The role of science-policy interface in sustainable urban water transitions: Lessons from Rotterdam

This paper investigates the role of the science-policy interface in leveraging transitions to sustainable urban water management. The paper presents a case study of the Dutch city of Rotterdam, which is increasingly regarded as a global leader in adaptive and resilient urban water management. The analysis reveals that Rotterdam’s transition has occurred incrementally over the past 15 years, driven by policy entrepreneurs: largely municipal policy makers and policy practitioners. Strategic use of the science-policy interface (SPI) has facilitated the development of innovative solutions to achieve policy goals and created the enabling conditions necessary for transformative change. The Rotterdam case suggests that an effective SPI requires: (1) compelling water narrative; (2) cross-sectoral collaboration; (3) co-production of knowledge; (4) experiential evidence-based learning; (5) strategic use of trusted scientists; (6) fostering networks; and (7) generating business from science-based innovation. Rotterdam’s strategic approach to knowledge and innovation coupled with a new narrative around water sets it apart from many other cities and adds a new dimension to debates regarding enabling factors for advancing sustainable practices. These findings will be of interest to those engaged in urban water management policy and practice, environmental governance, and debates over transitions more broadly.     

Games by which to learn and teach about sustainable development: exploring the relevance of games and experiential learning for sustainability

This paper discusses the roles of games in experiential learning for sustainability. It includes applied emphases upon four topics: (1) The challenges of sustainable development education with the need for interdisciplinarity, knowledge, skills and attitudinal training and with a special focus upon the urgent needs for paradigm, context and practice changes to help ensure that we make progress toward sustainable societies. We emphasize that these characteristics challenge existing teaching and educational philosophies and methods. (2) The theory of experiential learning, as developed by David Kolb in the nineteen eighties. We underscore that experiential learning is a good model for education for sustainability. (3) The usefulness of games as tools in learning processes. Various aspects of games are discussed such as the ‘functions of games’ and ‘the different categories of games,’ and ‘the role of games in learning and particular in experiential learning.’ These three aspects form the theoretical part of the paper. (4) Brief reviews of some illustrative games. The authors provide practical advice on how to play games in the context of learning for SD. They underscore facets such as the contextualization of games, technical aspects of playing games and the debriefing after the games have been played. The authors conclude the paper with conclusions that games are potentially relevant in all of the four learning phases of experiential learning. Games are especially relevant in phase four. In this phase games can contribute to helping learners to effect shifts in their personal paradigms, context and practice that are needed for sustainable development. The final conclusion is that many games exist and have been proven to be helpful. Educators are invited to change their curricula to facilitate usage of games as integral components of their educational philosophy tools and practice.     

Sustainability experiments in Asia: innovations shaping alternative development pathways?

Global sustainability is increasingly influenced by processes of industrialisation and urbanization in non-OECD countries, especially in Asia. Growth models suggest that developing economies and regions will become first relatively more resource- and pollution-intensive, before converging on more resource-efficient and low-pollution production and consumption patterns expressed in developed countries. Alternative less resource- and pollution-intensive growth models for latecomer countries promise social and economic benefits in the short- and long-term. Drawing on insights from system innovation research on long-run change in socio-technical systems, we discuss the potential role of ‘sustainability experiments’ to generate innovations that will constitute new ‘greener’ growth models. We observe a great number of technology-based initiatives that we characterize as sustainability experiments in East and South Asian countries. These experiments emerge in the context of the growth of new socio-technical regimes in key sectors, including energy, transport, manufacturing, food and the built environment. We set out a conceptual framework for assessing the role of experiments, and for evaluating how they link with and become anchored into alternative more sustainable regimes. In this paper we argue that sustainability experiments represent a significant new source of innovation and capability-formation, linked to global knowledge and technology flows, which could reshape emergent socio-technical regimes and so contribute to alternative development pathways in latecomer countries. We conclude by summarizing the six papers published in this Special Issue.     

