The energy consumption and environmental impacts of a color TV set in China

The present study analyses the different processes followed during color TV set production along with the energy consumption and the environment emissions in each stage. The purpose is to identify “hot-spots”, i.e. parts of the life cycle important to the total environmental impact. The analysis is performed using life cycle assessment (LCA) methodology, which is a method used to identify and quantify in the environmental performance of a process or a product from “cradle to grave”. LCA methodology provides a quantitative basis for assessing potential improvements in the environmental performance of a system throughout the life cycle. The system investigated includes the production of manufacturing materials, transport of manufacturing materials, color TV set manufacturing, transport of color TV sets, use of color TV sets, discarding color TV sets and partial plastic waste energy utilization. The environmental burdens that arise from color TV sets are mainly due to air emissions derived from fossil fuel utilization.     

Environmental performance,indicators and measurement uncertainty in EMS context: a case study

EMS is a tool for managing the interaction between the organization and the environment. The aim of an EMS is to improve the overall environmental performance of the organization. The performance should be monitored through measurements, and managed by indicators. Indicators are variables that summarize or otherwise simplify relevant information about the state of a complex system. A correct evaluation of environmental performance arises from the choice of adequate “raw” data and from the relationships among “raw” data.This paper, after a short excursus concerning the rule of indicators in environmental performance evaluation and the mean of uncertainty, proposes an approach to the study and the evaluation, through indicators and indices, of the environmental aspect “wastewater discharges” of a Local Authority who is involved in EMS implementation. Particularly, the critical analysis of one of the indices that has been used is reported. The role of the uncertainty of measurements has been stressed. The results showed that measurement uncertainty is essential for an efficient data comparison and for a correct evaluation of environmental performance, which, in turn, is essential to guarantee the effectiveness of the EMS application.     

Life cycle engineering methodology applied to material selection,a fender case study

Materials selection is a multidisciplinary activity, which integrates a large number of knowledge fields and professional domains. In fact a material selection decision should capture not only the functional performance required for the application but should also consider the economical and environmental impacts originated all along the product life cycle. In this paper a life cycle engineering (LCE) approach is proposed to support material selection, integrating the performance of the material for the specific application in technological, environmental and economical dimensions throughout the duration of the product. The methodology proposed compares a set of candidate materials and, through the aggregation of the three dimensions (technical, economical and environmental), identifies the “best material domains”. These “best material domains” are presented in a ternary diagram, which allows a global comparison of the candidate materials and supports an informed decision as regards the selection of the “best material” according to different business scenarios and corporate strategies. The methodology was applied to a case study aiming the use of new metallic materials (high strength steels and aluminium alloys) for an automobile fender currently made of mild steel and the evaluation of potential benefits as regards the global performance of the material.     

国家循环经济试点城市评价指标体系设计及案例分析

随着国家循环经济试点进入评判阶段,建立科学的循环经济发展模式评判体系尤为重要.在评述现有方法及评价指标体系的基础上,基于循环经济发展内涵,提出了“目标-结构-响应”3层循环经济评价指标体系.案例研究表明,1996—2008年国家试点城市——邯郸市资源生产力大幅攀升,年均增长率达7.3%,而同期碳排放强度大幅下降,年均下降率达4.5%;生产函数计量结果表明,资源要素对经济增长的贡献率由2000─2004年的34%降至2005─2008年的21%.说明邯郸市在“十一五”期间经济增长与资源输入和环境排放显著脱钩,由资源依赖型向资源效益型发展模式转变.结构和响应层面的指标证明了目标层面上的显著变化.      

Environmental assessment of solar thermal collectors with integrated water storage

Solar thermal systems feed on a “clean” energy source. However, a complete analysis of the environmental performance of solar thermal collectors should take into account not only their operation phase, but also their whole life cycle. This paper reports the results of a life cycle assessment of a solar thermal collector with integrated water storage. The study, carried out by means of SimaPro 5.0 software, aims at drawing a thorough environmental profile of the collector, highlighting the most relevant contributions to the total impacts, measured by means of a set of aggregate environmental indicators. In order to evaluate the possible improvements of the system configuration, several sensitivity analyses were performed, for different phases of its life cycle. Thanks to this optimization, the reduction of the impacts could be up to 40%. Environmental pay back times were calculated as well. Their values range from 5 to 19 months, remarkably lower than the expected lifespan of the systems (15–20 years).     

