B.C. Round Table on the Environment and the Economy: an update on sustainable development and reclamation

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hansen, P [Highland Valley Copper, Vancouver, BC (Canada)

1991-06-01

The purpose is to describe the B.C. Round Table on the Environment and the Economy. The Round Table is an independent advisory group of 31 individuals representing different parts of society, including environmental groups, industry, labour, indigenous peoples groups, universities, and the public service. The Round Table was established in January 1990 by the British Columbia government, with a mandate to develop a sustainable development strategy for British Columbia. The mining industry, including coal producers, have been active participants in Round Table workshops and public consultations. The mining industry`s main concern is to maintain access to opportunities for exploration and development of mineral deposits. The mining industry is required to undertake and has developed intensive reclamation of disturbed lands and reestablishment of land productivity to not less than that prior to mining.

Safe and Sustainable: Optimizing Material Flows in a Circular Economy

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Fantke, Peter

(unsustainable). When maximizing resource use efficiency and reducing carbon and other emissions through recycling (sustainable), direct consumer exposure is often increased through cross-contamination of recycled materials (unsafe). Hence, circular economy currently fails to unite the required expertise...... to imultaneously increase sustainability and reduce exposure to chemicals in materials reused across life cycles of different products. For a way out of this dilemma, a paradigm shift is needed towards a comprehensive and quantitative assessment framework.......Increasing the sustainability of a globally connected economy is gaining wide attention in a world with limited natural resources and growing chemical pollution. The circular economy has emerged as away to reduce carbon and other emissions, while increasing resource efficiency over several product...

Circular Economy – A New Direction for the Sustainability of the Hotel Industry in Romania?

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Rodica Pamfilie

2018-05-01

Full Text Available The present article deals with aspects related to the transition to a new model of economy – the circular economy – a more appropriate model for the current tendencies of ensuring the sustainability of economic processes. Tourism, as an economic branch with strong dynamics in recent years, is one of the areas where resource conservation and environmental protection are of significant importance. Circular tourism, derived from the principles of circular economy, aims at recycling tourism resources and favoring the sustainable development of the environment, thus giving tourists a greater sense of responsibility. The authors sought to study the influence of the implementation of integrated quality-environment-security systems on the economic performance of hotel establishments in Romania from the perspective of industry managers, as a starting point for determining the applicability of the principles of circular economy in this sector. In order to study this influence, questionnaires were addressed to tourism operators in order to establish the existing link between the implementation of ISO 9001, ISO 14001 and OHSAS 18001 standards and the economic, social and environmental performance of those operators. From the perspective of the systemic approach and analyzing the obtained data, the authors of the paper argue that the hotel industry in Romania is not yet sufficiently prepared to adopt the principles of the circular economy, the adoption of an integrated management system not having as much influence as believed on the performances of the operators in the field.

Does the creative economy provide a sustainable urban form?: Some European experiences

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Bajić-Brković Milica

2009-01-01

Full Text Available Three urban redevelopment projects recently undertaken in Europe-Ria 2000 in Bilbao, Spain; Emscher Park in Germany; and Gasometer in Vienna, Austria, are presented and discussed in the paper. All three innovate on three independent levels culture, economy and urban organization, and provide high quality places to assist their cities and regions to cope with a global competitive environment. All three were also designed to represent the best of the sustainable practice in Europe at the time. In the same time, the basic philosophy of all three is deeply rooted in creative economies and elaborate their basis principles. The paper explores their design solution in order to identify the points where creative industries and sustainability meet, and investigates if, and to what extent, they comply with the principles of sustainability. Urban design and physical space are in focus, while other areas are considered as long as they contribute to the design, or reflect a credo that architecture and urban design are among those that play a central role in building cities' reputation and character. The author argues that all three materialized some of the basic principles of sustainability, by elaborating ideas of genius loci and the relationship between identity and locality. Emscher Park has been the most successful in demonstrating how the Brownfield site and devastated area could be transformed into the cultural landscape. Ria 2000 brought in a new interpretation of balance between the man made and natural environments. Gasometer has been least successful, and rather its solutions go after the traditional redevelopment paradigm.

The NNP and Sustainability in Open Economy: Highlights on Recent World Economy and on Open Economy of Bangladesh

OpenAIRE

Mohajan, Haradhan

2011-01-01

This paper discusses the theory of the net national product and, emphasizes on social welfare and sustainable accounting in open economy. It is observed that the world economy following an egalitarian path, the aggregate capital gains being positive is equivalent to the interest rate tending to decrease. This is important for the concept of net national product in open economies. Martin Weitzman gives a foundation for net national product as the stationary equivalent of a wealth maximizing pa...

Advances and challenges in sustainable tourism toward a green economy.

Science.gov (United States)

Pan, Shu-Yuan; Gao, Mengyao; Kim, Hyunook; Shah, Kinjal J; Pei, Si-Lu; Chiang, Pen-Chi

2018-09-01

This paper provides an overview of the interrelationships between tourism and sustainability from a cross-disciplinary perspective. The current challenges and barriers in the tourism sustainability, such as high energy use, extensive water consumption and habitat destruction, are first reviewed. Then the key cross-disciplinary elements in sustainable tourism, including green energy, green transportation, green buildings, green infrastructure, green agriculture and smart technologies, are discussed. To overcome the challenges and barriers, a few implementation strategies on achieving sustainable tourism from the aspects of policy/regulation, institution, finance, technology and culture are proposed, along with the framework and details of a key performance indicator system. Finally, prospects of the potential for tourism to contribute to the transformative changes, e.g., a green economy system, are illustrated. This paper shine a light on issues of importance within sustainable tourism and encourage researchers from different disciplines in investigating the inter-relationships among community/culture, environment/ecology, and energy/water/food more broadly. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

The model of sustainable socio-economic development of the national economy

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O. A. Kalchenko

2016-01-01

Full Text Available According to the new "National security strategy of the Russian Federation, sustainable socio-economic development is the basis of national economic security. UN conceptual model of sustainable development is considered. The “Club of Rome” founder’s Aurelio Peccei point of view that world could be presented by interrelated but sufficiently stable elements: Nature, Man, Society, science-based Technique is mentioned (early 1980s. Today, sustainable socio-economic development of the national economy is determined by: Nature, Man, Society, Technology, Economy and Infrastructure. To support this opinion, statements of leading scientists, politicians, business representatives are given: A. Aganbegian, M. Friedman, V. Sidorov, V. Inozemtsev, G. Gref. The author's model of sustainable socio-economic development of the national economy is presented. The position of Russia according to the “2016 Global R&D Funding Forecast”, compiled by well-known scientific periodical “R&DMagazine” is presented. Classification of indicators groups, taken from the Russian and foreign statistical data books (Russian Statistical Yearbook, IRI, R&D Magazine, International Monetary Fund, World Bank, CIA Factbook, OECD, according to the elements of an integrated system of sustainable socio-economic development of the national economy is given. Implementation aggregating partial indices into an integrated index for each group and their population as a whole is proposed. For each private indicator is proposed to develop three levels of threshold values (acceptable, marginal and critical for sustainable socio-economic development of the national economy and security. Since innovation is a key mechanism for the concept of sustainable socio-economic development of the national economy in a new tenor of technology, the need for innovative development of all elements of the proposed integrated system is required.

Sustainable Development is the only path to achieve the green economy

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Ahmed Abou Elseoud

2015-12-01

Full Text Available Sustainable development is the management of renewable resources for the good of the entire human and natural community. Built into this concept is an awareness of the animal and plant life of the surrounding environment .The goal of sustainable development is to provide resources for the use of present populations without compromising the availability of those resources for future generations, and without causing environmental damage that challenges the survival of natural ecosystems. Consequently, sustainable economies cannot be based on the use of non-renewable resources. Ultimately, sustainable economies must be supported by the use of renewable resources such as biological productivity, and solar, wind, geothermal, and biomass energy sources. However, even renewable resources may be subjected to overexploitation and other types of environmental degradation. Central to the notion of sustainable development is the requirement that renewable resources are utilized in ways that do not diminish their capacity for renewal, so that they will always be present to sustain future generations of humans. On the other hand, Egypt welcomes the concept of the green economy to achieve sustainable development ,within the framework of respect for national priorities of each country, in order to achieve more decent work opportunities, and developments continued, and use environmental resources. Egypt have passed already in the implementation of a number of pilot projects in this regard, and look forward to witnessing the next stage for more cooperation with development. The energy is the main driver of economic and social development with the necessity to development of primary energy resources and the proper management and use of the most important policies and development strategies Egypt depends in achieving economic development and technological several sources of energy available to a power and petroleum and natural gas, but that recently Egypt has seen

Future Economy and Touristic Entrepreneurship

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Viorica Jelev

2016-09-01

Full Text Available Specialists claim that Eco-Bio-economy or social economy is the economy of future, in the service of human life by the rational use of environmental resources. The concept brings together in an integrated manner, according to the researchers, economy, ecology, biodiversity, biotechnologies and focuses on integrated sustainable development of the world. The new social economy, together with the corporate social responsibility joins a new multipolar world to a healthy environment by creative and innovative concepts that will ensure the sustainability of living in a sustainable manner. Doctors have added to thisEco-Bio-Economy concept a new one called One Health - a new integrated approach for human, animals and environment health state to that they should emphasize the importance of human behavior upon the planet biodiversity. Economer agents have mostly understood the importance of alarm signals drawn up by researchers on the destruction of the resources of the planet and adapted their business sites to the requirements of the green economy. A responsible business is also ecotourism that promotes a favourable travel for the surrounding environment. It requires accommodation on farms, in peasant houses, small rural hotels. The educational environment contributes to the trend planetary tourism, with the formation of new specialists with new knowledge, behaviors and consumers use formation of new characters, sensitive to environmental issues. This educational model is also promoted by Spiru Haret University, by creating the Master degree in tourism but also in environmental protection.

The rise, fall and sustainability of capital-resource economies

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Pezzey, J.; Withagen, C.A.A.M.

1998-01-01

In debates about green accounting it is sometimes argued that a positive value of aggregate investments indicates that an economy is developing sustainably. Asheim (1994) and Pezzey (1994) have shown that this is wrong, using a version of the well-known Dasgupta–Heal economy (with one capital and

E3: Economy, Energy and Environment

Science.gov (United States)

E3 is a technical assistance framework helping communities, manufacturers, and manufacturing supply chains adapt and thrive in today's green economy. Find information on pollution prevention, sustainable business practices, and energy efficiency.

Journal of Sustainable Development of Energy, Water and Environment Systems - Volume II

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Neven Duić

2014-12-01

Full Text Available The Journal of Sustainable Development of Energy, Water and Environment Systems – JSDEWES is an international journal dedicated to the improvement and dissemination of knowledge on methods, policies and technologies for increasing the sustainability of development by de-coupling growth from natural resources and replacing them with knowledge based economy, taking into account its economic, environmental and social pillars, as well as methods for assessing and measuring sustainability of development, regarding energy, transport, water, environment and food production systems and their many combinations. In total 32 manuscripts were published in Volume II, all of them reviewed by at least two reviewers. The Journal of Sustainable Development of Energy, Water and Environment Systems would like to thank reviewers for their contribution to the quality of the published manuscripts.

NATURAL RESOURCES AVAILABILITY IN A SUSTAINABLE ECONOMY

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CĂTĂLINA BONCIU

2013-05-01

Full Text Available In the theoretical and practical approach of the economic life, appears more often the idea of sustainable economic development, of reconciliation between man and nature in attracting and using its resources without interfering in its natural movement and evolution. In this paper we are trying to bring to light the relation between the economic development and the mineral resources, in terms of achieving sustainable development. The place and role of natural factors in the market economy is revealed by bringing to the forefront a number of arguments that demonstrate their vital position in the sustainable growth and development.

The Determinant Factors of Creative Economy Craftsmen Sustainability in South Sulawesi Province

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Helda Ibrahim

2013-10-01

Full Text Available Creative economy craftsmen have big contribution to regional income and able to sustain in crisis. It can be seen on the average of Gross Domestic Product has employed 5.4 million in average for 2002-2009 with participation level of 5.8%. Therefore, a strategic sustainability is needed especially for the determinant factors of sustainability related to creative economy craftsmen. This research aims to observe the determinant factors of sustainability of creative economy craftsmen in Wajo and Bulukumba Regencies in South Sulawesi Province. Sample for the research was 215 creative economy craftsmen. Data collection is conducted on January to April 2012 consists of primary and secondary data. Research method was using prospective analysis to determine important factors to the sustainability of creative economy craftsmen that predict future alternatives. Result from Rap-UEK simulation for the composite of five dimensions showed a less sustainable status of 48.97%. Research results showed that there are six dominant or main factors in determining business sustainability of creative economy craftsmen, one place sale, coordination with the government and private sectors, capital source, increase in the product of creative economy business, business field and product development Normal 0 false false false IN X-NONE X-NONE /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-priority:99; mso-style-qformat:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0cm; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:11.0pt; font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman

Regulation of the Debt Sustainability of the Russian Economy

Science.gov (United States)

Seleznev, Alexander Z.; Chapluk, Vladimir Z.; Sayrenko, Tatiana N.; Sorokina, Larisa N.; Pertovskaya, Maria V.; Alekseenko, Elena A.

