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This empirical chapter contributes to international business (IB) research on the United Nations’ sustainable development goals (SDGs) by opening a new research trajectory on sustainable headquarters (HQ) buildings. This multidisciplinary study conceptualizes the notion of a sustainable HQ based on a case study and three streams of literature – research on HQs, sustainable office design and the SDGs in IB. It offers a novel angle to prior research on HQs that has largely focused on their functional roles. While IB scholars are increasingly embracing the SDGs, limited attention has been devoted to SDG 11, “sustainable cities and communities.” This chapter draws on a real-time, longitudinal, single case study of a Nordic multinational in renewable products. The authors adopt a future-facing, phenomenon-based approach to envision and reimagine the modern wooden corporate HQ building on a culturally sensitive site in the heart of Helsinki, Finland. The findings emphasize the environmental, social, economic and cultural considerations of HQ buildings. By combining HQ premises with commercial spaces, and by opening the building to citizens, sustainable HQ buildings create a lively city space and increase urban social cohesion. The use of wood as a construction material and the application of design principles that promote human–nature relationships, have a positive impact on climate and human health. By focusing on the physical building, the authors aim to change the way IB scholars understand and study the role of HQ as a part of sustainable cities.

It is widely recognised that hotels, as important members of the global tourism value chain, have negative impacts on the environment. Many hoteliers feel the adoption of environmental measures is expensive, with little commercial benefit. A further obstacle to improving hotels' green credentials is the perception that adapting staff attitudes and management operations to become more environmentally friendly is too complicated and produces only negligible results. The present study aims to create a snapshot of best practices in sustainability in the hospitality industry adopted by eleven hotels in Germany and Estonia. It also aims to contrast the development of sustainable management systems in these two European countries with different economies and cultures.

Purpose – This chapter develops the case for a global Greenscape. It introduces the green global marketplace (Greenscape) to better understand the global green market.Design/methodology/approach – The chapter introduces current green market practices and adopts case study methodology to present three distinct green cases related to renewable energy, process technology and wastewater recycling and their international market activities. The chapter offers discussion on findings and incorporates the novel technique of discourse analysis using Leximancer 3.0.Findings – The case shows how the Greendex Report (2012) positions Brazil, India, China and Russia at the top of the markets for green product penetration. The developed nations of USA, France and Canada make up the bottom rankings. The chapter finds essential elements for creating the global Greenscape and marketing of green technologies.Research limitations/implications (if applicable) – Empirical research testing success pathways and destination opportunities is desirable.Practical implications (if applicable) – The ‘success and failure criteria’ identify how planning, patent and partnerships are essential for successful entry. Specific market research on G(reen) markets, market information, marketing functions for market entry and market diffusion for renewable products and process technologies such as supply chain elements, and how these interrelate with achieving sustainability goals is essential for successful entry.Originality/value of chapter – The chapter offers a novel and original approach to international green market penetration and offers analysis related to the new world BRIC countries that have been little explored.

In this chapter, the authors employ bibliometric, co-word, and thematic analyses to explore the scientific intersection between higher education (HE) and sustainable development (SD). In particular, the authors analyze a dataset of 215 articles extracted through the Scopus database to understand how the literature debates sustainability and HE. After providing a detailed description of the methodology employed, the authors perform a descriptive and thematic analysis of the dataset. The authors outline general information about the database, the formula applied to search for the results, and the methods used to polish the dataset. The authors then determine the number of publications per year and the number of papers per journal; consider the most used keywords; and build a thematic map based on the co-occurrence network. Lastly, the authors discuss the results and the limitations of our work, providing some indications for future research opportunities.

Architecture is a social art. Buildings reflect the social and material conditions of the place and time where they are created. This is especially true of libraries, which represent our collective aspirations. For architects and clients involved in planning libraries, it is important to take a broad view of the task at hand, to understand the premises that guide design solutions, and to place libraries within a cultural context.

Over the last decade, retailers have shown an increasing interest in providing evidence of the sustainability of their activities. This is mainly due to the demands of policy and consumers as well as competition. Indeed, several retailers are making efforts to design and implement sustainable practices from a Triple Bottom Line approach (i.e., economic, social, and environmental sustainability). This chapter discusses the sustainable practices of leading Spanish top grocery and apparel retailers, focusing on those that may be considered as setting benchmarks in their respective sectors. A content analysis of annual report sections related to sustainability, independent sustainability reports, and information published by these main Spanish retailers, enables us to identify three main types of practices providing evidence of retailers’ sustainability. These are cross-industry sustainable practices, industry-dependent practices, and firm innovations. These practices may become guidance and inspiration for other retailers in these sectors, as well as in other product assortment.