中原经济区城市资源环境绩效指标体系构建与实证

为了识别城市或“相似群体”最重要的资源环境“短板”问题,以中原经济区31个城市为研究区域,选择水土资源、能源、环境质量和污染物排放及治理水平等4个方面共计33项指标,利用层次分析修正法确定指标权重,采用正向指标极大化、负向指标极小化、适中指标平均化的标准化方法对研究区域内各市资源环境绩效进行测算. 研究表明:①从资源环境绩效角度来看,中原经济区城市可分为“双高”超载型、农业型、“双低”超载型、资源型四大类. ②占中原经济区城市总数2/5的资源型城市,由于过度强调资源产出、忽视环境保护而成为经济区环境问题高发、资源环境矛盾较为突出的集中区域. ③在对4个Ⅰ级指标(资源利用效率、能源利用效率、环境质量指数、污染物排放及治理水平)设定均衡权重情况下,15个城市的能源利用效率居末位,10个城市的资源利用效率居末位,表明中原经济区提高资源环境绩效应率先在能源、资源利用效率领域实现突破. 所构建的资源环境绩效评估指标体系仍有待进一步优化,今后应加大对可再生资源能源利用、农村生态环境特别是农村土地重金属及有机物污染等问题的关注.      

Comparison of “CO2 efficiency” between company and industry

The concept of eco-efficiency, product or service value per environmental influence, was applied to define “total CO₂ efficiency”, “direct CO₂ efficiency” and “indirect CO₂ efficiency” using Input–Output (I–O) table analysis for the evaluation of companies and industries. The result shows that the analysis of the efficiency was useful to characterize industries according to CO₂ efficiency. The comparison of company-based CO₂ efficiency against I–O-based CO₂ efficiency was possible for beer companies and petroleum companies because they almost completely belong to a single type of industry sectors. However, generally such comparison was difficult for the companies that belong to many industry sectors. Therefore, we proposed the new method “integrated CO₂ efficiency index for company evaluation (ICEICE)” which makes it possible to compare the environmental performances of all the companies regardless of the number of industry sectors they belong to.     

西藏生态经济系统的能值分析与可持续发展研究

在简要分析西藏的自然、社会经济概况及其在中国的战略地位基础上，运用能值理论与方法，对其主要资源的贮存价值、总能值用量、能值的流入流出情况、人口承载力、能值投入率、能值使用强度、环境负荷等指标进行了系统研究，并与其他国家的有关指标进行了比较研究，提出了进一步开发西藏资源、实现可持续发展目标的政策建议。     

Development of environmental performance indicators for textile process and product

The increasing demand for environmental performance evaluation of industry requires development of sector-specific environmental performance indicators (EPIs). For the consumer product manufacturing industry, in this case the textile industry, the need to evaluate environmental performance both from process and product life cycle perspectives leads to development of EPIs of process and product dimensions. Such types of EPIs have been developed, with best achievable values being identified, by this study for cotton woven products and wet processing. An in-depth discussion has been presented concerning problems in developing and applying EPIs, while areas for further research are also recommended.     

Cradle-to-cradle design: creating healthy emissions – a strategy for eco-effective product and system design