2016-01-01

The relevance of the investigating problem is caused by the need to reduce the total aggregated amount of debt in Russian economy in conditions of crisis and the strengthening of external anti-Russian sanctions. In this context, the purpose of this article is to identify measures aimed to regulate debt sustainability of the Russian economy using…

On sustainable development of population and national economy.

Science.gov (United States)

Tian, X

1995-01-01

This article offers a strategy for achieving sustainable development of population and the national economy in China. It is argued that economic growth and population growth must be in balance and coordinated. In 1993 it was estimated that a national economic growth rate of 4.03-4.60% was needed in order to balance the natural population growth rate of 1.15% at the existing standard of living. When the national economy grows faster than population in the life expectancy time period, overpopulation can be checked. Population must be balanced with sufficient means for subsistence. The key measure of sustainable development is the ratio between the size of the working-age population and the means of production. The number of people in the labor force is positively related to fixed assets and negatively related to the labor force's technical equipment. China's problems include weak industrial fixed assets, a surplus labor force, and slow growth in industrial and agricultural productivity. Potential solutions are to shift employment from a cultivation-oriented rural economy to a diversified rural economy, to increase the pace of change to an industrial and commercial economy, and to increase the pace of change to nonmaterial production and to raising employment efficiency. Solutions are dependent upon improvement in the quality of population, which means increased levels of education. China still has 181,610,00 people who are illiterate or semi-illiterate among the working-age population. Sustainable development also relies on active promotion of social support for the elderly by a pension system, family support, and reemployment of the elderly. Surplus labor should be absorbed by the service industry. Population structure and economic development are more advanced in coastal areas that have 41% of total population. Inland areas should develop labor-intensive, technology-intensive, and investment-intensive industries. Northwest areas need an educated population

Sustainability of biomass in a bio-based economy. A quick-scan analysis of the biomass demand of a bio-based economy in 2030 compared to the sustainable supply

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ros, J.; Olivier, J.; Notenboom, J. [Netherlands Environmental Assessment Agency PBL, Bilthoven (Netherlands); Croezen, H.; Bergsma, G. [CE Delft, Delft (Netherlands)

2012-02-15

The conversion of a fossil fuel-based economy into a bio-based economy will probably be restricted in the European Union (EU) by the limited supply of ecologically sustainable biomass. It appears realistic that, for the EU, the sustainable biomass supply will be enough to meet about 10% of the final energy and feedstock consumption in 2030. Under optimistic assumptions, this supply might increase to 20%. EU Member States, in their Renewable Energy Action Plans for 2020, already aim to apply an amount of biomass that already approaches this 10%. Therefore, from a sustainability perspective, there is an urgent need to guarantee ecologically sustainable biomass production. In considering sustainable biomass production, land use is the most critical issue, especially the indirect land-use impacts on greenhouse gas emissions and biodiversity. The use of waste resources and agricultural and forestry residues, that does not involve additional land use, therefore, would be a sustainable option. Technically, it is possible to use these types of resources for most applications in a bio-based economy. However, it seems unlikely that, by 2030, waste and residue resources will contribute more than three to four per cent to the final energy and feedstock consumption in Europe. Moreover, many waste and residue resources currently already have useful applications; for instance, as feed or soil improvers. These are the main findings of a quick-scan analysis carried out by the PBL Netherlands Environmental Assessment Agency and CE Delft on the sustainability of a bio-based economy. Three priorities can be distinguished in the transition to an ecologically sustainable bio-based economy that aims to reduce the consumption of fossil fuels: (1) develop new technologies, procedures and infrastructure to collect or to produce more biomass without using directly or indirectly valuable natural land; (2) develop technologies to produce hydrocarbons from types of biomass that have potentially

[Role of socio-economy and management in sustainable transmission control of schistosomiasis in Taoyuan County, Hunan Province, China].

Science.gov (United States)

Luo, Zhi-Hong; Li, Sheng-Ming; Zhou, Xiao-Nong; Yi, Ping; Ren, Guang-Hui; Franziska, Bieri; Zhao, Zheng-Yuan; Hou, Xun-Ya; Ren, Mao-Yuan; Li, Yi-Yi; Dong, Ru-Lan; Zeng, Jin-Yuan; She, Shu-Ping

2013-02-01

To clarify the role of socio-economy and management in the sustainable schistosomiasis-control in Taoyuan County, an endemic area in hilly region, Hunan Province, China. From 1996 to 2011, the data of socio-economy, the management of schistosomiasis control organizations, environment, and the changes in schistosomiasis prevalence were collected in Taoyuan County where schistosomiasis transmission had been controlled since 2008. A sampling survey of schistosomiasis prevalence of human and bovine was performed in 2011 to verify the current status of schistosomiasis transmission. All the data were analyzed statistically to evaluate the role of socio-economy and management in the sustainable schistosomiasis control. During the period from 1998 to 2012, the socio-economy including the residents' productive mode and daily life in Taoyuan County improved dramatically, but the recurrence risk of schistosomiasis endemic still existed due to the retuning of out-going workers and the migrating population. Moreover, the introduction of exotic species of plants and animals may increase the risk. The low running cost of schistosomiasis control organization as well as the efficient and adequate resource allocation in the county was in line with the national requirement to strengthen the rural grass-roots public health system. The harmonious development of socio-economy and the scientific and efficient health system in Taoyuan County are the key factors for the sustainable transmission control of schistosomiasis.

Bill asserting the national commitment for the environment (declared urgency), text from the commission of economy, sustainable development and town and country planning

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2009-07-01

The bill asserting the French national commitment for the environment (also named 'Grenelle 2') is considered as the juridical tool-box of the French environmental policy. It confirms, strengthens, and concretizes the objectives defined by the Grenelle 1 law. The main dispositions of the bill concern the following domains: settlement and urbanism with the improvement of the energy efficiency, energy conservation and life-cycle of buildings; transports with the development of sustainable transportation systems; energy with the creation of regional climate, air and energy schemes with the aim of developing renewable energies (with some restrictions concerning wind power) and reducing CO 2 emissions; biodiversity with the creation of ecological pathways between protected areas for the migration of flora and fauna species; environment and waste management with the reinforcement of measures for the abatement of environmental pollutant effects. Among the numerous dispositions involving more than 20 codes (urbanism, environment, buildings etc..) one concerns the progressive implementation of a 'carbon price' index taking into account the greenhouse gas emission costs during the whole life cycle of a product, another one concerns the monitoring of indoor air quality in public buildings. This document is the text of the bill as prepared by the Commission of economy, sustainable development and town and country planning. (J.S.)

LINK BETWEEN SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT AND GLOBALIZATION OF CONTEMPORARY ECONOMY

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Adriana Grigorescu

2014-11-01

Full Text Available Sustainable development requires a fundamental change in lifestyle. A fully break detachment by the past requires a major reorientation of public and private behavior and mentality. The challenge lies in linking economic growth with social issues and positioning the environmental degradation. The process of globalization is connected also with environmental degradation, which is now extended as a concept of threat and security, considered individually and in connection. It has already started recognizing new global threats as well as from non -state groups and individuals. The security is being defined to include, among others, the wars between and within states, international organizations of organized crime, nuclear weapons development, poverty, viral diseases, climatic events and environmental degradation. The concerns about the global market and the global environment protection will become more related, through their mutual dependency. The relationship of global economy and environment, from a market perspective, means stimulating economic growth, a process that generates higher revenues, funds and wealth, on one hand and political will to improve environmental conservation and protection, on the other hand. But it could be seen that the developed countries have made the greatest progress in environmental protection, and even so the poor quality of the environment continues to deteriorate. In this context it is important to consider the opinion of experts on the interaction between globalization and sustainable development. The paper aims to present the views of experts from the Regional Agency for Environmental Protection (South Muntenia. The study is an empirical research based on a questionnaire applied to a sample of over 300 subjects. The research aims to set out the existence of the link between sustainable development and globalization, to identify the main advantages and disadvantages of globalization and to prioritize the main

Research on Synchronous Coordination Development of Tourism-Economy-Environment System in Qinghai Section of Silk Road

Science.gov (United States)

Xue, Huaju

2018-01-01

Using coupling theory in physics, the paper analyzed the relationship of coordinated development of tourism-economy-environment system (abbr. TEES) in Qinghai. Results showed the comprehensive evaluation of Qinghai TEES has been improved greatly from 2000 to 2014. However, coupling degree has still been in the running-in stage and coordination degree only arrives at the primary coordination level, the development of economy and tourism has exceeded the threshold of ecological environment after 2008, and the ecological environment has become the bottleneck restricting the further improvement of coupling coordination. In the future, Qinghai must change its mode of development and focus on industrial upgrading and transformation so as to promote the harmonious and sustainable development of TEES in the Silk Road.

ANALYSIS OF BUSINESS ENVIRONMENT USING THE MULTI-CRITERIA APPROACH – CASE OF BALKAN’S TRANSITION ECONOMIES

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Saša Obradović

2012-02-01

Full Text Available Due to the lack of their own financial resources, attracting the foreign direct investment (FDI isthe main prerequisite for transitional economies in order to increase production and employment, sothat they can ensure the long term sustainable economic growth. In addition, the foreign directinvestment is an important instrument for the economy restructuring, based on market principles.However, achieving this goal is not simple at all. In order to attract foreign investors, it is necessaryto create a favorable business environment in transition countries, which requires a number ofeconomic, institutional, political and other reforms. The aim of this paper is to point out the mainfactors attracting foreign direct investment and, by using the multi-criteria approach, to rank theBalkan’s transition economies depending on the preferences of investors taking into account certaincomponents of the business environment.

Environment: sustainable development: the pressure on the enterprises increases; Environnement: developpement durable: la pression sur les entreprises s'accentue

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Gadhoum, F.

2002-07-01

In the domain of the environment and also the economy and the social aspects, the sustainable development concept put forward the enterprises liabilities. Some examples of industrial policies are presented. The standards allowing the control of the sustainable development respect, in the domain of the environment are also discussed. (A.L.B.)

CIRCULAR ECONOMY AND SUSTAINABLE RURAL DEVELOPMENT. THEORY AND BEST PRACTICE: A CHALLENGE FOR ROMANIA

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ADRIANO CIANI

2016-12-01

Full Text Available The implementation of the Sustainable Development Strategy through the Sustainable Development Goals 2015-2030 needs take into consideration the EU’ package from December 2015 concerning the achievement of the Circular Economy under the vision of the 3R - Recycle, Reuse, Reduce. The concept of Circular Economy has started to develop in response to the crisis of the traditional model and the need to deal with limited resources. A key role in the pursuit and implementation of circular economy is taken by investments in innovation and technologies that enhance the scraps of industrial and / or agricultural sectors. This can lead not only to a reduction of waste and hence environmental impacts but also in net savings for businesses of up to 604 billion Euros throughout the European Union, in line with the global framework (Sustainable Development Goals 2015 -2030. The paper try to demonstrate through an inductive model, several tables, figures and our analysis that the success of the Strategy of Sustainable Development depend, in the next years, by the application of the best practices of the Circular Economy.

Sustainable Development Strategy for Russian Mineral Resources Extracting Economy

Science.gov (United States)

Dotsenko, Elena; Ezdina, Natalya; Prilepskaya, Angelina; Pivnyk, Kirill

2017-11-01

The immaturity of strategic and conceptual documents in the sphere of sustainable development of the Russian economy had a negative impact on long-term strategic forecasting of its neo-industrialization. At the present stage, the problems of overcoming the mineral and raw material dependence, the negative structural shift of the Russian economy, the acceleration of the rates of economic growth, the reduction of technological gap from the developed countries become strategically in demand. The modern structure of the Russian economy, developed within the framework of the proposed market model, does not generate a sustainable type of development. It became obvious that in conditions of the market processes' entropy, without neo-industrial changes, the reconstruction of industry on a new convergence-technological basis and without increasing the share of high technology production the instability of macroeconomic system, the risks of environmental and economic security of Russia are growing. Therefore, today we need a transition from forming one industry development strategy to the national one that will take into account both the social and economic and environmental challenges facing Russia as a mineral resources extracting country.

IoT Architecture for a Sustainable Tourism Application in a Smart City Environment

OpenAIRE

Nitti, Michele; Pilloni, Virginia; Giusto, Daniele; Popescu, Vlad

2017-01-01

In the past few years, the Smart Cities concept has become one of the main driving forces for the urban transition towards a low carbon environment, sustainable economy, and mobility. Tourism, as one of the fastest growing industries, is also an important generator of carbon emissions; therefore, the recently emerging sustainable tourism concept is envisioned as an important part of the Smart Cities paradigm. Within this context, the Internet-of-Things (IoT) concept is the key technological p...

Dynamic assessment of urban economy-environment-energy system using system dynamics model: A case study in Beijing.

Science.gov (United States)

Wu, Desheng; Ning, Shuang

2018-07-01

Economic development, accompanying with environmental damage and energy depletion, becomes essential nowadays. There is a complicated and comprehensive interaction between economics, environment and energy. Understanding the operating mechanism of Energy-Environment-Economy model (3E) and its key factors is the inherent part in dealing with the issue. In this paper, we combine System Dynamics model and Geographic Information System to analyze the energy-environment-economy (3E) system both temporally and spatially, which explicitly explore the interaction of economics, energy, and environment and effects of the key influencing factors. Beijing is selected as a case study to verify our SD-GIS model. Alternative scenarios, e.g., current, technology, energy and environment scenarios are explored and compared. Simulation results shows that, current scenario is not sustainable; technology scenario is applicable to economic growth; environment scenario maintains a balanced path of development for long term stability. Policy-making insights are given based on our results and analysis. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Can the social market economy be a viable solution for a future sustainable development of the Romanian economy?

