. However, there is currently a lack of understanding of how banks can be affected. Exploring a range of disaster experiences is essential to build a systematic understanding of the effects of the physical impacts of climate change on banking. Climate related effects can potentially increase the risk exposure of banks both directly and indirectly, through production interruptions, destroyed collateral and affected loans. This increased risk exposure is often reflected through declines in share prices for the banks at risk. This research aims to explore physical risks in the context of commercial banking by using event study tools to analyze changes in returns after a physical event period in both North America and the Caribbean, comparing the effects of physical climate change in each region, in order to gain an understanding of how physical risks are perceived by banks. This highlights how physical climate change may affect their business, as well as any differences in the effects of physical risks in developed versus developing countries. The results indicate a need for promoting appropriate risk responses in both developed and especially developing countries for climate-related physical risks. It also highlights the importance of climate-related financial disclosures. The results from this research can be used in the development of climate risk matrices and are especially relevant to banks conducting business in developing countries.
Analysis of the Impact of Fragmented Coordination During Natural Disaster Responses on Access to Drinking Water Following Cyclone Idai - Beira Case Study
(University of Waterloo, 2024-07-19) Judyn, Jerzy
Globally, disasters affect every domain of human activity and cause devastating losses across the human, economic and environmental domains. While they are extremely difficult to predict and prevent, the global society is, in principle, more than capable of mitigating many of the most severe consequences. Worryingly, while the prevailing efforts often fall short future disaster impacts are likely to become even less effective because of several compounding factors. Among the various novel perspectives that emerged to resolve the shortcomings of current disaster risk management efforts, a promising insight is offered by the lens of institutional vulnerability. This research provides a strong rationale for the recognition of institutional vulnerability as an insightful tool in addressing the most common areas of criticism around the existing DRM approaches. These finding are based on a case study analysis that centers around the 2019 Cyclone Idai and its impact on the City of Beira. The research reveals that institutional vulnerability is both a factor in the progression of vulnerability, but also a key mitigating variable in the development of the disaster. By expanding the analysis of the progression of vulnerability to include institutional vulnerability, it is possible to create a more comprehensive account of how a disaster unfolds and recognize the key role that institutional vulnerability has in amplifying or mitigating the disasters.
Analyzing Corporate Governance Mechanisms for Sustainability in Firms: From Concepts to Practices
(University of Waterloo, 2024-04-24) Bajwa, Muhammad Moaz Tariq
Corporate sustainability is becoming more prevalent, leading to the intertwining of governance mechanisms at the organizational level, which is ultimately responsible for sustainability and the financial performance of firms. The urgency of corporate governance challenges requires firms to define sustainability measures and strategies. In the current literature, there is a continuous reference to the progression of corporate governance and corporate sustainability. To achieve sustainability targets and ensure higher financial performance, a firm must seek more precision in its governance mechanisms. However, the literature on corporate governance and how it affects firms' sustainability performance is lacking, specifically in exploring how effective corporate governance mechanisms can assist firms in improving their financial performance. The governance-sustainability nexus can be advanced by conducting strategic research that examines a wider range of theories and analytical models. The study is a step toward understanding how effective governance mechanisms can lead to sustainable and financially successful organizations. Furthermore, the study guides firms in their decision-making, resource allocation, and global sustainability efforts. In this dissertation, the first study systematically documents how different corporate governance mechanisms affect the link between sustainability and the financial performance of firms. The study has used cluster analysis to identify three focus areas: board-level governance, operational-level governance, and assurance-level governance. The findings have policy implications for firms seeking to integrate sustainability into their operations, in addition to consolidating the existing knowledge and frameworks in which governance and sustainability research intersect. The results provide a comprehensive overview of emerging governance strategies related to firm performance. Despite this, more deductive evidence was required in the literature covered in the next two studies. The second study empirically evaluates the influence of board and operational governance on the relationship between sustainability and the financial performance of firms. The study utilized the structural equation modelling method to examine the sample of 224 large and actively traded Canadian firms listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange. The results revealed partial mediation effects of board governance and operational governance, both singly and jointly, and full mediation in the relationship between sustainability and financial performance of firms. The results were evaluated based on factors affecting firms' sustainability and financial performance, including firm type, age, and other industry-specific characteristics. The study provides valuable insights for firms to link governance structures with sustainability for better financial performance outcomes and include an integrated sustainability focus in their competitive strategies. The third study empirically tests the impact of workforce practices on firms' environmental and social performance. The relationship between workforce practices and the sustainability performance of firms is being examined by examining the mediating effect of