Social capital networks for achieving sustainable development

There have been few empirical studies investigating whether and how social capital (SC) relates to better achievement of sustainability goals and, if so, how. This research investigates the roles three types of SC, namely, bonding, bridging, and bracing SC, play in achieving sustainable development (SD), using a case study of the Japanese region to explore the process of SC accumulation leading to collective action. The research question as to whether SC accumulation makes a difference in the progress towards sustainability is addressed qualitatively and quantitatively using a case study, and network and regression analysis; in particular the impact and functions of bracing SC are closely investigated. The study concludes that SC accumulation can indeed make a difference in achieving sustainability and that bracing SC plays an essential role in expediting the processes of goal sharing and resource flow by connecting various networks across sectors and scales, thereby making collective action possible. These findings suggest that creating an environment in which the generation of all three types of SC is encouraged may help local governments to achieve their desired policy goals for SD.     

What factors determine whether a community will choose the pathway to sustainable development in China?

In this paper, we divide the communities in Central China into four groups, namely ecological high-poverty communities, non-ecological high-poverty communities, sustainable communities and non-ecological low-poverty communities. We use 2000 and 2006 data for 498 counties to conduct analysis and comparison between sustainable and unsustainable communities in order to define determinants of the development pathways to sustainable communities. The comparison of the variable means between the groups of ecological high-poverty communities and non-ecological high-poverty communities in 2006 indicates that there is no significant difference in the dimensions related to economy, society and environment, with the exception of average output value per industrial enterprise.

The non-ecological low-poverty communities are more likely to have a higher proportion of secondary industry, higher total industrial output value, higher average output value per industrial enterprise and higher intensity of infrastructure construction, compared to the sustainable communities. The factors that determine whether the communities will choose the pathway to sustainable communities are found to be landscape, social conditions of secondary industry and agriculture and economic development level. Hence, the policies that aim at promoting sustainability for the unsustainable communities will have to focus on different strategies and actions for non-ecological high-poverty and non-ecological low-poverty communities.     

Status,stigma and energy practices in the home

Domestic energy practices are a topical policy issue, with implications for climate change, energy security and fuel poverty. Accordingly, a growing body of literature examines ways of promoting energy conservation and generation by individuals. However, there has been relatively little discussion of how status and stigma are implicated in these practices, and may act as facilitators or barriers to “behaviour change”. To help address this gap, this article draws both on existing literature and a new UK-based study of people who are attempting to live sustainable lives, to provide insights into how domestic energy practices may be status-enhancing or stigmatising, and how these risks and opportunities can be managed. While energy practices are often understood as “inconspicuous”, it is argued here that in some circumstances individuals may actively manage the visibility of their energy practices. The discussion considers these findings with regard to social power relations, and identifies issues warranting further exploration within the emerging research agenda on energy and equity.     

The effects of community-based action for sustainability on participants' lifestyles

There has been increased interest in the role of community-based action in promoting sustainable lifestyles in recent years, but relatively limited evidence on the effects of such activity on participants' behaviours. In this paper, I present an evaluation of the effects of community-based action for sustainability on participants' lifestyles. I draw on extensive qualitative research to assess how much change participants of community sustainability projects report, what kinds of participants these projects attract and how the circumstances of these projects affect the changes that participants make. The main findings are that these initiatives have different effects on different people. Those who are new to sustainability and who are actively involved in cohesive groups, which are specifically targeting their lifestyles, are more likely to report substantial changes. I present a model to explain what change occurs, for which types of participants, in what circumstances as a result of community-based action.     

基于熵值法的济南市可持续发展能力动态研究

为使济南市更加科学、协调、稳健地可持续发展,根据科学性、操作性、可比性、代表性等原则建立济南市可持续发展指标体系,并在此基础上,利用熵值法对济南市“十一五”期间可持续发展综合能力进行了定量评估;从系统的角度出发,对济南市社会、经济、环境各子系统在可持续发展中的作用、影响以及各子系统间的协调状态进行了分析并针对性地提出了济南市可持续发展建议.文章对其他大中城市的社会、经济、环境可持续发展能力建设具有一定的参考价值.     

秦皇岛森林可持续发展对策探讨

通过分析秦皇岛森林资源现状可知,秦皇岛森林资源开发利用过程中主要存在森林分布不均、质量较低、人工林保存率低、护林资金匮乏等问题,并针对这些问题提出了加强森林资源生态功能的宣传工作、健全法制、加大退耕还林力度、强化管理,增加投入等秦皇岛森林资源可持续发展的对策。     

浅析低碳技术的评价方法

低碳技术可分为3类:减碳技术、无碳技术、去碳技术,选择最优低碳技术是一个项目能否成功的关键。低碳技术评价的内容通常从能源使用率、经济效益、生命周期方面进行评价,对技术的综合性评价的基本方法大致有层次分析法、综合评分法、德尔菲法、熵值法、模糊综合评判法等,这些方法渗透于指标权重分析、模型建立评价当中。通过研究对这些技术的评价方法,确定最优的技术项目,以促进循环经济及可持续发展战略的实施和进行。     

Choice or coercion: dilemmas of sustainable social housing. A study of two developments in Kent

Social housing in the UK is currently required to meet higher levels of sustainability than new private housing, but since social tenants have little choice about their housing, this poses important issues about the possible coerced consumption of sustainable housing. The article examines residents' responses to two social housing developments in Kent in which the housing association concerned took advantage of government subsidies to incorporate sustainability features. The similarities and differences between residents' responses in the two estates are outlined, and are attributed to the types of tenants involved and to the particular technical and administrative features of the innovative features. It is concluded that, given the potential coercive character of the consumption of sustainability features, housing associations need to adopt a sensitive and realistic approach to such innovations and their possible benefits.     

Achieving sustainable lifestyles or encouraging a counter-reflexivity: exploring motivations for sustainability in a mediated risk society

Ulrich Beck's World Risk Society is becoming an increasingly relevant analysis of contemporary human/environment interaction. However, with this said, Beck's observations remain broad and significantly lacking empirical evidence. This paper explores the relationship between sustainable lifestyles and assertions of one of Beck's central ideas, the emergence of a reflexive modernity at the local scale. By empirically examining the motivation of participants for joining a scheme designed to enhance sustainable lifestyles, this paper will progressively outline the way that individuals in a risk society negotiate global images in a local context and what this means for a reflexive modernity. By exposing the complex interaction of global risk imagery and the effect this has on achieving local sustainability, a more realistic understanding of Beck's theoretical assertions can be applied to an increasingly important policy arena.     

The local nonprofit sector and the pursuit of sustainability in American cities: a preliminary exploration

This paper reports on the results of a study of the relationship between the nonprofit sector and the pursuit of sustainability in 13 moderate sized US cities with populations between 400,000 and 600,000. Dividing the cities into two groups – those that have been more serious and less serious about adopting and implementing sustainability policies, analysis of a survey of local public officials examines differences in the nonprofit landscape. Analysis shows that the cities that are more serious about sustainability have local public officials who interact more with nonprofit organisations, and are more likely to report the presence of at least one nonprofit group that supports city sustainability policies. Additionally, these reported groups are more likely to be “local”, or homegrown, and to be explicitly dedicated to the environment or sustainability. While far from definitive, the results provide evidence that the nonprofit sector is different in cities with sustainability policies, and suggest that the role of these nonprofit groups in the governance decisions of city leaders warrants more in-depth study.