Experiences from early stages of a national industrial symbiosis programme in the UK: determinants and coordination challenges

This paper reviews the factors influencing the development and sustained operation of regional industrial symbiosis (IS) networks and discusses the roles a coordination body can play to alter these factors so as to catalyse the development and functioning of such networks. These are analysed within the context of experiences gained in the early stages of three regional IS programmes under development in the UK, and of the recently launched national IS programme (NISP) that they are part of. It is stated that the policy framework in the UK has elements supportive of such networks to evolve, and the regional public bodies are favouring their development. Based on differences among studied cases, it is argued that the nature of companies’ operations and industrial history in the regions, the extent of peer pressure, the positioning of the coordinating body in the region, and its approach to awareness raising and recruitment have major influence on the progress of the programmes. Finally, the paper emphasises the importance of aligning the characteristics of emerging operations with the longer-term sustainability requirements. If accepted, this challenge assigns additional responsibilities to the coordinating parties.     

区域农业持续性与持续发展研究

景观生态学属于宏观尺度生态空间研究范畴，它的理论核心集中表现为空间异质性和生态整体性两方面。持续性，包括农业景观持续性的最终目标在于人类与其环境的整体协调，即广义的人类生态整体性。持续性研究涉及广阔的地域空间，其目标的实现则有赖于空间途径。这一认识是将景观生态学应用于持续农业发展的理论出发点。     

可持续环境与发展规划的途径及其有效性

当人们对一些经典概念和模式，如经济最优化模式、生态最适模式、最低安全标准、承载力概念等提出疑问之后，环境与发展规划的方法论也随之面临着严峻的挑战。本文指出：①以经济最优化和生态最适模式指导规划都是非常局限和困难的，规划决不是一个环境和经济决定论的过程，而是一个可辩护的过程；②环境可能会对发展产生所谓的“顶极的”“绝对的”制约，对此，规划必须服从。但是，这种“顶极的”和“绝对的”界线是很难确切定义的，也往往是难以操作的，因而其在环境与发展规划中的意义是相当有限的。必须寻找一些新的有效的战略使规划过程具有可辩护性和可操作性。如何寻求和设计这种辩护战略是可持续发展规划方法论的一个重要领域。生态安全格局途径正是在这一方向上所做的努力。     

生态占用——衡量可持续发展的新指标

简要地介绍了生态占用的基本概念及利用此指标衡量可持续性的理论与方法 ,分析了生态占用与资源承载力的异同点 ;基于《国家的生态占用》估算结果 ,分析了生态占用方法在全球、国家、区域和城市3个层面上的应用效果 ,探讨了生态占用作为可持续发展指标的政策含义以及运用于青藏高原研究的可能性     

内蒙古皇甫川五分地沟小流域土地覆盖空间格局特征及其持续性分析

基于1979、1987和2002年3个时期的土地覆盖类型图,从斑块面积、形状、空间关系3方面着手,利用斑块面积百分比、面积变异系数、分维数3个景观格局指数对内蒙古皇甫川五分地沟小流域的土地覆盖格局及变化特征进行研究;并以流域为尺度,测算土地覆盖破碎度、多样性指数、分维数、合理性指数4个指标随时间变化的持续性。结果表明:研究区土地覆盖现状呈现各类型相对较均衡的镶嵌状分布格局,土地覆盖类型较稳定,斑块形状较简单,受人类干扰较大。土地覆盖特征指数的持续性分析结果与对应的指标分析结果相吻合。     

Sino British cooperation for urban environmental enhancement and sustainable development

１　ＩｎｔｒｏｄｕｃｔｉｏｎＩｔｈａｓｂｅｅｎａｒｇｕｅｄｔｈａｔＣｈｉｎａｈａｓｐｒｅｓｓｅｄａｇａｉｎｓｔｏｒｅｘｃｅｅｄｅｄｔｈｅｌｉｍｉｔｓｏｆｓｕｓｔａｉｎａｂｌｅｄｅｖｅｌｏｐｍｅｎｔｏｎｍａｎｙｏｃｃａｓｉｏｎｓｏｖｅｒｔｈｅｐａｓｔ３０００ｙｅａｒｓｗｉｔｈｓｅｒｉｏｕｓｃｏｎｓｅｑｕｅｎｃｅｓｆｏｒｔｈｅｅｎｖｉｒｏｎｍｅｎｔ（Ｅｌｖｉｎ，１９９３）．ＨｅｎｃｅＣｈｉｎａ○ｓｃｕｒｒｅｎｔｅｎｖｉｒｏｎｍｅｎｔａｌｐｒｏｂｌｅｍｓａｒｅｎｏｔａｎｅｗｃｏｎｓｔｒａｉｎｔｔｏｄｅ…     

On the indicator of weak sustainability

ＯｎｔｈｅｉｎｄｉｃａｔｏｒｏｆｗｅａｋｓｕｓｔａｉｎａｂｉｌｉｔｙＺｈａｏＪｉｎｇｚｈｕ（ＲｅｓｅａｒｃｈＣｅｎｔｅｒｆｏｒＥｃｏ－ＥｎｖｉｒｏｎｍｅｎｔａｌＳｃｉｅｎｃｅｓ,ＴｈｅＣｈｉｎｅｓｅＡｃａｄｅｍｙｏｆＳｃｉｅｎｃｅｓ,Ｂｅｉｊｉｎｇ１...     

MANAGING POLLUTION FROM SSI<Emphasis Type="SmallCaps">s</Emphasis> – DESIGNING FOR A SUSTAINABLE INSTITUTION

The common effluent treatment plants (CETPs) are being propagated as the policy response to circumvent the pollution problem from the small-scale industries (SSIs), which abound in developing countries. The formation of the CETPs has been hailed as a collective action or co-operative solution to a common problem involving all the agents responsible for pollution. This paper investigated the desired criteria for designing an institution aimed at solving a common resource problem and factors ensuring the smooth functioning or sustainability of the institution. The design criteria and factors are then tested on a CETP set up in the Indian state of Haryana. The CETP, which was commissioned in 1997 had to be converted to a sewage treatment plant (STP) as the collective arrangement collapsed. The criteria used in the present analysis are that of Ostrom’s [Governing the Commons. Cambridge, UK, Cambridge University Press, 1990] design principles, whereas the factors considered for sustainability are the one suggested by Rawls [A Theory of Justice. USA, Harvard University Press, 1971]. The analysis indicates that the Kundli CETP failed in both counts as neither all the design principles were met nor did the institution fulfil different sustainability criteria. The paper concludes with the lessons that can be learnt from Kundli’s failure. Readers should send their comments on this paper to: BhaskarNath@aol.com within 3 months of publication of this issue.     

企业环境责任评价体系及成果应用分析

随着环境保护部近年来众多环保举措的提出,企业的环境责任研究引起了学者和相关政府机构的重视。企业环境责任评价有利于提高企业环保意识和规范企业的环境行为,但目前仍缺乏相关机构对企业环境责任评价体系的独立研究和实践。本文通过对国内外企业环境责任的研究现状进行分析,引入了企业环境责任评价的必要性;在相关概念界定的基础上构建了企业环境责任评价指标体系,最后对评价成果的应用进行了探讨和研究。