“一带一路”沿线国家碳排放:外商直接投资与发展要素的共同影响分析

“一带一路”倡议下,推动绿色低碳发展,共建碳达峰、碳中和目标下国际合作共赢的生态圈,已经成为“一带一路”沿线国家的共识. 本文基于“一带一路”沿线国家1997—2018年的面板数据,通过逐步回归、异质性分析和门槛回归方法探究外商直接投资(FDI)的碳排放效应. 结果显示:①“一带一路”沿线国家FDI显著增加碳排放,体现出“污染天堂”效应. ②我国提出的“一带一路”倡议注重绿色低碳发展,削弱了“一带一路”沿线国家FDI对碳排放的“污染天堂”效应,体现出我国在环境治理特别是应对气候变化方面发挥的引领示范作用. ③经济发展可削弱FDI对碳排放的“污染天堂”效应,然而经济快速发展特别是工业发展可显著增加碳排放. ④政策、创新和发展三类机制均导致FDI的碳排放效应发生显著变化,其中发展机制影响最大,创新机制的碳减排效果相对稳定. ⑤强化环境规制促进了FDI的“污染光环”效应,“一带一路”倡议则推动“一带一路”沿线各国加强了环境规制. 研究显示,为促进“污染光环”效应形成,应深化绿色“一带一路”,利用来自中国投资的低碳化特征,增加与中国的投资往来并提高负有环境责任FDI的比例. “一带一路”沿线各国也应加强绿色低碳科技创新,在此基础上协同政策、创新和发展三类机制,引导FDI投向绿色低碳领域. 此外,还应综合运用环境准入机制和环境经济手段,实现高质量发展.      

Technology strategies for sustainable metals production systems: a case study of primary aluminium production in The Netherlands and Norway

Many firms are embracing the environmental challenge by implementing incremental changes in their production systems. Nevertheless, radical innovations are also important for achieving sustainability goals. This paper focuses on the technology strategies leading to radical innovations in aluminium production systems. It conceptualizes the radical nature of innovations, and develops a framework for analysing the technology strategies of two aluminium smelters, Aluminium Delfzijl in The Netherlands and Hydro Aluminium in Norway. From the analysis, policy instruments are proposed for a transition towards sustainable aluminium production.     

Breaking barriers for a bio-based economy: Interactive reflection on monitoring water quality

In a transition to a bio-based economy new ways of monitoring waste-streams and water quality can then contribute to sustainable production processes. As niche innovation, new ways of monitoring face systemic barriers. The present article examines how barriers to change manifest in discursive practices with differing normative attachments and implications. A frame analysis revealed two competing frames: (1) the dominant ‘norm water’ frame in which thresholds of chemical compounds are used to set policy targets; and (2) the contesting ‘living water’ frame, which entails innovative continuous monitoring tools that take into account the ecological effects of chemical compounds. We introduce the concept of interactive reflectivity, as a discursive tool, to collaboratively visualize, scrutinize and overcome discursive barriers to innovations. The stakeholder dialogue shows how systemic barriers are uttered discursively in niches – or other forms of responsible research and innovation – and may hinder change even at the niche-level.     

Governance of sustainable transitions: about the 4(0) ways to change the world

Transitions are radical system innovations that usually take 1–2 generations. Using Cultural Theory as a heuristic, this paper presents four archetypical approaches to transition management. The fatalist approach refrains from transition management (motto: ‘First, disaster must happen’). The system is in a stalemate that no experiment or hierarchy can break; external events must bring the window of opportunity for change. The hierarchic approach relies on a dominant actor coalition to steer change (motto: ‘Let's put a man on the moon!’). The individualist approach relies mainly on changing the financial ground rules (motto: ‘Sustainability through the market’). Finally, the egalitarian approach relies on process management, doing experiments, etc. (motto: ‘A good transition arena will solve it all’). This approach makes sense if the situation is not clear enough to be managed via one of the other approaches, and there is a clearly identifiable learning objective.     

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.     

