SDG Publications
Faculty Publications that Address SDGs
Engages in SDGs across the spectrum
IU Indianapolis faculty write books on a range of topics that address SDGs, from business and human rights, to climate change and drug discovery processes. These cutting-edge books bring together scholars, researchers, and practitioners from around the globe to map out and explore emergent disciplines. Explorations often include business and human rights, and the real-world effects of businesses on individuals and communities. With innovative focus on voices of affected individuals and communities from both developed and developing nations.
Business and Human Rights - Karen Bravo
IU Robert H. McKinney School of Law Dean Karen Bravo, is a well known international law scholar. Her research interests include regional integration, labor liberalization, slavery, and human trafficking. Of late, her research has centered on illicit international markets, with a focus on the human rights implications of the international flow of goods and services (e.g., “wombs for rent,” human organ harvesting, and wildlife trafficking), as well as the parallels of and connections between historic chattel slavery and contemporary human trafficking.Dean Bravo’s collaboration with Professor Jena Martin of West Virginia University College of Law led to their first co-edited volume The Business and Human Rights Landscape: Moving Forward, Looking Back published by Cambridge University Press in 2016. This book was launched at the Palais des Nations in Geneva, Switzerland, as part of the proceedings of the fourth annual United Nations Forum on Business and Human Rights.
The book offers an analysis of changes created by the 2011 adoption of the United Nations Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights. The adoption of these principles marked a watershed moment, establishing the very first global standards addressing the human rights impacts of businesses. In light of this paradigm shift, the volume offers a comprehensive analysis of the current legal framework. It includes in-depth explorations of the UN Guiding Principles from both theoretical and practical standpoints, with case studies ranging from the 2013 Rana Plaza garment factory building collapse in Bangladesh, Conflict Diamonds and corporate social responsibility, and resource extraction and the ‘Resource Curse’ in Kenya. Bookending current analyses are historical accounts of the creation of corporate entities and forward-looking perspectives (analyzing labor's role). Bringing together legal scholars from multiple countries, The Business and Human Rights Landscape is a key resource for academicians, activists, and lay persons tracking the implementation of the UN Sustainable Development Goals, especially SDG 8 on decent work and economic growth, and SDG 12 on responsible consumption and production.
Dean Bravo’s most recent co-edited book, When Business Harms Human Rights: Affected Communities that are Dying to be Heard, was published by Anthem Press in 2020. This book uses story-telling techniques to explore the real-world intersection of laws and policies on individuals and communities from around the world, including the United States, and offers an in-depth investigation of business-related human rights impacts and the challenges experienced by victims in addressing remedies. The narratives follow rights holders in their attempts to secure remedies, and examine the impact of the emerging legal regime of business and human rights. Cases include the pursuit of justice for DBCP-Exposed Banana Farmers in the Philippines, violations by Chinese multinational corporations in Zimbabwe, community disruption caused by mining exploration in Colombia, and the heath of veteran coal miners in the United States, among many others. None of the scholarly books currently published within the field of business and human rights have provided narratives from victims or made their perspectives and experiences the center of inquiry and analysis. Both of Dean Bravo’s volumes make a substantial contribution to the UN Agenda 2030 for global transformation, as the world updates its vision on the role of business in sustainable development.
Climate Change - Dr. Gabriel Filippelli
Climate Change and Resilience in Indiana and Beyond – A book addressing SDGs 2, 6, 7, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 17
Co-authored by Dr. Gabriel Filippelli and other experts, Climate Change and Resilience in Indiana and Beyond delves into issues of Climate Change and methods to address these problems. Climate Change is shifting the lifestyle and livelihoods of Hoosiers, while threatening the Indiana environment. These changes can cause significant disruptions to the state’s economy, health and infrastructure. However, despite concerning predictions about future climatic conditions, Indiana has an opportunity to avert these disastrous consequences. The book Climate Change and Resilience in Indiana and Beyond aims to identify avenues of reducing climate impact to stop climate disasters.The culmination of Indiana University's Prepared for Environmental Change Grand Challenge, this collection showcases how scientists, policymakers, communicators, and others are working hard to protect Indiana's economy and way of life by becoming more resilient. Researchers are creating new environmental resilience frameworks, building on years of existing research on how ecosystems can adapt, how social systems process threats in order to change, and how individuals themselves fit into the larger picture. In addition to presenting research results, Climate Change and Resilience in Indiana and Beyond provides clear examples of how Hoosiers can make a difference by reducing risks, lessening the harmful impacts of climate change, and preparing for the unavoidable.
Book chapters co-authored by Dr. Filippelli include Climate and Water Systems; Built Environments and Green Infrastructure; and Equitability, Health, and Resilience in the Face of Climate Change. The topics in the book directly address SDGs 2 (Zero Hunger), 6 (Clean Water and Sanitation), 7 (Affordable and Clean Energy), 10 (Reduced Inequalities), 11 (Sustainable Cities and Infrastructure), 12 (Responsible Consumption and Production), 13 (Climate Change), 14 (Life Below Water), 15 (Life on Land), and 17 (Partnerships for the Goals).
Climate Change and Life - a book addressing SDGs 13, 14 & 15
Climate Change and Life, by Dr. Gabriel Filippelli (School of Science), targets the critical work of SDG 13 on climate action, SDG 14 on life below water, and SDG 15 on life on land. Over billions of years, the Earth has undergone major shifts in climate and geography, while living organisms have grown and thrived through major extinction events. These major shifts have effectively shaped the world into the planet we know now.
Dr. Filippelli analyzes the Earth’s climate history and compares it to the histories of our neighbors Venus and Mars. The parameters studied include atmospheric and orbital conditions of climate, how past climate change is quantified, major evolutionary and extinction events, human evolution and its impact on global climate, future climate expectations, and the fate of global ecosystems. In his conclusion, Dr. Filippelli explores the limits of habitability in the Universe and sets realistic expectations on our world’s climate change.
