中国企业低碳环境与低碳管理再造

2012年底京都议定书第一承诺期到期后,各国将制定更具有操作性的碳减排目标,世界低碳发展的要求越来越强烈,低碳发展的路径逐步从宏观治理向宏观与微观结合过渡。目前我国低碳经济的发展主要处在政府推动为主、大企业探索性行动的阶段,今后企业将逐渐在低碳发展中发挥主力作用。企业面临的低碳环境主要包括宏观低碳发展环境、行业低碳竞争环境、微观低碳管理环境三个层面。企业管理需要根据低碳发展的要求重新更新再造。从企业内部来看,企业基本活动的低碳管理再造包括内部后勤、生产运营、外部后勤、市场和销售、售后服务等的低碳管理再造。而辅助方面的低碳管理再造主要包括采购低碳管理、技术开发低碳管理、人力资源低碳管理和企业基础设施低碳管理等。从企业外部资源管理角度来说,企业的低碳管理主要包括供应商的低碳协同管理和其他合作伙伴的低碳协同管理。本文根据我国企业的低碳环境和低碳再造的内容,提出了企业低碳管理再造的相关策略。     

综合资源立法是资源可持续利用的法律保证

资源的有效保护和永续利用在我国可持续发展战略中占有十分重要的地位。本文分析了我国资源法制建设中存在的问题，阐述了综合资源立法在资源法制建设体系中的意义。     

武汉城市圈水资源及水环境承载力分析

水资源及水环境承载力是衡量区域可持续发展的一项重要指标,对区域经济的发展规划具有重要的指导意义。以可承载的人口数量和GDP作为承载力的表征指标,分别运用单位GDP综合用水量评判法和河流一维水质模型及湖库均匀混合模型计算武汉城市圈不同水平年的水资源及水环境承载力,并用承载度来评价水资源及水环境的承载状态。结果表明:2012、2020和2030年武汉城市圈水资源承载力都处于合理承载状态,但是其水环境承载力处于轻度超载状态。可见,水环境承载力对武汉城市圈的用水限制更为严格。随着社会经济的发展及污水处理技术的进步,水环境状况虽然会有所好转,但与水资源数量这一因素相比,水环境仍是制约武汉城市圈经济社会发展的关键因素。     

庐山不同森林植被类型土壤碳库管理指数评价

土壤碳库管理指数(CPMI)是表征土壤碳库变化的一个重要量化指标,能够反映土壤的碳库变化和碳库质量。选取庐山8种森林植被类型土壤为研究对象,对其土壤有机碳库特征及碳库管理指数进行系统研究。结论表明:(1)土壤有机碳(SOC)主要分布于0~20 cm土层中,随着土层深度增加,不同森林植被类型下SOC含量急剧下降;在0~60 cm土层中,不同森林植被类型下SOC含量的平均值排序为:马尾松林常绿阔叶林灌丛针阔混交林常绿-落叶混交林黄山松林落叶阔叶林竹林。(2)不同森林植被类型下活性有机碳(ASOC)含量为0.24~0.57 g·kg–1,总有机碳(TOC)含量为9.72~14.74 g·kg–1,土壤碳库指数(CPI)为1.63~2.48,碳库活度(A)为0.019~0.062,碳库活度指数(AI)为0.388~1.265。不同森林植被类型下ASOC含量排序:落叶阔叶林黄山松林常绿-落叶阔叶混交林灌丛针阔混交林常绿阔叶林竹林马尾松林;不同森林植被类型下ASOC/TOC(%)排序:落叶阔叶林黄山松林常绿-落叶阔叶混交林竹林灌丛针阔混交林常绿阔叶林马尾松林;不同森林植被类型下CPMI排序为:落叶阔叶林黄山松林常绿-落叶阔叶混交林灌丛针阔混交林常绿阔叶林竹林马尾松林。     

Management of an Agroecosystem

Agroecosystems (AESs) are autotrophic ecosystems managed by man. The goal of the management is to obtain the maximum possible amount of high-quality agricultural products while preserving agricultural resources, primarily the soils and biodiversity. The main components of the management of AES structures and functions, including primary and secondary biological production, the ratio between the energy flows in the plant–man and plant–livestock–man food chains, the efficiency of energy transfer in the plant–livestock link, and conservation of agricultural resources, are considered.     

