A new business model for baby prams based on leasing and product remanufacturing

A shift in business thinking from selling products to providing service solutions to customer needs is becoming noticeable. It is driven by increasing competition and the need to identify new profit centres for producers of mature products. This paper identifies a new product group that could be interesting from the product-service system perspective – baby prams. The study presents a new business model based on selling the function that baby prams provide through leasing prams. It discusses potential barriers and necessary changes in product design and the supply chain to make it work. The product-service system in this case could include the organisation of a reverse logistics system with different levels of refurbishment and remanufacturing of prams, partially by retailers. The new model may provide customers with a high quality pram in a “like new” condition for the period they need it, and may help avoid transaction costs of having to sell the pram on the second-hand market. Economic estimations point to a significant potential for increased profits, while the environmental potential should be further investigated.     

Considering agro-ecosystems as ecological funds for collective design: New perspectives for environmental policy

Enhancing agro-ecosystem sustainability raises difficult challenges for environmental policy: it requires both increasing knowledge on these complex systems to design effective solutions and coordinating stakeholders with diverging interests. However, most existing environmental policies consider ecosystems’ desirable properties as given, leading ecosystem managers to favor “turnkey” solutions. How could public policy better support local collective initiatives aiming at reconciling agriculture and the environment? This paper presents an empirical case study from western France, in which a partnership between an agricultural cooperative and an ecological research center resulted in a collective design initiative. We conceptually model this initiative drawing upon recent design theories and Georgescu-Roegen’s ‘fund-flow’ model, defining ‘ecological funds’ as the starting point of a collective design process. The results highlight the importance of developing policy instruments that can better support local innovation processes through greater democratization. Adopting a design approach to sustainable agricultural landscape management could be particularly fruitful in situations where collective action is necessary but where there is no common good recognized as such, and no existing community identified.     

生态资产资本化:要素构成·运营模式·政策需求

构建生态保护市场体系是我国生态文明制度建设和环境保护体制改革的重要目标. 生态资产资本化运营是利用市场经济手段保护生态资源、改善生态环境质量,并直接或者间接创造利润的生态经济运作模式,与我国生态文明制度建设和环境保护体制改革目标具有高度统一性. 为推进生态资产资本化运营进程,通过全面分析、归纳、总结国内外生态资产资本化运营理论研究和案例实践成果,深入剖析了社会主体、生态客体、市场平台、技术动力和制度保障五大构成要素在生态资产资本化运作体系中的地位和作用;以此为前提,依据生态资产资本化运营的客体类型,探讨了深度开发生态产品增殖、优化配置生态资产共生增殖、交易生态资产权属、交易生态服务、产业化运营五大生态资产资本化模式,并结合我国生态环境状况与经济社会发展形势,从构建激励保障机制、建立监管约束制度和提升科技支撑能力三方面提出推进我国生态资产资本化运营的政策需求,以规避生态资产“过度资本化”的生态风险,实现经济社会与生态环境保护可持续、协同发展的目标.      

Accelerating preliminary eco-innovation design for products that integrates case-based reasoning and TRIZ method

While the innovativeness and market potential of a new product is normally emphasized, its environmental impact is often neglected. Despite their ability to help designers reduce the environmental impact of products throughout their life cycle, many eco-design methods focus on the redesign of existing products, necessitating a more innovative design capacity. This work describes a novel model to accelerate the preliminary eco-innovation product design by integrating the advantages of case-based reasoning and the TRIZ method. Previous cases from a database support a novel design to satisfy functional performances under the CBR framework. The innovative principles and evolution patterns of the TRIZ method can enhance the design level of new products to achieve eco-innovation. Four eco-innovation concepts for a PC mouse demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed model.     