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Strat Vasile Alecsandru

2017-07-01

Full Text Available Social market economy (SME is a socio-economic model which attempts to unite the freedom of a competitive market economy with social equilibrium and progress. It is seen as a “third path” besides a purely liberal market economy and an economy which is heavily regulated by the state – in the SME there is an intermediate degree of regulation. Historically, the model corresponds to the real economic policy of the German Federal Republic after the 1950s, thus it is sometimes called Rhine capitalism. According to the Treaty of Lisbon from 2007, the European Union pursues a competitive social market economy with full employment and social progress. On one hand, this model wishes to exploit the advantages of a free market economy, especially its high efficiency in the production of goods, while on the other hand it uses state intervention to correct for potential negative outcomes from market processes. Further characteristics of this model are: ensuring competition, free price formation, private property, motivating performance through profit aspirations as well as guarding personal freedoms. Last but not least, this model encompasses a strong structural policy by encouraging weaker geographical regions or industries. Therefore, it is highly probable that such a socio-economic model might be the appropriate alternative to fuel a sustainable growth of the Romanian economy. Using county level data, from the National Institute of Statistics and from the National Office of the Trade Register, for the year 2015 we show that the Romanian economy is highly polarized with a few growth poles (islands and a large number of underdeveloped units. Thus, it becomes obvious that these important disparities will hinder a future sustainable development and by consequence a clear “road-map” represented by this economic model might prove to be a viable solution for the Romanian economy.

A SIMPLE ASSESSMENT OF FISCAL SUSTAINABILITY FOR THE ROMANIAN ECONOMY

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ALEXANDRU LEONTE

2011-04-01

Full Text Available The financial crisis has seriously impacted the economies around the world, emerging and developed alike. With interest rates at historical low levels, constrained in many cases by the zero lower bound, the emphasis is put on fiscal policy to restore the economies on the path of sustainable growth. This paper attempts to shed light on the issue of fiscal sustainability of the Romanian economy, by checking if the intertemporal fiscal constraint of the government is respected. According to the constraint, the current value of debt equals the sum of the discounted values of future government surpluses, which means that the government is not financing itself through a Ponzi scheme. I build on the econometric approach used in papers such as Hamilton and Flavin (1986, Hakkio and Rush (1991, Quintos (1995, Santos Bravo and Silvestre (2002, Bohn (2007. More specifically, I focus on the time series properties of government debt, revenue and expenditure, determining: i the order of integration for the government debt series; ii whether or not government revenue and expenditure are cointegrated. Thus I am able to evaluate the strength of the fiscal position of the Romanian economy and to see the impact of the financial crisis on this position.

Competitive dynamics of energy, environment, and economy in the U.S

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pao, Hsiao-Tien; Chen, Haipeng; Li, Yi-Ying

2015-01-01

This paper applies the Lotka–Volterra model to investigate the competitive interactions among energy, environment, and economy (3Es) in the U.S. The proposed LV-COMSUD (Lotka–Volterra COmpetition Model for SUstainable Development) has satisfactory performance for model fitting and provides a useful multivariate framework to predict outcomes concerning these interactions. Our key findings include a pure competition between emissions and GDP (Gross Domestic Product), neutralisms between renewable and fossil/nuclear energy, and commensalisms between GDP and renewable/fossil energy and between nuclear energy and fossil energy/emissions. These results indicate that renewable/fossil energy use contributes to GDP and interacts indirectly with emissions, that an environmental Kuznets curve exists, and that the amount of produced nuclear energy correlates with emission. The U.S. is dependent on non-clean energy sources and its energy efficiency has room for improvement. The results provide unique insights for policy makers to craft up sustainable economic development plans. Overall, it is suggested that for developed markets such as the U.S., to enhance energy security and mitigate climate changes, improving energy efficiency and developing low-carbon clean energy should be top priorities. - Highlights: • The competitive interactions among energy, environment, and economy are examined. • A pure competition between emissions and GDP exists and an EKC exists. • Energy use contributes to GDP and interacts indirectly with emissions. • Nuclear energy was used to tackle the growth of emissions/fossil energy use. • Improved energy efficiency is a viable policy to enhance energy security in U.S

[Health and the green economy: challenges for sustainable development and the eradication of poverty].

Science.gov (United States)

Gallo, Edmundo; Setti, Andréia Faraoni Freitas; Magalhães, Danielly de Paiva; Machado, Jorge Mesquita Huet; Buss, Daniel Forsin; Franco Netto, Francisco de Abreu; Buss, Paulo Marchiori

2012-06-01

In a scenario where ecosystemic services are being eroded and there is high social inequity, a new model of development is necessary, namely one capable of promoting social development with a reduction of its ecological footprint. The 'Green Economy' model is one of the proposed models. This paper seeks to analyze the environmental, social and individual impacts on human health in the context of a 'brown economy', and discusses the contributions of a green economy on the promotion of equity and health. The assumption is that economic development and environmental sustainability are not incompatible and both contribute to the eradication of poverty. The transition to a sustainable economy depends on political decisions, and transcends technological developments. Above all, it should instigate new models of production, consumption and social organization, which promote socio-environmental justice, encouraging social participation and democratic forms of governance to define a solid agenda for the implementation of sustainable development and mechanisms to implement them at all levels.

ENTREPRENEURSHIP EDUCATION AND THE ECONOMY VICIOUS CIRCLES

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

MEDAR LUCIAN ION

2015-06-01

Full Text Available Education for sustainable development, involves training honest, active, social and creative persons for ensuring the link between environment, society, economy and politics. Trained entrepreneurs in sustainable development, are the engine system which can bring an economic prosperity. Lack of entrepreneurial education in the last 25 years has led accentuated conditions to avoiding economic development in all reference fields where added value can be achieved. Running away from excessive taxation led to the establishment of vicious circles in the economy. Vicious circles of the economy can be found in saving, tax policy, productive investment and the informal economy. Through this study will present the importance of entrepreneurship education in the real economy and some specifications to exit entrepreneurs from vicious circles of the economy.

National Round Table on the Environment and the Economy : Greening of the budget submission : Budget recommendations 2003

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2003-01-01

The mandate of the National Round Table on the Environment and the Economy is to act as a catalyst to identify, explain and promote principles and practices of sustainable development in all sectors of Canadian society. This annual set of recommendations outlining ways in which the Federal Government can better integrate economic, social, and environmental considerations into its annual budget is the result of multi-stakeholder processes involving industry, Aboriginals, environmental interest groups and others. The focus of this year's recommendations is in ensuring a more fully balanced budget that achieves an equilibrium between economic, environmental, and societal objectives. The 34 recommendations included in the report touched upon the following areas: sustainable urban communities; brownfield redevelopment; sustainability opportunities for Northern Aboriginal communities; environment and human health; conserving Canada's natural heritage; and building Canada's knowledge base and sustainable development capacity. A summary of recommended measures was provided in appendix A. tabs

FROM CIRCULAR ECONOMY TO BLUE ECONOMY

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Iustin-Emanuel, ALEXANDRU

2014-11-01

Full Text Available Addressing the subject of this essay is based on the background ideas generated by a new branch of science - Biomimicry. According to European Commissioner for the Environment, "Nature is the perfect model of circular economy". Therefore, by imitating nature, we are witnessing a process of cycle redesign: production-consumption-recycling. The authors present some reflections on the European Commission's decision to adopt after July 1, 2014 new measures concerning the development of more circular economies. Starting from the principles of Ecolonomy, which is based on the whole living paradigm, this paper argues for the development within each economy of entrepreneurial policies related to the Blue economy. In its turn, Blue economy is based on scientific analyses that identify the best solutions in a business. Thus, formation of social capital will lead to healthier and cheaper products, which will stimulate entrepreneurship. Blue economy is another way of thinking economic practice and is a new model of business design. It is a healthy, sustainable business, designed for people. In fact, it is the core of the whole living paradigm through which, towards 2020, circular economy will grow more and more.

Transition management and the sustainable nutrients economy in the Netherlands: positioning paper

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Hoppe, Thomas; Arentsen, Maarten J.; Mikkila, M.; Linnanen, L.

2012-01-01

In this positioning paper transition management (TM) and the sustainable nutrient economy are addressed. We discuss TM from its scholarly origins in the 1990’s to its implementation as a comprehensive sector-wide policy program on sustainability in The Netherlands during the first decade of the

National Round Table on the Environment and the Economy : Greening of the budget submission : Budget recommendations 2003

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

2003-07-01

The mandate of the National Round Table on the Environment and the Economy is to act as a catalyst to identify, explain and promote principles and practices of sustainable development in all sectors of Canadian society. This annual set of recommendations outlining ways in which the Federal Government can better integrate economic, social, and environmental considerations into its annual budget is the result of multi-stakeholder processes involving industry, Aboriginals, environmental interest groups and others. The focus of this year's recommendations is in ensuring a more fully balanced budget that achieves an equilibrium between economic, environmental, and societal objectives. The 34 recommendations included in the report touched upon the following areas: sustainable urban communities; brownfield redevelopment; sustainability opportunities for Northern Aboriginal communities; environment and human health; conserving Canada's natural heritage; and building Canada's knowledge base and sustainable development capacity. A summary of recommended measures was provided in appendix A. tabs.

Why Do People Consume and Provide Sharing Economy Accommodation?—A Sustainability Perspective

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Eunsuk Sung

2018-06-01

Full Text Available In the platform-based sharing economy service, the consumer using the service and the service provider providing the service form a two-sided market around the platform. In the two-sided market, service users and service providers interact across the platform, and the value of the platform increases with the size of the network. This study aims to study the virtuous circulation of consumption and production for sustainability of sharing economy. For this purpose, several hypotheses were established based on the literature and are tested with survey data of both consumer and service provider of Airbnb. Structural equation modeling is used to analyze whether the consumer acceptance intention model and the supplier acceptance intention model can be linked through the concept of network effect, which is a major characteristic of the sharing economy service platform. The research results are expected to contribute to development of a sustainable sharing economy model.

THE ROLE OF THE BANKING SYSTEM IN THE SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT OF THE ECONOMY

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

IMOLA DRIGĂ

2006-12-01

Full Text Available The efficiency of the banking system and financial markets represents a determinant factor for sustainable development. Thus, banks are essential for any modern economy, not only because of their turnovers but also because they provide a number of important functions for the national economy, being the main financier.

Quantifying the Economy-Environment Interactions in Tourism: Case of Gansu Province, China

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Chenyu Lu

2018-03-01

Full Text Available Together, the regional economy, tourism industry, and ecological environment form mutually interactive and interdependent relationships. Therefore, a better understanding of their evolutionary relationships could help reveal the spatial-temporal evolution patterns of their coordinated development and promote a successful implementation of strategies for regional sustainable development. By choosing the 14 cities (12 cities and 2 city-level prefectures in Gansu Province as cases, this study establishes the respective evaluation indices for assessing the coordinated developmental level of the tourism system. With a combination of varying quantitative methods including order parameter analysis, fuzzy membership classification, regression analysis and gray correlation analysis, measurement models for assessing the coordinated developmental level and analyzing the associated spatial-temporal evolution patterns are established between 2000 and 2016. The conclusions are as follows. Between 2000 and 2016, the development of the regional economy, tourism industry, and ecological environment mutually reinforced one another in Gansu Province. Overall, the coordinated developmental level kept gradually improving over time. However, the development of the ecological environment lagged behind that of the tourism industry and economic growth, and synchronous and coordinated development among these three subsystems was not achieved. The overall level of coordination among 14 cities was also gradually improved, as manifested by the good level of coordinated development. However, spatial differences still existed.

Are Green Jobs Sustainable for Sri Lankan Economy?

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M. Jayaweera

2012-10-01

Full Text Available It is imperative that Sri Lanka grasps the concepts of green jobs to meet the most vital but intricatechallenge of the 21st Century, which is the transformation to a sustainable and a low-carbon economy.Such a transformation or a paradigm shift, which can be gradual or rapid depending on the circumstances,will undoubtedly have a considerable positive effect on the way we produce and/or consume goods andservices. The speed at which this transformation would occur is likely to accelerate in the near future asthere is a trend of global transition from a traditional to a low-carbon economy, in order to attainsustainable economies. Such trends will help create an array of different forms of green jobs across manysectors, and most probably can become a catalyst for further development. The International LabourOrganization (ILO has defined green jobs as “Jobs created when they help in reducing the negativeenvironmental impacts ultimately leading to environmentally, economically and socially sustainableenterprises and economies”. Green jobs, in general, stand on two pillars: decent work and environmentalsustainability. Thus, green jobs can be defined as decent work that contributes to environmentalsustainability. In a broader sense decent work needs to address the core of international labour standardssuch as freedom of association and effective recognition of the right to collective bargaining, eliminationof all forms of forced or compulsory labour, effective abolition of child labour, elimination ofdiscrimination in respect of employment and occupation, occupational health and safety, etc. whilstaligning to laws applicable to Sri Lanka. Environmental sustainability addresses issues such as effectivelycombating climate change, pollution prevention and control, conservation of eco-systems and biodiversityetc. (ILO, 2007.

