Latin American J. of Management for Sustainable Development (4 papers in press)

Regular Issues

• Sustainability reports in the automotive industry: a comparative analysis of the Argentinean sector  
  by Marina N. Santucci, Gastón Méndez-Crespi, Alisia Pietropaolo 
  Abstract: Sustainability has become a competitive factor for the automotive industry, and communication scandals have raised concerns on the transparency of reported practices. The objective of this research was to study automotive companies sustainability claims through content analysis of the reports issued by the Argentinean locations of three global companies: Renault, Toyota, and Volkswagen. Results showed interorganisational relations to standardise processes and ensure quality and sustainable products, along with local and international cooperative alliances. Energy efficiency was improved for both production and usage of the vehicles. Social impact is largely reported through training and diversity programs, both for the taskforce and the local communities. The analysis allowed to identify motivations in the line of the accountability theory, showing focus on social responsibility beyond commercial interests. Reflections of the global culture were identified in the structure of two of the reports, although no evidence was found to sustain legitimacy and impression management.
  Keywords: sustainability reports; automotive; Argentina; accountability; global culture; legitimacy; impressions management.
  DOI: 10.1504/LAJMSD.2025.10071305
   
  
• Optimising contract types for infrastructure projects in emerging economies: a fuzzy logic approach for sustainable development  
  by Mohammad Hosein HoushmandRad, Ahmadreza Nadaffard 
  Abstract: In emerging economies, sustainable infrastructure development is vital for economic integration into global markets. This study employs a fuzzy logic approach to analysis various contract types to optimise sustainable development from the employer’s perspective. Utilising a descriptive research methodology, data from existing databases, and expert consensus, build-operate-transfer (BOT) and buy-back contracts were identified as optimal for promoting sustainable infrastructure. These contracts, which focus on design and construction, address the challenges of limited liquidity and technical expertise in local governments. The findings suggest that adopting these contract types can significantly enhance the development of reliable infrastructure, contributing to sustained economic growth.
  Keywords: contract types; emerging economies; project delivery system; sustainable development; sustainable infrastructure; build-operate-transfer; BOT.
  DOI: 10.1504/LAJMSD.2025.10071307
   
  
• Reverse logistic of rejected plastic: the circularity and resilience of waste pickers in the supply chain  
  by Luiz Savio Pires De Castro, Perla Calil Pongeluppe Wadhy Rebehy, Pedro Lepos Cardoso De Mattos, Alexandre Pereira Salgado Junior, Grégoire Jean-François Demets, Renan Louro Cardoso Franco 
  Abstract: The absence of actions that promote the circular economy implies huge socio-environmental and economic losses since many materials could return to the production chain and generate income instead of being destined for landfills. This work aims to quantify and characterise the gravimetric composition of plastic waste from the recyclable waste segregation process in Brazil. The specific objectives are: 1) build the circular plastic economy flowchart for a Brazilian municipality with the respective quantities at each stage of the cycle; 2) identify the socio-environmental impacts of incorrect disposal of plastic packaging. The method used was a case study based on multiple sources of evidence. The results point to the disposal in landfills of plastic packaging as waste, 87% of which is type 1 (PET polyethylene terephthalate). The waste flow shows that only 0.55% of the total volume of waste generated is collected and 4% of the selectively sorted plastic returns to the landfill, which has different impacts on all dimensions of sustainability.
  Keywords: reverse logistic; plastic; waste; collectors; circular economy.
  DOI: 10.1504/LAJMSD.2025.10069079
   
  
• Analysis of factors associated with ESG performance of Brazilian Cities  
  by John Cesar De Souza, Vanderly Janeiro, George Lucas Moraes Pezzott 
  Abstract: Environmental, social and governance (ESG) criteria emerged in 2004 as a way to assess the performance of corporations in terms of environmental sustainability, social equity, and effective governance. Since then, many companies have embraced these criteria as a way to demonstrate their sustainable development. On the other hand, ESG criteria can be replicated in cities in order to contribute to a better quality of life for citizens, generate environmental sustainability, improve resilience, and attract investors to the city. In this context, this paper aims to analyse the sustainable performance of cities according to ESG criteria. The data are from Brazilian cities and they were constructed by the Competitiveness Ranking of Municipalities of the Center for Public Leadership. We analysed three editions (2021, 2022 and 2023) between 409 and 415 municipalities and applied a mixed-effects model for each index (ESG, E, S and G). The results show that the geographic region, the predominant economic sector, whether the city is a capital or not, per capita revenue, per capita companies and average salary are significant variables in defining the positioning of cities in the indicators, offering the profile of the cities with the best and worst performance in sustainable development.
  Keywords: environmental; social and governance; ESG; sustainable cities; regression model; mixed effects models.
  DOI: 10.1504/LAJMSD.2025.10073828