Creating and implementing a model for sustainable development in tourism enterprises

The quest for sustainable tourism presents a challenge to integrate economic, social and environmental issues in tourism planning and—in order to implement this—to change attitudes and traditions among the different stakeholders within tourism. This calls for involvement of the different stakeholders in the change processes towards sustainable tourism and, accordingly, the creation of new patterns of interaction and collaboration between the stakeholders. This paper analyses how a project on sustainable tourism development in Mid- and North Jutland, Denmark, has engaged 26 small and medium sized tourism enterprises in an incremental change process towards sustainable tourism.Using the theory of collaboration, the paper analyses the process of identifying the common interests, defining the problems, setting the directions, and developing and starting the implementation of a four-step model for sustainable development in tourism enterprises. The question addressed is how to create a change process in the enterprises that is at the same time realistic and innovative.     

Stakeholder evaluation of sustainable development in the life sciences industry

Corporate sustainable development (CSD) can help to force the life sciences industry (LSI) to move from responsibility towards accountability.In terms of sustainability issues, which currently affect and occupy the LSI and their stakeholders, one could speak of 4 generations:

• •The local side-effects of operations, production, distribution and use.
• •The effects and risks of the used and applied technologies and methods.
• •The affordability and access to essential available treatments and products.
• •The necessity and need for new essential products or treatments for neglected diseases.

In order to make corporations accountable, there have been many efforts in the field of evaluation. These efforts mostly remain very general. The problem is however that the different stakeholders have diverse understandings of the various sustainability issues. The paper proposes a 2-phased stakeholder-oriented evaluation method for evaluating CSD-strategies on specific sustainability issues of the LSI in Basel, Switzerland. During the first phase, corporate commitment is challenged against the stakeholders' expectations. In the second phase, relevant stakeholders evaluate the effective corporate performance against the corporate commitment.The evaluation method was extensively tested with the stakeholders of the LSI in 5 case studies on the 4 issue generations. The method turned out to work and delivered interesting insight into managing sustainability issues.     

邯郸矿区水资源承载力评价研究

水资源是人类社会发展的基础性自然资源,开展水资源承载力研究,并将其引入规划环评中,对于完善规划环评技术方法,更好的发挥其战略指导作用,协调水资源开发与经济发展和环境保护之间的关系具有重要的意义。本文以邯郸矿区为研究对象,从宏观、微观两个层次开展了矿区水资源承载力评价研究。     

The authority of science in sustainability governance: A structured comparison of six science institutions engaged with the Sustainable Development Goals

Over the past decades, numerous science institutions have evolved around issues of global sustainability, aiming to inform and shape societal transformations towards sustainability. While these science-based initiatives seem to take on an ever growing active role in governance for sustainable development, the question arises how they can claim any political authority in the first place. We present here a structured comparison of six international science-based initiatives, all engaged in governance processes related to the recently established Sustainable Development Goals. We focus on the material and rhetorical strategies employed by these science institutions to acquire authority by fostering perceptions of salience, credibility and legitimacy among governance actors. We distinguish three modes of scientific authority: an assessment-oriented mode that combines a strategy of salience through integration, with credibility by formal mechanisms of review, and legitimacy through representation; an advice-oriented mode, which appeals to salience through the promise of independent and timely science advice, to credibility through the credentials of the scientists involved, and to legitimacy through formal recognition by governance actors; and a solution-oriented mode, with science institutions claiming relevance based on the promise to contribute to solutions for global sustainability, while credibility is sought by invoking support of the scientific community, and legitimacy through a strategy of participation. Based on this analysis, we provide a framework for reflection on the claims and strategies of science-based initiatives, and their role and responsibility in governance for sustainable development.This article is part of a special issue on solution-oriented GEAs.     