HUMAN CAPITAL IN ECO-ECONOMY AND SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT OF ROMANIA

OpenAIRE

Ion PETRESCU

2013-01-01

The current modern civilization and, in this context, the Romanian one, faces a great challenge in finding the most effective and practical methods of implying the human capital in the process of ensuring the eco-economic progress and the sustainable development one in which people to live in communion with nature. In our communication we aim to analyze issues related to human capital involvement in eco-economy and sustainable development of Romania, based on the assessment of the impact of t...

KNOWLEDGE ECONOMY AS AN INITIATOR OF SUSTAINABLE URBANISM IN EMERGING METROPOLISES: THE CASE OF DOHA, QATAR

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ashraf M. Salama

2016-04-01

Full Text Available This paper is a comprehensive coverage of a research project of the National Priority Research Program of the Qatar National Research Fund, entitled ‘Investigating the Qualities of the Urban Environment in Emerging Regional Metropolises’, and carried out between 2011 and 2014 through the joint collaboration of Qatar University and Technische Universität München. Through the shift of global economic forces Gulf cities, such as Qatar’s capital Doha, are developed as central hubs between developed economies in the West and the rising economies of Asia. In the context of international competition between cities new challenges are emerging where cities need to find ways to sustain and extend their position in a globalizing world. Therefore the research process placed emphasis on the complex interrelationship of knowledge economies and spatial developments in the Gulf region. The work is premised on the assumption that non-physical economic aspects and the qualities of the urban environment are interdependent. It analyses the qualities of the urban environment of Doha as an important regional metropolis through a comprehensive investigation utilizing a set of interdisciplinary research methods that include analysis of historic documents, Delphi interview series, company network analysis, GIS analysis, cognitive mapping, behavioural studies, media surveys, attitude surveys, and space syntax analysis. The outcomes promise important results regarding urban qualities in the city of Doha culminating into various recommendations aimed at potential beneficiaries including public sector organizations, private sector and real estate development companies, and academia.

Sustainable development. First part

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Colombo, U.; Lanzavecchia, G.; Berrini, M; Zambrini, M.; Bologna, G.; Carraro, C.; Hinterberger, F.; Mastino, G.; Federico, A.; Gaudioso, D.; Luise, A.; Mauro, F.; Padovani, L.; Federico, A.

1998-01-01

This paper summarizes a collective effort and represents the second edition of: Environment, energy, economy: a sustainable future. In this work are reported various interventions on sustainable development problem [it

The Institutions of «Green Economy» for Sustainable Development of Agrarian Sector: Theoretical Dimension

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Khodakivska Olga V.

2017-07-01

Full Text Available The article is aimed at substantiating the conceptual foundations and theoretical positions of the place and role of institutions in formation of the «green economy» in the context of implementation of the principles for sustainable development of agrarian sector. The article reflects the main scientific concepts that are directed to address the problems of environmentally oriented development, in particular the concepts of ecotopia, anthropocentrism, ecocentrism, biocentrism, and the concept of sustainable development. It has been found that the conceptual foundations for sustainable development include ecologization of economy, humanization of production, introducing a system of principled approaches to public affairs. The general provisions of formation of «green economy» have been characterized and its key principles have been provided. The role and value of institutions in the organizational provision of the sustainable development of agrarian sector, which, in the organizational-economic, coordinating and enabling aspects are the key driver for harmonization of the interaction of all participants in economic relations, have been substantiated.

E3: Economy - Energy - Environment; Supporting Manufacturing Leadership through Sustainability

Data.gov (United States)

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency — The E3 initiative is designed to help you thrive in a new business era focused on sustainability and, working together, to promote sustainable manufacturing and...

Transition to a green economy – a challenge and a solution for the world economy in multiple crisis context

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Alina-Mihaela BABONEA

2012-10-01

Full Text Available The concept of "Green Economy" is heavily debated recently because it is considered to be essential for the future global economy. This concept aims to find practical solutions that can be applied in international affairs regarding the environment development as a result of the massive problems caused by multiple crises that are no longer solvable. However, the international community is looking for long-term alternatives to improve the quality of life and eliminate poverty population as much as possible.To make sustainable economic development requires a transition with multiple implications for both the government and the private sector. In other words, you need a joint effort between public and private, in order to separate economic growth from excessive use of resources; the main objective should be considered the quality of life along with reducing the environmental and social deficit.The transition to a "Green Economy" means practicing a certain type of economy based on policies and investment that should be able to create a connection between economic development, biodiversity, ecosystem, climate change, health and welfare on the medium and long term. These premises must be connected together to achieve sustainable development – which is considered the resumption of economic growth at global scale.Switching to "Green Economy" implies a proper concern based on adequate knowledge, research and innovation in order to create a framework for promoting sustainable development on long term. This study aims to generate an overview on the concept of "Green Economy", considered by some experts as the main solution to the problems that countries of the world are facing nowadays. It is well known that the economic system is situated in a collapse and requires a rethinking from all points of view. A solution to adapt the economy and its development to these new global challenges can be the transition to "Green Economy", especially by integrating the

Progress in integrated energy-economy-environment model system development

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yasukawa, Shigeru; Mankin, Shuichi; Sato, Osamu; Tadokoro, Yoshihiro; Nakano, Yasuyuki; Nagano, Takao

1987-11-01

The Integrated Energy-Economy-Environment Model System has been developed for providing analytical tools for the system analysis and technology assessments in the field of nuclear research and development. This model system consists of the following four model groups. The first model block installs 5 models and can serve to analyze and generate long-term scenarios on economy-energy-environment evolution. The second model block installs 2 models and can serve to analyze the structural transition phenomena in energy-economy-environment interactions. The third model block installs 2 models and can handle power reactor installation strategy problem and long-term fuel cycle analysis. The fourth model block installs 5 models and codes and can treats cost-benefit-risk analysis and assessments. This report describes mainly the progress and the outlines of application of the model system in these years after the first report on the research and development of the model system (JAERI-M 84 - 139). (author)

Democratizing Rural Economy: Institutional Friction, Sustainable Struggle and the Cooperative Movement

Science.gov (United States)

Mooney, Patrick H.

2004-01-01

Sustainable development demands institutions manage the conflicts and struggles that inevitably arise over material and ideal interests. While current cooperative theory privileges the economic element, a political economy of cooperation emphasizes cooperatives' tentative bridging of economic and political spheres with a democratic ethos. The…

Attitudes toward Sustainability and Green Economy Issues Related to Some Students Learning Their Characteristics: A Preliminary Study

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Andrea Micangeli

2014-05-01

Full Text Available The present paper proposes and describes a new method, called L2A (listen-to-apprise, conceived of in order to improve the commitment of all the participants involved in an educational process specifically dedicated to sustainability and the green economy. The first stage consists in listening to the students and, when possible, in listening to the environment, the people, and the territory, while, in the second stage, the acquired information is used to exploit everyone’s talents and to achieve the maximum advantage and satisfaction for all. The first phase of L2A is mainly dedicated to listening to the students via the submission of an on-line questionnaire that measures their learning preferences, self-efficacy and sensitivity to the themes of sustainability and the green economy. The investigation has been extended from Italy to Honduras, where the authors are involved in the development of major projects concerning sustainability. The results of the survey have been analyzed by means of standard significance and correlation analysis, and therefore, significant differences among the groups and correlations within each group have been detected. The results have been discussed in order to explain how the L2A method works and how useful and powerful a tool it could be to improve teaching, learning and practical activities.

Learning for a Sustainable Economy: Teaching of Green Competencies in the University

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mª Ángeles Murga-Menoyo

2014-05-01

Full Text Available This paper looks at universities as training centers for a sustainable economy. Their remit is to promote the required competencies to achieve that aim, including competencies in sustainability. This article describes the role that the universities in Spain are fulfilling with respect to these issues and presents a training proposal that comprises four key competencies in sustainability with their corresponding performance indicators that permit the evaluation of different levels of achievement in training processes. These competencies must embrace their formative role not only with regard to future graduates who will be employed in “green jobs” per se, but also with regard to those alumni who will work in all the other productive sectors, in addition to all citizens directly and indirectly involved in the wider economy as consumers, producers and (direct or indirect recipients of its effects. The proposal is based on the recommendations of the Conferencia de Rectores de Universidades Españolas (CRUE: Conference of Chancellors of Spanish Universities, and can be adapted to the teaching programs of different subjects in order to facilitate the training necessary in general competencies of sustainability within the ambit of the subjects taught. Furthermore, this proposal follows the institutional strategy of CRUE to promote curricula sustainability through the inclusion of the principles and values of sustainable development in every degree and educational program taught. This proposal could also be applied to other cultural contexts with similar characteristics.

Waste Biorefinery: A New Paradigm for a Sustainable Bioelectro Economy.

Science.gov (United States)

Mohan, S Venkata; Butti, Sai Kishore; Amulya, K; Dahiya, Shikha; Modestra, J Annie

2016-11-01

A waste biorefinery is a means to valorize waste as a renewable feedstock to recover biobased materials and energy through sustainable biotechnology. This approach holistically integrates remediation and resource recovery. Here we discuss the various technologies employable to construct a waste biorefinery platform and its place in a biobased economy. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

An energy-economy-environment model for simulating the impacts of socioeconomic development on energy and environment.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Wenyi; Zeng, Weihua; Yao, Bo

2014-01-01

Many rapidly developing regions have begun to draw the attention of the world. Meanwhile, the energy and environmental issues associated with rapid economic growth have aroused widespread critical concern. Therefore, studying energy, economic, and environmental systems is of great importance. This study establishes a system dynamic model that covers multiple aspects of those systems, such as energy, economy, population, water pollution, air pollution, solid waste, and technology. The model designed here attempts to determine the impacts of socioeconomic development on the energy and environment of Tongzhou District in three scenarios: under current, planning, and sustainable conditions. The results reveal that energy shortages and water pollutions are very serious and are the key issues constraining future social and economic development. Solid waste emissions increase with population growth. The prediction results provide valuable insights into social advancement.

IoT Architecture for a Sustainable Tourism Application in a Smart City Environment

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Michele Nitti

2017-01-01

Full Text Available In the past few years, the Smart Cities concept has become one of the main driving forces for the urban transition towards a low carbon environment, sustainable economy, and mobility. Tourism, as one of the fastest growing industries, is also an important generator of carbon emissions; therefore, the recently emerging sustainable tourism concept is envisioned as an important part of the Smart Cities paradigm. Within this context, the Internet-of-Things (IoT concept is the key technological point for the development of smart urban environments through the use of aggregated data, integrated in a single decisional platform. This paper performs the first analysis on the feasibility of the use of an IoT approach and proposes a specific architecture for a sustainable tourism application. The architecture is tailored for the optimisation of the movement of cruise ship tourists in the city of Cagliari (Italy, by taking into consideration factors such as transport information and queue waiting times. A first set of simulations is performed using 67-point of interest, real transportation data, and an optimisation algorithm.

Solar Power Generation for ICT and Sustainable Development in Emerging Economies

Science.gov (United States)

Paul, Damasen I.; Uhomoibhi, James

2012-01-01

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to systematically examine and draw attention to the potential benefits of solar power generation for access to and use of information and communication technologies (ICT) aimed at sustainable development in emerging economies. Design/methodology/approach: Electricity plays a crucial role in the development and…

HAS THE INFORMATION SOCIETY SUCCEEDED TO IMPROVE THE COMPETITIVENESS OF EUROPEAN SUSTAINABLE TOURISM ECONOMY?

