The intermediary role of an industry association in policy-making processes: the case of the Dutch paper and board industry

In the policy-making process concerning energy and environmental issues, cooperation between government and firms is a means to create a more efficient energy and environmental policy. Intermediary organizations can play an important role in this policy-making process. Aim of this study is to get insight into the role of one specific intermediary organization: the industry association. In this paper, we focus on the Dutch paper and board industry. Important policy themes for this industry are waste water, waste, and energy efficiency. We distinguished four types of governmental policy instruments: top-down regulation, interactive regulation, negative economic instruments, and positive economic instruments. We analyzed the role of the industry association in the policy-making process for all of these four instruments. The results clearly show different (relative) roles of the industry association in different steps of the policy-making processes and for different types of instruments.     

中国水泥生产工艺的生命周期对比分析及建议

为了定量分析各种水泥生产工艺造成的环境影响以及工艺替代时可能造成的环境问题转移,采用生命周期评价(Life Cycle Assessment,LCA)方法,建立了大型、中型、小型新型干法、传统立窑、新型半干法(JT窑)5种典型水泥生产工艺从原材料开采到熟料生产的生命周期模型,对比分析了以上工艺生命周期过程中能耗、温室效应、酸化、可吸入无机物等主要环境影响类型的差异,提出并计算了大型新型干法替代其他工艺时的"平衡运输距离",并推导了其一般表达式.结果表明,由于大型新型干法工艺氮氧化物排放较多,使得工艺替代时可能伴随着环境问题从能耗、温室效应向酸化、可吸入无机物等影响类型转移;同时,由于产能增加,大型新型干法工艺也可能导致环境影响从生产阶段向运输阶段转移.从本文的案例研究可以看出,LCA方法可以定量分析不同环境影响类型之间和不同生命周期阶段之间的环境问题转移,能为技术评价和相关政策制定及实现全社会节能减排目标提供科学的依据与建议.     

Science and policy in air pollution abatement strategies

In modern society, science is considered to have a pivotal role in defining environmental risks and problems as well as proposing relevant solutions to them. However, even political action is needed, which is not the least apparent when it comes to transboundary environmental problems. Today, there is an urgent need to create ways for science and policy to co-operate to find acceptable international solutions to transboundary environmental problems.This article focuses on the relationship between science and policy within the convention on long-range transboundary air pollution (CLRTAP). The LRTAP convention is seen as one of the most science-based regimes that exist, and is considered by researchers as well as politicians an exemplary form of co-operation between science and policy. Within this convention the concept of critical loads (CL) of ecosystem and the interactive computer model of the regional acidification information system (RAINS) have served as important tools for connecting scientific knowledge to policy-making. Through an empirical investigation, the article shows that CL and RAINS have different meanings for the involved actors, which include heterogeneous views on the boundary between science and policy. However, this has not constrained but rather enabled co-operation. Through a flexible understanding of CL and RAINS, actors from different fields have been able to find and agree upon successful solutions.     

Regulating carbon emissions from indirect land use change (ILUC): U.S. and California case studies

As lifecycle emissions accounting becomes more widely used in policy, it is important to understand how it has been applied. This paper analyses policy-making for two U.S. fuel regulations—the federal Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) and the California Low Carbon Fuel Standard (LCFS)—that were pioneering not only in using life cycle assessment (LCA) in performance-based environmental regulations, but especially for including emissions from indirect land use change (ILUC). The case studies in this paper focus, in particular, on the decision to include ILUC in lifecycle emissions accounting. Tracing the development of these policies shows the key role of environmental policy entrepreneurs in advocating for ILUC emissions accounting during policy formulation. Moreover, it highlights a paradox in the use of science: although ILUC policy proponents were motivated by best available research, they were also politically enabled by scientific uncertainty and lack of understanding. Understanding this political dimension of decision-making is valuable for scholars as well as practitioners facing similar decisions.     

绿色政策运行机制的方法研究

运用ISO1 4 0 0 0环境管理体系的指导思想和管理方法研究了建立绿色政策运行机制的方法 ,提出了绿色政策的运行 5个阶段 :政策制定的前期工作、绿色政策体系的设计、绿色政策的实施、监督系统和政策生命周期终结 ,并分析了每个阶段的工作方法。     

Every product casts a shadow: but can we see it,and can we act on it?

This article presents a conceptual exploration of the use of environmental life cycle assessment (LCA) in environmental product policy. Environmental LCA is a scientific technique for evaluating the potential environmental impacts of a product, process or activity along its physical life cycle, i.e. from raw materials extraction to the disposal of released materials to nature. The utilization of LCA in environmental policy is evaluated here with the use of concepts from the research tradition of social studies of science and technology (SST). Three different ways of using LCA are identified: a definitive approach, a conceptual approach and a facilitative approach. Examples of each approach are presented and discussed. The strengths and weaknesses of the different approaches are analyzed, leading to the tentative conclusion that LCA works better as a conceptual or facilitative instrument than as a tool for gaining definitive support for specific policies. Finally, LCA is discussed as an illustration of the problems inherent in the current cause-oriented, integrative trend in environmental policy.     

