How well is farmers’ social situation captured by sustainability assessment tools? A Swedish case study

Recent research indicates that sustainability assessment tools (SAT) for farms need to be contextually adapted to be acceptable and useful. Focusing specifically on social sustainability, this study sought to identify important aspects of relevance for Swedish (livestock) farmers’ social situation and compare these aspects with social indicators used in three existing SATs (RISE, SAFA, IDEA). A survey revealed that social issues of key importance for the self-reported overall life satisfaction of Swedish livestock farmers are: having a good financial situation, having a similar standard of living as others, not experiencing too much stress, having meaningful work, having decent working hours, and having a desirable family situation. Of the three SATs evaluated, RISE appears best equipped to capture the social situation of Swedish farmers but does not fully address the aspect of finding work meaningful. SAFA and IDEA both fail to capture many aspects of importance for describing the social situation of Swedish farmers. We present a novel method for testing the relevance of social indicators for farmers in a specific context. Applying this method before choosing, applying, and adapting SATs for farm-level sustainability assessments would increase the relevance of the social sustainability dimension, but deeper stakeholder engagement than offered by our survey is needed.     

Creation of a Gilded Trap by the High Economic Value of the Maine Lobster Fishery

Abstract: Unsustainable fishing simplifies food chains and, as with aquaculture, can result in reliance on a few economically valuable species. This lack of diversity may increase risks of ecological and economic disruptions. Centuries of intense fishing have extirpated most apex predators in the Gulf of Maine (United States and Canada), effectively creating an American lobster (Homarus americanus) monoculture. Over the past 20 years, the economic diversity of marine resources harvested in Maine has declined by almost 70%. Today, over 80% of the value of Maine's fish and seafood landings is from highly abundant lobsters. Inflation‐corrected income from lobsters in Maine has steadily increased by nearly 400% since 1985. Fisheries managers, policy makers, and fishers view this as a success. However, such lucrative monocultures increase the social and ecological consequences of future declines in lobsters. In southern New England, disease and stresses related to increases in ocean temperature resulted in more than a 70% decline in lobster abundance, prompting managers to propose closing that fishery. A similar collapse in Maine could fundamentally disrupt the social and economic foundation of its coast. We suggest the current success of Maine's lobster fishery is a gilded trap. Gilded traps are a type of social trap in which collective actions resulting from economically attractive opportunities outweigh concerns over associated social and ecological risks or consequences. Large financial gain creates a strong reinforcing feedback that deepens the trap. Avoiding or escaping gilded traps requires managing for increased biological and economic diversity. This is difficult to do prior to a crisis while financial incentives for maintaining the status quo are large. The long‐term challenge is to shift fisheries management away from single species toward integrated social‐ecological approaches that diversify local ecosystems, societies, and economies.     

特色育人和谐发展——试析中国环境管理干部学院办学理念

中国环境管理干部学院在各项工作中实践着特色育人的思想.学院坚持“以服务社会需求为导向,以提高教育教学质量为核心,以培养高素质、高技能人才为根本,培养大学精神,积淀大学文化,铸就大学灵魂,彰显环境教育特色,创建绿色和谐校园“的办学理念,发挥了环境教育特色所带来的优势,注重遵循教育发展的规律,取得了可喜的办学成绩.     

Perspectives on corporate social responsibility in the chemical sector: A comparative analysis of the Mexican and South African cases

In recent years, the debate on corporate responsibility has shifted from a focus on environmental management towards a broader concept of corporate social responsibility (CSR). This article examines the chemical industry's approach to CSR from the perspective of two emerging economies: Mexico and South Africa. The global chemical industry was one of the first to respond to public concerns about environmental pollution, toxic waste and human health by adopting an industry‐wide code of practice, known as Responsible Care. This article examines the extent to which the chemical industry has responded to the broader debate on CSR. On the basis of a comparative case study, this article argues that the response to social issues by Mexican and South African chemical companies has tended to be limited to the ‘community awareness and emergency response’ (CAER) or community dialogue component of the international voluntary management framework, Responsible Care. Similarities and differences in regulatory and institutional conditions, as well as different levels of civil society engagement, reveal additional limitations for CSR, beyond that of the Responsible Care framework. This article argues that the socio‐political context influences the extent to which companies embrace CSR, especially in emerging economies, and highlights several challenges for the chemical industry in moving forward on CSR: credibility, stakeholder engagement, value‐chain accountability, disclosure and transparency. Reflecting on these challenges, the authors conclude by recommending a renewed focus on: (1) developing a broader set of CSR management practices beyond Responsible Care; (2) institutionalizing stronger accountability measures, such as reporting and verification; and (3) developing multi‐stakeholder partnerships that complement regulation and build public sector regulatory and guidance capacity.     

