Benefits and challenges of streamlined life-cycle assessment for SMEs – findings from case studies on climate change impacts

ABSTRACT

Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) have a substantial role in the economy and job creation, but they are a remarkable source of environmental impacts. SMEs often lack skills and resources to compile environmental impact assessments; Streamlined Life Cycle Analysis (LCA) can provide efficient tools for this. An application of streamlined LCA relying heavily on database data, LCA clinic, was developed and tested on 23 SMEs in Finland. The climate change impacts were mainly caused by the production of raw materials, electricity and heating, whereas packaging and transportation were not influential. A significant amount of emissions were indirect, i.e. caused by production of raw materials. Thus, decreasing emissions from raw material production or selecting raw materials with a smaller environmental load could be a more efficient way to decrease emissions than reducing direct emissions such as those from electricity use. Lack of data in the LCA-databases was considered a challenge. An access to regionally customised datasets is important for the implementation of LCA clinics. Company feedback indicated that LCA clinics were useful in climate-friendly product design and increased environmental awareness, but did not lead to immediate actions to reduce emissions because of inadequate investment capabilities. Company managers had limited possibilities to use the results in marketing as comparative assessments would require a full LCA. Many company managers were willing to pay a fee sufficient to cover the costs of an LCA clinic, but some considered that the costs should be covered by external funding sources.     

DYNAMICS OF WETLAND DEVELOPMENT AND RESOURCE MANAGEMENT IN LAS VEGAS WASH,NEVADA1

ABSTRACT: This paper examines the co‐evolution of the Las Vegas, Nevada metropolitan area, Las Vegas Wash ecosystem‐a downstream riparian wetland‐and Wash management as a case of urban‐environment dynamics. Since Las Vegas Wash provides the primary drainage for Las Vegas, changes in the urban system lead to changes in the Wash and its ecosystem. The population of the drainage area has grown from approximately 1,000 people in 1900 to more than 1.3 million in 2000. This phenomenal population growth led to increased Wash flow, from less than .03 m³/sec (1 ft³/sec) to over 7.4 m³/sec (260 ft³/sec), and consequent ecological changes from a nearly dry wash to a rich wetland, and now to an eroded system. As the Wash ecosystem changed, valuation of Wash characteristics by residents and resource managers also changed, shifting the focus of management and use, which ultimately led to further ecosystem changes. Reciprocal relationships among human activity, environmental change, and management in this urban area highlight the need for a comprehensive and dynamic systems perspective and adaptive approaches in urban environmental management and make this a particularly compelling case study. This paper describes a conceptual systems framework for adaptive urban‐environment management derived from this case.     

成都市“温、郫、都”生态示范区的战略地位与示范意义

成都市“温、郫、都”生态示范区是全国第一批生态示范区域之一。该示范区是“天府之国”的一个缩影,有优越的区位优势和突出的战略地位,生态示范区代表区域发展新的战略思维和发展模式。     

浅议21世纪数学教育的功能

在我国全面实施素质教育的新形势下，时代赋予了数学教育新的使命。数学教育，一方面具有逻辑严密性、结论可靠性及应用广泛性等科学功能；另一方面又具有陶冶情操、完善个性、培养学生理性思维和创造意识等文化功能。     

废水处理设施的监管新思路

通过对目前水污染治理设施运行状况的分析，结合工作实践，提出一系列对水污染治理设施加强监管的新措施，为各地加强工业废水污染治理达标排放工作提供借鉴。     

关于提升三级环境监测站监测数据地位的几点思考

本文针对目前环境监测数据方面存在的问题，提出了如何提高环境监测数据地位的建议。     

对我区城市环境综合整治定量考核工作的回顾与思考

本文对1996-2000年全区城市环境综合整治定量考核工作进行了全面的分析，介绍了目前“城考”工作的状况，总结了经验，对今后的“城考”工作提出了建议。     

浅谈生态市建设的实践与思考--以大庆为例

文章阐述了生态城市建设的起源,大庆市创建生态市的历程。大庆市通过采取编制生态市规划、实施“治水、净气、复草、植树、降噪”五大工程、广泛动员全民参与等措施,于2015年1月成功建设成为黑龙江省首家省级生态市。针对生态市创建工作中的不足,大庆市将在未来做好建立健全推进机制、构建全民参与格局、拓展多元融资渠道三方面工作。对未来生态市建设的必然性进行思考,认为生态市建设作为生态文明建设的有效载体,必将成为城市未来建设和发展的主流。     

关于环境监测市场化的管理措施研究

针对环境监测市场化存在的管理,介绍了环境监测是环境管理的重要依据,环境监测一方面可以成为保护环境的关键手段,另一方面,环境监测也可以成为衡量环境管理水平的重要指标.伴随着科学技术日新月异的发展,环境监测市场化已经成为改革的一大趋势.本文从介绍环境监测市场化出发,探讨了目前环境监测市场化如何管理,并对管理模式进行了解析,提出了环境监测市场化带来的不利影响应引起注意,最后对环境监测市场化的发展提出了建议.