Journal Articles

Permanent URI for this collectionhttps://mro.massey.ac.nz/handle/10179/7915

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Start date: 2020Subject: search.filters.subject.sustainable development goals

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    Gen Z–pioneers or paradox in sustainable tourism?
    (Taylor and Francis Group, 2025-06-03) Seyfi S; Hall CM; Strzelecka M
    Frequently labeled the “greenest generation,” research often portrays Generation Z (Gen Z) as a generation with strong pro-sustainability sensibilities. However, closer scrutiny exposes a disconnect between their stated intentions and actual behavior. This editorial reflection draws on the contributions to the Special Issue “Gen Z: The Sustainable Tourism Generation?” and a critical scoping review to question whether Gen Z can genuinely support a shift toward sustainable tourism. The studies in this issue address themes such as pro-environmental behavior, political consumerism, ethical choices, food waste, and psychological ownership of destinations. Overall, they demonstrate a fragmented body of work, split between those who argue for Gen Z’s deep engagement with sustainability and others who highlight inconsistencies. By synthesizing insights from the special issue and mapping them against broader trends in the literature, this editorial argues that current scholarship risks overstating the coherence of Gen Z’s sustainability orientation. It urges researchers to interrogate the structural, cultural, and psychological barriers that mediate the translation of values into action. Finally, it outlines a future research agenda that calls for greater theoretical clarity, comparative and longitudinal designs, and a move beyond celebratory narratives, to better understand Gen Z’s actual role in advancing the Sustainable Development Goals within tourism and beyond.
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    Clustering Analysis on Sustainable Development Goal Indicators for Forty-Five Asian Countries
    (28/03/2023) Mathrani A; Wang J; Li D; Zhang X; Sacco, PL
    This paper draws upon the United Nations 2022 data report on the achievement of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) across the following four dimensions: economic, social, environmental and institutional. Ward’s method was applied to obtain clustering results for forty-five Asian countries to understand their level of progress and overall trends in achieving SDGs. We identified varying degrees of correlation between the four dimensions. The results show that East Asian countries performed poorly in the economic dimension, while some countries in Southeast Asia and Central and West Asia performed relatively well. Regarding social and institutional dimensions, the results indicate that East and Central Asian countries performed relatively better than others. Finally, in the environmental dimension, West and South Asian countries showed better performance than other Asian countries. The insights gathered from this study can inform policymakers of these countries about their own country’s position in achieving SDGs in relation to other Asian countries, as they work towards establishing strategies for improving their sustainable development targets.
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    Stories of transformation: A cross-country focus group study on sustainable development and societal change
    (MDPI (Basel, Switzerland), 24/04/2019) Wibeck V; Linnér B-O; Alves T; Asplund T; Bohman A; Boykoff M; Feetham P; Huang Y; Nascimento J; Rich J; Yvon Rocha C; Vaccarino F; Xian S
    Societal transformation is one of the most topical concepts in sustainability research and policy-making. Used in many ways, it indicates that nonlinear systematic changes are needed in order to fully address global environmental and human development challenges. This paper explores what sustainability transformations mean for lay focus group participants in Cabo Verde, China, Fiji, Sweden, and the USA. Key findings include: (a) Tightly linked to interpersonal relationships, sustainability was seen as going beyond the Sustainable Development Goals to include a sense of belonging; (b) transformations were framed as fundamental changes from today’s society, but most participants stated that transformation pathways need to splice new structures into the old; (c) new technologies are key engines of change. Yet, the most common drivers were awareness, education, and knowledge sharing; and (d) regardless of whether state-centric or decentralized governance was preferred, personal action was seen as essential. The focus groups displayed a shared understanding across the geographical settings; a common realization of profound sustainability predicaments facing societies across the world; and a desire for fundamental change towards a more sustainable way of life.