The recycling of plastic wastes from discarded TV sets: comparing energy recovery with mechanical recycling in the context of life cycle assessment

Two treatment options, i.e. energy recovery and mechanical recycling of plastic wastes from discarded TV sets, were compared in the context of life cycle assessment (LCA) methodology. An estimate for the environmental burden of each option was calculated as the sum of the depletion of abiotic resources (ADP), the global warming potential (GWP), the acidification potential (AP), the photo-oxidant formation potential (POCP), the eutrophication potential (EP), and the human toxicity potential (HTP). After calculating the environmental burden of each treatment option, a sensitivity analysis was conducted. The ultimate aim was to indicate which parameters of the system have the strongest influence on the results of the LCA in order to find ways for lowering the environmental burden, and ultimately suggest a “design strategy” for TV sets.The main finding of this study was that mechanical recycling of plastics is more attractive treatment option in environmental terms than incineration for energy recovery, which generates a larger environmental burden. Finally, based on the results of sensitivity analysis, a “design strategy” was suggested, i.e. reducing the number of plastic types being used in the manufacturing process of TVs – preferably excluding the PVC.     

How environmental management driving forces affect environmental and economic performance of SMEs: a study in the Northern China district

Small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) form the core of societal and economic development. However, most people query on the implementation and performance of environmental management. In this paper, the manufacturing SMEs in Northern China with different pollution levels are studied to explore the main forces (e.g., government, society, market, and enterprise itself) driving SMEs for promoting environmental management. It focuses on the correlation between environmental management and economic performance for SMEs at different pollution levels. The results show that SMEs of different pollution levels have significant differences in the relationship of driving forces and performance. First, for SMEs with high-pollution levels, social and market driving forces and government incentives are revealed having a significant effect on their environmental performance. Driving forces from within the enterprise itself and the market provide a positive effect on the economic performance, while social forces have a negative effect. Second, for SMEs with light pollution, social and market driving forces, and government assistance play a supporting role on corporate environmental performance improvement. It is also found that the driving force of the enterprise itself does not have a significant effect on the environmental performance for SMEs with different pollution levels. In addition, the environmental performance and economic performance for SMEs with high or light-pollution levels are positively correlated. Further, it shows that the environmental performance is moderately correlated with financial indices, but not significantly with the non-financial indices.     

土地利用和土地覆盖变化研究模型综述

本文综述了全球变化研究中土地利用和土地覆盖变化（ＬＵＣＣ）的主要模型,重点介绍了植被模型和引入社会驱动力的ＬＵＣＣ模型,并归纳出ＬＵＣＣ模型的以下发展趋势：①新一代的ＬＵＣＣ模型应该能够模拟ＬＵＣＣ的主要社会经济和自然驱动力,包括从ＬＵＣＣ到驱动力和全球变化的主要反馈关系；②具有明确的空间关系,能够以适当的空间分辨率,比较好地预测长期的（５０～１００ａ）土地利用和覆盖变化及有关的生物物理参数,如植被特征、资源的积聚和退化等；③能够更好地认识ＬＵＣＣ与其主要驱动力之间的关系在局地、区域和全球尺度上的动态和后果；充分考虑土地利用和覆盖变化对政策、技术进步、人口增长、经济发展、市场变化等社会变量的灵敏性,此外,还应注意意识、信仰等文化因素的影响；④发展新的ＬＵＣＣ建模方法,使ＬＵＣＣ模型能够与其它类型的全球变化模型,特别是气候模型建立联系。     

2nd Generation biofuels a sure bet? A life cycle assessment of how things could go wrong