工业大宗物资的铁路物流网络空间结构特征研究——以云南省为例

为提取工业大宗物资铁路物流网络特征,从物流网络流动格局、节点特征和运输轴线3个方面,基于社会网络分析与空间分析方法构建了考虑流入—流出双向性的工业大宗物资铁路物流网络特征分析体系,并以云南省为例,利用云南省工业大宗物资的铁路货运全OD数据透视该省煤、金矿、钢铁、石油、化工等5类工业大宗物资铁路物流网络的组织结构、空间运输联系、网络节点和主要通道。结果表明:云南省5类工业大宗物资物流网络组织均具有明显的小世界特性,网络整体呈现放射状,形成明显的集聚少核的空间分布格局,运输走向"廊道效应"显著。     

政府购买垃圾分类减量促进服务实现路径研究—以广州市荔湾区西村街道为例

实现城市生活垃圾分类减量,是构建循环型社会的首要环节。针对政府中心运作模式与市场运作模式存在的弊端,认为城市生活垃圾管理,可采取政府购买社会组织垃圾分类减量促进服务模式。基于制度经济学理论与垃圾管理实践,重点探讨政府购买服务的相关主体、购买形式与运作过程,明晰社会组织与政府的职责以及确立其运作机制;最后通过广州荔湾区西村街道实践,验证其运作效果。研究表明,该模式是治理城市生活垃圾一种行之有效的模式,对破解"垃圾围城"、开发城市矿山以及推动城市生态文明建设具有重要意义。     

我国社会源危险废物产生、回收及处置现状及管理对策

作为广受关注的社会源危险废物,废矿物油、废铅酸蓄电池具有显著的环境危害性,但同时也具备显著的可回收利用价值。本文在调研国外发达国家对于废矿物油、废铅酸电池的回收利用状况,以及所建立的相对完善的相关法律、法规制度和经济性政策的同时,也对目前国内特别是北京地区的废矿物油、废铅酸电池的产生情况、回收利用状况以及相关法律、法规政策进行了调查、研究。结果表明目前国内废矿物油、废铅酸电池近年来的产生量呈明显增加趋势,但其回收利用状况较为混乱,不够理想,大多数社会源危险废物无法进入具备合法资质的正规处置单位,无法得到合理妥善的利用及处置,对环境的威胁较大。本文针对此状况,在管理政策方面提出了一些建议,以期有助于国内对废矿物油、废铅酸电池的回收利用状况得到改善。     

电子废弃物回收产业链协同治理影响因素分析——基于社会网络分析方法

基于探索性多案例分析,使用扎根理论从协同治理层面析出电子废弃物回收产业链治理的影响因素;运用社会网络分析法进一步辨识影响电子废弃物回收产业链协同治理的的关键因素.研究发现：外部环境支撑和提升电子废弃物回收产业链中利益相关者的内外协同能力,进而影响协同治理的行为和效果;企业社会责任和环保责任意识、高层管理者能力及素质、借鉴国外技术与经验是企业内部协同治理的主要驱动力;环境和经济持续发展目标、政府鼓励生产商做拆解、与国内外同行企业沟通与合作则是企业外部协同的引擎.     

城市水社会循环中的水质安全保障

城市水循环及水质保障是水的社会循环中的重要组成部分,也是影响城市生态系统和人体健康的关键要素之一.城市水社会循环涉及到水的开发、传输、处理、使用、资源化、排放等多个过程,涉及非均相环境体系中的多种微界面效应.本文针对城市水社会循环中水质安全保障问题,分析和探讨了饮用水水质安全保障、再生水风险控制和城市水体水质修复等科学和技术进展,并对此进行了研究展望,希望能够对本期的环境微界面专题有所补益.