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

GHITA Simona

2015-06-01

Full Text Available Europe represents one of the most significant tourism destinations in the world, but, nowadays, it is more and more important the issue of adapting the tourism demand and supply to the need of sustainability. Information Technologies can help to increase the competitiveness of the tourism industry, creating a bridge between tourism supply and demand. According to the figures presented by the UNWTO, the growth rate of international tourist arrivals in 2013 compared to 2012 was of 5% (meaning 52 million international tourists arrivals, reaching 1,09 billion arrivals in 2013. The highest absolute growth was experienced by Europe (29 million arrivals in 2013, while the highest relative growth was registered in Asia and the Pacific (6%. The average international tourist receipt exceeded US$700 per person, while total tourists’ expenditures leveled more than $1,4 trillion. Tourism sector, including the related industries, contributed in 2013 by 9,5% to the total global Gross Domestic Product (GDP and created approximately 10% of the jobs worldwide. In Romania the ascending trend of tourists’ arrivals in accommodation establishments was interrupted by decreases in 2009 and 2010, due to the global economic-financial crisis. The indicator “Nights spent at tourist accommodation establishments by residents” experienced a similar evolution. Revenues from tourism and its contribution to GDP can be improved through the usage of information technology services. The present paper gives a possible answer to the following questions: can Information Society improve the competitiveness of European Sustainable Tourism Economy? Are there evidences of the impact of modern informational technologies on trends in sustainable tourism economy? In the analysis, the author used EUROSTAT data for European countries, 2000-2013 time-series. Statistical indicators used in the analysis are grouped by three areas of interest: Tourism Area (Arrivals of residents

Bohunice NPPs - Part of the Slovak's economy (sustainable) development

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dobak, Dobroslav

2001-01-01

Of the total consumption of electricity in Slovakia, 42% was generated in nuclear power plant units in 1999. Slovakia operates 6 units with a WWER 440 nuclear reactors, 4 of them are at Bohunice site and 2 at Mochovce. The Nuclear Regulatory Authority of SR is not the only regulatory body controlling nuclear activity. Both - the system of nuclear activities regulation in Slovakia as well as the approach to Nuclear Safety enhancement of the operator were positively judged by IAEA and WENRA. In 1993 -Slovakia has accepted the commitments of the UN Convention on Climate Changes, including a reduction of greenhouse gases to 1990 levels by the year 2000. Moreover, as an internal target Slovakia has set the reaching of the ,'Toronto Objective', i.e. 20% reduction in CO x emissions through the year 2005 as compared to 1988. Taking into account the actual situation as well as natural conditions for some renewable sources utilisation, the target won't be reached without nuclear energy. The nuclear energy is free of emissions, does not burn oxygen, and with the share of production in Slovakia will remain significant contributor. To the environment protection it contributes also by replacing fossil heat plants with heat delivery for the region. In case of radiological wastes the environment protection is ensured by very strict system of control, evidence, treatment and repository. To conclude, Bohunice NPPs were, are and will remain very important part of the Slovak's economy, creating conditions for its (sustainable) development

Principles of Sustainable Economy: An Anthropologist’s Perspective

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Thomas Reuter

2017-06-01

Full Text Available Contemporary economies must undergo a transformation to sustainability if we are to avoid a descent into ecological and socio-political crises of ever escalating severity. In order to achieve such a major reform, principles consistent with sustainable ecosystems and social systems need to be identified and applied systematically. What are these principles in their most fundamental form, how can they become widely accepted, and how can they be applied? To answer these three questions, this article draws on the cumulative insights of anthropology, a bridging science dedicated to the holistic study of humanity across the entire span of our evolutionary development (physical anthropology and across the full breadth of its cross-cultural diversity (cultural anthropology.* This broad and longitudinal anthropological understanding of human societies will be compared with what we now understand about the characteristics of ecosystem, primarily to show that they are fundamentally similar. An alternative cultural outlook and political procedure is then proposed that—if adopted—would deliver a shared global vision for a socially and ecologically sustainable future and lay firm pathways toward that future in the now.

An Energy-Economy-Environment Model for Simulating the Impacts of Socioeconomic Development on Energy and Environment

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Wenyi Wang

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Many rapidly developing regions have begun to draw the attention of the world. Meanwhile, the energy and environmental issues associated with rapid economic growth have aroused widespread critical concern. Therefore, studying energy, economic, and environmental systems is of great importance. This study establishes a system dynamic model that covers multiple aspects of those systems, such as energy, economy, population, water pollution, air pollution, solid waste, and technology. The model designed here attempts to determine the impacts of socioeconomic development on the energy and environment of Tongzhou District in three scenarios: under current, planning, and sustainable conditions. The results reveal that energy shortages and water pollutions are very serious and are the key issues constraining future social and economic development. Solid waste emissions increase with population growth. The prediction results provide valuable insights into social advancement.

Sustainable degrowth through more amateur economy

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Nørgaard, Jørgen

2010-01-01

(back) from the prof. economy to the amateur economy will be less productive than the prof. economy in terms of output per man hour, but often more 'productive' in generating satisfaction and happiness in the process. Such a shift can create more ultimate benefit (happiness), but less product output......By a simple descriptive model is illustrated how the role of labor input tothe economy will have to revised in a degrowth economy. A destinction is made btween the Professional (GDP) economy, driven by money, and the Amateur economy (voluntary) driven by love. Shifting some economic activities...

[Spatial and temporal evolution of the ecological environment and economy coordinated development in Hebei Province, China.

Science.gov (United States)

Kong, Wei; Ren, Liang; Wang, Shu Jia; Liu, Yu Feng

2016-09-01

Based on the constructed evaluation index system of ecological environment and economy coordinated development in Hebei Province, accompanied by introducing the Coupling Degree Mo-del, the paper estimated the ecological environment comprehensive index, the economic comprehensive index and the coupling degree of ecological environment and economy coordinated development of Hebei Province from 2000 to 2014 and 11 cities in 4 years (2000, 2006, 2010, 2014). The results showed that during the study period, the level of the coordinated development of the eco-logical environment and economy in Hebei Province had been increasing, from the brink of a recession to the well coordinated development, which had gone through 3 evident stages. The coordinating degree of ecological environment and economy of the 11 cities increased year by year, and pre-sented significant difference in spatial distribution. Through analyzing the spatial and temporal evolution mechanism of the ecological environment and economy coordinated development in Hebei Province, the policy, economy, industry and location were the key contributing factors, accordingly, suggestions on the further coordinated development of ecological environment and economy in Hebei Province were proposed.

Building Sustainable Smallholder Cooperatives in Emerging Market Economies: Findings from a Five-Year Project in Kenya

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John E. Meador

2016-07-01

Full Text Available A comparative study of two smallholder dairy cooperatives in Kenya examines the question: what factors are conducive to producing sustainable smallholder cooperatives that can gain entry into the vertical value chain in liberalized post-colonial economies? The relative weight of income advantage; selective individual incentives and, social capital on maintaining member patronage are assessed within variable environmental constraints and opportunities facing different cooperatives. The methodology includes case study observation of the cooperatives during a five-year period, as well as sample surveys of members and non-members that include indicators of dairy income; reasons why farmers elect to join or not join the cooperative; and assessments of the importance of different services provided by the cooperative. The findings show how the relative weight of specific incentives for cooperative membership can vary from one environment to another within the same nation. The most important finding is that maintaining sustainable smallholder cooperatives within an increasingly competitive environment depends on the ability of managers to create business strategies that are compatible with the cooperative’s environmental constraints but, at the same time, incentivize members’ patronage.

TOPICAL ISSUES OF DIVERSIFIED POLICY AND SUSTAINABLE ECONOMY OF AZERBAIJAN

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M. Y. Guliyev

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Abstract. It is revealed that the sharp drop in oil prices demonstrated the existing problems in oil-producing countries and created a situation of weakening the economic stability of the Republic of Azerbaijan. It is established that sustainability of economy is the modern challenge for oil-producing countries of the CIS. The results of the analysis of the macroeconomic situation in the Republic of Azerbaijan on the basis of which it is confirmed that Russia is the largest trade and economic partner of Azerbaijan are given. It is proved that a diversified economy has the highest degree of stability, which is why diversification is today one of the main directions of economic policy of Azerbaijan. It is proved that industrial policy and import substitution should be adequate to global challenges.In order to increase the export potential of Azerbaijan, growth of production of competitive import-substituting products, attraction of foreign investment suggested the formation of technology parks and industrial districts based on new technology using incentives of supply, demand and market promotion of products of highest priority from the point of view of ensuring economic stability of the industries. To implement the specific strategic goals for sustainable development the use of mechanism of project financing is proposed. 

Design and management of sustainable built environments

CERN Document Server

2013-01-01

Climate change is believed to be a great challenge to built environment professionals in design and management. An integrated approach in delivering a sustainable built environment is desired by the built environment professional institutions. The aim of this book is to provide an advanced understanding of the key subjects required for the design and management of modern built environments to meet carbon emission reduction targets. In Design and Management of Sustainable Built Environments, an international group of experts provide comprehensive and the most up-to-date knowledge, covering sustainable urban and building design, management and assessment. The best practice case studies of the implementation of sustainable technology and management from the BRE Innovation Park are included. Design and Management of Sustainable Built Environments will be of interest to urban and building designers, environmental engineers, and building performance assessors.  It will be particularly useful as a reference book ...

On the boundary between economy and environment in life cycle assessment

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Weidema, Bo Pedersen; Schmidt, Jannick; Fantke, Peter

2017-01-01

computational structure is backwards compatible with the current practice of LCA modelling, while allowing inclusion of feedback loops both from the environment to the economy and internally between different impact categories in the impact assessment. Conclusions: Our proposed computational structure for LCA...... facilitates consistent, explicit and transparent modelling of the feedback loops between environment and the economy and between different environmental mechanisms. The explicit and transparent modelling, combining economic and environmental information in a common computational structure, facilitates data...

Study on China's low carbon development in an Economy-Energy-Electricity-Environment framework

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hu Zhaoguang; Yuan Jiahai; Hu Zheng

2011-01-01

Emissions mitigation is a major challenge for China's sustainable development. We summarize China's successful experiences on energy efficiency in past 30 years as the contributions of Energy Usage Management and Integrated Resource Strategic Planning, which are essential for low-carbon economy. In an Economy-Energy-Electricity-Environment (E4) framework, the paper studies the low-carbon development of China and gives an outlook of China's economy growth, energy-electricity demand, renewable power generation and energy conservation and emissions mitigation until 2030. A business-as-usual scenario is projected as baseline for comparison while low carbon energy and electricity development path is studied. It is defined as low carbon energy/electricity when an economy body manages to realize its potential economic growth fueled by less energy/electricity consumption, which can be characterized by indexes of energy/electricity intensity and emissions per-unit of energy consumption (electricity generation). Results show that, with EUM, China, could save energy by 4.38 billion ton oil equivalences (toes) and reduce CO 2 emission by 16.55 billion tons; with IRSP, China, could save energy by 1.5 Btoes and reduce CO 2 emission by 5.7 Btons, during 2010-2030. To realize the massive potential, China has to reshape its economic structure and rely much on technology innovation in the future. - Research highlights: → In an E4 framework China's low-carbon development is compared with BAU scenario. → Low carbon energy/electricity and their related measuring indexes are discussed. → China's successful experiences on energy efficiency are summarized as EUM and IRSP. → With them China could save energy by 5.8 Btoe and reduce CO 2 by 22.2 Bton until 2030. → China must restructure its economy and rely on technology innovation for them.

Sustainable built environments

CERN Document Server

Haase, Dagmar

2013-01-01

Sustainable design is a collective process whereby the built environment achieves unprecedented levels of ecological balance through new and retrofit construction, with the goal of long-term viability and humanization of architecture. Focusing on the environmental context, sustainable design merges the natural, minimum resource conditioning solutions of the past (daylight, solar heat, and natural ventilation) with the innovative technologies of the present.  The desired result is an integrated “intelligent” system that supports individual control with expert negotiation for resource consciousness. International experts in the field address the fundamental questions of sustainable design and landscape management: How should the sustainability of landscapes and buildings be evaluated? Which targets have to be set and which thresholds should not be exceeded? What forms of planning and governance structures exist and to what extent do they further the goals of sustainability?  Gathering 30 peer-reviewed ent...

Circular economy in corporate sustainability strategies: A review of corporate sustainability reports in the fast-moving consumer goods sector

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Stewart, Raphaëlle Marie Marianne; Niero, Monia

2018-01-01

that Circular Economy has started to be integrated into the corporate sustainability agenda. Most reported activities are oriented toward the main product and packaging, focusing on end-of-life management and sourcing strategies, and to a lesser extent on circular product design and business model strategies...

The Political Economy of Crisis and the Crisis of Political Economy: The Challenge of Sustainability

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Graham Murdock

2015-10-01

and renew the project of building a non-marketised public communications system, it also needs to ensure that its interventions mitigate rather than exacerbate the problem of climate instability and address social inequalities. The challenge is to develop models and practices that can sustain both social and environmental sustainability. About the Speaker Graham Murdock is Professor of Culture and Economy at Loughborough University. He has been a pioneer in the study of the political economy of media and culture. His recent publications include co-editorship of Money Talks: Media, Markets, Crisis (2015, The Handbook of Political Economy of Communication (2011, The Idea of the Public Sphere (2010, Digital Dynamics: Engagements and Discontinuities (2010. Cover image: By Alex Proimos from Sydney, Australia (E-Waste Recycling  Uploaded by russavia [CC BY 2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0], via Wikimedia Commons

Sustainability : Intergeneration Equity and Environment

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kim, Y.D. [Korea Energy Economics Institute, Euiwang (Korea)

2001-06-01

Regarding intergenerational equity as prerequisite for sustainability, we derive an optimal investment rule for intergenerational equity from an optimization model allowing for capital accumulation and pollution. This rule provides a condition for intergenerational equity such that an economy maintains constant net value of investment the difference between the physical capital investment value and the environmental resource depletion(pollution) value. This rule is more generalized condition for intergenerational equity than the 'keep capital intact' rule suggested by Hartwick(1977) and Solow(1999), in a sense that this rule includes their condition as a special. Also, we expect this rule to offer an empirical measure of sustainability. In addition, we discuss a variety of recent environmental issues in practice, especially associated with the implications from the rule. (author). 13 refs.

