Outsourcing sustainability: a game-theoretic modeling approach

As a response to stakeholders’ interest in sustainable products and services, an organization may change its approach to sustainability issues, from isolated social and environmental projects to corporate sustainability strategies and practices that are part of their core business. However, many of the efforts associated with these sustainability strategies cannot be directly exerted by focal organizations. We consider the situation in which a focal organization (sustainability buyer) outsources sustainability efforts to another organization (sustainability seller). While buyers cannot directly exert sustainability efforts, they can provide economic or technical support to their sellers in order to incentivize these efforts. We investigate how the effort and support decisions change according to characteristics of stakeholders, buyers, and sellers. Additionally, the presence of sustainability-minded stakeholders may lead to buyers’ competition on the sustainability effort exerted by their sellers. Therefore, we extend our analysis of sustainability efforts and incentives to the case of two competing buyers, and we determine conditions under which sharing a seller is preferred by the buyers to having a separate seller for each buyer.     

Measuring sustainable development using a multi-criteria model: A case study

This paper shows how Multi-criteria Decision Analysis (MCDA) can help in a complex process such as the assessment of the level of sustainability of a certain area. The paper presents the results of a study in which a model for measuring sustainability was implemented to better aid public policy decisions regarding sustainability. In order to assess sustainability in specific areas, a methodological approach based on multi-criteria analysis has been developed. The aim is to rank areas in order to understand the specific technical and/or financial support that they need to develop sustainable growth.The case study presented is an assessment of the level of sustainability in different areas of an Italian Region using the MCDA approach. Our results show that MCDA is a proper approach for sustainability assessment. The results are easy to understand and the evaluation path is clear and transparent. This is what decision makers need for having support to their decisions. The multi-criteria model for evaluation has been developed respecting the sustainable development economic theory, so that final results can have a clear meaning in terms of sustainability.     

雾霾污染、经营绩效与企业环境社会责任

本文采用我国沪深两市2010—2016年A股上市公司数据与哥伦比亚大学社会经济数据和应用中心发布的PM2.5浓度数据,基于固定效应模型研究了雾霾污染对企业环境社会责任履行情况的影响。实证分析结果表明:我国各地市的雾霾污染对企业环境社会责任具有正向影响,即本地雾霾污染越严重,企业承担环境社会责任就越多。进一步的分析发现:雾霾污染会削弱经营绩效对企业环境社会责任履行情况的正向影响,即雾霾污染越严重,经营绩效对企业环境社会责任的正向影响越弱。本文的研究结论不仅揭示了雾霾对企业环境社会责任的正向影响,也揭示了雾霾污染对经营绩效和企业环境责任之间关系的调节影响。该结论对于加强雾霾治理和推动企业良好履行环境社会责任具有积极的作用。     

“We can keep the fire burning”: building action competence through environmental justice education in Uganda and Germany

The global dimensions of climate change necessitate a response that takes national differences – social, economic, geographic, and cultural – into account. Action-oriented education has a key role to play in advancing citizen engagement in a culture of sustainability. This paper describes research conducted with one such education programme, Youth Leading Environmental Change (YLEC), which operates in six countries and engages university-aged youth in discussion and practice related to global sustainability, systems thinking, and environmental justice. YLEC aims to advance four key competencies; this paper focuses on the goal of action competence, which involves acquiring knowledge, reflecting on experience in the context of one’s values, envisioning alternative futures, and acting individually and collectively to advance those alternatives. The present article examines the impacts of YLEC on environmental action competence in two of the countries involved in this research: Uganda and Germany. In-depth interviews were conducted with participants in both countries to examine the development of action competence during and after the programme. Findings suggest that outcomes differed in each country, reflective of participants’ different lived experiences. YLEC effectively built on the conditions faced in each country to accompany youth to a higher level of awareness and action. These findings have implications for environmental education programmes striving to work with multiple nations and diverse participants.     

Trends and applications of multi-criteria decision analysis in environmental sciences: literature review

Approximately 3000 papers concerning multi-criteria decision analysis (MCDA) in the environmental field were identified through a series of queries in the Web of Science database and classified by MCDA method and environmental application using text mining in R. Stemming and stop word removal techniques were used to remove irrelevant text from the literature. Trends in MCDA methods (AHP/ANP, TOPSIS, outranking, MAUT/MAVT) associated with specific environmental applications (water, air, energy, natural resources, and waste management) or interventions/tools applications (stakeholders, strategies, sustainability, and GIS) were identified. The results show a linear growth in the share of MCDA papers in environmental science across all application areas. Furthermore, the results show that AHP/ANP and MAUT/MAVT are the most frequently mentioned MCDA methods in the literature. For environmental applications, the results showed that natural resource and waste management keywords were, respectively, the most and least commonly discussed applications within the MCDA papers. For intervention/tool applications, we found that keywords associated with ‘strategy’ and ‘GIS’ applications are, respectively, the most and least commonly discussed keywords within the MCDA papers. The authors found that MCDA method keywords were evenly distributed across the environmental and intervention/tool applications, indicating a lack of preference in the environmental field for use of specific MCDA methods. This paper demonstrates that text mining is an applicable tool to assess specific textual trends and patterns when analyzing larger bodies of MCDA literature.     