Thinking inside the basin: scale in transboundary water management

While transboundary waters are widely advocated to be best managed at the basin level, practical experience in transboundary waters at the basin vis‐à‐vis other scales has not been systematically examined. To understand past experiences in transboundary water management at alternate scales, this paper: (i) determines the relative abundance of water treaties at different scales and (ii) elucidates how transboundary water law varies according to the scale to which it applies. The paper developed a scale typology with six groups, and systematically applied it to stratify transboundary water treaties. Treaty contents were then compared across scales according to the following set of parameters: primary issue area, temporal development, and important water management attributes. Results of this work reveal: (i) treaties tend to focus on hydropower and flood control at smaller scales, and organizations and policies at larger scales; (ii) a temporal trend toward treaties concluded at larger scales; and (iii) a higher proportion of treaties is at larger scales in Africa and Asia than in Europe and the Americas. These findings suggest that smaller scale cooperation may constitute a more constructive scale in which to achieve development‐oriented cooperation. Further, scope may exist to complement basin scale cooperation with cooperation at smaller scales, in order to optimize transboundary water management. In the context of basin‐wide management frameworks, Africa and Asia may benefit from greater emphasis on small‐scale transboundary water cooperation.     

Getting caught up in the game: managing non-formal dynamics in the remediation of contaminated sediments in Oslo harbor

This study aims at describing, analyzing and evaluating the relation between management styles and process dynamics of a complex planning process confronted with unexpected dynamics. The development of an aquatic disposal site for dredged contaminated sediments in Oslo was managed by a project management style focused on timely and cost-effective implementation. Coupling the remediation project with another infrastructural project and the actual construction of the site led to unexpected dynamics in terms of resistance and controversy. Project management had difficulties in adjusting its style accordingly, resulting in even more delay and resistance. Managing complex planning projects requires a style suitable to the characteristics of the project and the capability of adjusting it to changing circumstances. The paper concludes with some explanations why it is difficult to change management styles in complex planning and implementation processes and complexity-embracing approaches to deal with this.     

On causes of illegal waste dumping in Slovakia

This paper examines the determinants of illegal waste dumping at the county level in Slovakia (in 77 of 79 counties), using a truncated regression model. It analyzes a unique data-set composed of illegal dumping data provided by the TrashOut platform and sociodemographic data from the national statistical authority.

This study shows that a higher level of expected overall waste production results in a higher rate of illegally dumped waste and a higher number of illegal dumping sites. More precisely, income has a positive impact on the rate of illegal waste dumping, poverty influences the rate of illegal dumping negatively and a higher level of education does not result in more responsible waste management. On the contrary, higher education has a positive influence on the rate of dumping. A negative relationship between costs of illegal waste disposal and dumping rate, as well as a positive relationship between costs of legal waste disposal and dumping rate has been revealed.     

The impact of ISO 14001 on corporate environmental performance: a study of Swedish manufacturing firms

The debate concerning the environmental effectiveness of environmental management systems (EMS) based on ISO 14001 is still open and scholars have called for further studies that can explain the contrasting evidence in previous research. As a response, this study aims to contribute knowledge about the effects of ISO 14001-based EMS by presenting fact-based environmental data. The study focuses on changes in performance over a period of 12 years and includes both firms with an EMS (66 firms) and firms without one (50 firms). Consideration is given to the improvement efforts in the firms before EMS adoption making it possible to neutralize any selection effects where better environmental performance precedes ISO 14001 adoption. Analysis has been carried out using statistical methods for six different environmental areas. No statistically significant differences between certified and non-certified firms concerning the change in the rate of improvement could be found in any of the six areas. However, it can be suspected that EMS adoption has positive effects on energy use and waste production whereas the non-adopting firms seem to perform better concerning air emissions. These mixed results mirrors previous research, which is rather worrying considering the worldwide popularity of EMS based on ISO 14001 in industry.     

Patterns of selectiveness in the Amazonian freshwater fisheries: implications for management

Tropical fisheries, which are considered multi-species, may show selectiveness. We analyzed the degree of selectivity of fish catches in 46 sites along the Amazon basin through the percentage of biomass corresponding to the most caught fish species. Amazonian fisheries were considered moderately selective, as 54% of the sites directed more than a quarter of fishing effort to one fish species and in 87% of the sites more than half the fishing effort was directed to five fish species. Commercial fisheries were more selective than subsistence fisheries. Eleven fish species (nine of them migratory) have received more fishing pressure in the studied Amazonian regions and the catch composition differed among regions. We thus recommend that fisheries management in the Amazon basin should distribute fishing effort among more fish species; incorporate the particularities of commercial and subsistence fisheries; evaluate fishing effects on ecosystem services; and consider the biological characteristics of preferred fish.