Economy, environment and energy: an application to the construction sector

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Amarilla, Beatriz Cecilia

1992-01-01

This paper aims to study the relationships between energy, environment, economy and the construction sector. An economical evaluation of environmental benefits is presented, discussing different aspects about the environment and the impacts from the constructions. 10 refs., 4 figs., 3 tabs

Imperatives for an agricultural green economy in South Africa

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Constansia Musvoto

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Globally, there are social, economic and environmental challenges related to sustainable development; these challenges include climate change, the need to feed a rapidly increasing population, high rates of poverty and environmental degradation. These challenges have forced us to rethink the way in which development takes place, resulting in the emergence of the concept of a �green economy�. A green economy results in improved human well-being and social equity, while significantly reducing risks to the environment. It is based on principles which integrate social, economic and environmental considerations. South Africa has adopted the principle of green economic growth, and agriculture is one of the sectors that will drive this growth. Agriculture could address some of the sustainable development problems, but there are challenges related to resource availability, environmental impacts of agriculture and climate change. For agriculture to support a green economy it has to be productive, contribute to economic growth and not undermine the environment, social and cultural systems. The information base and policies required to support a green economy in general, and/or an agriculture-supported green economy have not yet been developed, as the green economy is an emerging concept in South Africa as well as globally. The generation of such information requires analysis and synthesis of green economy principles and agricultural imperatives into generic principles and practices for facilitating agriculture�s contribution to the green economy. In this paper, we conduct this analysis and synthesis and highlight the defining aspects of an agricultural green economy.

Green Energy for Green Economy: The Case Study of Kurdistan Region of Iraq (KRI

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ahmet Sekreter

2017-12-01

Full Text Available Green economy is an overarching purpose for sustainable growth and friendly environment. Renewable energy focuses on clean energy and sustainable development targets a continuous growth. Green economy includes both of them. Kurdistan Region of Iraq (KRI struggles serious problems in terms of economics after showing a remarkable economic growth until mid-2014. The increasing gap between demand and supply is seen another serious problem for KRI. Green energy is one of the essential stage towards to the green economy and it is one of the vital issue to succeed on the way of green economy. Solar energy is one of the fastest growing renewable energy source around the world and KRI has a great potential for solar energy. This study aims to stimulate KRI to invest green energy and encourage it to establish green economy to make its economy robust for the shocks and enable to show a sustainable development.

The economy and the environment. In search of sustainable development. Extensive summary

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1996-10-01

In recent years, there has been much debate regarding environmental policy and ways of achieving sustainable development. Several definitions of sustainable development have been proposed. Most, however, are highly abstract and do not provide environmental policymakers with an operational framework. The problem is addressed in this working paper by attempting to identify ways of achieving sustainable growth in the Netherlands. As the title suggests, a clear and practicable definition of sustainable development has yet to be found. The report has been part of a project organized in conjunction with the National Institute of Public Health and Environmental Protection (RIVM). It starts with a theoretical examination of the concept of sustainable development. After a brief review of events in the Netherlands in the last ten years and projections for the next twenty years, the report goes on to present four case-study reports on specific environmental problems (greenhouse gases, manure, traffic and transport and the depletion of natural resources)

THE IMPORTANCE OF ENERGY FOR THE ECONOMY, SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT AND ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION - AN ECONOMIC ASPECT

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ljiljana Stošić Mihajlović

2018-01-01

Full Text Available In the area of modern economy and environmental protection there are no significant changes: the old problems are not solved, and the existing ones are deepening. Humanity is still struggling with three existential problems: lack of food, lack of drinking water and insufficiently energized energy. They are also associated with the dangers of further degradation of the environment, the general fear and fear of terrorism and wars, the emergence of diseases for which modern medicine simply has no solution and which threatens to overcome the challenge of pandemic. Energy is still a mood of economic development, with at the same time a disastrous effect on the environment, when traditional sources of fossil resources are used as sources of energy. The paper explores the phenomenon of the impact of energy on the sustainable development of the economy, with a key focus on environmental protection, as well as the possibilities for adaptation to mitigate the consequences of this global phenomenon. In this regard, special attention has been devoted to researching the role and significance of energy from renewable sources as a possible response to current or expected climate stimuli or their consequences in natural and humanism systems. Particular emphasis is placed on the principle of adaptation, which includes mitigation of damages or the exploitation of effective opportunities; understanding how climate can change, what can be impacts, and capacity building and action on these impacts

Focus 2012. Awakening into a new age - Elements of a sustainable energy supply. Ressource efficiency - key competency of sustainable societies, Sustainable chemistry - fundamental building blocks of a green economy. Annual report; Schwerpunkte 2012. Aufbruch ins neue Zeitalter - Elemente einer nachhaltigen Energieversorgung, Ressourceneffizienz - Schluesselkompetenz zukunftsfaehiger Gesellschaften, Nachhaltige Chemie - elementarer Baustein einer Green Economy. Jahrespublikation

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Mavromati, Fotini; Ittershagen, Martin [comps.

2012-05-30

The Federal Environmental Agency (Dessau-Rosslau, Federal Republic of Germany) sees excellent opportunities to move the economic regeneration forward by means of environmental protection. Under this aspect, the annual report ''Focus 2012'' under consideration presents the following contributions: (1) Green Economy as a new model for economic development; (2) Elements of a sustainable energy supply; (3) Resource efficiency as a key competence for sustainable societies; (4) Green Chemistry as a fundamental building block of Green Economy.

Sustainable development education, practice, and research: an indigenous model of sustainable development at the College of Menominee Nation, Keshena, WI, USA

Science.gov (United States)

Michael J. Dockry; Katherine Hall; William Van Lopik; Christopher M. Caldwell

2015-01-01

The College of Menominee Nation Sustainable Development Institute's theoretical model (SDI model) conceptualizes sustainable development as the process of maintaining the balance and reconciling the inherent tensions among six dimensions of sustainability: land and sovereignty; natural environment #including human beings); institutions; technology; economy; and...

Gamification, Social Networks and Sustainable Environments

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Fábio Silva

2013-12-01

Full Text Available Intelligent environments and ambient intelligence enabled systems provide means to gather rich information from both environments and its users. With the help of such systems, it is possible to foster communities of ambient intelligence systems with community driven knowledge, which is created by individual actions and setups in each of the environments. Such arrangements provides the potential to build systems that promote better practices and more efficient and sustainable environments by promoting the community best examples and engaging users to adopt and develop proactive behaviors to improve their standings in the community. This work aims to use knowledge from communities of intelligent environments to their own benefit. The approach presented in this work uses information from different environments, ranking them according to their sustainability assessment. Recommendations are then computed using similarity and clustering functions ranking users and environments, updating their previous records and launching new recommendations in the process. Gamification concepts are used in order to keep users motivation and engage them actively to produce better results in terms of sustainability.

Sustainable packaging. Packaging for a circular economy; Duurzaam verpakken. Verpakken voor de circulaire economie

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Haffmans, S. [Partners for Innovation, Amsterdam (Netherlands); Standhardt, G. [Nederlands Verpaskkingscentrum NVC, Gouda (Netherlands); Hamer, A. [Agentschap NL, Utrecht (Netherlands)

2013-10-15

What is Sustainable Packaging? And what is the most sustainable packaging for a product? The publication is intended for anyone who wants to take into account the environment in the design of a product and packaging. It offers concrete suggestions and inspiring examples to bring sustainable packaging into practice [Dutch] Wat is Duurzaam Verpakken? En wat is de duurzaamste verpakking voor mijn product? De publicatie is bestemd voor iedereen die rekening wil houden met het milieu bij het ontwerp van een product-verpakkingscombinatie. Ze biedt concrete aanknopingspunten en inspirerende voorbeelden om hier praktisch mee aan de slag te gaan.

Energetic Sustainability and the Environment: A Transdisciplinary, Economic–Ecological Approach

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ioan G. Pop

2017-05-01

Full Text Available The paper combines original concepts about eco-energetic systems, in a transdisciplinary sustainable context. Firstly, it introduces the concept of M.E.N. (Mega-Eco-Nega-Watt, the eco-energetic paradigm based on three different but complementary ecological economic spaces: the Megawatt as needed energy, the Ecowatt as ecological energy, and the Negawatt as preserved energy. The paper also deals with the renewable energies and technologies in the context of electrical energy production. Secondly, in the context of the M.E.N. eco-energetic paradigm, comprehensive definitions are given about eco-energetic systems and for pollution. Thirdly, the paper introduces a new formula for the eco-energetic efficiency which correlates the energetic efficiency of the system and the necessary newly defined ecological coefficient. The proposed formula for eco-energetic efficiency enables an interesting form of relating to different situations in which the input energy, output energy, lost energy, and externalities involved in an energetic process, interact to produce energy in a specific energetic system, in connection with the circular resilient economy model. Finally, the paper presents an original energetic diagram to explain different channels to produce electricity in a resilience regime, with high eco-energetic efficiency from primary external energetic sources (gravitation and solar sources, fuels (classical and radioactive, internal energetic sources (geothermal, volcanoes and other kind of sources. Regardless the kind of energetic sources used to obtain electricity, the entire process should be sustainable in what concerns the transdisciplinary integration of the different representative spheres as energy, socio-economy, and ecology (environment.

Climate change and sustainable energy: actions and transition to a lower carbon economy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rosen, M.A.

2009-01-01

'Full text:' This presentation will address climate change and transition to a lower carbon economy in general and the importance of sustainable energy in such initiatives. The talk has two main parts. In the first part, the presenter discuss why non-fossil fuel energy options, which are diverse and range from renewables through to nuclear energy, are needed to help humanity combat climate change and transition to a lower carbon economy. Such energy options reduce or eliminate emissions of greenhouse gases and thus often form the basis of sustainable energy solutions. Nonetheless, carbon dioxide capture and sequestration may allow fossil fuels to be less carbon emitting. Sustainable energy options are not sufficient for avoiding climate change, in that they are not necessarily readily utilizable in their natural forms. Hydrogen energy systems are needed to facilitate the use of non-fossil fuels by allowing them to be converted to two main classes of energy carriers: hydrogen and select hydrogen-derived fuels and electricity. As hydrogen is not an energy resource, but rather is an energy carrier that must be produced, it complements non-fossil energy sources, which often need to be converted into more convenient forms. In addition, high efficiency is needed to allow the greatest benefits to be attained from all energy options, including non-fossil fuel ones, in terms of climate change and other factors. Efficiency improvements efforts have many dimensions, including energy conservation, improved energy management, fuel substitution, better matching of energy carriers and energy demands, and more efficiency utilization of both energy quantity and quality. The latter two concepts are best considered via the use of exergy analysis, an advanced thermodynamic tool. In the second part of the presentation, actions to address climate change more generally and to help society transition to a lower carbon economy are described. The role of sustainable energy in this

Focus 2012. Awakening into a new age - Elements of a sustainable energy supply. Ressource efficiency - key competency of sustainable societies, Sustainable chemistry - fundamental building blocks of a green economy. Annual report; Schwerpunkte 2012. Aufbruch ins neue Zeitalter - Elemente einer nachhaltigen Energieversorgung, Ressourceneffizienz - Schluesselkompetenz zukunftsfaehiger Gesellschaften, Nachhaltige Chemie - elementarer Baustein einer Green Economy. Jahrespublikation

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Mavromati, Fotini; Ittershagen, Martin (comps.)

2012-05-30

The Federal Environmental Agency (Dessau-Rosslau, Federal Republic of Germany) sees excellent opportunities to move the economic regeneration forward by means of environmental protection. Under this aspect, the annual report ''Focus 2012'' under consideration presents the following contributions: (1) Green Economy as a new model for economic development; (2) Elements of a sustainable energy supply; (3) Resource efficiency as a key competence for sustainable societies; (4) Green Chemistry as a fundamental building block of Green Economy.

Sustainable agriculture in the picture

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Brouwer, F.M.; De Bont, C.J.A.M.; Leneman, H.; Van der Meulen, H.A.B.

2004-01-01

Sustainable agriculture in the picture provides a systematic overview of the available data that are relevant for debate on transitions towards sustainable agriculture. Review for the agrocomplex, greenhouse horticulture, dairy farming and pig farming. Indicators on economy, environment, nature, animal welfare, human and animal health. Results achieved in practice for the three dimensions of sustainable agriculture, namely economics ('profit'), ecology ('planet') and socio-cultural ('people') [nl

Methods of Comprehensive Assessment for China’s Energy Sustainability

Science.gov (United States)

Xu, Zhijin; Song, Yankui

2018-02-01

In order to assess the sustainable development of China’s energy objectively and accurately, we need to establish a reasonable indicator system for energy sustainability and make a targeted comprehensive assessment with the scientific methods. This paper constructs a comprehensive indicator system for energy sustainability from five aspects of economy, society, environment, energy resources and energy technology based on the theory of sustainable development and the theory of symbiosis. On this basis, it establishes and discusses the assessment models and the general assessment methods for energy sustainability with the help of fuzzy mathematics. It is of some reference for promoting the sustainable development of China’s energy, economy and society.

Hydrogen economy

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Pahwa, P.K.; Pahwa, Gulshan Kumar

2013-10-01

In the future, our energy systems will need to be renewable and sustainable, efficient and cost-effective, convenient and safe. Hydrogen has been proposed as the perfect fuel for this future energy system. The availability of a reliable and cost-effective supply, safe and efficient storage, and convenient end use of hydrogen will be essential for a transition to a hydrogen economy. Research is being conducted throughout the world for the development of safe, cost-effective hydrogen production, storage, and end-use technologies that support and foster this transition. This book discusses hydrogen economy vis-a-vis sustainable development. It examines the link between development and energy, prospects of sustainable development, significance of hydrogen energy economy, and provides an authoritative and up-to-date scientific account of hydrogen generation, storage, transportation, and safety.