Technological environmental innovations (TEIs) in a chain-analytical and life-cycle-analytical perspective

This paper is based on an empirical survey of technological environmental innovations (TEIs), i.e. new products, processes and practices that come with benign environmental effects. The survey is based on product chain analysis and innovation life cycle analysis. It turns out that most TEIs occur upstream rather than downstream, i.e. chain-upwards in the beginning rather than in the end of product chains, and in early stages of technology or product development rather than in later, more mature stages. There are conclusions to be drawn for ‘upstreaming’ environmental activities and for focusing environmental policy upon innovation.     

The V-Cycle for system innovation translating a broad societal need into concrete product service solutions: the multifunctional centre Apeldoorn case

In this paper a system innovation project is presented in which a sustainable future vision with a long-term perspective was developed and translated into short-term commercial innovation opportunities, which in turn can benefit the longer-term vision of society.The case described is a three-year innovation project, in which TNO worked together with a local care organisation De Woonmensen, and a SME company My Bodyguard BV. Starting with the challenges related to the aging society, future visions were developed that focussed upon the need of elderly people to continue living independently for a longer time, instead of moving to an expensive in-house care facility. During the process, the long-term vision was translated into short-term innovation concepts or solution elements on the individual user level, which focussed on the problem of elderly patients wandering off and getting lost. On the micro technological level, this resulted in the development of a personal localization system to enable caregivers to know where a certain patient is, based on a combination of GPS and GSM technology, the ‘Guide Me’ system.The four challenges addressed in this analysis focus on the relation between the broad future vision and the separate solution elements, the detailed design of the solution elements, the distinction between the design, implementation and evaluation of the elements, and the changing role of actors during the system innovation process. To deal with these issues, the V-Cycle of system innovations model was introduced that distinguishes between the various complexity or abstraction levels of the system in combination with the time perspective needed for change. Introducing this model proved to be helpful to clarify the four issues mentioned and was found to be a useful tool to evaluate system innovation projects after they were implemented, as well as supporting the projects before and during their implementation.     

The natural advantage of regions: linking sustainability,innovation, and regional development in Australia

The combined impacts of the financial crisis and climate change are driving the evolution of sustainable business and changing the way that governments plan for development. Markets are emerging for a range of environmentally orientated products and services as societies move (or lurch) towards reducing impacts and adapt to changing conditions. National governments are actively formulating policy and providing investment to develop green economies as one of the responses to the global financial crisis. Many of the political and economic drivers have been focused at the international and national scale, and while critical for setting the national framework for development, it often neglects the key role that regions and localities can play in ecological modernization. This paper explores two regional case studies in New South Wales (NSW), Australia, that are initiating shifts towards networks of sustainable businesses and communities and offers recommendations for further policy development. The focus of this paper is on the evolving regional sustainability market and its relationship to other social institutions including governments, communities and the individual. The unifying concept is the idea of the ‘natural advantage’, a model that integrates innovation and sustainability as a part of the regional development policy agenda.     

Rural energy transitions in developing countries: a case of the Uttam Urja initiative in India

In most developing countries, at the household level, traditional burning of biomass or use of inefficient technologies for domestic applications like lighting is common, triggering concerns related to fuel or technology switching. The paper focuses on opportunities to promote cleaner energy options through development of value chains delivering improved energy efficiency and access in developing countries. We discuss the example of Uttam Urja, a field project involving the dissemination of photovoltaic lighting technologies in rural areas of India. We focus on the challenges of introducing radical innovations into the residential energy sector in developing countries. For the purpose of this paper the Uttam Urja project is conceptualized as an ‘experiment’ and analysed using the Strategic Niche Management (SNM) framework. The paper emphasizes that to effect socio-technical transitions to clean energy options on the ground, it is desirable to focus on technology customization and innovative financing to cater to the needs and concerns of end users.     

