Achieving sustainable lifestyles or encouraging a counter-reflexivity: exploring motivations for sustainability in a mediated risk society

Ulrich Beck's World Risk Society is becoming an increasingly relevant analysis of contemporary human/environment interaction. However, with this said, Beck's observations remain broad and significantly lacking empirical evidence. This paper explores the relationship between sustainable lifestyles and assertions of one of Beck's central ideas, the emergence of a reflexive modernity at the local scale. By empirically examining the motivation of participants for joining a scheme designed to enhance sustainable lifestyles, this paper will progressively outline the way that individuals in a risk society negotiate global images in a local context and what this means for a reflexive modernity. By exposing the complex interaction of global risk imagery and the effect this has on achieving local sustainability, a more realistic understanding of Beck's theoretical assertions can be applied to an increasingly important policy arena.     

Sustainable development and participatory practices in community forestry: the case of FUNDECOR in Costa Rica

This paper studies the emergence of one particular ‘new’ environmental policy instrument: disclosure of emission and pollution data. Disclosure is part of a relatively new sub‐set of regulatory measures, based on monitoring, transparency, citizen‐empowerment and accountability. It originated in the United States but has recently attracted international attention. The attractiveness of disclosure is obvious; it promises environmental improvement combined with strengthened environmental democracy and community empowerment. By analysing the experiences in the US, and the developments in the Netherlands, this paper seeks to assess the functioning and effectiveness of disclosure. The available empirical evidence suggests that disclosure has a positive impact on the environmental performance of industrial facilities as well as a democratising effect. It is argued that Dutch policy makers wrongfully assume that disclosure cannot work in the Netherlands. The consequence is that citizens are provided with little specific information that cannot be used to put pressure on polluters.     

Using Ecological Footprints as a Policy Driver: The Case of Sustainable Construction Planning Policy in London

Abstract

The forests of Nepal, which in the past were at least nominally under the direct control of the state, are today increasingly entrusted to local people in the name of community forestry (CF). CF is considered a successful endeavour in managing forest resources, conserving biodiversity and supplying people with basic economic needs. In order to assess to what extent the two goals of biodiversity conservation and meeting economic needs of people have been integrated through CF, four community forestry user groups (CFUGs) were studied in the Mid-hills ecological zone. Based on a participatory survey and a critical review of the statutes and operational plans of these CFUGs, it was found that integration of biodiversity conservation was still insufficient, and that improvements in the policy and management regimes of CF are necessary to achieve a balance between biodiversity conservation and economic use of the forest resources.     

我国循环经济行业2012年发展综述

综述了我国循环经济行业发展的政策环境、2012年国家及有关部门发布实施的有关循环经济的政策法规;重点分析了矿产资源、废钢回收加工、废旧轮胎回收加工、废旧塑料利用及其他再生资源开发利用业的循环经济发展概况;简介了行业内最具影响力的示范基地;针对行业发展中存在的主要问题提出了建议。     

中国工业园区低碳发展路径研究

中国政府承诺CO₂排放力争于2030年前达到峰值,努力争取2060年前实现碳中和。在工业部门深化应对气候变化和全面推进绿色转型的背景下,数量庞大的工业园区已然成为"十四五"乃至今后一个时期工业领域实现科学、精准碳减排的关键靶点。本研究首先剖析了中国工业园区低碳发展面临的挑战与机遇;进而以2015年为基准年,面向2035和2050年美丽中国建设两阶段战略目标,研究提出了工业园区碳减排的目标、路径和潜力,以期为园区深化低碳发展提供决策参考。研究显示,2015年中国工业园区CO₂排放总量约为28亿吨,占全国总排放量的31%。通过产业结构调整、能效提升、能源结构优化、碳捕集等低碳路径,2015-2050年全国园区预期可减排CO₂ 18亿吨,在2015年基础上减排60%以上;其中,2015-2035年减排8亿吨,2035-2050年减排10亿吨。     

水电开发对河流生态系统服务功能的影响——以澜沧江漫湾水电工程为例

人类的经济活动对河流生态系统施加的干扰越来越多,其中既有正面影响,也有负面影响.在剖析河流生态系统服务功能内涵特征的基础上,探讨了水电开发对河流生态系统服务功能影响的机理及途径,建立了评价指标体系和评估方法.并以澜沧江漫湾水电站为对象进行了案例研究.结果表明,漫湾水电工程建设对河流生态系统服务功能正面影响的价值增量为11.30×108元·a-1,负面影响的价值损失为3.27×108元·a-1.正面影响以水力发电产生的经济效益为主,负面影响以河流输沙和维持生物多样性服务功能减弱的价值损失为主.漫湾水电开发生态环境效益与生态环境成本的比值为1:5.56,生态环境影响的净现值为一26853.50×lO'元·a-1.鉴于水电开发经济效益获取所付出的巨大环境代价,提出了水电开发与河流生态系统服务功能可持续调控模型,以期为实现绿色水电开发提供参考.     

区域经济发展与污水排放协调分析

选择了江苏3个典型的经济发展区域,就区域GDP与污水排放的关系,动态分析区域的水环境保护成效.苏州市经济发达、外资比重高,2005年人均GDP5.38万元,GDP与污水排放关系呈线性增长;南京市经济较为发达、国有大中型企业比重高,2005年人均GDP3.71万元,GDP与污水排放关系呈线性降低;徐州市经济相对欠发达、以煤炭重工业为主,2005年人均GDP1.32万元,GDP与污水排放关系呈波动状.根据各区域经济发展和污水排放特点,苏州市水环境保护重点应同时控制水污染物排放浓度和排放总量,南京市主要是调整产业结构、控制水污染物排放总量,徐州市主要应控制水污染物排放浓度,使各区域经济和环境协调发展.     

Applying 3DCE to environmentally responsible manufacturing practices

A review of recent literature in the fields of operations, supply chain, and management indicates there is on-going interest in improving new product development (NPD) performance. Three-dimensional concurrent engineering (3DCE), the simultaneous design of product, process and supply chain have been proposed as a way to improve traditional NPD outcomes, such as reduced time to market, lower costs, and improved customer acceptance. There appears to be a lesser concern associated with the environmental impacts of new products. Environmentally responsible manufacturing (ERM) on new product development focuses on reduced emissions, hazardous materials elimination, and lower product weight without sacrificing functionality. This paper explores the following issue: will employing 3DCE to integrate NPD and ERM yield better benefits than the separate and uncoordinated application of environmental goals and NPD initiatives?     

Linking supply chain strength to sustainable development: a country-level analysis

Several global corporations have been severely criticized by different lobbying groups for the impact of their operations on the natural environment and on the local communities. Because corporate operations cannot be studied in isolation but rather as a part of a large network often referred to as a supply chain, this paper investigates the potential link between supply chain characteristics and sustainable development at the country level. In particular, the linkage between supply chain strength, generally defined as the number and quality of the suppliers and customers in a country, and the three dimensions of sustainable development namely environmental performance, corporate environmental practices, and social sustainability is assessed. Using archival data from The Global Competitiveness Report (2004–2005) and the 2005 Environmental Sustainability Index, a statistical assessment of the linkage was conducted. The results indicate that supply chain strength is positively linked to all three dimensions of sustainable development.     

在有机废水处理领域内的CDM项目分析

介绍清洁发展机制(CDM)的主要内容及国内外在废水领域的温室气体的排放现状。同时结合国内废水领域的温室气体的排放情况,以《中华人民共和国气候变化初始国家信息通报》的数据为基础,分析了CDM项目的经济、能源和环境效益。