has also been given under this discussion. Besides, some proposed solutions, such as
legislative controls, governance, up-to-the-mark sewerage system, treatment of
industrial wastes, and anti-water-pollution rules and regulations are also
recommended. Chapter 7 discusses the challenges to the irrigation water-energy
nexus in Australia. The case studies presented in this chapter focus on Queensland
and New South Wales, showcasing the challenges of Australia’s agricultural producers in reconciling their water and energy requirements whilst producing highquality food and fibre. The case studies illustrate how uncoordinated State and
Federal government policies are undermining sustainable agricultural practices in
Australia and impacting the broader environment. The authors also outline how
agricultural producers are progressively tackling the energy-water-food nexus challenges through innovative thinking and collaborative engagement between different
stakeholders. In Chap. 8, the author discusses the importance of agricultural soils in
Queensland and some specific challenges, and outlines the risks and opportunities
from the State’s emerging bioeconomy industry and returning nutrients to soil as part
of a circular economy approach. Chapter 9 highlights what is needed to be done for
our future generations to create a sustainable mechanism that is green, scalable, and
secure for the way we develop and obtain energy from a purely economic perspective. In Chap. 10, the authors aim to assess the inclination towards sustainable
consumption among Romanian students, using the young consumers’ sustainable
consumption behaviour (YCSCB) scale pertaining to two aspects, food and clothing,
a scale developed by Daniel Fischer and his colleagues in 2017. Chapter 11 takes
into account the fact that forests acting as natural CO 2 sinks while releasing O 2 into
the atmosphere via the photosythesis are the lungs of the planet and have a role in
maintaining sustainability on earth providing abundant benefits for human life and
supporting life on earth for all habitats that make up the ecosystem. The authors
evaluate the current practices of deforestation with a focus on Asia – particularly
Malaysia, also looking at the causes and effects of deforestation. In Chap. 12, the
authors aim at examining the impact of Sustainability Risk Management (SRM)
practices on the survival of environmentally sensitive companies in Malaysia.
Sustainability risk management (SRM) is a process that systematically integrates
environmental, social, and economic factors to manage the effects of sustainability
risk on a company’s survival, while meeting stakeholder needs. A case study carried
out on environmentally and socially conscious companies in three sectors shows that
leadership and compliance are considered important factors in implementing the
SRM programme. The study also sheds light on other factors associated with
successful SRM practices – namely sound risk culture, adequate risk management
tools, and effective business continuity planning. Chapter 13 discusses the role of
Smart Cities in the framework of the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in
a dialectic way. Promoted as “green” and inclusive cities, Smart Cities are reportedly
facilitating the implementation of the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)
by Smart Grids, the Internet of Things (IoT), Big Data, Algorithms, and Artificial
Intelligence (AI) to optimize energy efficiency, water safety, food safety, and to
ensure a high quality of life while offering great opportunities for multicultural
cross-fertilization, supposedly offering citizens a clean, safe, friendly, and pluralistic
Preface
vii
legislative controls, governance, up-to-the-mark sewerage system, treatment of
industrial wastes, and anti-water-pollution rules and regulations are also
recommended. Chapter 7 discusses the challenges to the irrigation water-energy
nexus in Australia. The case studies presented in this chapter focus on Queensland
and New South Wales, showcasing the challenges of Australia’s agricultural producers in reconciling their water and energy requirements whilst producing highquality food and fibre. The case studies illustrate how uncoordinated State and
Federal government policies are undermining sustainable agricultural practices in
Australia and impacting the broader environment. The authors also outline how
agricultural producers are progressively tackling the energy-water-food nexus challenges through innovative thinking and collaborative engagement between different
stakeholders. In Chap. 8, the author discusses the importance of agricultural soils in
Queensland and some specific challenges, and outlines the risks and opportunities
from the State’s emerging bioeconomy industry and returning nutrients to soil as part
of a circular economy approach. Chapter 9 highlights what is needed to be done for
our future generations to create a sustainable mechanism that is green, scalable, and
secure for the way we develop and obtain energy from a purely economic perspective. In Chap. 10, the authors aim to assess the inclination towards sustainable
consumption among Romanian students, using the young consumers’ sustainable
consumption behaviour (YCSCB) scale pertaining to two aspects, food and clothing,
a scale developed by Daniel Fischer and his colleagues in 2017. Chapter 11 takes
into account the fact that forests acting as natural CO 2 sinks while releasing O 2 into
the atmosphere via the photosythesis are the lungs of the planet and have a role in
maintaining sustainability on earth providing abundant benefits for human life and
supporting life on earth for all habitats that make up the ecosystem. The authors
evaluate the current practices of deforestation with a focus on Asia – particularly
Malaysia, also looking at the causes and effects of deforestation. In Chap. 12, the
authors aim at examining the impact of Sustainability Risk Management (SRM)
practices on the survival of environmentally sensitive companies in Malaysia.
Sustainability risk management (SRM) is a process that systematically integrates
environmental, social, and economic factors to manage the effects of sustainability
risk on a company’s survival, while meeting stakeholder needs. A case study carried
out on environmentally and socially conscious companies in three sectors shows that
leadership and compliance are considered important factors in implementing the
SRM programme. The study also sheds light on other factors associated with
successful SRM practices – namely sound risk culture, adequate risk management
tools, and effective business continuity planning. Chapter 13 discusses the role of
Smart Cities in the framework of the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in
a dialectic way. Promoted as “green” and inclusive cities, Smart Cities are reportedly
facilitating the implementation of the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)
by Smart Grids, the Internet of Things (IoT), Big Data, Algorithms, and Artificial
Intelligence (AI) to optimize energy efficiency, water safety, food safety, and to
ensure a high quality of life while offering great opportunities for multicultural
cross-fertilization, supposedly offering citizens a clean, safe, friendly, and pluralistic
Preface
vii