Sustainability and social inclusion? Examining the frames of Canadian English-speaking environmental movement organisations

Some scholars and activists have suggested that discourses of environmental sustainability do not include sufficient attention to social issues or environmental justice. Since social inclusion is a prevalent masterframe among activists and in social policy circles in Canada and elsewhere, our research explored the extent that English-speaking Canadian environmental non-governmental organisations (ENGOs) incorporate discursive aspects of social inclusion into their website communication. Social inclusion includes such issues as multiculturalism, gender inequality, low income and racialisation. We analysed mission statements, programmes and policy analysis presented by a sample of ENGOs drawn from the membership of the Canadian Environmental Network for evidence of a variety of indicators of attention to social inclusion. We conclude that environmental groups remain locked into an “environmentalist” frame that often ignores such issues. This has major implications for partnerships with other Canadian social movements.     

Collaborative environmental planning in river management: an application of multicriteria decision analysis in the White River Watershed in Vermont

Multicriteria decision analysis (MCDA) provides a well-established family of decision tools to aid stakeholder groups in arriving at collective decisions. MCDA can also function as a framework for the social learning process, serving as an educational aid in decision problems characterized by a high level of public participation. In this paper, the framework and results of a structured decision process using the outranking MCDA methodology preference ranking organization method of enrichment evaluation (PROMETHEE) are presented. PROMETHEE is used to frame multi-stakeholder discussions of river management alternatives for the Upper White River of Central Vermont, in the northeastern United States. Stakeholders met over 10 months to create a shared vision of an ideal river and its services to communities, develop a list of criteria by which to evaluate river management alternatives, and elicit preferences to rank and compare individual and group preferences. The MCDA procedure helped to frame a group process that made stakeholder preferences explicit and substantive discussions about long-term river management possible.     

Sustainable roofing technology under multiple constraints: a decision-analytical approach

Recent efforts in the private and public sectors to move toward enhanced sustainability in the built environment have prompted the need to quantify and assess trade-offs among relevant sustainability metrics. Within the US military, for instance, many technological improvements are available to facilitate the achievement of net-zero goals for installations. These technologies must be assessed based on numerous performance criteria, and these technology selection decisions are difficult to make unaided. This paper seeks to demonstrate the use of decision-analytical techniques in which sustainable roofing technology alternatives (reflective, vegetated, or solar roofs) can be properly framed and assessed while evaluating the trade-offs between multiple performance criteria. Multi-criteria decision analysis methods are used to assess the impact of technology alternatives on sustainability framed within the popular concept of the triple bottom line (economic, societal, and environmental concerns). The framework developed in this paper can be applied to other sustainability technologies (energy, water, waste) or portfolios of numerous technologies.     

Trends and applications of multi-criteria decision analysis: use in government agencies

Government agencies are responsible for making complex, high-stake decisions, which require them to balance political, technical, and economic considerations. Pressure from stakeholders and administrative requirements necessitate a traceable and transparent method for decision making. Multi-criteria decision analysis (MCDA) methods are available to decision makers to facilitate systematic treatment of the information and factors necessary to make informed and effective decisions in complex circumstances. A survey of gray and academic literature was conducted to gauge the level of application and awareness of MCDA methods by US government agencies and determine if the tools’ benefits are being realized. Results show an increase in awareness and consideration of MCDA from 2000 to the present, and that agencies are especially considering and using tools to engage with stakeholders. Government agencies would benefit from extending the application of MCDA to strategic planning and congressional engagement, as well as by standardizing MCDA use to better enable inter-agency collaboration and communication.     

Using Multicriteria Methods in Environmental Planning and Management

In environmental planning and decision processes several alternatives are analyzed in terms of multiple noncommensurate criteria, and many different stakeholders with conflicting preferences are involved. Based on our experience in real-life applications, we discuss how multicriteria decision aid (MCDA) methods can be used successfully in such processes. MCDA methods support these processes by providing a framework for collecting, storing, and processing all relevant information, thus making the decision process traceable and transparent. It is therefore possible to understand and explain why, under several conflicting preferences, a particular decision was made. The MCDA framework also makes the requirements for new information explicit, thus supporting the allocation of resources for the process.     