firms' financial performance. The study examines the moderating effect of firm age on workforce practices and the sustainability performance of firms. A linear regression analysis was employed to analyze the sample of 224 large and actively traded Canadian firms in the study. The findings significantly impact the direct and indirect impacts of workforce practices on firms' environmental and social performance. The findings suggest that firms choose the right mix of practices to tailor workforce management and achieve better sustainability performance in their environmental and social initiatives. The research presented in this dissertation has contributed to knowledge and scholarly literature about how a firm's sustainability performance is influenced through the adoption of various governance mechanisms. The research provides a basis for adopting a normative and functional approach to tackle contextual challenges while seeking sustainability at a firm level. The study departs from a narrower approach of firms’ financial performance when it comes to sustainability initiatives driven through governance mechanisms. The study provides instruments which could help firms to partially integrate sustainability into their business strategies.
Analyzing Green Finance Incentives: An Empirical Study of the Chinese Banking Sector
(University of Waterloo, 2017-11-21) Cui, Yujun
Climate change is a major contemporary issue. In response, financial institutions offer green financing to fund low-carbon investments to those organizations who want to help mitigate this issue. Nevertheless, a lack of green credit remains the case. Therefore, to learn how to close this financing gap, this empirical study explores China’s green finance through the lens of the Chinese banks who are the providers of such loans. Green finance has been growing rapidly in China since the Chinese government issued the Green Credit Policy. Previous studies have posited that banks have incentives in the form of credit risk management, new business opportunities, corporate reputation, and compliance risk to offer green loans. The objective of this thesis is to ascertain whether green loans provide better risk management and more business opportunities in practice. As a part of the research, this thesis explores China’s banking system and the development of, and current research into, China’s Green Credit Policy. This study identifies a distinct characteristic of the Chinese banking system (i.e., heavy government involvement) and posits how the government may influence the development of green finance in China. A dataset with a panel design was collected to perform the quantitative tests. The dataset contains financial and green finance data from 24 banks in China between 2009 and 2015. Panel regression techniques, such as Two-stage Least Square Regression Analysis (2sls) and Random-effect Panel Regression (RE), were used to examine whether the banks’ green finance practices lead to better financial performance. The results reveal that green loans grow at a faster rate than do other types of loans, and that allocating more green loans to the total loan portfolio reduces a bank’s NPL ratio. The findings imply that green financing is a less risky investment with increasing demand. Through empirical evidence, this thesis contributes to the existing green finance literature and fills the literature gap on the Green Credit Policy in China through its study of the policy’s implementation from the banks’ perspective.
Assessing Adaptations to Global Transformational Events in Canadian Corporate Social Responsibility Practices
(University of Waterloo, 2024-05-17) Billedeau, David Benjamin
This dissertation investigates the following question: do global transformational events result in transient or transformational changes in Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) practices? The novel concept of global transformational events is defined as pivotal incidents—both endogenous and exogenous—with profound global repercussions, creating catalysts that inherently drive shifts in corporate operations and global market dynamics. Adapting the PICOT framework from clinical health research, this dissertation assesses the impact of global transformational events on CSR. PICOT stands for Population, Intervention, Comparison, Outcome, and Time, and it provides a structured format for formulating research questions in evidence-based practice. This approach helps to compare changes in corporations' CSR initiatives before and after global transformational events. The data used within this work is gleaned from a diverse range of sources including interviews with industry representatives, annual reports, and public records. The dissertation spans eight chapters. Chapter 1 introduces the research theme, while Chapter 2 reviews the theoretical foundation of CSR decision-making in both stable and volatile operating environments. The heart of the dissertation, Chapters 3 through 6, is rooted in empirical case studies. Chapters 3 and 4 assess the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on CSR initiatives within Canada, with a cross-sector overview in the former and a specific focus on the automotive manufacturing sector in the latter chapter. Chapter 5 evaluates the influence of the Paris Agreement on decarbonization commitments in Canada's automotive manufacturing sector. Chapter 6 examines the role of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals in guiding community investment decisions by leading Canadian private sector companies. The emerging domain of sustainability management and its potential to augment CSR practices is the focus of Chapter 7. Chapter 8 then synthesizes the findings, highlighting contributions to knowledge, theory, and practice, as well as outlining future research directions. In sum, this dissertation examines the degree to which CSR initiatives of large firms operating in Canada are influenced by global transformational events, while underscoring prevailing corporate tendencies to gravitate towards a "business as usual" mindset. This inclination persists even when external operating circumstances have undergone dramatic shifts, suggesting a resistance to adapt to new paradigms. This pattern underscores a gap between the potential for—and the realization of—sustained CSR changes in response to global transformational events, encouraging further scrutiny of corporate behaviour to ensure meaningful alignment of corporate operations with environmental and societal wellbeing.