以晶体硅太阳能电池产业为例的产业生命周期评价初探

面对日益复杂的环境问题和精细化环境管理需求,为了将生命周期评价在产业结构调整、发展方式转变中更好地发挥作用,对在产业层面开展生命周期评价的方法进行了探索研究.产业生命周期评价是在产品生命周期评价的基础上增加了:①基于“可拆解可组合”生态设计理念的功能单位和系统边界确定;②质量评估和数据整合的数据收集过程;③以不确定性分析来验证数据的合理性.选择晶体硅太阳能电池产业进行了产业生命周期评价的案例应用.结果表明:晶体硅太阳能电池产业可分为4个产品单元和11个工艺单元.基于上述产品单元和工艺单元的资源能源投入和污染物排放数据进行收集,在数据质量评估之后通过数据整合形成了产业生命周期数据清单.产业生命周期环境影响主要集中在呼吸系统影响（41.94%）、化石燃料（25.20%）、致癌（14.89%）和气候变化（8.80%）4个环境影响类别;减少环境影响的精准化途径是减少高纯多晶硅、硅片、电池片产品的电耗,组件产品中焊带消耗,硅片产品中的砂浆消耗和组件产品的铝合金边框消耗.蒙特卡洛分析结果显示,高纯多晶硅生命周期评价结果不确定性较高,与数据质量评估的结果较为一致.案例应用结果说明,产品生命周期评价可将生命周期评价从产品层面提升到产业层面,可为国家产业发展提供科学支撑.      

Technological environmental innovations (TEIs) in a chain-analytical and life-cycle-analytical perspective

This paper is based on an empirical survey of technological environmental innovations (TEIs), i.e. new products, processes and practices that come with benign environmental effects. The survey is based on product chain analysis and innovation life cycle analysis. It turns out that most TEIs occur upstream rather than downstream, i.e. chain-upwards in the beginning rather than in the end of product chains, and in early stages of technology or product development rather than in later, more mature stages. There are conclusions to be drawn for ‘upstreaming’ environmental activities and for focusing environmental policy upon innovation.     

Eco-labelling of wild-caught seafood products

Several eco-labels for wild-caught seafood have been developed during the last decade. This article describes and analyses the criteria applied by four different eco-labelling schemes for seafood products from capture fisheries, and discusses the criteria in terms of environmental impacts, based on the ISO 14040 standard for life cycle assessment.It is concluded that the most widespread eco-label, the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC), mainly addresses the fishing stage, in particular the overexploitation of marine resources. LCA studies confirm that the fishing stage represents the most significant environmental burden, but energy consumption and emissions of anti-fouling agents at the fishing or harvesting stage contribute with significant impacts that are not being addressed by international labelling initiatives for wild-caught seafood.LCA studies show that significant environmental impacts are related to the life cycle stages after landing. This includes fish processing, transport, cooling and packaging (especially for highly processed seafood products). Hence, another challenge would be to include criteria related to the post-landing consumption of energy, certain materials and chemicals, waste handling and wastewater emissions. Minimizing product losses throughout the product chain would also be an important area for future criteria in order to avoid fishing at high environmental costs only to produce something that is later wasted.The analysis shows that the Swedish KRAV is the only one that currently addresses a range of issues that include energy and chemicals in the whole life cycle of the products. International initiatives such as MSC cover fish products from many parts of the world emphasizing ‘overexploitation of fish resources’. It is recommended, however, that international initiatives such as MSC develop criteria related to energy use and chemicals – at least at the fishing stage. Over time, other life cycle stages could be addressed as well to the extent that this is manageable.     

Sexual dimorphism in immune function changes during the annual cycle in house sparrows

Difference between sexes in parasitism is a common phenomenon among birds, which may be related to differences between males and females in their investment into immune functions or as a consequence of differential exposure to parasites. Because life-history strategies change sex specifically during the annual cycle, immunological responses of the host aiming to reduce the impact of parasites may be sexually dimorphic. Despite the great complexity of the immune system, studies on immunoecology generally characterise the immune status through a few variables, often overlooking potentially important seasonal and gender effects. However, because of the differences in physiological and defence mechanisms among different arms of the immune system, we expect divergent responses of immune components to environmental seasonality. In male and female house sparrows (Passer domesticus), we measured the major components of the immune system (innate, acquired, cellular and humoral) during four important life-history stages across the year: (1) mating, (2) breeding, (3) moulting and (4) during the winter capture and also following introduction to captivity in aviary. Different individuals were sampled from the same population during the four life cycle stages. We found that three out of eight immune variables showed a significant life cycle stage × sex interaction. The difference in immune response between the sexes was significant in five immune variables during the mating stage, when females had consistently stronger immune function than males, while variables varied generally non-significantly with sex during the remaining three life cycle stages. Our results show that the immune system is highly variable between life cycle stages and sexes, highlighting the potential fine tuning of the immune system to specific physiological states and environmental conditions.     

