Industrial ecology: engineered representation of sustainability

Industrial ecology is a relatively new field of research and academic study and is well established in North America and in several Asian countries. However, it has not yet received the attention it deserves in some other important parts of the industrialized world, including Germany. This paper may contribute to a better appreciation of industrial ecology as a tool in the process of sustainable development of economies, social systems, and of aquatic and terrestrial biotopes under the pressure of rapidly changing conditions triggered by global warming and urban growth. For this reason, methods are needed to quantify the successful application of industrial ecology measures. The “Integrated Sustainability Triangle” is introduced as a promising new possibility of quantification and monitoring. It enables justification of the contributions industrial ecology can make to sustainable development. The aggregation of individual economic contributions is assumed to create an overall impetus to the entire industrial sector including the sector of environmental engineering. Thus, the potential of industrial ecology is discussed from the macro-economic and the engineering perspective using the concept of sustainable development as a guiding principle. But the authors come to the conclusion that finding solutions to the pressing problems of our time requires more than collaboration of economy and engineering. It requires joint efforts of the whole spectrum of scientific disciplines in close collaboration with industrial and political stakeholders.     

开发区的“第三次创业”：从工业园走向新城

开发区是全球化时代出现的新产业空间。开发区在我国经济发展和改革开放中,发挥了重要作用。理论界将我国开发区发展阶段总结为“一次创业”和“二次创业”两个阶段,但是目前我国开发区普遍出现了从工业园向新城区转型的趋向。从企业家型城市的理论视角,通过对苏州工业园发展与转型的实证研究,论证开发区建设进入“第三次创业”的新阶段——即从工业园向城市新区的转变。在新一轮转型中,苏州工业园实施了企业家的城市策略,采取了园区再定位、创造新城市空间等企业家城市行动,园区的新城功能和第三产业得到迅速发展。同时,研究也发现园区管委会的管治体系发生了根本变化,从促进经济增长管理向社会和城市综合管理转型。该研究将对我国新一轮开发区的转型具有重要启示     

区域龙头企业对地方政府环境规制影响研究

当政府基于公共利益对企业实施规制,政府所代表的公共利益与龙头企业的经济利益冲突时,政府的规制行为与规制效率是否会受龙头企业影响?已有的研究较少涉及这一公共管理的重要问题。本研究从环境规制视角出发,基于1999—2013年的中国31个省级层面的面板数据,结合工业企业数据库微观数据,在省级层面实证检验了当存在利益冲突和规制能力约束时,区域环境规制水平是否会受到龙头企业以规模衡量的能力影响;如是,其方向和机制又是什么。本文研究发现:(1)龙头企业规模越大,区域环境规制水平越严格;(2)龙头企业规模对区域环境规制的影响主要通过两种路径实现,一是龙头企业所在行业的区域经济地位,行业的区域经济地位越重要,越容易引来政府的环境规制关注;二是龙头企业在所在行业的经济地位,某企业在行业的比重越高,越容易引来政府的环境规制关注;(3)龙头企业规模与区域环境规制水平间关系是政府有限环境规制能力有效运用的结果,当政府规制能力不足时,政府在规制中会"抓大放小",重点加强对龙头企业的环境规制;随着政府规制能力上升,企业规模与区域环境规制水平的正相关关系不仅回归系数会逐步下降,而且会在统计上不再显著;最终,当政府掌握充分的环境规制能力后,企业的规模可能会在降低区域环境规制水平上发挥一定作用。本文的研究结果证实当政府与企业存在利益博弈时,政府的利益首先得到满足,仅当政府的利益得到满足后,企业才可能利用其实力影响政府规制以获取规制利益最大化。本文的研究一方面消除了"政商勾结"污染环境的忧虑,另一方面也提示要严格限制政府这只"看得见的手"的利益诉求范围。     

