When case studies are not enough: the influence of corporate culture and employee attitudes on the success of cleaner production initiatives

Cleaner production is not only about changing raw materials, processes and products. It is also about changing corporate culture and the attitudes of people. An understanding of the dynamics of change within organisations undertaking cleaner production can help educators, consultants and project champions to improve the potential for success. The purpose of this paper is to provide insight into the range of key human dimensions that are potentially relevant to the success of cleaner production initiatives. The paper includes examples of the literature relevant to the subject as well as a summary of the results of research into elements of change within 22 organisations participating in a major cleaner production demonstration project in New Zealand. The research was designed to provide insight into changes in key indicators of environmental management and cleaner production, as well as elements of organisational culture and attitudes. For control purposes, a group of randomly selected organisations was also included. Organisations were surveyed before the start of the demonstration project and approximately a year later. Not surprisingly, results for the demonstration group show trends towards indicators of environmental management and cleaner production. Conversely, results for the control group indicate a trend away from environmental management and cleaner production. Trends in organisational culture and attitudes are less predictable. The paper provides a discussion of the implications of the results and suggests that organisational change theory should be incorporated into cleaner production research and programme development, implementation and evaluation.     

清洁生产实现形式的研究

针对世界范围的清洁生产实践，通过多角度考察，文章提出了实现清洁生产的５种形式：（１）企业自觉开展清洁生产；（２）在国际公约约束下实现清洁生产；（３）清洁生产示范点；（４）企业发展中实现清洁生产；（５）政府对清洁生产的推动。     

Minimisation of water use in a Ghanaian brewery: effects of personnel practices

This case study demonstrates the effects of personnel practices in water use in a Ghanaian brewery. Employees of the brewery were taken through a training programme for water use minimisation. Personnel input and options identified during the training sessions were then applied to the operations of the brewery over a 12-week period.A total savings of 55,340 m³ on an annual basis in the overall water use in the brewery as well as a reduction of 13.3% (from 7.5 to 6.5 hl/hl) in the specific water consumption (hl of water consumed per hl of beverage produced) were achieved.The key factors contributing to the success of the water use minimisation programme include employee awareness of the importance of water conservation and a commitment of employees to saving water.     

Recent experiences and challenges in promoting cleaner production investments in developing countries

The paper presents on the experience of the first year of implementation of the UNEP project ‘Strategies and mechanisms for promoting cleaner production (CP) investments in developing countries’. An insight into the experience gained in two developing countries, Guatemala and Zimbabwe is given in separate cases.The paper attempts a preliminary—by no means exhaustive—analysis of the current status of CP awareness among the financial community in selected developing countries and the main barriers to funding CP from a financial sector perspective. The experience gained in five developing countries allows to better investigate the ways whereby the financial community could, and perhaps should, more effectively promote financing of CP, thus contributing to the spread of the CP concept and measures at the macro (government), medium (industry associations, chambers of commerce) and micro (enterprises) levels. In doing so, the paper indirectly emphasises the role of other key stakeholders.Suggestions and recommendations expressed in the paper have to be taken clearly with a pinch of salt, as each country in the developing world has its distinct economic, political, social and cultural features.     

Improving cleaner production through the application of environmental management tools in China

Cleaner Production (CP) as a strategy for reducing negative environmental impacts throughout the production processes avoids and decreases pollution at its source and increases the competitiveness of enterprises. Since the establishment of China's goal for quadrupling its gross domestic product between 2000 and 2020, while improving its environmental performance and maintaining social stability, ‘win-win’ concepts such as CP are playing an increasingly prominent role in the country's development plans. Consequently, China's efforts to create a favourable policy and institutional framework for the promotion of CP that includes its unique national “CP Promotion Law” which governs the implementation of all CP activities in the country are encouraging. However, China has encountered significant challenges in improving, on a large scale, the environmental performance of its industries. Factors such as the difficulty in mainstreaming CP in industries, limited institutional resources as well as constraints in financial and technical resources of small and medium-sized enterprises have hindered the widespread adoption of CP. In addition, due to local peculiarities and disparities, different regional approaches for its implementation have evolved. This paper describes and analyses how the application of an environmental management tool in Zhejiang Province has enhanced the environmental, economic and organisational benefits of CP in enterprises.     