Noisy and definitely not normal: responding to wicked issues in the environment,energy and health

Attempts by researchers and policy-makers to address the ‘wicked’ issues which pervade environmental policy usually revolve around attempting – or recommending – both more participatory and transparent, and more systematic and evidence-based, policy-making. Post-normal science (PNS), with its ‘extended peer community’, has emerged as one approach, whilst others focus on procedural reforms of the policy process, particularly on enhancing democratic decision-making. This paper applies a novel analytical framework to a primarily documentary analysis of three cases we argue are wicked—Canadian regulatory review of health products and food, European union (EU) environmental thematic strategies, and United Kingdom (UK) energy and climate change policy. It explores how various responses to wicked issues are implemented, through the ‘lenses’ of PNS and, more generally, ‘democratic and effective decision-making’. It finds such responses are often limited by practical and fundamental barriers relating to handling of uncertainty, issue framing, participation, power, politics, and attitude to evidence. We draw conclusions about future research on PNS, particularly the need to more clearly relate theory to different strands of literature on the evidence–policy-making relationship, and to continue empirical testing.     

Towards sustainable production and use of charcoal in Kenya: exploring the potential in life cycle management approach

The study seeks to demonstrate the potential role that industrial ecology could play towards energy poverty reduction and environmental conservation in Kenya through sustainable charcoal production and consumption. This is achieved through an exploration of the application of the life cycle management (LCM) concept that identifies various opportunities for technological intervention for energy and environmental conservation and reduction of material and energy losses. It also identifies opportunities for income generation at various stages of the product’s life cycle; an aspect critical in poverty reduction in developing countries. The study finds that applying LCM in the charcoal trade in Kenya can deliver social, economic and environmental benefits to developing country communities and should, therefore, be promoted. However, appropriate legal, policy and institutional frameworks must exist in these countries for this to occur.     

基于生命周期思想的透水铺装资源环境影响评价述评

透水铺装作为典型的海绵城市设施,具有城市雨水径流减排、水质净化等多种环境效益,但在材料制备、施工、维护管理过程中相对于传统铺装资源能源消耗有所增加,亟须应用生命周期评价这一系统分析方法,开展透水铺装的资源环境效益的综合评估。通过文献述评,总结了生命周期评价方法应用于透水铺装评估的现状与面临的挑战,并提出了相应对策:将运行维护阶段纳入评价系统边界,有助于提升透水铺装资源环境评价的全面性;针对生命周期评价结果难以指导工程设计的问题,建议将生命周期评价与建筑信息模型相结合,优化透水铺装的绿色设计;针对透水效应动态变化等生命周期环境影响评价方法问题,建议将水文模型引入整体评估方法。通过上述角度的提升,生命周期评价方法有望为透水铺装的政策制定、规划设计、施工养护等全过程提供参考数据与优化方案,助力海绵城市建设乃至城市生态系统的良性发展。     

Cleaner production in Danish fish processing – experiences,status and possible future strategies

Danish fish processing industry has been one of the pioneers regarding implementation of cleaner production and environmental management systems. This article describes the experiences with cleaner production (CP) among leading Danish industries producing pickled herring and canned mackerel. The article emphasizes two case studies of ‘first mover’ companies, but data from other ‘proactive’ companies are also included.The article provides an overview of different types of CP solutions, improvement potentials, synergistic effects and possible trade-offs. The development of the applied solutions from the late 1980s until today are analysed and recommendations to future strategies at company level and policy level are provided.It is concluded that significant environmental improvements have been obtained for the analysed companies – especially concerning reductions in water consumption, wastewater emissions, and utilisation of fish ‘waste’ for valuable by-products. Still, more focus could be placed on the reduction of energy consumption, change of packaging types, and environmental impacts in other stages of the products life cycle.Authorities and companies have mainly focused on on-site reductions of wastewater emissions, but life cycle assessments show that more attention should be given to the reductions of environmental impacts in other parts of the product chain, e.g. fishing operations and transport as well.     

When to buy new electrical/electronic products?