Assessing Differences in Household Food Insecurity Vulnerabilities Post-Cyclone Idai in Beira, Mozambique
(University of Waterloo, 2024-05-30) Sunu, Naomi Elikem
Food insecurity is a complex sustainability challenge that is being worsened by frequent extreme weather disasters, especially within low-to-middle-income-countries (LMICs). Mitigating post-disaster food insecurity requires data for targeted interventions. Yet, there is limited research on household-characteristics connections with post-disaster food insecurity in LMICs. This study therefore focused on the aftermath of the 2019 Cyclone Idai disaster in Beira, Mozambique, and examined the differences in household food insecurity vulnerabilities using household and personal food environment characteristics, and adaptations to the disaster. Social-ecological systems (SES) theoretical and disaster management lenses informed the collection of data across household (microsystem), community (mesosystem) and humanitarian institutions (macrosystem) levels, as well as the assessment of household food insecurity vulnerabilities. A mixed-methods sequential explanatory study design was employed. The quantitative study entailed a household survey that collected data from 975 households. However, descriptive, univariate and bivariate statistical analyses were conducted on n=709, which had a complete set of data for the Household Food Insecurity Access Scale (HFIAS) measurement of food insecurity, and the household, personal food environment and adaptation to disaster variables. The follow-up qualitative study entailed the use of interview guides to conduct audio-recorded focus-group discussions with households and community leaders, and key-informant interviews with selected personnel from humanitarian institutions addressing food insecurity. The qualitative data was transcribed verbatim, and thematic content analysis was applied. Both quantitative and qualitative results were triangulated to present the findings. There were statistically significant increases in household food insecurity one month after the cyclone compared to the month before levels (p<0.05), with the median HFIAS score increasing from 14 to 18 post-Cyclone Idai. The presence of multiple vulnerability characteristics such as large household sizes, severe underlying food insecurity and low-income within a household, influenced more severe food insecurity post-Cyclone Idai. Also, the displaced households of the study were isolated from food markets and had pre-existing food accessibility challenges within their personal food environment, which was compounded by the loss of houses post-cyclone. Most adaptations were made during Cyclone Idai response and not preparedness. Adaptations to the disaster that enabled food access included the use of household savings, and food-sourcing facilitated by bridging and linking social capital at the mesosystem and macrosystem levels. Regardless, the facilitation of food-sourcing adaptations was constrained by macrosystem level challenges in targeting vulnerable households for food aid distribution. Additionally, non-reciprocal bonding social capital interactions created food access constraints for households that gave to others. The findings support the mitigation of recurrent, severe post-disaster household food insecurity episodes in Beira, Mozambique. This requires the integration of interventions for household food insecurity, disaster risk reduction and equitable food systems, all underpinned by well-coordinated stakeholder collaborations across all SES levels.