Chemicals regulation and precaution: does REACH really incorporate the precautionary principle

At the interface between politics and science-informed regulatory action there is hardly a more controversial combination in Europe today than the recently adopted chemicals policy overhaul entitled Registration, Evaluation, and Authorization of CHemicals (REACH) and the precautionary principle (PP). The European Commission states that REACH is underpinned by the PP. However, it is not evident how this is crystallized throughout the registration, evaluation and authorization process of REACH. Additionally, it is unclear how REACH will proactively support development of safer alternatives, a key component of precaution. The present paper examines to what extent the PP has actually been integrated in REACH. Several elements of the PP are included in REACH such as changing the burden of proof and assessment of alternatives. However, a number of important elements apparently are missing. This paper outlines some of the limitations in REACH for applying precaution and discusses possible improvements of the REACH framework to make it more supportive of precautionary decision-making.     

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.     

How do scientific assessments learn?: Part 1. Conceptual framework and case study of the IPCC

Scientific assessments play a crucial role in advising and shaping political decisions particularly in the environmental domain. Therefore, this and the accompanying paper (Part 2) present two case studies of international environmental assessments with a perspective on internal learning processes. When carried out over a longer period of time, scientific assessments provide an opportunity for learning from past experience and from other assessment experiences which gives them the opportunity to become more powerful institutions in the process of solving environmental problems and in advising political decision-making. The paper will investigate how the assessments at hand organised their learning processes and which factors might have been influential in these processes. To answer these questions, a conceptual framework will be developed drawing particularly on literature on organisational learning. This concept will be applied to two case studies on the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) and (Part 2) on the scientific assessments under the Convention on Long-Range Transboundary Air Pollution (LRTAP). Both cases are iterative processes with significant changes of the assessment institutions over time, but they differ in their basic structures and in their effectiveness with regard to political outcomes which allows for their comparison in order to draw general conclusions.     

论战略环境评价中的公众参与

介绍了公众参与对于战略环境评价 ( SEA)的意义 ;着重分析了 SEA中公众参与实施的关键环节 :即公众参与者界定 ,公众参与内容 ,公众参与时机 ,公众参与方式及公众参与反馈信息处理 ,并阐述了 SEA中公众参与的局限性。     

Design of policy mechanism to promote cleaner production in China

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PRIMA: a Dutch initiative for environmental improvement of retail assortments

Cleaner production (CP) working methods should facilitate the search for feasible CP options and contribute to their on-going implementation in a company. Over the past decade, numerous working methods have been developed in order to cater for specific segments of industry. This paper describes, compares and analyses the core components of six Dutch working methods to develop a framework for CP methodologies, to draft guidelines for the selection of an appropriate working method for a certain industry, and to identify areas which require additional methodology development. A division is proposed between four types of CP working methods: indicators, scan, pre-assessment and assessment. Each of these has its strengths and weaknesses, which calls for a careful selection of the working method, which in turn could be based on size of the company, material- and energy-intensity of the production, and complexity of the production processes. This comparative evaluation further proves that the working methods are still weak in stimulating the corporate transition process from ‘end-ofpipe’ to CP thinking and acting. It is tentatively concluded that an ‘assessment’ is superior in identifying comparatively radical environmental improvements (‘innovations’) as well as in fostering the integration of CP into the daily operation and management of a company. The use of simplified working methods in selected industries, is, however, justified given their ability to contribute to the implementation of relatively obvious CP options.     

Improving the environmental performance of firms: the experience of two metal working companies

This case study compares the very different approaches and experiences of two New Zealand metal working companies attempting to reduce waste and pollution. It looks at why and how each got started, the key factors affecting progress, the changes that have been introduced, their cost-effectiveness and the additional benefits which have accrued. One company was significantly more successful than the other and the key factors contributing to its success were good data on the cost of waste generation, an effective total quality management programme, worker empowerment, pursuit of efficiency (cf. environmental) goals, a company culture supporting innovation, the personality and motivation of staff in key roles and access to environmental advice and investment capital. Air emission improvements were, however, triggered by regulation.     