Industrial ecosystem evolution of North Karelia heating energy system

Within the emerging concept of industrial ecology (IE) that belongs to the research and practical field of sustainable development (SD), the natural ecosystem evolution over time has been described as a metaphor that presents systems of type I, type II and type III ecology. Type I describes a situation when there was little life on earth and plenty of resources. In type II, the ecosystem starts to develop material cycles and energy cascades between organisms and species due to increasing amount of life and emerging scarcity of resources. In type III, the mature ecosystem stage, the system actors have developed nearly completely cyclic flows of matter, energy cascades and diverse interdependencies between them. This paper uses the metaphor in the three systems to develop practical models of type I, II and III industrial ecosystems for an economic system of heating energy and its evolution over time. First, the physical flows of matter and energy are described by using two contrasting case system characteristics, 'throughput' and 'roundput'. Throughput means linear material and energy flows. Roundput means material cycles, energy cascades and sustainable use of renewables, i.e., ecosystem type III. Second, the more structural and organisational features are considered with the characteristic of 'diversity' meaning diversity in resources, human involvement and economic actors and technology used. The case system development over time shown with our practical model of type I–III is radically different from the ecosystem evolution as described in the literature on the industrial ecosystem metaphor of type I–III. This conclusion as a research result, however, is tentative, because of the fuzzy and vague meaning assigned to a metaphor and its confusion with a practical model of industrial development in the industrial ecology literature.     

市场分割对能源效率的影响研究

探究能源效率的影响因素并有针对性地提出对策建议是实现"十三五"节能目标的前提条件。本文利用1986—2014年的省际面板数据,基于随机前沿分析和反事实计量方法,重点考察了市场分割对能源效率的影响。结果显示:1市场分割显著地抑制了能源效率的提升;2在考虑市场分割的情形下,能源效率从1986年的0.413提升到了2014年的0.739,年均增速为2.1%,但能源效率依然有较大的改善空间,如果能够消除市场分割的不利影响,能源效率平均每年将会获得1.5%的额外提升;3在样本考察期内,由于市场分割导致的直接能源损失平均每年约为1 200万t标准煤,若考虑市场分割产生的其他间接影响及其动态效应,这一数字估计值会更高;4产权结构改革、对外开放、产业结构升级以及节能法的颁布促进了能源效率的改善,而金融发展规模、政府干预以及以煤炭为主的能源消费结构不利于能源效率的提升。以上研究结论蕴含的政策含义是:为提高能源效率,需要加强市场一体化建设,打破省际壁垒,整合国内市场。鉴于市场分割可能是一些地方政府的占优策略,因此,需要中央政府来进行推动。一方面,中央政府可以通过加强监管和查处力度直接惩罚市场分割行为,另一方面,中央政府还可以通过转移支付的方式鼓励落后地区积极主动融入国内整体市场。当然,提高能源效率,也需要诸如推进产权结构改革,提高对外开放水平,优化产业结构与能源消费结构,改善金融发展效率,减少政府干预以及完善能源政策法规等其他措施的共同跟进。     

Recycling – the importance of understanding the complexity of the issue

Natural resources and raw materials such as metals and minerals are often taken for granted in today’s society. Without them, the offerings of an enormous variety of modern conveniences, including computers and mobile phones, would not be possible. The production of these everyday items depends on a secure, sustainable, and reliable supply of critical raw materials. In addition, product development also requires new hybrid materials when targeting lightweight structures, etc. However, the mandatory recyclability of new products or materials is not obligatory or even prevailing practice in present manufacturing business. Therefore, the main research question in this article is: “how to solve the challenge of recycling in industrial system?” In this article, a comprehensive approach to recycling based on the findings of research projects is presented. Simplified, this involves moving the challenge from the end of the product’s life cycle to the beginning, to the design or even to material development phases. Life cycle and system thinking and material know-how in the design phase are found to be essential elements of a new approach to recycling. This approach stems from the material development and market economy perspectives. Furthermore, the vulnerability of the industrial system to create uncertainty to recycling is also demonstrated.     