Eco-effectiveness and cradle-to-cradle design present an alternative design and production concept to the strategies of zero emission and eco-efficiency. Where eco-efficiency and zero emission seek to reduce the unintended negative consequences of processes of production and consumption, eco-effectiveness is a positive agenda for the conception and production of goods and services that incorporate social, economic, and environmental benefit, enabling triple top line growth.Eco-effectiveness moves beyond zero emission approaches by focusing on the development of products and industrial systems that maintain or enhance the quality and productivity of materials through subsequent life cycles. The concept of eco-effectiveness also addresses the major shortcomings of eco-efficiency approaches: their inability to address the necessity for fundamental redesign of material flows, their inherent antagonism towards long-term economic growth and innovation, and their insufficiency in addressing toxicity issues.A central component of the eco-effectiveness concept, cradle-to-cradle design provides a practical design framework for creating products and industrial systems in a positive relationship with ecological health and abundance, and long-term economic growth. Against this background, the transition to eco-effective industrial systems is a five-step process beginning with an elimination of undesirable substances and ultimately calling for a reinvention of products by reconsidering how they may optimally fulfill the need or needs for which they are actually intended while simultaneously being supportive of ecological and social systems.This process necessitates the creation of an eco-effective system of “nutrient” management to coordinate the material flows amongst actors in the product system. The concept of intelligent materials pooling illustrates how such a system might take shape, in reality.     

Dynamic equity carbon permit allocation scheme to limit global warming to two degrees

Significant international collaboration is required to limit global temperature increase to below 2 °C above pre-industrial levels. Equity is the foundation of cooperation, and therefore, this study proposed a new dynamic carbon permit allocation scheme based on four principles: equality, historical responsibility, capability, and future development opportunities. Decision makers could have different preferences for allocating carbon permits, therefore, four equity rules or indicators (equality, responsibility, capacity, and sovereignty) were assigned different weights. Based on the global carbon budget of the 2 °C target, emission permits were calculated and relevant economic implications analyzed using the Global Change Assessment Model. Results indicated that developed countries should reduce emissions immediately, while allowances for developing regions could permit an initial increase in emissions until peaking. Applying different weights to the indicators resulted in multifarious regional allowances. Developed regions would benefit from the “preferring sovereignty” scenario and most developing countries would benefit under the “preferring responsibility” and “preferring capacity” scenarios. Compared with the Intended Nationally Determined Contributions submitted to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, this study found that in the short term, developed countries might insist on sovereignty as the preferred indicator. However, preferring sovereignty would place substantial mitigation pressures on developing countries in the long term. Therefore, in addressing global climate change, a dynamic choice in the weighting distribution for different indicators might be conducive to international agreement. Furthermore, a market-based trading instrument could help all participants both mitigate global climate change by reducing regional and global costs and facilitate mitigation capital flow from developed to less developed regions.     

土地生态安全二维预警模型构建及应用——以临湘市为例

引入生态可持续性指数,在风险矩阵的框架下与土地生态安全指数相结合,构建了土地生态安全二维预警模型,并应用于临湘市土地生态安全预警.研究表明:土地生态安全指数逐年上升,土地生态系统自身稳定性及其对社会经济发展的支撑能力不断提高;生态可持续性指数逐年下降,土地生态系统对社会经济发展的支撑能力的可持续性逐渐减弱,如不采取相应措施,未来将难以避免跌入不可持续状态;2005~2019年土地生态安全警情呈“中警-轻警-中警-轻警”的波折变化,最终稳定为轻警,预测2020~2025年将延续轻警,跌入重警的可能性较小,但仍存在跌回中警的风险.临湘市应通过发展生态友好型产业､加大环保投入､有序扩张第二产业和建设用地､节制消费和应用新技术提高生产力等措施,综合改善土地生态安全状况.研究认为二维预警模型可有效避免传统模型预警失真的问题,有利于提高土地生态安全预警结果的全面性､前瞻性和合理性.     

生态系统价值核算指标体系研究

生态系统价值核算是开展生态系统保护成效评估的重要手段,也是支撑生态文明制度体系建设的关键技术之一.指标体系的设定是开展生态系统价值核算的重要前提和基础,但当前生态系统价值还缺少统一的核算指标,因此,在一定程度上制约了生态系统价值在生态系统管理与决策中的应用.在总结归纳当前生态系统价值相关指标体系的基础上,以服务于生态系统管理和相关绩效考核为目标,提出了包括生物生产性、人类收益性、保护成效性、实际发生性、实物度量性、数据可获性、持续更新性、非危害性在内的8项生态系统价值核算原则,筛选形成了包括7个功能类别、15个一级科目和26个二级科目的生态系统价值核算指标体系,并针对实物量达到一定数值才能形成服务的指标设定了核算基准.以厦门市为例探讨了这一指标体系的应用能力,其不仅包括了厦门市主要生态系统服务,而且体现了厦门市作为沿海旅游城市的区域特色.在此基础上,探索了开展生态系统价值统计核算的可能途径,主要包括建立生态系统价值统计核算公式,编制技术导则,开展培训、制定定期发布制度等,旨在为实现生态系统价值的业务核算及其应用提供技术支撑.      