Assessing socio-economic determinants of energy-saving behavior in Waterloo Region
(University of Waterloo, 2018-05-15) Abu-Ashour, Ghaith
The residential sector is responsible for significant amounts of energy consumption; leading to several important social, economic, and environmental issues. The expected future population growth will require additional residential units to be built, and thus, more energy is expected to be consumed. Different sources of energy are consumed by households for many purposes, and the amount of consumed energy by the different household activities varies widely. Therefore, households are considered as an important target group that can help reduce the levels of energy consumption and mitigate several sustainability concerns through energy-saving behavior. The energy-saving behavior is regarded as a sub-set of larger and more general environment-friendly or pro-environmental behaviors and it can be categorized into two broad categories: energy conservation behaviors and energy efficiency behaviors. In this study, which aims at providing a better understanding of households’ energy conservation and efficiency behaviors and identifying the various determinates or characteristics that predict people who are likely to engage in such behaviors, the relationships between the number of reported energy saving behaviors by 401 respondents and several psychological, situational, and socio-demographic determinants were examined. The findings of the study underscore the complexity associated with examining and understanding households’ energy-related behaviors and the various determinants that are able to influence such behaviors. According to the findings of this thesis, except for the moderate relationship that was identified between the independent variable (home ownership) and the number of reported energy efficiency behaviors, the relationships between all the examined independent variables and the number of reported energy conservation and efficiency behaviors were found either weak or statistically insignificant. More specifically, the independent variables (knowledge, cost-benefit appraisal, information, dwelling type, year home was built, income, number of people in the home, and the relationship status of the participants) were found to have statistically significant, but weak relationships with both the number of reported energy conservation and efficiency behaviors. However, other determinants like (gender, age, employment, having children at home, and the city/township that the study participants reside in) were found to have no statistically significant relationship with both the number of reported energy conservation and efficiency behaviors. Moreover, independent variables like (attitude of the study participants, subjective norms, and the level of education) were found to have statistically significant weak relationship with the number of reported energy conservation behaviors, but not with the number of reported energy efficiency behaviors. Given the complexity and heterogeneity of human behavior that can be affected by a number of interacting intrinsic and extrinsic variables, this study recommends that future research should examine additional determinants that were not addressed in this work. It is also recommended and advisable to measure the actual energy conservation and efficiency behaviors of households whenever possible, as this will help provide better and more accurate understanding of households’ energy related behaviors. This means that more effective interventions can be designed and implemented in order to achieve the desired sustainable behavior patterns and lower the levels of energy consumption in the residential sector.
Assessing the Canadian Commercial Real Estate Sector's View and Preparedness regarding Flood Risk
(University of Waterloo, 2016-08-29) Randhawa, Karandeep Singh
The process of climate change, with its projected occurrence of extreme weather events, such as flooding, has clear implications on the Canadian Commercial Real Estate (CRE) business sector. CRE businesses, which are exclusively used for business activities and commercial profit making purposes, are impacted directly and indirectly from flooding. There is a serious need for understanding potential flood vulnerability and climate change adaptation within the CRE property framework. A conceptual understanding of the extent and scale of the effect of flooding on the CRE properties would be worthwhile for relevant stakeholders. Realizing an increase in the frequency and intensity of flooding events in Canada, the main question this research poses is “are Canadian CRE companies motivated to engage (implement) climate change adaptation to de-risk their commercial properties from extreme impacts of flooding.” To answer this question, the research adopts an approach of strategic and critical evaluation of literature to grasp fundamental knowledge of the CRE business vulnerability (BV) to climate change and flooding, and understanding literature surrounding climate change adaptation to de-risk the sector from extreme impacts of flooding. A survey questionnaire provided insight into Canadian CRE companies’ awareness of flood vulnerability and knowledge of potential flood impacts on their commercial properties, and awareness of a climate change adaptation framework to manage the flood risks. It was noted through survey responses that most CRE companies view climate change and flooding as a serious problem, although many companies are not well-aware of flood impacts (direct or indirect) that can disrupt their commercial properties’ operations. In fact, the CRE sector does not take risk of flooding as one of their priorities. This is in part due to differential attitude towards their knowledge and experience of flooding. Findings also revealed that knowledge of a climate change adaptation framework to manage the flood risks is lacking in this sector which poses a serious threat in the wake of extreme flooding situations in Canada. At the same time, results showed the important role governments and insurance industry can play in facilitating climate change adaptation efforts in the CRE sector. Overall, the results showed lack of a perception of Canadian CRE companies towards flood vulnerability, which plays a significant factor in their lack of motivation towards implementing a climate change adaptation framework, which is highly concerning for the economic activity of the CRE sector and the Canadian economy. Companies are somewhat motivated – perhaps because of the federal government’s and the insurance industry’s potential funding initiatives – to implement risk awareness and risk assessment processes, but are not extensively motivated to implement risk management process to comprehensively de-risk potential impacts of flooding in their commercial properties. However, the perception can certainly change with the increasing magnitude and severity of floods and it is possible that the financial implications of floods on CRE properties will be visible in the future. This study is extremely useful for those involved directly/indirectly with the Canadian CRE sector in developing an understanding of the vulnerability of this sector in the context of flood risk.