“低碳世博”对城市未来发展的启示与借鉴

基于联合国环境规划署于2011年年底面向全球发布的《中国2010年上海世博会环境后评估》报告,全面总结了世博会在选址、规划、建设、运营和后续利用等全过程探索应用的低碳理念和宝贵实践,系统提出了＂低碳世博＂对城市未来发展的启示和借鉴,为国内外发展中城市和其他大型活动的组织实施提供了有益参考。     

Commercial development of energy—environmentally sound technologies for the auto-industry: the case of fuel cells

The economic importance of energy and environmental issues is continuously increasing, affecting both process and product design in business. The energy crisis in California in 2001 made this basic issue universal. New technologies are expected to reduce pollution derived both from production processes and products, with costs that are still unknown and in competition with more mature technologies high. Nevertheless, until now there is still little, but growing knowledge concerning the process of technological innovation in the fields of energy and environment.In this paper we analyze the development of zinc air fuel cell (ZAFC) and its transfer from a research laboratory to potential mass production. ZAFC are a new ‘environmentally sound technology’, proven to have commercial value, that can be used for substituting internal combustion engines (ICEs) and meeting zero emission vehicles (ZEV) regulations. Although ZAFC performances are higher than traditional electric batteries ones, commercial costs are still high. Hence the pathway to mass production may come from stationary application of fuel cells for power.In contrast to the conventional ‘paradigmatic’ approach, we argue that the existing economic and organizational literature concerning technological innovation is not able to fully explain steps followed in commercializing energy—environmentally sound technologies. Existing models mainly consider adopting problems, which are due to market uncertainty, weak application, lack of a dominant design, and problems in reconfiguring existing organizational routines. Above all ‘market power’ exists in terms of control over technological innovation and its commercial application. Barriers are erected that prevent new technologies such as fuel cells from becoming adapted. Through pro-active government intervention, such as the case in California, new advanced technologies can move rapidly into the marketplace.From this discussion we draw some conclusions and issues for further research concerning policy making for sustaining the process of technological transfer and firms’ strategies in technological innovation.     

Developing capabilities and competence for sustainable business management as innovation: a research agenda

This paper frames the response by business to the challenge of sustainable development in terms of innovation. It addresses how the shift in business focus from competitiveness to sustainability impacts the capabilities and competence for innovation. A review of the literature suggests that innovation for sustainability requires the active involvement of a broader and more diverse network of actors, including those with more local knowledge of the implications of innovations than is the case with more conventional forms of innovation. The paper also identifies a systematic failure to address the need for inventiveness as a cornerstone of innovation. The paper puts forward elements of an applied research agenda to support the development of a better understanding of the capabilities that foster the competence by business to innovate in ways that are more sustainable.     

环境产业金融支持的框架构建分析

现阶段我国环境产业面临严峻的资本形成不足、发展资金短缺的困境，对产业发展形成严重制约。环境产业金融支持理应成为推进我国环境产业和经济可持续发展的战略性机制和基本途径。文章从环境产业资本形成、投资效率，金融运行三个角度进行了分析，梳理了环境产业发展进程中金融支持的内生逻辑，为环境产业金融支持的框架构建提供了理论依据。     

“The governance and practice of change of sustainable consumption and production.” Introduction to the ideas and recommendations presented in the articles in this special issue of the journal of cleaner production

This special issue is a result of work of Sustainable Consumption Research Exchanges (SCORE!). This EU supported network project under the 6th Framework Program engaged a few hundred professionals interested in sustainable consumption and production (SCP) in Europe and beyond. A key goal of the network is to enhance understanding how radical reductions of environmental impacts and at global level a more equitable growth can be realised. In April 2006, SCORE! organised a workshop in Copenhagen with support of the European Environment Agency, titled ‘Governance of change to Sustainable Consumption and Production’. This special issue contains 7 papers based on presentations during that workshop. It further contains a summary of the main conclusions drawn by the SCORE! project team on the basis of a broader review of radical change to SCP from a business, design, consumer and system innovation perspective. The conclusion is unambiguously that governments cannot ‘outsource politics’, but must form a ‘triangle of change’ with business and consumers. We have further to understand the systemic nature of the change required. Some policies are currently more viable than others, given existing mega-trends, mega-structures and mega-views, which cannot be changed easily in the short-term and usually cannot be tackled head-on. Such issues, like paradigms on the possibility of continuous exponential growth, the belief in free markets and trade, need a longer-term deliberative process before change is possible.     