长江经济带产业分工合作现状、问题及发展对策

在梳理长江经济带产业分工与合作现状及问题的基础上,认为长江经济带区际产业发展的互补特征鲜明,下游地区服务业发展较为完善,中上游地区特色产业突出;但也存在市场化程度发育偏低、要素流动不畅、行政区经济严重制约、中心城市产业高度偏低、区域创新能力不足等问题。还根据未来长江经济带产业分工合作的基本思路,提出应发挥下游优势产业的引领带动作用、打造行业龙头骨干企业的辐射结盟作用、加强产业园区的创新示范作用等若干对策建议。     

综合性能源价格指数对中国省域碳强度的调节作用及其比较——来自30个省份面板数据的实证分析

在构建综合性能源价格指数的基础上,基于1995~2012年我国30个省份相关历史数据,通过面板数据模型和层次聚类法分析了省域能源价格对碳强度的静态和动态调节作用。结果表明:能源价格通过影响产业结构、技术水平、能源强度对碳强度分别产生了0.576%、0.048%和0.787%的作用,但经由前两个路径产生的作用大于路径变量本身的直接影响,其中结构路径的作用提高了44.4%,技术路径变动不大,而经由能源强度对碳强度产生的影响较其本身降低了7.91%。总体来看,能源价格的合理上升有利于节能减排,但价格对碳强度的杠杆作用表现出明显的区域差异性。此外,煤炭资源税的征收对降低碳强度也有明显的效果,且具有较大增长空间。按照价格杠杆作用的差异,相关省份可以被划分为调节作用弱、较弱、中、较强、强五类。东部和中东部省份能源价格变动的碳抑制作用明显高于西部和中西部省份。     

A meta-analysis of wetland contingent valuation studies

There is growing interest in the potential for producing generally applicable models for valuing non-market environmental services which do not rely upon expensive and time-consuming survey work, but rather extrapolate results from previous studies. This paper presents a meta-analysis for the use and non-use values generated by wetlands across North America and Europe. The study assesses the socio-economic values attributable to the hydrological, biogeochemical and ecological functions provided by such complex environmental assets. The clustering of multiple values derived from single studies is examined through the application of multilevel modelling methods allowing for the hierarchical structure of such data. Received: 24 February 1999 · Accepted: 6 June 1999     

Drought-induced resettlement: a case study from Burkina Faso

As a result of the '16-year drought' that Burkina Faso experienced from the late 1970s to the mid-1980s, there has been significant movement of people from the north of the country to the south. The large numbers of people that were displaced as a result of this natural disaster put pressure on the production systems of the south and caused concern amongst development organisations that environmental degradation would follow. Through a 2-year research period, using participatory approaches, it was found that despite a doubling of the population and the introduction of foreign production systems, the process of communal land control has significantly limited environmental degradation. This paper explains how customary law has controlled the settlement of immigrants (the Mossi and Fulani) and how it has overseen land allocation in three villages. The conclusions of the study indicate that, firstly, the customary law mechanisms in the three villages are effective in addressing communal resource use and, secondly, there is an evolution in customary law systems as they respond to local change. Received: 24 February 1999 · Accepted: 15 May 1999     

Adoption and adaptation of natural resource management innovations in smallholder agriculture: reflections on key lessons and best practices

Many smallholder farmers in vulnerable areas continue to face complex challenges in adoption and adaptation of resource management and conservation strategies. Although much has been learned from diverse experiences in sustainable resource management, there is still inadequate understanding of the market, policy and institutional failures that shape and structure farmer incentives and investment decisions. The policy and institutional failures exacerbate market failures, locking smallholder resource users into a low level equilibrium that perpetuates poverty and land degradation. Improved market access that raises the returns to land and labor is often the driving force for adoption of new practices in agriculture. Market linkages, access to credit and availability of pro-poor options for beneficial conservation are critical factors in stimulating livelihood and sustainability-enhancing investments. Future interventions need to promote joint innovations that ensure farmer experimentation and adaptation of new technologies and careful consideration of market, policy and institutional factors that stimulate widespread smallholder investments. Future projects should act as ‘toolboxes’, giving essential support to farmers to devise complementary solutions based on available options. Addressing the externalities and institutional failures that prevent private and joint investments for management of agricultural landscapes will require new kinds of institutional mechanisms for empowering communities through local collective action that would ensure broad participation and equitable distributions of the gains from joint conservation investments. Readers should send their comments on this paper to: BhaskarNath@aol.com within 3 months of publication of this issue.     