Assessing the Effects of Disruptive Issues on the CSR of Canadian Multinational Gold Companies
(University of Waterloo, 2017-11-20) Esmail, Sophia
Mining activities provide significant economic and social benefits to Canada, and to the areas in which Canadian multinational mining companies operate internationally. However, mining activities also present both social and environmental issues. Despite the efforts to mitigate these issues through a number of risk management tools, including those of corporate social responsibility (CSR), they continue to take place. Through the lens of organizational attention, this thesis sought to answer the question, How do mining issues affect the CSR policies and practices of Canadian multinational gold companies? Through an exploratory sequential mixed-methods research design, 14 Canadian senior- and intermediate-level multinational gold companies were selected as the sample of this thesis. Data from five semi-structured interviews revealed that issues affect risk management systems, environmental and social issues are responded to differently, and issues spur the development of industry standards. Data also revealed that no single issue was paramount in causing behavioural change within the sample, but instead the occurrence of issues is one of many reasons for making changes in CSR practice. A content analysis was undertaken to assess whether the differences in identifying and responding to environmental and social issues found in the interviews was reflected in the corporate reports of the 14 companies in the sample. Results suggest that social issues tend to have a lingering effect as compared with environmental issues. This thesis contributes to the academic literature by providing evidence as to how Canadian gold mining companies identify and respond to environmental and social issues, as well as why these companies identify the risk of certain issues and not others. This thesis identifies the need for industry practitioners to find best practices to identify and respond to issues, particularly on the social side. One way to do this is for an industry association to develop a forum where companies that have faced certain social issues can collaborate and develop prescribed ways to address these issues.
Assessing the Environment Domain of the Canadian Index of Wellbeing: Potentials for Leveraging Policy
(University of Waterloo, 2015-10-29) Graham, Allison; Singh, Simron Jit, 1969-
This thesis is aimed at understanding the environment domain of the Canadian Index of Wellbeing (CIW) and how it can further contribute to communicative strategies that promote strategic sustainable development. Several ways of conceptualizing, describing and measuring the relationship between human wellbeing and the environment have been attempted in the past through a number of wellbeing indices, but none of these have been entirely successful at capturing the intricacies and potential implications inherent in the relationship. This study attempts to cast light on how the environment domain of the CIW can benefit from having a guiding framework to better communicate the pressures placed on the environment and show links to other aspects of societal behaviour and wellbeing. The goal is to contribute to a better conceptualization of sustainable progress and a tool for policy integration. An in-depth literature review was conducted to report on how human wellbeing and the environment have been measured. The empirical basis of the thesis is expert interviews. Six of the interviewees have been involved in the development and application of well-known wellbeing indices. The study also interviewed two regional level planners in Waterloo with deep interest in environmental sustainability. This thesis proposes the Drivers-Pressures-State-Impact-Response (DPSIR) as a guiding framework for the environment domain of the Canadian Index of Wellbeing (CIW) with resource use indicators from Material Flow Analysis (MFA). Food and Transportation are then proposed to improve the scope of the domain and the index. From a planning perspective, they represent key political, economic and environmental issues. They are both important to Canadian livelihoods and present direct connections between wellbeing and the environment. By presenting food and transportation indicators using the DPSIR framework and MFA as a tool they become understandable and communicate a strong message about how these systems are affecting the Canadian environment. Other potentially emergent concepts were also presented in this thesis. Further research into many of these concepts, both developing and established, are suggested to further the applicability of the CIW for Canadian policy leverage. This study has the potential to build a universal understanding of what these terms mean and how wellbeing indices can be used to develop a better understanding of the important link between elements of the environment and human wellbeing.