The importance of assessment tools in promoting cleaner production in the metal finishing industry

Various cleaner production (CP) audits have been conducted in the South African metal finishing industry. These studies have been successful in effecting changes to the general status of the local metal finishing industry. In this paper, the initiatives undertaken by a Danish government sponsored project are detailed. The project included the conducting of in-plant assessments, using a tailor-made tool for CP benchmarking. Details on this tool's operations and typical results are presented. Typical assessments indicated potential water savings of 78%, with chemical savings of approximately 30%. The plant modifications undertaken in order to achieve the CP objectives, are described. The affects of these initiatives on local municipal wastewater treatment works are detailed with specific reference to significant reductions in incoming wastewater-borne heavy metals. The main challenge for companies has been data retrieval for the tool and overcoming social barriers for implementing the improvement options. Recommendations include redesigning the assessment tool.     

Risk Perception Mapping and the Fermi II nuclear power plant: toward an ethnography of social access to public participation in Great Lakes environmental management

This article reports the preliminary findings and potential applicability of an environmental anthropology fellowship at the Great Lakes Commission (GLC). The fellowship project demonstrated the utility of an ethnographic approach called Risk Perception Mapping (RPM) to the public consultation and social research interests of the GLC and other regional organizations involved in Great Lakes environmental management. An RPM demonstration project was conducted in a five county area surrounding the Fermi II nuclear power plant in southeastern Michigan. The research addressed differential social access to environmental management by focusing on cultural, geographical, and social-contextual factors that influence the nature and distribution of perceived risk among potentially affected populations. Key findings pertain to perceptually-specific communities of environmental risk, with implications for what I call ‘participatory equity’ in environmental management. Potential application to Great Lakes environmental management is discussed in the context of developing equitable population-specific information and education exchanges through which more culturally sensitive indicators of Great Lakes ecosystem integrity may emerge.     

Adopting and applying eco-design techniques: a practitioners perspective

This paper discusses the findings of a small scale research project which explored the possibility of adopting eco-design techniques. The paper focuses on identifying how eco-design techniques can be determined as being compatible with new product development processes. Via the development of a five stage ‘applicability framework’, this study demonstrates how a compatible suite of tools can be identified for application to product development processes. Testing and validation of this ‘applicability framework’, which was used to identify three key eco-design techniques; namely checklists, guidelines, and a material, energy and toxicity (MET) matrix, is shown to have taken place in relation to the development of a lightweight chemical detector product. It is established that checklists, guidelines and the MET matrix can be used both on a specific product, and also more generally in the design process. In particular, the MET matrix is shown as being used to successfully identify key environmental aspects of the product during its lifetime. The paper concludes by arguing that eco-design techniques may not have been more widely adopted by businesses because such methods are not necessarily generic and immediately applicable, but instead require some form of process-specific customisation prior to use, which can in turn act as a barrier to adoption. It is also highlighted that the shear diversity of pressures that come to bear during the product development process can also act as a barrier to adoption, and that the full integration of eco-design techniques will have to encompass approaches which overcome such pressures.     

国内外光伏发电站环境影响评价方法简析

综述光伏发电技术现状,分析比较国内外光伏发电项目的环境影响和评价要求,简述我国的国家风光储输示范工程、敦煌10MAP太阳能光伏发电工程及保加利亚Betapark有限公司4MW光伏发电项目,对比远离城区的光伏电站、城市地区的光伏电站及光伏建筑一体化在施工期、运行期及服务期满后的评价因子,提出国内光伏发电环境影响评价的主要评价因子为生态、固废、噪声、电磁辐射等,为我国光伏电站设计、建设、运行管理及环境保护提供依据,完善国内光伏发电站环境影响评价。     

城市面源污染问题:我国城市化进程的新挑战——代“城市面源污染研究”专栏序言

城市面源污染是造成水环境恶化的重要原因之一.以国家"863"项目的<汉阳地区城市面源污染控制技术与工程示范>课题为背景,介绍了城市面源污染的特点,所造成的环境问题,课题研究中控制城市面源污染的思路、技术和3个示范工程,以及研究取得的主要成果.