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。     

湖北省长江三峡地区山水林田湖草生态保护修复实践探索与思考

湖北省长江三峡地区是世界上最大的水电站——三峡大坝所在地,是长江中上游关键节点,是三峡库区水土保持重点生态功能区,生态功能地位极其重要。针对长江三峡地区长江干支流水体部分断面总磷超标、“化工围江”、生态系统功能退化、废弃矿山破坏生态环境、珍稀濒危物种生境遭到破坏、生态保护修复机制不健全等问题,围绕保障“一江清水向东流”的总目标,提出了山水林田湖草生态保护修复工程实施路径。以长江干支流为经脉,以山水林田湖草为有机整体,优化空间布局,将长江三峡地区划分为11个生态保护修复片区,统筹实施重要干支流水环境治理与修复、“化工围江”综合治理与长江岸线生态修复、废弃矿山生态修复、土地综合整治、重要生态系统修复与生物多样性保护、区域生态保护修复体制机制创新六大类任务措施,构建分区分类生态保护修复工程体系,创新跨区域、跨部门的生态修复长效机制,积极探索长江三峡地区生态修复模式,推动区域绿色高质量发展,以期为其他地区生态保护修复提供参考与借鉴。     

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。