Controversial sectors in banks’ sustainability reporting

Albeit indirectly, through its lending and investing, the financial sector can contribute substantially to achieve sustainable development. One of such practices concerns investment on or financing of entities that deal with environmentally or socially sensitive transactions (gambling, tobacco, alcohol, arms, etc.). Although there is a wealth of literature on banks’ CSR and its reporting, one can count on the fingers of one hand the studies mentioning explicitly these issue. What is more, this CSR practice gets treated only cursorily in these few studies. This study focuses on the communication of information on investment and financing of firms from controversial sectors in banks’ sustainability reports. We begin by examining whether financial institutions in our sample report having such policies or not. Then, we investigate what kind of policies are reported. In addition, this study seeks to capture the influence of national culture and firm-specific characteristics (type of property, listing status and multinationality) on the reporting of such issues. Ordinal regression analysis is used to analyse the relation of these factors with such reporting. Our findings suggest that the disclosure of information on policies regarding investment on and financing of firms from controversial sectors is not widespread, and the organizations reporting policies of total exclusion of some sectors or projects on ethical grounds are few. This study may encourage more detailed analyses of the type of CSR policies examined and of their impacts. It also may be of utility to banks by raising awareness about the need to consider these issues.     

An assessment of health and safety management within working groups in the UK manufacturing sector

Problem: In response to the demands of competitiveness, there has been a proliferation of management delayering in order to move responsibility to those people carrying out the operations and to focus on working as a team. Teams can be managed in different ways: using supervisors, team leaders, or self-managed. The management of health and safety and other business risks is dependent on the way in which the team is managed. Method: This study has assessed, through the use of semistructured interviews, how UK manufacturing companies have addressed a range of health and safety management issues (i.e., the setting, communication, and measurement of company objectives, employee participation and empowerment, and risk assessment) in relation to different styles of group working (i.e., supervised groups, groups with team leaders, and self-managed groups). Discussion: Although the differences are not always significant, it is noticeable that within organizations using supervised work environments, there is a lack of communication of specific health and safety information, little involvement and participation in safety activities, and a greater reliance on the safety function. However, in organizations using team leaders and self-managed groups, there is evidence of greater management involvement, more open communication, and greater employee involvement in health and safety, although empowerment in its true sense was still limited in these organizations. Impact on industry: The results obtained illustrate the impact of different working groups on the management of health and safety in the UK manufacturing sector.     

Towards guidelines for post‐disaster vulnerability reduction in informal settlements

Although the development community has long recognised that securing land tenure and improving housing design can benefit significantly informal settlement residents, there is little research on these issues in communities exposed to natural disasters and hazards. Informal settlements often are located on land left vacant because of inherent risks, such as floodplains, and there is a long history worldwide of disasters affecting informal settlements. This research tackles the following questions: how can informal settlement vulnerabilities be reduced in a post‐disaster setting?; and what are the key issues to address in post‐disaster reconstruction? The main purpose of the paper is to develop a set of initial guidelines for post‐disaster risk reduction in informal settlements, stressing connections to tenure and housing/community design in the reconstruction process. The paper examines disaster and reconstruction responses in two disaster‐affected regions—Jimani, Dominican Republic, and Vargas State, Venezuela—where informal settlements have been hit particularly hard.     

环境规制对资源型城市产业结构转型的影响

基于中国2003～2016年115个资源型城市,利用固定效应模型和中介效应模型,研究环境规制对产业结构转型的影响及绿色技术创新在这一过程中所发挥的中介作用.结果表明,从整体看,正式与非正式环境规制均能显著地促进产业结构向合理化、高级化转型,且非正式环境规制的促进作用更为明显.此外,绿色技术创新在环境规制促进产业结构转型...     

铵态氮在非正规垃圾填埋场土壤中的赋存特征

应用连续分级提取法,对重庆市某非正规垃圾填埋场污染土壤中铵态氮的赋存形态进行分级测定,研究了各形态铵的赋存特征及影响因素。结果表明：土壤总铵量在116.32 ~ 241.66 mg·kg-1之间,平均值为（164.13±24.98） mg·kg-1,水溶态铵、可交换态铵和固定态铵的平均含量分别为（10.93±3.64）、（7.08±3.46）、（146.12±24.11） mg·kg-1;3种形态铵占总铵的比重大小为固定态铵 > 水溶态铵 > 可交换态铵。受雨水冲刷及淋滤影响,铵态氮有在下游点位积累的趋势。水溶态铵含量与有机碳含量、氧化还原电位呈极显著相关,与pH、粉粒含量及粘粒含量显著相关。可交换态铵与土壤氧化还原电位在垂直剖面上变化趋势一致,并与土壤粘粒含量呈极显著的负相关。固定态铵含量与土壤中粘粒含量呈极显著的正相关,与砂粒含量呈显著的负相关。     

Capitalizing on proactivity for informal mentoring received during early career: The moderating role of core self‐evaluations