基于Global-Malmquist-Luenberger指数的沿海地带陆海统筹发展水平测度及区域差异分析

沿海地区是陆海统筹发展的区域载体,基于沿海省市的陆海复合系统进行陆海统筹发展的区域评估对海洋强国建设的理论与实践具有重要意义。论文以陆海复合经济地域系统为前提,将沿海城市形成的区域作为沿海地带,基于各沿海城市的集合作为省级沿海地带进行比较分析,建立包括经济、社会、生态以及环境4个维度指标体系,在考虑“非期望”产出的情况下运用Global-Malmquist-Luenberger（GML）指数测算沿海地带陆海统筹发展水平并进行区域差异分析。结果表明：第一,总体上,沿海地带陆海统筹发展水平全要素生产增长率大多处于无效率状态,且不考虑非期望产出明显高估了全要素生产增长率的增长;时间上,陆域、海洋以及陆海综合GML指数的变动趋于一致,呈平稳的态势;效率分解,陆海统筹发展水平全要素生产率下降明显是由规模效率变动和技术规模变动的下降所影响。第二,沿海地带正经历从“重陆轻海”到逐步实现陆海统筹发展的过程;对沿海地带陆海统筹发展水平空间差异进行分类,浙江、福建及河北属于陆域效率驱动型,环渤海地区（除河北外）、江苏、广西和海南属于海洋效率驱动型,上海和广东属于陆海效率复合型;区域差异形成的原因主要有产业结构差异、海洋产业技术门槛、海洋资源承载力以及政府政策。     

A methodology for CSR reporting: assuring a representative diversity of indicators across stakeholders,scales, sites and performance issues

This paper presents a framework called the CSR Deliberation Matrix for the structuring of CSR issue identification, stakeholder dialogues, indicator selection and reporting, with an overarching goal to achieve an appropriate balance between sensitivity to individual situations and the benefits of “generic” indicators applicable to a large spectrum of reporting contexts.We suggest guidelines to (1) define the full spectrum of sustainability concerns and of relevant stakeholder dialogue contexts; (2) mobilise a relevant “data bank” which provides a profile of candidate CSR indicators; (3) obtain a parsimonious selection of indicators in a site-level CSR reporting process through a stakeholder dialogue; and (4) obtain a “representative diversity” of indicators at the interface of site-level and higher-level CSR reporting contexts.     

Technology-based industrial environmental management: a case study of electroplating in Shenzhen,China

Severe industrial pollution has largely hindered the sustainable development of China. Taking Shenzhen’s electroplating industry as a case, this article investigates the current status of the industry and proposes a specialized policy framework to push its environmental innovation. There is a relatively complete environmental management system in Shenzhen’s government, but it does not work well when dealing with the electroplating industry, mainly because it lacks regulation aiming at production technology, which is the underlying decisive factor of the environmental performance of the industry. So, we first develop an evaluation criterion, which incorporates a technological index about whether enterprises engage identified obsolete technologies. With this evaluation criterion, enterprises are classified into “advanced” and “obsolete”. Then, we propose specific policy suggestions for different types of enterprises, including command and control mixed with economic tools, voluntary agreements, establishing electroplating parks, and improving current management system. Finally, we assess the impact of the policy proposal and prove it to be conducive to the sustainable development of the industry and conclude it from a more general perspective.     