Biofuels are heavily debated as to their potential to reduce transport-related greenhouse gas emissions. Life cycle thinking gave rise to formal evaluations of the energy balance of such fuels, which led to the vigorously conducted “corn to ethanol” debates. Just as consensus was building on such evaluations came the “carbon debt” insights, a result of applying consequential Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) backed by advanced economic modeling. Increasingly, hopes have shifted to the 2nd generation biofuels, viewed as a “technological home run”. Could this also backfire? We investigate a simple South African case in which there might not be improvements in environmental performance: a sugar mill sells its bagasse, currently used at low efficiency to provide process heat, to an advanced biofuels producer, and buys an equivalent amount of coal without investing in efficiency improvements. Seven scenarios are generated, ranging from the status quo, where no bagasse is diverted, to 100% bagasse diversion, with one scenario including an energy efficiency improvement in the sugar mill. A consequential LCA is applied to the seven scenarios, covering global warming potential (GWP), non-renewable energy use, aquatic eutrophication and terrestrial acidification. A basic financial analysis of the proposed scenarios shows that they are realistic, with potentially lucrative returns. Results show that diverting bagasse without efficiency improvements from its current use to an ethanol bio-refinery would indeed backfire for all environmental impacts studied. The base case outperforms all the other scenarios, with the 100% bagasse diversion scenario emerging the worst. Investments into energy efficiency are therefore a precondition for diverting cellulosic residues into biofuel production.     

Less bad is not good enough: approaching zero emissions techniques and systems

Radical changes towards sustainable products and a clean and safe system of production have yet to be developed and implemented in all sectors of industry. Technology holds the key to addressing many environmental problems and achieving sustainable patterns of economic growth. In many cases, companies already have the appropriate technological solution. However, the technology may not be in widespread use because of market and systemic failures and cultural barriers. Examples of market failures are the lack of information about cleaner technologies. Examples of systemic failures are weaknesses in linkages among firms, universities, research and development (R&D) institutions, and others involved in developing, supplying and applying technology. Cultural barriers are caused by the differences in the way companies communicate and do business. This makes “zero emissions” a much needed approach. The Journal of Cleaner Production has devoted this special issue to “Zero Emissions Techniques and Systems – ZETS” in the production and the urgent issues surrounding, “How to make sustainable companies become reality”. To document the state of the art in this field and to report progress are main goals of this issue. The objective of the planners of this special issue is to present perspectives, case studies and pedagogic initiatives from, academic, governmental, business, technical and financial sectors, as well as from NGOs from around the world.It is, however, evident that the term “zero emissions” still has different meanings and refers to different strategies and technologies. “Zero Emissions Techniques and Systems” are really a “SYSTEMS” aspect and not a sectoral approach. It develops more and more like a discussion about a mosaic. Some speak of the image they expect to be seen at the end, others speak of the tesserae they have to shape or the cement that fills the gaps between.     

How robust is public support for unilateral climate policy?

Most governments emphasize the need for reciprocal (“give and take”) international commitments in global climate policy. Nonetheless, existing public opinion polls indicate strong support by individual citizens for unilateral climate policies as well. This raises the question of whether governments could, without risking electoral punishment, afford to pursue more ambitious unilateral climate policies, or whether surveys may have overestimated support for unilateralism due to measurement problems. Based on conjoint and framing experiments embedded in representative surveys in the world's two largest democracies, India and the United States, we engage in a critical re-assessment of earlier survey results. We find robust public support for unilateral climate policy in both countries. Such support declines with increasing costs and increases with growing co-benefits and problem solving effectiveness. We also find, however, that policy conditionality and possible institutional design mechanisms against free-riding by other states (which make the policy “less unilateral” by providing for reciprocation) play no significant role when citizens form their preferences with respect to climate policy. Neither is public support affected by whether policies focus on adaptation (which limits benefits to the investing country) or mitigation (which benefits all countries globally). Overall, these findings suggest that, in view of very slow progress in global climate policy, governments of rich and poor countries could politically afford to push ahead with more ambitious unilateral climate policies.     

促进供给侧绿色改革的环境政策研究

绿色化是供给侧结构性改革的重要内容.针对供给侧绿色改革的内涵,提出促进供给侧绿色改革的环境政策框架,首先,强化环境准入和退出机制,包括完善环境标准体系和环境监管执法机制,深化环境准入制度改革等;其次,完善资源环境成本内生化机制,包括改革资源环境价格政策,推进财税制度"绿色化",优化生态补偿机制和加快建立绿色金融体系等;最后,建立企业主体参与环境保护的激励机制,包括实施环保领导者制度和绿色供应链管理制度,加快环境治理市场主体培育.为供给侧结构性改革的稳步推进和其他配套政策的研究思路提供一定的参考.     

