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The purpose of this paper is to synthesize insights from the emerging work in accounting on greenwashing and sustainability assurance and propose an agenda for future research in this area.

This article offers an original analysis of papers published on greenwashing and sustainability assurance research in the field of accounting. It adopts a systematic literature review and a narrative approach to analyse the dominant themes and key findings in this new and rapidly evolving field. From this overview, specific avenues for future research are identified.

In the past few years there has been a substantial spike in concern relating to greenwashing among academics, practitioners, regulators and society. This growing concern has only partly been reflected in the research literature. To date, research has primarily focused on: (1) the characteristics of firms adopting sustainability assurance, (2) the challenges facing sustainability auditors, (3) the development of appropriate assurance standards and regulations, and (4) capital market responses to greenwashing and sustainability auditing/assurance. Three key future research issues with respect to greenwashing are identified: (1) the future of standard-setter attempts to regulate greenwashing, (2) professional jockeying in sustainability reporting assurance, and (3) capital market opportunities and challenges relating to greenwashing and assurance.

Despite the profound economic and reputational impact of greenwashing and the rapid development of sustainability assurance services, research in accounting remains fragmented and emergent. This review identifies avenues offering considerable scope for inter-disciplinarity and bridging the divide between academia and practice.

The apparel and textile sector poses a significant environmental challenge due to its substantial contribution to pollution in the form of air, water and soil pollution. To combat these issues, the adoption of sustainable practices is essential. This study aims to identify and analyse the barriers that hinder the progress of sustainability in the apparel and textile industry. By consulting experts in the field, critical barriers were identified and given special attention.

To achieve the research objective, an integrated approach involving Interpretive Structural Modelling (ISM) and fuzzy MICMAC decision-making techniques was employed. The results were further validated through the Decision-Making Trial and Evaluation Laboratory (DEMATEL) method.

The findings highlight that barrier related to clothing disposal, inadequate adaptation to modern technology, challenges affecting sector efficiency and issues related to fashion design are crucial in influencing the remaining six barriers. Based on the outcomes of the DEMATEL method, a comprehensive cause-and-effect diagram was constructed to gain a deeper understanding of these challenges.

This research provides valuable insights for policymakers and stakeholders in the apparel and textile industry. It offers a strategic framework to address and overcome sustainability barriers, promoting the development of a more environmentally responsible and resilient sector.

The purpose of this research is to conduct an in-depth investigation of the barriers apparel and textile sectors. It is feasible that both the management team and the medical experts who provide direct patient care could benefit from this research.

This study aims to contribute to the field of computer systems for sustainability research. It proposes a framework for sustainability awareness using online social networks (OSNs) by analyzing major research streams of the current state of knowledge and different bibliometric variables, and identifies a future research agenda in the field.

The preferred reporting items for systematic review and meta-analysis (PRISMA) methodology, content analysis and bibliometric tools were employed to identify, select, collect, synthesize, analyze and evaluate all research published on sustainability awareness using OSNs to provide complete insight into this research area.

This study proposed a framework comprising four categories for sustainability awareness using OSNs. These four categories are: the key factors to success, analysis of existing tools, proposal of new methods, approaches and theoretical frameworks, and case examples. In addition, this study synthesized the future research challenges for each category of the proposed framework.

Fostering sustainability awareness and sustainable behavior using OSNs is a growing area of research that seeks cultural change in society to achieve sustainable development. Through OSNs, people can discover and become aware of the consequences of unsustainable practices and habits in society, and learn how to develop sustainable behavior.

The peer review history for this article is available at https://publons.com/publon/10.1108/OIR

This chapter presents the findings of an extracurricular online beta test of a competition between students of the University of Wales Trinity Saint David and the International University of Malaya-Wales. The competition is intended to promote the concept of harmonious entrepreneurship and the creation of student-led harmonious enterprises that address the global sustainability challenge and deliver a triple bottom line in which profit, people, and planet are in harmony. It reveals that extracurricular learning can attract students from disciplines other than business and can educate the participants, both staff and students, not just about harmonious entrepreneurship but also how to identify and launch an innovative harmonious enterprise that addresses a sustainability challenge. The test identifies how the competition may be improved prior to its global launch and makes recommendations for students, educators, mentors, providers, and universities as to how it might best be implemented. Once revised and launched the competition will be further tested to better understand how extracurricular learning can help advance the delivery of both entrepreneurship and sustainability education in universities and colleges around the globe.