The roles of cleaner production in the sustainable development of modern societies: an introduction to this special issue

This issue of the Journal of Cleaner Production is based upon papers presented at the 1st International Workshop Advances in Cleaner Production (CP) held in São Paulo, Brazil, in 2007. The conference had the short-term purpose of deepening the Brazilian discussion on “The Roles of Cleaner Production in the Sustainable Development of Modern Societies”, and it had the long-term objective of providing an on-going interdisciplinary forum for knowledge development and exchange on Cleaner Production (CP) and Sustainable Development. This issue is devoted to papers covering a broad range of perspectives of CP practices and strategies. A special focus is placed upon methodological tools designed to support effective decision-making pertaining to quantitative benefits from CP.The ten papers provide insights from research designed to holistically integrate CP to help society make effective progress to sustainability. Papers cover the importance of informal knowledge, as complementary to formal knowledge, in performing effective ‘Environmental Impact Assessments.’ One paper explores the roles of radical and incremental innovation in the context of alternative automotive technologies. Benefits of Ecodesign are explored in two papers; one concerning its integration with remanufacturing to extend the life of used products and one focusing the adoption of ‘Emergy Environmental Accounting,’ as a complementary decision-making tool. The development of the Brazilian LCI database for ‘hydroelectric power generation’ and its contribution to support regionally relevant LCA studies is highlighted in one paper. The complete production chains of biodiesel and bioethanol are evaluated by using global methodologies, which help in the development of more objective and effective solutions. A “compensatory area”, calculated in terms of emergy, is proposed in order to work in a sustainable way for bamboo production. Finally, a paper about a novel approach for recycling used PET is also included.     

Fostering collaboration between universities regarding regional sustainability initiatives – the University of Maribor

This paper presents the current position and role of the University of Maribor (UM) in linking stakeholders, in order to achieve sustainable regional development. A strategic approach is proposed for facilitating collaboration of the UM with regional development agencies, the local community and industry, based on collaborative learning and development. Furthermore, elements contributing to a successful learning partnership are identified together with the barriers. The results show that regional stakeholders (university, municipality, NGOs, and companies) are commonly engaged in a sustainable regional development, but their activities are not sufficiently linked. The strategic approach, and collaborative learning have led to many on-going SD projects within the University of Maribor. Room for improvement exists, regarding external university collaboration, especially in the fields of research, knowledge transfer, technological development, dissemination of information, education, and innovations.     

Sustainable development and the water–energy–food nexus: A perspective on livelihoods

The water–energy–food nexus is being promoted as a conceptual tool for achieving sustainable development. Frameworks for implementing nexus thinking, however, have failed to explicitly or adequately incorporate sustainable livelihoods perspectives. This is counterintuitive given that livelihoods are key to achieving sustainable development. In this paper we present a critical review of nexus approaches and identify potential linkages with sustainable livelihoods theory and practice, to deepen our understanding of the interrelated dynamics between human populations and the natural environment. Building upon this review, we explore the concept of ‘environmental livelihood security’ – which encompasses a balance between natural resource supply and human demand on the environment to promote sustainability – and develop an integrated nexus-livelihoods framework for examining the environmental livelihood security of a system. The outcome is an integrated framework with the capacity to measure and monitor environmental livelihood security of whole systems by accounting for the water, energy and food requisites for livelihoods at multiple spatial scales and institutional levels. We anticipate this holistic approach will not only provide a significant contribution to achieving national and regional sustainable development targets, but will also be effective for promoting equity amongst individuals and communities in local and global development agendas.