ASSESSING THE IMPACTS OF EDUCATIONAL INTERVENTIONS ON THE REPORTED PROBABILITY OF HEAT PUMP ADOPTION
(University of Waterloo, 2020-01-10) MacAdam, John Robert Conor
It is regarded that targeted energy efficiency improvements to residential, commercial, and industrial buildings are essential components of an effective climate action plan. While the energy performance of buildings in Ontario has improved, projected future emission totals are inconsistent with the commitments ratified at the Paris Accord. Over 60% of residential energy consumption is devoted to space heating in Ontario. Further, the mainstream usage of natural gas furnaces is delaying potential progress on achieving the Provincial and Federally ratified climate action goals. There is a pressing need to facilitate the residential adoption of low carbon and energy efficient alternatives to reduce the carbon emissions associated with seasonal space heating requirements. Technical improvements have made the air source heat pump among the most efficient and reliable heating systems available on the market. Despite these improvements, many residential consumers in Ontario are not aware of the functional reliability and energy performance of cold-climate heat pumps. Consequently, provincial rates of heat pump adoption are low. Previous researchers have claimed that a sustained provision of focused awareness building campaigns is essential to stimulating residential interest in heat pump adoption. However, these conclusions have not been sufficiently tested in Ontario. The present study’s sample consisted of 158 homeowners and landlords in the Region of Waterloo. A between group pre-test post-test research design examined the direction and change to the reported probability of heat pump adoption after administering a focused educational intervention to two seminar cohorts and two online survey cohorts. Descriptive and inferential tests of significance demonstrated that the probability of heat pump adoption significantly increased in each experimental group when the existing heating system required replacement. The reported high probability of adoption on a five-point Likert scale increased from 40% to 73% in the seminar cohorts and from 33% to 51% in the survey cohorts when the existing system required replacement. The high probability of adoption in the seminar cohort’s post-test scores increased from 17% within the year to 73% when the existing system required replacement. The high probability of adoption in the survey cohort’s post-test scores increased from 8% within the year to 51% when the existing system required replacement. It is concluded that local environmental organizations may play a strategic role in facilitating interest in heat pump adoption by distributing positive and reliable information throughout their contact lists and by hosting awareness building seminars. This may increase the frequency in which homeowners discuss the technology, and raise public exposure to cold-climate heat pumps. The sustained diffusion of information should make important contributions to raising residential exposure and interest in high performance heat pump models.
Assessing the Legitimacy of Sustainability Standard Programs in the Mining and Minerals Sector
(University of Waterloo, 2023-05-15) McGlade-Bouchard, Cameron
This research aims to evaluate the extent to which mining sector sustainability standard programs and their certified entities adopt input legitimacy in their deliberative processes. A framework to assess this was developed based on a literature review, then sustainability standard programs in the mining sector were compared to the framework. Through this study, it was found that many of the analyzed sustainability standard programs have relatively high input legitimacy. However, their certified entities, who, in many cases, make political decisions, are not always required to make those decisions based on democratic processes. Evidence was also found that colonial legacies within the mining industry are insufficiently addressed by sustainability standard programs. In addition, membership of the International Social and Environmental Accreditation and Labelling Alliance is a relatively good predictor of the sustainability standard programs’ achievement against the framework. These findings suggest that sustainability standard programs still risk perpetuating the corporate capture of wealth through greenwash, though have mechanisms in place to democratize environmental global governance to a certain extent.