Social licences to operate: for better not for worse; for richer not for poorer? The impacts of unplanned mining closure for “fence line” residential communities

Establishing “social licences to operate” with communities has become a significant corporate social responsibility agenda. The complex dynamics of these relationships can compound the impacts for communities when these contracts are not upheld. This article documents reflections from a rapid rural appraisal conducted in the Shire of Ravensthorpe in remote Western Australia after the Ravensthorpe Nickel Operation was “mothballed” 9 months into a projected 25-year lifespan. It captures how communication about the project and its time frames created a sense of consistency, predictability, certainty and trust – enabling social licence. The raising of hope and the emergence of mistrust underpin social, environmental and financial impacts of this event for the local community. Embedded in the theoretical dimensions of social licences, this case study highlights the problematic of social licences that engage with non-contractual stakeholders as partners in “booms” but have no legal responsibility towards them in times of “bust”.     

ESG研究进展及其在“双碳”目标下的新机遇

环境、社会和治理（ESG）是一种由资本市场发展形成的融合多利益相关方诉求的新理念，目的是推动企业提升社会责任和实现可持续发展。推进ESG理念在中国发展，对国家扩大对外开放、增强企业国际竞争力以及实现“双碳”目标具有重大意义。本研究通过综述2019年3月—2022年3月以来国内外以ESG为主题的文献，分析ESG实践特点和发展新动向。研究发现，ESG三要素在金融投资、企业或银行财务表现、企业价值、企业社会责任绩效以及可持续发展能力方面会产生多样化影响。本文建立了一个包含ESG多利益相关方、第三方机构以及ESG代表性指南政策法规的运行体系框架，形象化地凝练了ESG的内涵和实践重点；结合理论研究，运用驱动力、压力、状态影响及响应（DPSIR）分析框架揭示了ESG理念在我国“双碳”目标下的发展方向。最后，建议从三方面推进ESG理念：以工业园区为载体推动企业整体性开展ESG实践创新；推进A股企业扩大ESG实践示范试点，引领中小企业整体提升；引导投资者积极参与ESG投资，推进企业提升现代化环境治理能力。     

Model for sustainability implementation and measurement in construction sites

Sustainable practices at construction sites should be considered from the start of the project, meaning during the design phase. A model for the implementation of sustainability at a site is an important management tool, and its adoption can indicate good practices and propose an assessment of local conditions. Thus, the main contribution of this article is to propose a practical model to evaluate the level of implementation of sustainable practices at construction sites. The model was based on sustainability certifications and validated at six construction sites in Brazil. The results indicate that construction companies that possess environmental certifications have better levels of implementation of good practices at their work sites. However, it was noted that it is not necessary for a company to obtain an environmental certification; rather, it is necessary for sustainability strategies to become corporate culture.     

Sustainability metrics for the business enterprise

Sustainable development poses challenges and opportunities to the development and management of business and technological systems. Most significantly, sustainability moves beyond meeting an economic and environmental bottom line to a triple bottom line of integrated economic, environmental, and social factors. Over 30 years there has been a paradigm shift that has led to the greening of industrial practices with regards to the environment. As evidence continues to demonstrate linkages between environmental causes and effects, problem-solving techniques have been developed to meet both economic and environmental goals along with metrics to measure environmental performance. Today, sustainable development presents another paradigm shift and adds social considerations as a third element to the bottom line. This article describes the evolution from greening to sustaining and outlines the implication of developing metrics in the sustainable development context.© 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Territorial politics and the success of collaborative environmental governance: local and regional partnerships compared

The paper explores the role local governments and territorial proximity play in the efficiency of collaborative environmental governance. It develops the hypothesis that the representatives of local authorities involved in partnerships possess resources to diminish the pitfalls of sustainable governance, facilitate coordination, and contribute to the success of shared policy-making. Four French and English partnerships are presented. They include a diversity of stakeholders such as fisheries, ports, farmers, yachting associations, environmental NGOs, or local authorities. Thereby, the paper develops whether and under which conditions local governments play a positive or negative role, as well as comparing territorial levels of implementation and the effects of geographical proximity. It is shown that collaboration at the regional level prevents the integration of decision-making in organisational networks, the inclusion of citizens, and the development of social responsibility for stakeholders – the partnership acting as a formalisation of pre-existing lobbying. Locally, governments assume inter-organisational leadership and do contribute to the institutionalisation of the new forums. Yet, local successes of partnerships answer logics of social, rather than environmental, regulation. The local attenuation of usage conflicts does not necessarily reduce the negative effects of those usages on the environment. By stressing a collaborative definition of environmental problems, the partnerships tend to sideline substantial policy changes, and possibly conflict with the goals and long-term temporality of sustainable governance.     