A practical model for sustainable operational performance

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Vlek, C.A.J.; Steg, E.M.; Feenstra, D.; Gerbens-Leenis, W.; Lindenberg, S.; Moll, H.; Schoot Uiterkamp, A.; Sijtsma, F.; Van Witteloostuijn, A.

2002-01-01

By means of a concrete model for sustainable operational performance enterprises can report uniformly on the sustainability of their contributions to the economy, welfare and the environment. The development and design of a three-dimensional monitoring system is presented and discussed [nl

Consumer Empowerment in the Digital Economy: Availing Sustainable Purchasing Decisions

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Patrizia Gazzola

2017-04-01

Full Text Available The advent of the digital economy and, implicitly, of competition in the online marketplace has triggered new challenges in terms of consumer protection approaches. Online, consumer skills are expected to be improved and the level of consumer awareness and engagement increased. These are the baseline prerequisites of the sustainable purchasing decision and, thus, should be considered as pillars of responsible online consumption. Consistent with the novel consumption challenges, the current paper is intended to advance and test a research model integrating five main constructs, namely, competition in the online marketplace, online consumer skills, online consumer awareness, online consumer engagement and sustainable purchasing decision. A total of 318 college students—a representative population of the new Millennials generation—accepted the invitation to participate in a questionnaire-based survey. In order to pertinently analyze the collected data, a structural equation modeling technique based on partial least squares was employed for the assessment of the measurement and the structural model. The findings indicated that the model explained 24.4 percent of the variance of sustainable purchasing decisions, while the highest influence was exerted by the improvement of online consumer skills. This implies that online providers should revisit their products sustainability standards on purpose to preserve a competitive advantage.

Sustainable-energy managment practices in an energy economy

Science.gov (United States)

Darkwa, K.

2001-10-01

The economic survival of any nation depends upon its ability to produce and manage sufficient supplies of low-cost safe energy. The world's consumption of fossil fuel resources currently increasing at 3% per annum is found to be unsustainable. Projections of this trend show that mankind will exhaust all known reserves in the second half of the coming century. Governments, industrialists, commercial organizations, public sector departments and the general public have now become aware of the urgent requirements for the efficient management of resources and energy-consuming activities. Most organizations in the materials, manufacturing and retail sectors and in the service industries have also created energy management departments, or have employed consultants, to monitor energy consumption and to reduce wastage. Conversely, any sustained attempt to reduce rates of energy consumption even by as little as 0.1% per annum ensures relatively an eternal future supply as well as reduction on environmental and ecological effect. Thus, there is no long- term solution to energy flow problem other than systematic and effective energy management and the continuous application of the techniques of energy management. Essential energy management strategies in support of a sustainable energy- economy are discussed.

Impact Modelling for Circular Economy: Geodesign Discussion Support Environment

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Šileryte, R.; Wandl, A.; van Timmeren, A.; Bregt, Arnold; Sarjakoski, Tapani; van Lammeren, Ron; Rip, Frans

2017-01-01

Transitioning towards circular economy requires changes in the current system which yield a number of impacts on such fundamental values as human health, natural environment, exhaustible resources, social well-being and prosperity. Moreover, this process involves multiple actors and requires careful

IMPORTANCE OF MAKING STRATEGIC DECISIONS IN COUNTRIES IN TRANSITION AND CONNECTION WITH THE ENVIRONMENT AND SUSTAINABLE ECONOMY GENERALLY SPEAKING

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

SLOBODAN POPOVIĆ

2016-04-01

Full Text Available The accession of a number of transition countries of the EU, such as the Republic of Serbia, essentially means the adoption of strategic decisions at the state level in the context of wider EU decision. The authors based their observations on the EU 2020 strategy, which is essentially defined as: smart, sustainable and inclusive growth. The EU has adopted the basic principles of 2010, with the main objective to economic growth throughout the EU based on knowledge, but with respect for the principles of environmental protection, increasing employment, and increase in other basic principles of economics of the company to the state. You could say that the entire system such observations cohesion productivity growth economies of EU member states and social cohesion and socially responsible behavior. This approach was incurred because there is a need of constant adjustment economies member changes at the global level. Notwithstanding the universal adaptation of all EU member states, however, one part remained reserved for a special adjustment of each member country (it depends on the specific characteristics of each country to adapt in accordance with national goals adopted by any government of a Member State specifically for your country, through national development plans, plans of adjustment and reform plans. The consequences of the Great Depression are highly visible and in early 2016, particularly in terms of rising unemployment, rising unemployment especially of young people in all old EU member states. The responsibility for this state of affairs is not only the governments of member states, but responsibility must be sought from the representatives of big business, trade unions, associations, non-governmental organizations and all other stakeholders who have imposed in the decision-making processes, and in a crisis to minimize its impact, because it does not response. At the end of the aforementioned macro effects should be seen in the

Environment and sustainability

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Paavola, Jouni; Røpke, Inge

2015-01-01

This chapter reviews socio-economic research on the environment and sustainability. The chapter first explores core aspects of socio-economics, examines how socio-economics has related to the agenda of research on the environment, and assesses how socio-economic research on the environment became...... institutionalized. We consider that the environment has not been high on the agenda of the socio-economic research community but that there is a substantial amount of socio-economic research on the environment in the ecological economics and other research communities. The chapter then examines the research...... on institutional sources of environmental problems on monetary valuation and environmental decision-making as two areas where socio-economics has had a particularly strong influence. The chapter concludes that the acknowledgement in these areas of research of ecological and social embeddedness has given rise...

Climate protection and sustainable economy. For a new development political mission statement; Klimaschutz und nachhaltiges Wirtschaften. Fuer ein neues entwicklungspolitisches Leitbild

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kofler, Baerbel; Netzer, Nina (eds.)

2011-11-15

The book under consideration is devoted to climate protection and sustainable economy. It consists of the following contributions: (1) Climate protection and development policy - New allies in the fight against poverty? (B. Kofler); (2) In preparation for a wormer world - Adjustment to the climatic change using local resources (A. Schroeder); (3) Sustainable economy today - a development political consideration (H.-J. Luhmann); (4) The Clean Development Mechanism - No-Win instead of Win-Win for developing countries?; (5) New market based mechanisms for improving the climate protection in developing countries (K. Wentrup); (6) Global emission trading: market-economy instruments for a development-oriented climate policy? (S. Fischer); (7) The policy is needed - Central strategies for combating climatic change (R. Guenther); (8) Technology transfer: Political controversies, successes and problems of implementation (C. Gerstetter); (9) REDDplus - Forest protection as a chance for development and poverty reduction (K. Gerber); (10) What is climate justice? From the principle to political practice (T. Hirsch); (11) How much are 100 Billion Us-Dollar? Financing of climate protection between adequacy and creative bookkeeping (W. Sterk); (12) No money, no fun - Climate change financing has to be made more concrete (F. Schwabe); (13) Human rights - Common struggle against the climatic change (T. Rathgeber); (14) Climate change adaptation - Handling extreme events and damages: 'Loss and damage' (T. Hirsch); (15) Rio 2012 and the reform of the international environment governance (N. Simon).

Bike Sharing and the Economy, the Environment, and Health-Related Externalities

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Lu-Yi Qiu

2018-04-01

Full Text Available In recent years, bike-sharing has experienced rapid development; however, controversies about the externalities of bike-sharing programs have arisen as well. While bike-sharing programs have impacts on traffic, the environment, and public health, the social impacts, the management, and sustainable development of bike-sharing has also been of interest. The debate regards whether there are externalities, as well as whether and how such externalities can be determined. Based on the rapidly diffused bike-sharing in China, this paper quantitatively explores bike-sharing externalities. Specifically, this paper estimates the impacts of bike-sharing on the economy, energy use, the environment, and public health. The empirical results show that bike-sharing programs have significant positive externalities. The bike-sharing systems can provide urban residents with a convenient and time-saving travel mode. We find that the bike-sharing dramatically decreases traffic, reduces energy consumption, decreasing harmful gas emissions, improves public health generally, and promotes economic growth. This study contributes to a better comprehension of the externalities of bike-sharing and provides empirical evidence of the impacts of bike-sharing. Findings suggest that bike-sharing can play a critical role in the process of urban transportation development and provide information useful for urban transportation policies.

Obesity and Diabetes, the Built Environment, and the ‘Local’ Food Economy

OpenAIRE

Matthew, Salois

2010-01-01

Obesity and diabetes are increasingly attributed to environmental factors, however, little attention has been paid to influence of the 'local' food economy. This paper examines the association of measures relating to the built environment and the ‘local’ food economy with county-level prevalence of obesity and diabetes. Key indicators of the ‘local’ food economy include the density of farmers’ markets, volume of direct farm sales, and presence of farm-to-school programs. This paper employs a ...

Exploring the connections between green economy and informal economy in South Africa

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Suzanne Smit

2015-11-01

Full Text Available The notion of an inclusive green economy in the context of sustainable development and poverty eradication requires an approach that engages with the informal economy. However, the informal economy is generally ignored or undervalued in discussions on the green economy. This paper set out to bolster this argument by identifying the ways in which the green economy and the informal economy may be connected by establishing the extent to which policies and plans relating to green economy connect with the informal economy, and recognising several informal green activities. The barriers and opportunities for connecting the two spheres were also explored as well as possible ways in which such activities may be supported at different levels of organisation. In the case of South Africa, many informal green activities that contribute to sustainable livelihoods are recognised. However, issues pertaining to procedure, process and participation hinder the transition to a truly inclusive green economy.

Energy and sustainable development in Finland

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2003-01-01

The U.N. World Summit on Environment and Development in Rio de Janeiro in June 1992 was the origin of the international framework for sustainable development. As a basis for joint, sustainable action by governments, organizations, industries, and the public, the participating countries signed the Rio Declaration on Environment and Development, and drafted the associated action program, Agenda 21. Sustainable development comprises these three determinant factors: - Economy. - Ecology. - Social aspects. This is where entrepreneurial responsibility for society comes in. If industries want to generate overall positive effects, they must be efficient, competitive, and profitable on a long-term basis. Power supply systems meeting the criteria of sustainable development must be reliable, economically viable, socially acceptable, and environmentally compatible. The power supply in Finland is meeting these sustainability requirements in many ways. Finland's electricity supply is decentralized, using a variety of energy sources. Electricity can be generated and made available at low cost. The Finnish power industry is an important employer and a major factor in the economy. Moreover, electricity is generated in advanced types of power plants. In this way, the structure of the Finnish power supply system incorporates important factors of sustainable development. (orig.)

KNOWLEDGE BASED ECONOMY VS. SUSTAINABLE AGRO-FOOD SYSTEMS; BEST PRACTICES

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Carmen Beatrice PĂUNA

2017-05-01

Full Text Available Knowledge based economy, found in more than one fields, started – considering agriculture – from a transition premise towards sustainable agro-food systems. The conceptual boundaries between the two major paradigms on sustainable development of agriculture, namely the agro-industrial paradigm and the integrated territorial paradigm, is used nowadays for teaching and research purpose, as a comparison basis with an ideal case, mostly because we only have hybrid models which tend to coexist, always improving the food and goods production, also promoting innovative agro-food systems. This paper highlights the idea that the establishment of an institutional and legal framework, will have a catalytic role acting as an engine of economic growth and boosting the development of agricultural systems by mobilizing entrepreneurs in agriculture and related areas. In this regard, we present best practices of economic actors engaged in meta network of agriculture clusters.

[Discussion on releasing price of Chinese patent medicine to market economy to achieve sustainable development].

Science.gov (United States)

Long, Xingchao; Huang, Luqi; Jiang, Erguo; Zhou, Yonghong; Xu, Yanfeng; Zheng, Shuhua; Ning, Xiaoling; Liu, Hongwei; Chen, Lin

2012-02-01

To analyze costs of the traditional Chinese medicine industry focusing on production costs. Data of 50 planted Chinese herbal medicines and 50 wild Chinese herbal medicines were summarized and analyzed to see the changes of price of Chinese herbal medicines. The derivative problems of limited price were analyzed by crude drug, quality of Chinese medicine and sustainable utilization of resource. The price of Chinese medicine shall be adapted to sustainable development of market economy.