中国工业环境规制强度的行业差异及收敛性研究

针对不同行业环境规制强度的差异性,本文运用收敛理论研究了行业环境规制强度的敛散性。传统上利用单位成本或产出的污染治理费用表示的行业环境规制强度可能存在有偏性,本文基于单位污染排放的污染治理费用测算行业环境规制强度,利用Theil指数和收敛检验模型,分析了2001—2015年中国35个工业行业环境规制强度差异、收敛性质及收敛机制。研究发现:(1)一些行业的环境规制强度与其污染强度未表现出相应的强关联性。(2)中国工业行业环境规制强度差异呈现"M"型变化趋势,污染行业与清洁行业之间的环境规制强度差异呈现先发散后收敛的倒"U"型趋势。(3)泰尔指数及其分解还表明,污染行业内部的子行业间环境规制强度差异很大,且是造成工业行业环境规制强度差异的最主要来源。(4)工业行业环境规制强度存在较长时段的σ收敛和较短时长的俱乐部收敛的同时,还存在绝对β收敛和条件β收敛,即低规制行业向高规制行业看齐,不同行业环境规制强度向各自的稳态水平靠近,此外,污染行业环境规制强度收敛速度慢于清洁行业。(5)企业规模成长和市场化水平提升有利于促进企业提高环境规制水平。(6)对收敛机制的进一步研究表明,出口学习效应和进口技术溢出对行业环境规制强度变化的提升效应随着环境规制强度的提高而扩大,即两者对行业环境规制强度变化具有提升效应,但无促进其收敛的作用。扩大企业规模、提升市场化和对外开放水平,有利于提升企业应对环境规制的能力,并为下一阶段实施更为合理有效的环境规制政策提供支撑。     

The effects of flooding on dioxin and PCB levels in food produced on industrial river catchments

This research examined the effect of regular flooding upon PCDD/F and PCB levels in milk, beef and lamb, produced on the floodplains of industrial river catchments. Our unique dataset included more than 200 samples analysed for PCDD/Fs and PCBs over two data collection phases (1998–1999 & 2008–2010) from working farms. A robust paired study design was adopted with samples taken from flood-prone farms and nearby control farms not subject to flooding.On industrial river catchments regular flooding is associated with higher PCDD/F and PCB levels in soils and grass. This contamination may be transferred to food but the impact varied by food type. These contrasts may be due to physiological differences between animals, the ages at which they are sent to market and differences in animal husbandry.To minimise the risks of producing food on flood-prone land in industrial river catchments, as well as on any land with elevated PCDD/F and PCB levels, this research suggests a number of options. The choice of livestock may be important and as an example in our study beef cattle accumulated PCDD/Fs to a higher degree than sheep. Land management may also play a role and could include minimising the time that livestock spend on such land or feeding commercial feed, low in PCDD/Fs and PCBs, where appropriate.     

Research on challenges and strategies for China’s green economy development

The last 20 years have been the fastest economic developing period of China,and China has made great economic achievements through undertaking international industrial transfer.However,undertaking international industrial transfer has brought about severe environmental problems to China and the process of undertaking international industry transfer is also a process of undertaking international transfer of natural resource consumption and environmental pollution.Nowadays,China has the heaviest ecological burden and highest environmental risk in the world,and is gradually losing international competitive advantages among traditional industries.China is facing unprecedented pressure of economic transformation.Besides the advantages like huge domestic demands and abundant civil capital,China faces more challenges in its green economy development.First,China is still in the middle of industrialization and urbanization processes,hence the huge demands for traditional industries will only last 10-15 more years.Meanwhile,China lacks core technologies for transforming traditional industries,which means these industries will have high shut-down risks.Second,the domestic market share for new green industries is limited,since the market is dominated by traditional energy industries.Third,the value of land,water,mineral,and other natural resources is extremely underestimated because the environmental cost is excluded from the enterprises’cost-benefit calculation.China should foster and expand green industries based on domestic demands,and then strive for competitive advantages in the international market in the future.Therefore,China should focus on the following four points in order to promote green industry development:establishing a forced-upgrading-mechanism for traditional industries,an incentive-development-mechanism for new green industries and a TFP-based(total factor productivity based)economic development evaluation system;promoting the integration of new-type urbanization,new emerging industries,and new employments;taking the model of"technology innovating-patent formulating-standard establishing-market guiding"to enhance the global competitiveness of China’s new emerging industries;and building green consumption patterns in the whole society.     