Ecodesign of automotive components making use of natural jute fiber composites

Nowadays, the world faces unprecedented challenges in social, environmental and economical dimensions, in which the industrial design has showed an important contribution with solutions that provide positive answers regarding these problems. In particular, due to its relevance, the automotive industry confronts a moment of crises, and based on the ecodesign of products it has been transforming the challenges in opportunities. In this context, the use of natural fiber composites, produced in developing countries, have presented several social, environmental and economical advantages to design “green” automotive components. Thus, this work through LCA method demonstrates the possibility to use natural fibers through a case study design which investigates the environmental improvements related to the replacement of glass fibers for natural jute fibers, to produce a structural frontal bonnet of an off-road vehicle (Buggy). Results pointed out the advantages of applying jute fiber composites in Buggy enclosures.     

Making consumption “reasonable”

In light of the theoretical implications from ecological economics and industrial ecology, increased efforts should be undertaken by policy makers to make consumption “reasonable”. To remain sustainable, “reasonable” decisions should take into account the long-term survival of ecosystem and acknowledge the fact that the existence of human species ultimately depends on it. Two additional objectives should complement “reasonable” consumption: (1) changing product systems so that products are properly managed at the end of their useful lives. (2) making products more environmentally friendly. A case study of the Integrated Product Policy of the European Union reveals that it addresses the above objectives selectively. The general conclusions are that “reasonable” behaviour is challenged by conflicting interests of various market actors, that economic reasoning should complement environmentally “reasonable” behaviour, and that “reasonable” consumption should indeed be discussed in conjunction with “reasonable” production.     

Nuclear power and post-2012 energy and climate change policies

At present there is no binding agreement (at a global level) to address the risk of anthropogenic climate change after 2012. Disagreements abound with respect to a post-2012 climate change agreement, on issues such as economic development, policy criteria, environmental effectiveness, cost-effectiveness, equity, dynamic flexibility, complementarity, enforceability and so on. One such disagreement is whether or not nuclear power should play a role in a post-2012 climate change agreement. This qualitative analysis explores the conditions under which nuclear power could contribute to addressing climate change in post-2012 architectures. It reveals that – given the right framework conditions – some architectures, like ‘cap and trade’ regimes or ‘policies and measures’ can improve the competitiveness of nuclear power plants, while others are unlikely to provide incentives for nuclear energy development in the short to medium term, such as adaptation and technology cooperation. Overall, the study concludes that post-2012 climate change policy should aim at providing policy flexibility without compromising technology flexibility. For example, the provision of long-term commitment periods has the potential to enable better investments in existing low-carbon technologies but stifle the policy flexibility that political decision makers are often keen to retain so that they can respond more quickly to new scientific evidence or advances in clean technology development.     

Policy guidance for identifying and effectively managing perpetual environmental impacts from new hardrock mines

Perpetual environmental management at operating and proposed hardrock mines is a rapidly expanding global dilemma. While economies of scale have encouraged larger mines, improved models routinely predict long-term water quality degradation at sulfide metal mines. Technical causes include oxidation of sulfide minerals and seepage from waste rock, tailings, and pit wall rock. Perpetual treatment is usually less expensive than permanent stabilization, even using 2% “risk-free” investment return rate; but this option greatly increases the social and financial complexity. A few regulations address perpetual management, but specific requirements range from formal acceptance to complete prohibition. With vague regulations, predictions of long-term impacts often delay permitting as operators and regulators grapple with model uncertainty and regulatory ambiguity. Risk management tools (e.g., insurance, inflation-protected investments, etc.) can reduce but cannot eliminate risk, and their continued availability is uncertain. What regulators and mine operators need – but do not have – is a clear framework to guide them in developing perpetual management plans that balance risks (e.g., uncertainty in predictions, cost, finance, and governance) and ensure responsible environmental and social stewardship. This paper responds with a review of perpetual mine management issues, including technical causes, policy examples, investment tools, case studies, technical remedies, and principles for successful long-term management.     