Inter-linking issues and dimensions in sustainability reporting

During the last decade, Sustainability Reporting (SR) has been increasingly adopted by corporations worldwide. This is evidenced by the adoption of several guidelines, such as the ISO 14000 series, the Social Accountability 8000 standard, and the GRI Sustainability Guidelines. SR shows promise to help corporate leaders and their employees to contribute towards achieving sustainable societies. However, most of the guidelines and standards address sustainability issues through comparmentalisation, thereby, leading to the separation of the economic, environmental, and social dimensions. Due to these divisive approaches, holistic assessments of the effects of their efforts are seldom properly integrated into coporate decisions and procedures to make improvements for example through Cleaner Production, Worker Health and Safety, Consumer Safety, and reductions in the negative short and long-term Social and Environmental Impacts.This paper analyses SR reports from three companies with the help of Grounded Theory's constant comparative analysis. This analytical framework helped the authors to systematically assess the degree to which the companies addressed economic, ecological and social issues separately or in an integrated and inter-linked manner. From the inter-linkages found, a new category is proposed to be added to future SR. This new category can help corporate SR planners and researchers on sustainability reports to better understand how the company leaders understand their responsibilities with regard to SD. These inter-connectednesses are highly relevant in many short and long-term dimensions of supply chain management, global warming, ecological disruption and societal equity issues, especially with regard to the local, national and global energy issues of fuels and oils, the central themes of the conference at which this paper was originally presented. It also plays a key role in real, long-term changes towards Sustainability, where the time dimension plays a key role in human survival on Planet Earth.     

Mapping the movement to achieve sustainable production and consumption in North America

The paper reviews some of the many initiatives and efforts to build networks and institute policies promoting sustainable production and consumption (SPAC) values and practices in North America since the 1992 UN Conference on Environment and Development. It analyzes a selection of SPAC initiatives in Canada and USA from the NASCA/CEC database, drawing also on interviews with representatives from government, businesess, consumer and environmental organizations on their experience and efforts to “take the lead” in influencing public opinion and behavior as well as government and corporate policy towards SPAC.     

Sustainable consumption progress: should we be proud or alarmed?

Many environmental strategies relying on a mere improvement of resource productivity and eco-efficiency of processes and products are not able to fully address the environmental impacts induced by increasing consumption. In addition to these strategies, the concept of sustainable consumption calls for changing the levels and patterns of consumption, which require complimentary approaches. However, so far, there has been a noticeable lack of strategies that conceive ways of shifting from a material-intensive consumer culture to a society with less materialistic aspirations.This paper aims to provide a critical overview of the current debate, research trends and main outcomes relating to the area of sustainable consumption. It is based on the study commissioned by the Swedish EPA and focuses on current research streams and activities of main stakeholders. It identifies and discusses the gaps in the existing range of initiatives and policy instruments towards sustainable consumption.     

An interdisciplinary approach to integrating sustainability into mining engineering education and research

This paper considers how the Mining Engineering Department at the University of British Columbia (UBC) is addressing the need to integrate sustainable development into mining engineering on behalf of industry and society. In particular, it considers the evolution of an interdisciplinary model, the Sustainability Working Group (SWG), which has brought together a diverse array of disciplines from academia, industry, government, NGOs and mining communities. The operational mechanisms and structure of SWG have enabled momentum to be gained through several initiatives. These aim to impact on undergraduate and postgraduate education, lifelong learning and research.     

The message and methods of ethical investment

This paper examines a high profile and often provocative segment of the financial industry: that of Ethical or Socially Responsible Investment. By offering an ethical or sustainable product which has the potential to influence so many stakeholders—the financial industry is in a unique position to guide change towards corporate sustainability. However, what message is ethical investment really giving to companies and the financial industry? Are ethical investors and their rating agencies capable of effectively influencing corporations towards more sustainable patterns of production and consumption; and are their approaches consistent with the principles of Cleaner Production? This paper first gives an overview some of the definitions ‘ethical investment’ and the scale of activities under this umbrella term. Then the actual screening methods and their application is examined. A typology of the different ethical mutual funds is given, and two cases of ethical funds are described (Robur’s Environmental Fund, and Sustainable Asset Management’s sustainability rating tool). Each are analysed in terms of their potential to either reveal or conceal cleaner production innovations by the firms they assess. In order to ascertain where Ethical Investment might lead companies, the effects of ethical investment on companies—and back on the asset management companies themselves is explored. A reflexive model of corporate and finance sector learning based on the ethical screens is proposed.     