This paper examines the role of proactive personality in the receipt of informal mentoring received (i.e., psychosocial and career‐related mentoring) among a sample of 174 early career employees in China. The regression results indicated that networking behavior mediated the relationship between proactive personality and career‐related mentoring, whereas voice behavior mediated the relationship between proactive personality and psychosocial mentoring. Furthermore, core self‐evaluations moderated the aforementioned two indirect relationships such that they were stronger at higher levels of core self‐evaluations. Our analyses also showed that the moderating effects occurred at the first stage of the indirect relationships. We discuss the theoretical and practical implications of these findings. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Emerging trends in informal sector recycling in developing and transition countries

Optimistic estimates suggest that only 30–70% of waste generated in cities of developing countries is collected for disposal. As a result, uncollected waste is often disposed of into open dumps, along the streets or into water bodies. Quite often, this practice induces environmental degradation and public health risks. Notwithstanding, such practices also make waste materials readily available for itinerant waste pickers. These ‘scavengers’ as they are called, therefore perceive waste as a resource, for income generation. Literature suggests that Informal Sector Recycling (ISR) activity can bring other benefits such as, economic growth, litter control and resources conservation. This paper critically reviews trends in ISR activities in selected developing and transition countries. ISR often survives in very hostile social and physical environments largely because of negative Government and public attitude. Rather than being stigmatised, the sector should be recognised as an important element for achievement of sustainable waste management in developing countries. One solution to this problem could be the integration of ISR into the formal waste management system. To achieve ISR integration, this paper highlights six crucial aspects from literature: social acceptance, political will, mobilisation of cooperatives, partnerships with private enterprises, management and technical skills, as well as legal protection measures. It is important to note that not every country will have the wherewithal to achieve social inclusion and so the level of integration must be ‘flexible’. In addition, the structure of the ISR should not be based on a ‘universal’ model but should instead take into account local contexts and conditions.     

我国工业行业安全生产压力指数构建研究

针对单一事故指标在反映行业或区域安全生产形势方面存在的不足,提出采用"安全生产压力指数"这一指标来综合表征我国各行业整体安全生产形势。以工业行业为例,结合我国现有事故统计指标,综合考虑各行业生产安全事故的相对趋势、事故的严重程度以及行业风险控制水平对安全生产形势的影响,构建了以死亡人数占比指数(DNI)、事故严重度指数(ASI)和整体风险水平指数(TRI)为基础指标的安全生产压力指数(SPI)计算模型。通过对工业行业及其11个重点行业事故基础数据的采集整理,分别测算了工业行业1978-2011年度以及11个重点行业2007-2009年度的SPI指数,分析了SPI指数在安全生产形势表征和安全生产形势预警方面的作用,提出了深化和完善SPI指数应用的建议。     

Vulnerability to typhoon hazards in the coastal informal settlements of Metro Manila,the Philippines

In many low‐ and middle‐income countries informal communities—also termed slum and squatter areas—have become a dominant and distinct form of urban settlement, with ever increasing populations. Such communities are often located in areas of high hazard exposure and frequently affected by disasters. While often recognised as one of the highest ‘at risk’ populations, this paper will argue that informal settlers have been directly and indirectly excluded from many formal mechanisms, thereby increasing their vulnerability to disaster events. Household surveys were conducted across several frequently flooded informal coastal communities in Metro Manila, the Philippines, following a major typhoon and storm surge disaster. The study revealed a large level of diversity in socio‐economic vulnerability, although all households faced similar levels of physical exposure and physical vulnerability. Disaster risk reduction policies and responses need to better integrate informal settlement areas and recognise the diversity within these communities.     

浙江台州典型电子废弃物无序拆解区土壤多环芳烃污染风险评估

电子废弃物的无序拆解会导致其中多环芳烃(polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, PAHs)的无规律释放,进而对周边生态环境和人体健康构成威胁。为了量化电子废弃物无序拆解区土壤中PAHs的含量及其对人体健康的风险,本研究从浙江省台州市路桥区某典型电子废弃物无序拆解区采集了3个作坊式电子废弃物拆解点、3个作坊式塑料或金属加工点和1个电子废弃物拆解尾渣倾倒点的土壤样品,以气相色谱-质谱联用法和美国环保署规定的暴露量化及风险表征方法为分析手段开展PAHs含量分析及其风险评估。结果发现:上述7个土壤样品PAHs的总量范围为32.62～1053.71μg/kg,平均为414.05μg/kg,其中一个作坊式电子废弃物拆解点的PAHs含量属于重污染级别,土壤存在强烈的环境风险,单体菲(Phe)、蒽(Ant)、荧蒽(Fla)和芘(Pyr)对环境风险的贡献率最大。此外,PAHs通过不同途径对人体造成的健康风险程度为呼吸途径﹥皮肤接触﹥经口途径。结果表明,电子废弃物无序拆解区土壤PAHs污染急需建立相关环境管理措施及污染控制标准,逐步规范电子废弃物无序拆解活动。