Estimation of emission reduction potential in China’s industrial sector

The industrial sector is usually the largest economy sector for carbon emissions in many countries, which made it the sector with greatest potential for carbon reduction although the process duration might be very long. Studying the potential of industrial emission reduction has great significance in estimating the carbon emission peak of China on the one hand, and adjusting its strategy in international climate change negotiations. By employing the economic accounting method, this article estimates the emission reduction potential of China’s Industrial sector for the period of 2010–2050. It reveals that, taking 2030 as the year when the emission reaches the peak, the total reduction can be 8.38 billion tons (bts) for the period of 2010–2030, with 3.12 bts from structural reduction while 5.26 bts from intensity reduction. Afterwards, reduction will continue with a total amount of 6.59 bts for the period of 2030–2050, where the structural reduction accounts for 2.47 bts, and intensity reduction 4.115 bts. If both industrial and energy consumption structures are improved during the above period, the reduction potential can be even greater, e.g. the emission peak can arrive five years earlier (in the year of 2025) and the peak value can decline by about 8% as compared to the original estimation. Reviewing the trajectory of emission changes in developed countries indicates that the industry sector can contribute to the overall reduction targets through the dual wheels of structural reduction and intensity reduction, even beyond the emission peak. This article concludes with the following policy suggestions. (1) Our estimation on the emission peak of the industrial sector suggests that China should avoid any commitment earlier than 2030 on the timeline of the overall emission peak; (2) the great potential of industrial emission reduction can improve the situation of China in climate change negotiation, where the intensity reduction can serve as an important policy option. (3) Reduction potential can be further enhanced through technology advancement, which requires furthering of market oriented reforms and improvement of institutional design. (4) To secure the reduction effects of the industrial structure adjustment, the balanced development among different regions should be encouraged in order to avoid the reverse adjustment caused by industrial transferring. (5) International cooperation promoting the application and development of industrial emission reduction technologies, including carbon capture, utilization and storage, should be encouraged.     

基于ISO14067的长江上游某水电项目碳足迹分析

以长江上游某大型水电站为案例,根据国际标准化组织碳足迹量化标准(ISO14067)评价流程,对该水电站全生命周期(建设阶段,运行维护阶段,退役阶段)碳足迹进行估算,并着重考虑了蓄水前后水库温室气体通量差异。研究以碳足迹系数和能源回收率作为指标进行评价,结果表明生命周期碳足迹为5 417.0万t CO_(2eq),碳足迹系数为7.0~13.1 g CO_(2eq)/kW·h,中位值为9.4 g CO_(2eq)/kW·h,该水电站项目能源回收率达236.4。与各种能源电站以及国内外同类型水电站相比较,该水电站碳足迹明显较低,且能源回收率显著较高,说明以该水电站为代表的我国西南水电具有显著的优质性,大力开发水电能有效节能减排,明确了生命周期评价方法对于水电站碳足迹评估的适用性。     

The impact of measurement assumptions upon individual travel cost estimates of consumer surplus: a GIS analysis

The individual travel cost method is one of the most commonly applied approaches to estimating the recreational value (or `consumer surplus') of open-access sites where the visitor does not have to pay an entrance charge for using the area. This paper presents a simple application of the method conducted using geographical information system (GIS) software. This approach permits analysis of the impact of various, commonly used, assumptions concerning the definition of visitor outset origins and routing to recreation sites. Results suggest that varying these assumptions can lead to substantial impacts upon estimates of consumer surplus to the extent that previously published studies may be subject to substantial error. Received: 24 February 1999 · Accepted: 9 June 1999     