Assessing the Pre-occupancy and Post-occupancy Baseline Sustainability Practices of Multiple Tenants in a Zero-Carbon Office Building
(University of Waterloo, 2020-01-23) Paxton-Beesley, Olivia
This research assesses the baseline sustainable lifestyle patterns of occupants in a multi-tenant office building in Waterloo, ON designed for next-generation sustainability standards. The building is designed to be zero-carbon and ‘net energy positive’, to generate more energy than it requires to operate annually. This research explores the influence of sustainable and energy efficient designs on lifestyle choices of the zero-carbon building tenants. The thesis seeks to extend the vision of this zero-carbon building as an innovative office building by exploring the pro-environmental awareness and behaviour of its tenants. Data contained within this study indicates a positive relationship between attitudes and behaviours among tenants. This specialized study can help emphasize the significance of this link. The data might in turn contribute to new operating standards for commercial office tenant buildings, supporting improved energy and sustainability performance in workspaces. The building sector is one of the major contributors to carbon emissions in the world, and the effective reduction of emissions requires significant change in the building industry. Sustainable building design can dramatically reduce carbon emissions associated with the construction and operation of buildings, minimizing harmful environmental impacts. However, there are often performance gaps where the modeled energy performance shown in designs and actual energy performance of occupied buildings do not match. While the building’s energy-positive features help solve the global sustainability challenge, achieving high performance also depends on deliberate patterns of use by tenants and management, requiring elevated awareness among occupants. This research identifies the self-reported behaviours of the future tenants of the zero-carbon office building prior to the occupancy of the sustainable building, providing a baseline to compare the lifestyle patterns of tenants as they are exposed to a sustainably designed workspace. The study focuses on baseline lifestyle choices by collecting information about commuting choices, diet, and waste habits through an online survey, and on parking lot composition through an observational survey. The study compares patterns among tenants from environmental, information technology, education and accounting industries. In parallel, the study considers the influence of the zero-carbon office building’s architectural features, including geothermal heating, triple-glazed windows, a solar carport, and 28 electric charging stations in its parking lot, together with the location of the development next to a light rail transit station which supports the option of low-carbon mass transportation. Literature cited within this study includes recent papers that discuss opportunities to engage the occupants of sustainable buildings, and for satisfaction and comfort of occupants in their new spaces. Researchers highlight that behavioural factors are a major contributor to performance gaps, particularly if the lifestyle patterns of occupants are not complemented by the design of the building. Key studies including Carmichael, Preble, Randall, and Steiner, (2017) and Edwards and Kumphai, (2012) demonstrate that widely varying interests in sustainability and energy requirements seen within multi-tenant environments can create difficulty in achieving reductions in energy usage. This thesis contributes to this literature by emphasizing the importance of occupant awareness of sustainability and sustainable behaviours.
Assessing the Role of Securities Exchanges on Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) Practice
(University of Waterloo, 2021-12-10) Oyewole, Tobi
Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) risks are increasingly becoming issues of concern for investors and regulators. Government, businesses, researchers, non-profit organizations are paying more attention to how their activities are contributing to sustainable development. ESG risks have even more significant impact on financial systems, and as such, banks and financial regulators are playing crucial roles in adopting and promoting ESG practices and related disclosures. Securities exchanges occupy a unique position of influence in that they stand as intermediaries between issuers and investors. The Sustainable Stock Exchange Initiative (SSEI), an organization created by the United Nations to galvanize efforts by securities exchanges towards the SDG, has continued to lead securities exchanges on several ESG initiatives. Some of the initiatives include guiding securities exchanges on how to support companies within their market on responsible business practices and reporting. A good number of securities exchanges globally have now published ESG guidance for their market, created ESG listing rules, developed ESG indexes and facilitated ESG related trainings. Amidst growing attention from securities exchanges on ESG regulations, this research assesses the role played by this financial regulator on ESG reporting practice among publicly listed companies, particularly climate reporting using the Taskforce on Climate and Financial Disclosures (TCFD) recommendations. This research adopts a qualitative approach through content analysis to study all ESG guidance, rules and indexes created by securities exchanges, to substantiate the impact of ESG regulations within capital markets across the world. The study provides answers important questions on the structure of the ESG regulatory landscape across geo-political region, the prevalence of guiding ESG frameworks, progress on climate related disclosures, and how ESG regulations by securities exchanges are supporting national actions towards the SDGs in their host countries. The overall objective of this study is to identify the roles played by securities exchanges in supporting ESG efforts within their markets and recommend news ways to meet the ever-evolving market demands on ESG.

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