Sustainable development policies in Canada's mining sector: an overview of government and industry efforts

This paper provides an overview of mining sustainable development policy-making in Canada. In addition to documenting the important efforts made by the Canadian government, some of the more recent initiatives undertaken by the Canadian mining industry are highlighted. Following years of sustainable development research and careful planning, the Canadian government finally drafted the national Minerals and Metals Policy of the Government of Canada: Partnerships for Sustainable Development (1996), which sets out the Canadian government's role, objectives, and strategies in areas of jurisdiction for making the concept of sustainable development operational in its mining industry, and seeks to create a legacy that Canadians can pass to future generations. Since its implementation, the primary response of both national mining organizations and selected Canadian mining companies to the challenge of sustainable development has been improved planning, and the development of policies that address key environmental and socioeconomic issues and which build upon the principles addressed in the Minerals and Metals Policy of the Government of Canada. It is concluded that most of the attempts made thus far by both the government and the mining industry to address mining sustainable development through policy-making have been major successes, but further improvements can be achieved if additional industry-government partnerships are formed, more community workshops are held, and selected environmental management practices are researched and developed.     

The Oxford Commission on Sustainable Consumption

The Oxford Commission on Sustainable Consumption aims to promote debate and action to achieve sustainable consumption. It has met four times since it was established in 1999. Commission members have undertaken a number of projects around the world, working with communities to explore pathways to more sustainable consumption. This paper summarises the Commission’s progress and the messages emerging from its work. Current consumption trends are supported by a number of social trends, including individualisation, the spread of the market ethos, urbanisation, globalisation, and the increasing awareness of risk and uncertainty. However, these trends contain the seeds of their own limitation. In particular, increasing discourse about ethics and social goals may be the key to a shift towards more sustainable consumption.     

Sustainable university: what can be the matter?

This article presents a comprehensive managerial model for a sustainable university created by D.Sc. L. Velazquez with empirical data collected from about 80 higher education institutions around the world. The sustainable university model offers a clear perspective about how people responsible for sustainability initiatives achieve their initial momentum to progress to advanced steps in the process to become a sustainable university.This model depicts a structured framework that is comprised of four phases in a strategic management process. In these phases, four diverging strategies, and many practices undertaken by key players of sustainability initiatives in higher education institutions are analyzed.     

Sustainable development as a framework for developing country participation in international climate change policies

The paper presents a number of ideas on how climate change policy implementation in developing countries can be supported by alternative international cooperation mechanisms that are based on stakeholder interests and policy priorities including broader economic and social development issues. It includes a brief review of current development policies, technological research and promotion efforts, and climate change that demonstrates that mutual policy initiatives undertaken by governments and the private sector actually have major positive impacts on climate change without being initiated by this global policy concern. Furthermore a number of examples are given on how future development objectives in Brazil, China, and India jointly can support economic and social goals and global climate change concerns if these goals are taken into consideration and supported by international cooperative mechanisms. The paper proposes international cooperative mechanisms that can support the implementation of integrated development and climate change policies. The mechanisms include an international sustainable development (SD) and Climate Finance Mechanism (SDCFM), technology development and transition programmes, technology standards, and other measures.

Eco-industrial park development in Rio de Janeiro,Brazil: a tool for sustainable development

The development of eco-industrial parks (EIPs) is an emerging concept that is being spread worldwide as a new industrial model that can reconcile the three dimensions of sustainability: social, economic and environmental. In Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, EIPs were launched through formal legislation as a means to foster sustainable development and to ameliorate the distress caused by unplanned urban and industrial development. The objective of this study is to present and analyze the development of EIPs in Rio de Janeiro, focusing on two of the initiatives launched. We argue that Rio de Janeiro has the potential for developing a sustainable industrial system through EIP implementation, but the continuity of EIPs will only be successful if there is convergence of interests among the actors involved.     