How to reconcile environmental and economic performance to improve corporate sustainability: corporate environmental strategies in the European paper industry

This paper discusses the relationship between environmental and economic performance and the influence of corporate strategies with regard to sustainability and the environment. After formulating a theoretical model, results are reported from an empirical analysis of the European paper manufacturing industry. New data are used to test hypotheses derived from the theoretical model, using environmental performance indices representing different corporate environmental strategy orientations. In particular, an emissions-based index largely reflecting end-of-pipe strategies and an inputs-based index reflecting integrated pollution prevention are distinguished. For the emissions-based index, a predominantly negative relationship between environmental and economic performance is found, whereas for the inputs-based index no significant link is found. This is consistent with the theoretical model, which predicts the possibility of different relationships. The results also show that for firms with pollution prevention-oriented corporate environmental strategies, the relationship between environmental and economic performance is more positive, thus making improvements in corporate sustainability more likely. Based on this last insight, managerial implications of this are discussed with regard to strategy choices, investment decisions and operations management.     

Ecosystem services assessments in local municipal decision making in South Africa: justification for the use of a business-based approach

The ecosystem services (ES) concept is being increasingly incorporated into environmental policy formulation and management approaches. The Corporate Ecosystem Services Review (ESR) is a framework used to assess the dependence and impact that a business has on ES. The success of the corporate experience of ES assessment provides an opportunity for adaption for local authority decision making. In this paper, the ESR tool was adapted to the South African setting at a local government level, and tested at two sites in the Msunduzi Municipality, KwaZulu-Natal. In testing the tool and gathering feedback from key stakeholders, it was found that there are both opportunities and challenges to this approach. Overall, however, it provides an opportunity for the systematic inclusion of ES assessment into existing regulatory frameworks for land-use planning and Integrated Environmental Management, whether in a strategic application, at a broader spatial (municipal) scale or in a specific locale within the municipality.     

污染密集型企业区域迁移后的环境行为分析

在国家主体功能区规划和区域经济发展战略的共同推动下,大量污染密集型企业从东部沿海向中西部地区迁移。中西部地区如何实现经济发展和生态环境保护的双赢,迁移企业的环境行为改善成为问题的关键。本文以江西省G市H电源公司为案例,研究迁移企业环境行为改善的阶段特征,分析各利益相关者的相互作用以及企业响应,探讨促进企业环境行为改善的驱动机制。研究发现,迁移企业的环境行为优化和环境绩效提高不是自发的,是各利益相关者多次博弈的过程。在这个过程中,严格的环境规制和民众环保意识的提高是重要的推动因素;地方政府具有执行环境规制和追求经济增长的双重角色,使迁移企业环境行为的改善进程更加复杂,污染密集型企业的可持续发展需要新的思路。在案例研究的基础上,本文试图探索中西部地区实现经济发展与生态环境保护双赢的路径,为实现中国经济的绿色转型和升级提供有益的借鉴和参考。     

Value chain for next-generation biofuels: resilience and sustainability of the product life cycle

Multiple factors including climate change, price uncertainties, and geopolitical instability have prompted many industries to investigate the feasibility of replacing traditional petroleum-based fuels with biofuel alternatives. However, to make this transition successful, these new biofuels must be environmentally sustainable and the necessary support infrastructure must be in place to make the production, distribution, and storage of these biofuels technologically feasible and cost effective. Developing a value chain, spanning from feedstock production to distribution to end users, requires garnering buy-in from multiple stakeholders by demonstrating environmental, economic, and social benefits and incentives. Two critical factors are the environmental benefits achieved from the use of the biofuel technology and the degree of resilience of the value chain to emergent conditions to ensure steady supply to consumers. Moreover, different biofuel pathways have different costs, benefits, and risks which must be compared. In this paper, we describe how environmental sustainability can be modeled using life cycle assessment (LCA) and how the resilience of value chain initiatives can be modeled using a scenario-based decision model. We then describe how sustainability and resilience assessments can be integrated in an iterative, anticipatory LCA framework. These assessments can be used as the basis for a business case for various investments, as well as a means for promoting responsible innovations, with the aviation industry used as a case study.