An environmental criterion for the determination of the usage pattern of electronic products was proposed. As such products usually have strong environmental impacts during the usage stage of their life cycles, and the impacts are generated mainly as a consequence of the power requirement, the use of energy consumption as a representative environmental indicator was justified. The model was performed on four case studies: computer monitors, refrigerators, light bulbs and induction motors. For computer monitors, liquid crystal display (LCD) was considered more environmental friendly than the cathode ray tube (CRT). However, disposing of the existing CRT and buying a new LCD might not be beneficial as the energy gained from the difference in the energy consumptions was not justified. Unlike computer monitors which were operated in periodic pattern, products such as refrigerators were mostly run continuously throughout their lives. In this case, buying a new, lower energy consumption model was often superior as the cumulative energy saving during the usage stage was significant compared with those occurred during the other life cycle stages. In general, the new product model should provide a better environmental performance, i.e. lower energy consumption rate. However, there were trade-offs between purchasing a replacement and repairing the old mal-functional one as the upgrade or repair of the old product could avoid the fixed energy consumption associated with the production stage of the new product. In the case of small electronic devices with low operating environmental impacts such as light bulbs and induction motors, the use of compact fluorescent lamps instead of incandescent lamps or new motors, respectively, were highly recommended. In particular for the case of induction motors, the maintenance such as the rewinding of old motors was proven to be beneficial.     

水源中央空调环境影响的生命周期评价

从原材料获取、生产加工、运行使用和废弃后处理处置 4个阶段 ,对水源中央空调按污染排放和资源能源消耗2种类型进行输入、输出清单参数以及相应生命周期环境影响潜值的统计计算与分析。以水资源和燃煤发电为基础的水源空调运行使用阶段的环境影响明显突出。水源中央空调环境影响的生命周期评价可为该产品环境绩效的改进设计提供有效的信息支持     

Life cycle analysis and choice of natural gas-based automotive alternative fuels in Chongqing Municipality,China

Road transport produces significant amounts of emissions by using crude oil as the primary energy source. A reduction of emissions can be achieved by implementing alternative fuel chains. The objective of this study is to carry out an economic, environmental and energy (EEE) life cycle study on natural gas-based automotive fuels with conventional gasoline in an abundant region of China. A set of indices of four fuels/vehicle systems on the basis of life cycle are assessed in terms of impact of EEE, in which natural gas produces compressed natural gas (CNG), methanol, dimethylether (DME) and Fischer Tropsch diesel (FTD). The study included fuel production, vehicle production, vehicle operation, infrastructure and vehicle end of life as a system for each fuel/vehicle system. A generic gasoline fueled car is used as a baseline. Data have been reviewed and modified based on the best knowledge available to Chongqing local sources. Results indicated that when we could not change electric and hydrogen fuel cell vehicles into commercial vehicles on a large scale, direct use of CNG in a dedicated or bi-fuel vehicle is an economical choice for the region which is most energy efficient and more environmental friendly. The study can be used to support decisions on how natural gas resources can best be utilized as a fuel/energy resource for automobiles, and what issues need to be resolved in Chongqing. The models and approaches for this study can be applied to other regions of China as long as all the assumptions are well defined and modified to find a substitute automotive energy source and establish an energy policy in a specific region.     

生命周期方法在天然气基汽车燃料评价中的运用

运用生命周期评价方法,对以天然气为原料生产压缩天然气、甲醇、二甲醚、柴油4种汽车代用燃料系统进行生命周期的能源、环境和经济评价,评价结果是：压缩天然气系统生命周期内的能耗相对少,总成本相对低,对生态环境更友好,压缩天然气是富含天然气地区一段时期内汽车代用燃料的优先选择．     

Life cycle assessment to eco-design food products: industrial cooked dish case study

An industrial cooked dish is one of the food products with the most complex agri-food chain. In this study, an eco-design pilot experiment has been performed as a way to develop more efficient and sustainable agri-food products throughout its whole life cycle. To achieve this, a life cycle assessment (LCA) has been carried out to identify and quantify the environmental performance of the production and distribution of a cooked tuna with tomato dish. The most important stages of the life cycle have been established taking into consideration the full environmental impact as well as the potential reductions achievable by the application of various improvements.     

纯电动汽车驱动电机全生命周期评价

基于生命周期评价(LCA)理论,运用Ga Bi 6软件建模,对荣威E50纯电动汽车驱动电机全生命周期环境排放和资源消耗进行了评价,对比分析在中国不同区域使用下驱动电机生命周期过程资源环境影响,并对驱动电机生命周期过程中的生产制造能耗、使用能耗和原材料回收率做敏感性分析.结果表明,驱动电机全生命周期过程各环境影响类型指数排序为APGWPPOCPEPODP,且对环境的影响主要发生在使用阶段,其次是原材料获取和制造阶段.各大区域电网下驱动电机全生命周期过程环境排放影响从大到小为华东电网东北电网西北电网华北电网南方电网华中电网.从敏感性分析结果可知,使用能耗对驱动电机生命周期环境排放影响的敏感度大于生产制造能耗;铜的回收率对矿产资源消耗影响的敏感度远大于钢和铝的回收率.