区域生态学基本理论探索

全球经济一体化、区域发展一体化,以及生态服务转移引发的区域生态问题越来越受到人们的关注,区域生态问题也直接影响到区域的可持续发展.因此,构建一门针对区域生态问题的系统学科成为当务之急.本文基于生态学、地理学、经济学及其它相关学科理论,尝试从学科发展角度探讨建立区域生态学学科理论框架.文章提出区域生态学是研究区域生态结构、过程、功能,以及区域间生态要素耦合和相互作用机理的学科,生态介质是区域生态的联系纽带和核心要素.根据生态系统构成要素和当前人类活动,影响区域的突出生态介质有水、风和资源,通过这3种介质,分别形成流域、风域和资源圈3大类型生态区域.区域生态学的主要研究范畴和要点有：区域生态结构、过程与功能、区域生态完整性和生态分异规律、区域生态演变规律及其驱动力、区域生态承载力和生态适宜性、区域生态联系和生态资产流转,以及区域生态补偿和环境利益共享机制.     

Collaborative governance and adaptive management: Lessons from California's CALFED Water Program

Both for its technological and institutional innovations and for its history of conflicts, California's water system has been one of the most observed in the world. This article and this Special Issue on the CALFED Bay-Delta Program continue in this tradition. CALFED is likely the most ambitious experiment in collaborative environmental policy and adaptive management the world has seen to date. This Issue moves beyond the celebratory tone of other analyses of collaborative, adaptive management and looks closer into how collaborative networks work to produce innovation, and more importantly to reflect also on their inherent contradictions, limitations and “dark sides”. While collaborative governance enhances mutual understandings and can be a source of innovation, it appears ill-suited to resolve alone the distributive dilemmas at the core of many water – and other environmental – conflicts. A lacuna in existing research concerns the institutional design of effective boundaries and linkages between democratic politics, legitimate authority, and adaptive governance, i.e. the mix of institutions that can provide sufficient responsibility, accountability and democratic legitimacy, without choking off the self-organizing interaction, shared learning, and communication that is at the heart of collaboration. A painful realization in the Delta is that environmental conservation and further growth may be fundamentally at odds; efficient win–win solutions, institutional or technological, seem insufficient to satisfy the competing demands posed upon the system. Radical decisions and changes might be necessary, but they seem unlikely under current institutional arrangements and political conditions.     

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.     

Isolines as a new tool to assess the energy costs of the production and distribution of multiple sources of seafood

Consumer-based ocean conservation efforts focus attention on seafood that is produced in an “eco-friendly” manner. However, many species can be produced either in aquaculture operations or harvested within wild capture fisheries, and each mode of production differs in their environmental impacts as well as their energy requirements. Complicating the assessment of eco-friendly seafood is the fact that seafood is a global commodity, the suppliers of which utilize a variety of methods to distribute the product from producer to consumer (e.g. ship, truck, airplane). Like the modes of production, these various modes of distribution differ in their energy intensity. This analysis assesses the overall energy requirements of production and distribution (E_P&D) of seafood to evaluate how the energy costs of distribution influence the total energy cost of seafood produced by different methods. This paper develops the concept of energy isolines as a tool to assess E_P&D. Isolines are a graphical method to succinctly integrate multiple distance assessments so that the best sourcing option can be determined. The isolines are then used to assess how the energy cost of distribution functions as a component of the overall energy cost, and how this influences the E_P&D of a product originating from two different sources with inherently different energy costs of production. Using scallops and salmon as examples, this analysis has revealed that an “eco-friendly” seafood commodity (one produced with less energy) produced far from its destination market could have a higher total E_P&D compared to a local, less “eco-friendly” product (that takes more energy to produce). Finally, this paper evaluates strategies to minimize the overall E_P&D of seafood. Overall, further work on energy audits of seafood focused the need to maintain a global perspective to determine seafood with the lowest overall energy cost of production and distribution.