This research paper aims to evaluate the sustainability knowledge and background of students, staff and faculty regarding current university sustainability practices and individual behaviors at Central Michigan University (CMU); to compare sustainability background and knowledge based on academic discipline of enrollment or employment; and to assess sustainability awareness and interest of the campus community to guide future sustainability initiatives and resources at CMU.

An electronic cross-sectional survey was used to collect anonymous responses through Qualtrics, and then results were analyzed through SPSS. Analyses were performed based on the academic structures at CMU.

This research has found that students in STEM fields are more inclined to have pro-sustainability attitudes, knowledge and behaviors, compared to those studying the arts and business. Additionally, results indicate that there is a significant difference in knowledge between the students, and the staff and faculty respondents regarding sustainability knowledge and application, with the staff and faculty consistently demonstrating more pro-sustainability knowledge and behavior.

While research has previously been conducted on sustainability attitudes and behaviors, this research is unique because it ties sustainability knowledge to academic discipline. Additionally, it serves to gauge which sustainability programs and topics members of the campus community are most interested in, and which areas they are most willing to support.

The current chapter proposes a theoretical framework to assess the sustainability of economic growth in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) States. The authors integrate insights from endogenous growth models and consider the unique socioeconomic characteristics of the GCC region to provide a comprehensive and tailored approach to understanding the determinants of economic growth and formulating effective policy measures to foster sustainable development and growth. This chapter highlights the environmental challenges faced by GCC; based on this, the authors suggested indicators to construct a theoretical framework (Economic Growth, Climatic Indicators, Energy Indicators, Social Indicators, and Economic Resources Indicators). The authors propose that policymakers and researchers in GCC States should take these factors into account when devising policies or conducting research aimed at fostering sustainable economic growth. Overall, this chapter presents significant insights for policymakers, researchers, and stakeholders involved in promoting the sustainable economic advancement of the GCC States.

This chapter provides a comprehensive exploration of the pivotal role of family planning in advancing sustainable development goals (SDGs). It elucidates the intrinsic connection between family planning and sustainable development, scrutinizes the harmonization of family planning initiatives with SDG targets and indicators, gleans insights from global approaches, and identifies formidable challenges, with a particular focus on marginalized communities. This chapter culminates with a set of substantial recommendations aimed at surmounting these challenges and propelling SDG attainment through the prism of family planning.

A large number of organisations are moving towards adopting Industry 4.0 (I4.0), and simultaneously, the emphasis on attaining sustainability development goals is also increasing. Hence, it is imperative to understand the interplay between I4.0 and sustainability. However, the literature addressing the same is still in infancy. Accordingly, the purpose of this study is to fill this gap in the literature by exploring the potential sustainability impacts of I4.0 on the organisations and society in terms of sustainability risks.

To gain an understanding of sustainability aspects in the I4.0 context, relevant literature is gathered using Scopus and Web-of-Science database. An in-depth review of 51 research papers is performed to determine the sustainability risks associated with I4.0.

From the study, a total of 16 sustainability risks are identified, and I4.0 sustainability risk taxonomy is developed. The proposed taxonomy extends the sustainability implications of I4.0 beyond the triple bottom line umbrella and includes the organisational perspective as well. Furthermore, the study provides future research avenues to scholars by positing five potential research questions under different risk management stages.

The study provides an understanding of sustainability risks associated with the adoption of I4.0. The findings will help practitioners streamline their production and operation processes by finding out possible solution to the sustainability risks of their smart factories in advance. The present research will act as a stepping stone towards I4.0 sustainability. The proposed research questions will assist the future researchers in extending the field of I4.0.

To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is one of the first studies to address the topic of sustainability risks in the context of I4.0.

The role of procurement managers is crucial for diffusing sustainability throughout the supply chain. Whether or not they are willing to pay for sustainability is an important and not yet fully understood question. The authors examine antecedents and consequences of their willingness to pay (WTP) for sustainability.

The authors develop a multi-level framework to examine the WTP for sustainability in a B2B context. The authors test this multi-level framework with 372 procurement managers from multiple sectors and countries using partial least squares structural equation modeling.

The authors find that individual values of procurement managers and institutional pressures directly, while ethical organizational culture indirectly influence WTP for sustainability. Functional and cognitive competencies of procurement managers improve the sustainability of procurement, but not WTP for sustainability. Importantly, WTP for sustainability directly influences the performance of the procurement function which in turn is positively associated with increased organizational performance.

The study, examining the interplay between individual, organizational and contextual factors, provides empirical evidence on the pivotal role of procurement managers in diffusing sustainability throughout the supply chain. The findings of the study, on the one hand, contribute to the literature on operations management and sustainability, and on the other hand, guide policy and managerial actions.