松藻矿区煤层气利用对温室气体减排的贡献

温室效应和全球变暖已经引起了世界各国的普遍关注,减少二氧化碳等温室气体的排放已成为大势所趋。开发和利用煤层气不仅可避免资源的浪费,还可减少温室气体排放、改善大气环境。本文结合重庆市松藻矿区蝶层气开发利用情况,分析评价了松藻矿区煤层气利用对温室气体减排的贡献。结果表明,煤层气利用具有显著的环境效益和经济效益。     

Invasive species policy and climate change: social perceptions of environmental change in the Mediterranean

Climate change is raising significant issues for European invasive species policy. As natural and anthropogenic systems experience changing climatic conditions, opportunities for the distribution and establishment of invasive exotic plant species are projected to increase. Such environmental changes will provide significant challenges for the strategic planning and management of natural, agricultural and urban spaces. In this study, the perceptions of the impacts of invasive exotic plant species are examined and compared to perceptions of other environmental issues on the islands of Mallorca, Sardinia and Crete. A survey of key stakeholders was undertaken on the Mediterranean islands with the use of questionnaires and in-depth interviews. While there is a widespread tolerance of environmental change associated with the establishment of invasive species on the islands, local stakeholders raise concerns about specific impacts and the policies in place to respond to future risk. To build resilience within natural and anthropogenic systems to the changing climatic circumstances, a need exists for integrative environmental policy that supports local capacity to manage invasive species within Mediterranean landscapes.     

Using corporate social responsibility benchmarking framework to identify and assess corporate social responsibility trends of real estate companies owning and developing shopping centres

Shopping centres that include retail activities have come in for criticism as to their environmental, architectural and social impacts. However, the sector has been applying corporate social responsibility (CSR) practices. In an attempt to identify the best practices regarding CSR and trends therein we developed a CSR benchmarking of companies from the real estate sector owning and developing shopping centres. Based on information from websites, annual, environmental and sustainability reports, and customer services department’s information, in 2004 and 2010, a comparative CSR benchmarking was performed on 23 real estate companies with shopping centres based in Europe, China, Australia and the USA. The CRS benchmarking framework focused on reported CSR practices and included categories and sub-categories of evaluation in four domains: (1) external results, (2) internal results, (3) management processes and (4) learning and innovation. The framework was inspired by the sustainability balanced scorecard structure. The United Kingdom real estate sector’s companies studied did relatively well when evaluated by the framework used in this study. The highest ranked real estate companies applied sustainable or environmental buildings standards and did show a commitment to transparency and CSR disclosure. The positive evolution of CSR practices in the 23 companies studied in 2004 and 2010 may reflect efforts to improve competitiveness and the reputation of the companies with shopping centres through CSR initiatives.     

Regional initiatives on promoting cleaner production in China: a case of Liaoning

With the increasing environmental issues, now cleaner production has been implemented across all the regions of China. During this process, regional governments have played a leading role for promoting cleaner production. Main measures include coordinating the various stakeholders, providing financial support, stipulating appropriate policies and conducting capacity building programs. Such an innovative initiative is quite unique and should be further studied. This paper reflects such a perspective through a case study of Liaoning province. We first introduce the main initiatives for the promotion of cleaner production in Liaoning and then identify the key barriers. Our focus is to provide suggestions for future improvements. Finally we make our conclusions.     

澜沧江流域矿产资源开发的环境保护对策

在澜沧江流域矿产资源开发过程中，已出现了一系列环境问题。随着流域经济的发展，污染物排放量还将不断增加，２０００年“三废”排放量将是现在的２倍左右。必须采取相应的环境保护对策，合理利用资源，减少污染，以利于经济的持续发展。