中国试点碳市场监管机制研究与国际经验借鉴

2015年9月《中美元首气候变化联合声明》宣布中国将于2017年启动全国性碳排放交易体系以来,中国碳市场的筹建及7大试点的运行备受国内外媒体和学术界的关注。相关预测显示,中国碳市场届时将一举超过目前全球最大的欧盟碳排放交易体系EU ETS成为世界第一大碳交易市场,但由于7个试点运行时间较短、试点地区重视程度以及建设侧重点不统一等原因,目前中国碳市场存在着监管机构职责不清、监管体系不健全、监管政策不到位等一系列问题。本研究从监管机构、监管政策、技术支持平台、监管内容等方面梳理和分析了中国7个试点碳市场的监管体系,并将其与EU ETS、RGGI等国际上发展较为成熟的碳市场监管体系进行了对比分析后发现:1在监管手段方面,EU ETS与RGGI均侧重于依靠法律手段,而中国碳市场的监管手段则主要以地方性规范文件为主;2在监管机构职能方面,EU ETS的二级管理体系有效划分了监管范畴,保证了各级监管力度。RGGI的第三方独立监管模式则很好的保证了监管的公平性,充分发挥了碳市场事中监管作用,而中国碳市场则主要依赖于地方发改委来进行监管,存在职责划分不明晰等问题;3在监管重心方面,EU ETS侧重于对市场运行中的操作性风险和交易性风险进行防范,RGGI则更加关注交易风险的实时监控,而中国碳市场目前主要针对市场价格波动风险进行了防范。由此对中国即将建立的全国性碳市场监管机制设计提出了如下建议:1提高碳市场立法效力,完善监管政策体系;2平衡监管权力,成立专职监管机构;3加强过程监管,完善电子平台安全建设;4加大碳市场信息披露力度,鼓励公众及行业协会参与,形成外部监督机制。     

农户商品有机肥投入的市场激励研究——基于农地确权调节效应的分析

基于新古典经济学利润最大化原则,采用黄土高原苹果优势区771个苹果户样本,分析农户商品有机肥投入的市场激励效应及其农地确权在激励效应中的调节作用。研究发现:(1)农户商品有机肥投入同时受农产品市场和农地市场的双重激励,黄土高原苹果优势区苹果市场和农地市场均对苹果户的商品有机肥投入具有有效的激励作用;(2)苹果市场对苹果户商品有机肥投入的市场激励效应高于农地市场;(3)农地确权在农地市场对农户商品有机肥投入的激励效应中具有正向调节作用。该研究在一定程度延展了新古典经济学对农户农地保护性投资行为的理论解释,并为如何有效激励农户增施商品有机肥提供参考。     

三峡库区消落带农用坡地氮素流失特征及其环境效应

三峡库区消落带坡地的自发农用较为常见,消落带的这种利用方式可能加剧养分流失并对库区水环境造成影响.通过对库区2011～2013年3个落干期消落带农用坡地的地表径流、壤中流中氮素形态与浓度进行定位监测,研究消落带农用坡地氮素流失特征及其环境效应.结果表明:常规施肥下,消落带农用坡地侵蚀模数为1 443 kg/(hm2·a),落干期内坡地平均径流量为230 mm,径流系数为0.58,其中壤中流流量占总径流量的77％.历次降雨产流事件中常规施肥处理时,地表径流、壤中流中TN平均浓度分别是4.85±0.85、20.73±2.05 mg/L,落干期地表径流(泥沙)和壤中流的TN流失量分别为6.63± 1.19、35.22±3.38 kg/hm2,分别占当季施肥量的2.2％、11.7％.可见,随壤中流流失是三峡库区消落带农用坡地氮素流失的主要途径.与常规施肥处理相比,减量施肥处理使地表径流(泥沙)、壤中流TN流失通量分别显著降低了25％、48％,表明减少氮肥用量可以显著降低消落带农用带来的环境风险,建议消落带农用地氮肥进行减量施肥,使其既不影响作物产量,也显著降低氮流失.