Results of the first adapted design for sustainability project in a South Pacific small island developing state: Fiji

With high population densities concentrated in predominately coastal zones, the South Pacific will, in this century, be heavily impacted by global temperature and sea level rises. Small island developing states do have a number of unique problems, namely, small scale economic development together with environmental sustainability. This paper presents the lessons learnt from the implementation of the first cleaner production and design initiative project conducted in a Pacific small island developing state(s) (SIDS) using the design for sustainability (D4S) methodology. The final product was analysed using the life cycle assessment (LCA) method. Implemented within a medium-sized enterprise operating in Fiji, the Cook Islands, and Samoa, the project focused on improving an existing product and its associated life cycle to make it more environmentally friendly to manufacture, retail, and dispose of. The project outcomes revealed that D4S provides a suitable tool for a country like Fiji to pursue more intensively an eco-friendly manufacturing agenda. However, when combined with LCA, the qualitative nature of D4S shows that not all solutions produce the best overall result. Specifically, the “improved” design, whilst being less impactful on Fiji in terms of disposal, has a higher impact globally due to the production and manufacture of the new materials used. For this reason designers need to address the impact criteria and decide whether a domestic or international agenda is of greater concern within the SIDS context.     

煤与秸秆成型燃料的复合生命周期对比评价

利用复合生命周期对比评价方法,引入能量返还率、资源耗竭系数、环境影响负荷和生命周期成本4个参数,对煤和秸秆成型燃料在整个生命周期内的能源消耗、环境影响和经济性做了对比分析.同时,为了平衡能源、环境与经济三者之间的关系,建立EEE (Energy, Environment, Economic)综合指标进行整体评价.结果表明,在整个生命周期内,与煤相比,秸秆成型燃料的能量返还率低、资源耗竭系数小.秸秆成型燃料的全球变暖潜值、酸化潜值、富营养化潜值、工业烟尘、粉尘潜值及固体废弃物潜值均比煤小,因此,秸秆成型燃料的环境影响负荷比煤小.秸秆成型燃料的EEE指标值比煤小79.8%,所以,从平衡生命周期能源消耗、环境排放和经济性角度出发,秸秆成型燃料具有替代煤的潜力.但是,秸秆成型燃料的生命周期成本比煤高,其大力推广需要政府的财政补贴.     

University ranking using research,educational and environmental indicators

This paper introduces a model, which is enabling a comparison between universities regarding research, educational and environmental performances; the mission of university fits the sustainability idea. The purpose of the paper is to improve the methodology and indicators of the existing ranking tables. The three dimensional index, which provides simplified information about the quality of universities, has been developed. It enables quick detection of the weaknesses, strengths and opportunities for universities. Weights of indicators were determined using the analytic hierarchy process (AHP). Results of the AHP have shown that the most important are research oriented indicators, followed by social and environmental ones.The proposed model has been tested on a sample of 35 top universities from the ARWU (Academic Ranking of World Universities) and Times ranking tables and a new ranking table – the Three dimensional University Ranking (TUR) has been developed. In addition, correlations between indicators and ranking tables have been carried out. There is only a medium correlation between the ARWU and TUR. Regarding the indicators, a high correlation with Hirsch indices and Highly Cited Researchers exists, while there is an insignificant correlation between the low student to staff ratio and the graduation rate.     

Sustainability Potential Analysis (SPA) of landfills—a systemic approach: initial application towards a legal landfill assessment

Assessing landfills in terms of sustainable development (SD) is a difficult task. Landfills might, for example, remain reactive for hundreds or even thousands of years, a fact that conflicts with the fundamental SD principle of inter-generative equity. The Sustainability Potential Analysis (SPA) is a comprehensive assessment approach that aims at assessing the potential of a system to hinder or support SD from a systemic perspective. In this paper, we present an initial operationalization of this approach for a pragmatic legal landfill assessment and its application to assess two prototypic Swiss landfills as part of a pilot study. Thereby, the six generic criteria of SPA are specified using 18 Functional Key Variables (FKVs), such as “control of pollutant release” or “resilience to intended human impacts.” The first results from the pilot study indicate that SPA and its generic criteria provide a purposeful guiding framework for achieving a systemic and comprehensive SD assessment that seems (i) to be feasible for practical application, (ii) sensitive for relevant SD issues, and (iii) transparent for the addressees of the assessment results.