Digital Economy for Sustainable Economic Growth

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Shuyong Guo

2017-12-01

Full Text Available Recent decades have seen a rapid digital transformation resulting in important and sometimes even crucial changes in business, society and the global economy. After the global crisis of 2008–2009, digital industries have been among the most dynamic and promising in the global economy. Nevertheless, the world lacks equilibrium between benefits and risks in the digital economy, which explains the need for global governance in this sphere. This article analyzes the role and characteristics of the G20 in the introduction of global governance in the digital economy. The authors review what’s meant by the digital economy and define the key characteristics of this sector, as well as highlight the challenges to international cooperation, analyze the digital strategies of G20 countries, study the G20’s participation in the global governance of the digital economy, analyze the potential for the leaders of China and Russia, and make recommendations concerning the participation of the G20 in the global governance of the digital economy. The authors arrive at the following conclusions. First, society has to govern the digital economy properly in order to eliminate disparities between developed and developing countries, as well as address cyber security and other threats, and promote a higher quality of life for all. Second, the G20 has very limited experience in the governing of the digital economy, but as a leader in terms of soft power, and as an organization with limited membership that includes both countries with a developed digital sector and countries that lag behind, it may play a great role in the digital economy’s global governance. Third, the US has historically been a leader in the IT sector and the digital economy. In recent years, China has sufficiently improved its positions, which allows it to aspire to a higher role in global governance. Russia may also play a greater (though not a leading role, taking into account its experience and

Impact of Industrialization on Environment and Sustainable Solutions - Reflections from a South Indian Region

Science.gov (United States)

Patnaik, Rasmi

2018-03-01

Industrialization has brought economic prosperity; additionally it has resulted in more population, urbanization, obvious stress on the basic life supporting systems while pushing the environmental impacts closer to the threshold limits of tolerance. With booming industrial growth and relatively low land mass, environmental sustainability is now becoming a significant deciding factor in industrial development process. Accumulating evidences constantly indicate that the transition of the existing industries into eco-industrial network through successful implementation of green approaches provides a viable solution to preserve the natural resources of the region while concurrently enhances the regional economy on a sustainable basis. It calls for an appropriate planning and integrated framework in harmony with the environment, after careful assessment of past and prevailing conditions. The empirical knowledge on affected area helps understanding the local context and developing further course of action based on ground realities. With this aim, a study was conducted on the current industrial pollution and environmental setting of Puducherry. A causal chain analysis indicated severe impacts of industrialization on local environment while highlighting its immediate and root causes. The findings form a base for suggesting sustainable solutions to curb rampant pollution in Puducherry region and similar scenarios found across the world.

Dematerialization and capital maintenance. Two sides of the sustainability coin

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bartelmus, Peter [Wuppertal Institute, Doppersberg 19, D-42103 Wuppertal (Germany)

2003-08-01

The reductionist trend of equating sustainable development with sustained economic growth needs to be reversed. New accounts and balances help to operationalize the elusive notion of sustainability: they provide a coherent picture of the interaction between environment and economy. 'Greened' national accounts measure economic sustainability in terms of (produced and natural) capital maintenance; balances of material flows assess ecological sustainability as the dematerialization of production and consumption. Both concepts aim to preserve environmental assets, but differ in scope, strength and evaluation of sustainability. First results for Germany indicate weak sustainability of the economy; strong sustainability is not in sight because of insufficient reduction of material throughput. Attaining sustainability through integrated policies needs the support of share- and stakeholders of sustainable development.

Dematerialization and capital maintenance. Two sides of the sustainability coin

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bartelmus, Peter

2003-01-01

The reductionist trend of equating sustainable development with sustained economic growth needs to be reversed. New accounts and balances help to operationalize the elusive notion of sustainability: they provide a coherent picture of the interaction between environment and economy. 'Greened' national accounts measure economic sustainability in terms of (produced and natural) capital maintenance; balances of material flows assess ecological sustainability as the dematerialization of production and consumption. Both concepts aim to preserve environmental assets, but differ in scope, strength and evaluation of sustainability. First results for Germany indicate weak sustainability of the economy; strong sustainability is not in sight because of insufficient reduction of material throughput. Attaining sustainability through integrated policies needs the support of share- and stakeholders of sustainable development

Transport, environment and sustainability

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Joumard, Robert; Gudmundsson, Henrik; Kehagia, Fotini

2010-01-01

This report is the final report of the action COST 356 'EST - Towards the definition of a measurable environmentally sustainable transport'. It tries to answer the following questions: How can environmental impacts of transport be measured? How can measurements be transformed into operational...... indicators? How can several indicators be jointly considered? And how can indicators be used in planning and decision making? Firstly we provide definition of 'indicator of environmental sustainability in transport'. The functions, strengths and weaknesses of indicators as measurement tools, and as decision...... support tools are discussed. We define what "environmental sustainability in transport" may mean through the transport system, the concepts of sustainable development and of environment. The concept of 'chain of causality' between a source and a final target is developed, as a common reference...

The energy-economy-environment interaction and the rebound-effect

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Musters, A.P.A.

1995-01-01

This study examines the Energy-Economy-Environment (3-E) interaction ingeneral and the rebound-effect in particular. The rebound-effect can be defined as that part of the initially expected energy savings, resulting from energy efficiency improvements, that is lost because of the 3-E interaction. To

The Impact of Foreign Direct Investment on Developing Economies and the Environment The Impact of Foreign Direct Investment on Developing Economies and the Environment

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Anne Marie Zwerg

2008-12-01

Full Text Available This article is about the impact of foreign direct investment on developing economies and the environment. All of us that are concerned about the environment should ask ourselves if the increase in capital mobility associated with the world-wide process of  liberalization, deregulation and privatization, known as the Neo-liberal global regime, has contributed to the problems of higher emissions, ozone layer destruction, and pollution of water sources, as well as to create false economic bubbles that lead to increased consumption in these regions whilst forcing the destruction of the environment by the poor in order to survive and cope with the roles their society demands. Neo-liberal practices such as those enforced in developing countries like Colombia, while seeking to attract foreign investment to push their economies, tend to generate a false aggregated demand growth that in most cases is not sustainable in the long term, increases global unemployment, unleash destructive competitive processes and weaken government’s ability to regulate business in the citizens` best interests.Este artículo trata sobre el impacto de inversión extranjera directa en economíasen vías de desarrollo y el medio ambiente. Todos los que nos preocupamos por elmedio ambiente debemos preguntarnos, si el aumento en la movilidad de capitales asociada con el proceso mundial de liberalización, desregulación y privatización,conocido como “neoliberalismo”, ha contribuido a problemas de emisiones másaltas, destrucción de la capa de ozono, y polución de fuentes de agua, así como a lacreación de falsas burbujas económicas que llevan a aumentar el consumo en estasregiones, obligando a los más pobres a destruir el medio ambiente para sobrevivir ypoder cumplir con los roles impuestos por la sociedad. Prácticas neoliberales talescomo las implantadas en países en vías de desarrollo, como Colombia, en busquedade alcanzar mayor inversión extranjera para

Peculiarities of the Danube Business Environment in the Context of the Sustainable Development

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Viorica Pușcaciu

2015-08-01

Full Text Available The aim of our study intends to be a link between the “green economy” and the “blue economy”, and the objective of it is to analyze the Danube economy in the context of the environment preserving. As the prior works deserve generous space to research regarding the sustainable development concept and experiences and others deal with the Danube problems, our approach tries to build on a link between these two fields of research, and understanding all these problems linked to the Romanian area and trying to find out what are the problems in this sense for our country. The method of research used for our survey is a qualitative one, survey and observation being our tools for fulfillment this approach. The key results and conclusions from this empirical study is that any reader of it could find out how the Danube business environment tries to circumscribe it into the sustainable development percepts. This study could be useful to researchers, administrations, ports authorities, and people interested in this field. The key contribution of this paper might be the interdisciplinary approach of this matter and thus the hope of its originality.

Role of modernization in maintenance of a sustainable development of economy of region

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Natal'ya Zinov'evna Solodilova

2011-09-01

Full Text Available This paper deals with the need to modernize the economy and society. The authors reveal meaningful context of the term "modernization" in relation to the Russian economy. Five priority areas of economic modernization, as initiated by the President, are considered. Species, types and sources of funding for modernization of the economy (optimization of budget expenditures, state monopolies, taxation, domestic and foreign investment and business research areas are investigated. Based on the investigation of the essence and importance of the modernization process, a mechanism of modernization, which components are described in the paper (the process, purpose, types, objects, sources of financing, the results & process control and system upgrade was developed. Based on the results of the conducted study, the potential for sustainable economic development of the region in the XXI century is presented. A fundamentally new set of its components (educational, human, scientific, innovation, natural resource, industrial, construction, agriculture and infrastructure & tourism potentials is presented.

Research on Scenic Spot’s Sustainable Development Based on a SD Model: A Case Study of the Jiuzhai Valley

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Zhixue Liao

2014-07-01

Full Text Available In the field of tourism, the development of tourist attractions is playing an increasingly crucial role in tourism economy, regional economy and national economy. However, the eco-environment has been damaged while tourism industry develops rapidly. Thus, to solve the contradiction between tourism development and eco-environment protection is the key to achieving sustainable development of tourism. This paper builds a SD model, which is based on the analysis of the economic subsystem and environment subsystem, to promote sustainable development. In order to show the effectiveness of the model, Jiuzhai Valley is taken as the research object and a decisive basis is provided for the path adjustment of sustainable development in tourist scenic.

Social entrepreneurship as a way of developing sustainable township economies

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Semape J. Manyaka-Boshielo

2017-09-01

Full Text Available This article investigates using social entrepreneurship as a way of developing sustainabletownship economies, so that poverty can be eradicated from the townships of South Africaand township dwellers can begin to play a role in the economic development of the country.The author also thinks it is God’s purpose for people to enjoy life, free from economic hardship.A reduction in poverty would also bring down the crime rate and other social ills. It starts bydefining and clarifying the concepts of ‘entrepreneur’ and ‘social entrepreneurship’. Itcontinues by looking in more depth into township life and its challenges. This is done throughreviewing the literature and observations obtained through participant observation research.Post-foundationalist practical theology believes in interdisciplinary dialogue as a means ofallowing the concept of social entrepreneurship to bring about a sustainable townshipeconomy. From the author’s observations, it became apparent that to see the attainment of asustainable township economy, training and development should start with a strong emphasison personal identity and interpersonal and business skills. The author, therefore, proposes aholistic approach to social entrepreneurship.

Sustainable growth of EU economies and Baltic context: Characteristics and modelling

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Girts Karnitis

2017-05-01

Full Text Available The united general growth strategy for all EU Member States, a common economic and political vision as well as location in the same geographic region provides a necessary basis for the benchmarking modelling of economies. The main objective of this study is determination of the functional regularities and drivers of the growth of EU economies and the context of the Baltic States in line with the general trend of the EU, as well as development of the growth model, which can be used for sustainable planning and prediction. Analysis of several regularly published analytical indexes suggests a thesis on innovation as the real basic driving force for EU economies and outlines Innovation Performance Index, which have a very strong compliance with the economic growth of particular country. At the same time study of the data set and methodology of the Index indicates space for further optimization. By use of several linear regression tools the growth model was created. It is based on three hard independent statistical indicators (predictors only; of course, these indicators is a peak of a complex pyramid. Despite of the simplicity of the model, the long-term correlation of fitted values with the real GDP per capita is extremely strong 0.961 – 0.987.

Conceptual apparatus of analysis of the national economy institutional environment

OpenAIRE

Ляховець, О. О.

2017-01-01

In the paper the sense of the notions «institutional environment», «institutional framework», «institutional structure» is revealed. The difference between these notions is determined. The structural elements of institutional environment classified by the theoretical approaches criterion are considered. The origins of approaches are: 1) the scientific direction of economic theory (institutional economics, neoinstitutionsl economic theory, evolutionary economic theory, political economy); 2) t...

Microalgal hydrogen production: prospects of an essential technology for a clean and sustainable energy economy.

Science.gov (United States)

Bayro-Kaiser, Vinzenz; Nelson, Nathan

2017-09-01

Modern energy production is required to undergo a dramatic transformation. It will have to replace fossil fuel use by a sustainable and clean energy economy while meeting the growing world energy needs. This review analyzes the current energy sector, available energy sources, and energy conversion technologies. Solar energy is the only energy source with the potential to fully replace fossil fuels, and hydrogen is a crucial energy carrier for ensuring energy availability across the globe. The importance of photosynthetic hydrogen production for a solar-powered hydrogen economy is highlighted and the development and potential of this technology are discussed. Much successful research for improved photosynthetic hydrogen production under laboratory conditions has been reported, and attempts are underway to develop upscale systems. We suggest that a process of integrating these achievements into one system to strive for efficient sustainable energy conversion is already justified. Pursuing this goal may lead to a mature technology for industrial deployment.

Environment and economy. Umwelt und Wirtschaft

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

1982-01-01

Economy and ecology have become almost irreconcilable words of tension in our time. They who mismanage the earth will destroy her. They who do not avail themselves of the earth will have mankind reduced to poverty. The common weal and the prosperity of the earth entrusted to man require a balance. Man may not become estranged from both, neither from nature, nor from technology. Every one of us has to consider it his ethical obligation to contribute to preserve a largely undisturbed environment for himself and others by imposing restrictions on himself and by doing without the use and consumption of commodities and products.

Studies and Investigation about the Attitude towards Sustainable Production, Consumption and Waste Generation in Line with Circular Economy in Romania

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Elena Simina Lakatos

2018-03-01

Full Text Available With a rapidly growing world population and the need to address the issue of consumption of global resource and its associated environmental impacts and other social and economic issues, the demand for a responsible consumption, production and prevention of waste generation become increasingly crucial. With this broad characterization of Sustainable Consumption and Production (SCP, businesses based on circular economy should become the norm. With this goal in mind, an online questionnaire survey was performed on a nationwide scale, to explore consumers’ behaviors and attitudes. It was distributed in all four of Romania’s macro-regions and reached 642 respondents. The purpose of the study has been to better understand consumers’ behavior regarding sustainable consumption and production and examine whether generations play a role in responsible consumer attitudes toward the products. Three generations (X, Y, and Z have been examined and compared. The results show that what extent those three generation agree with the environment and the benefits of reducing resource consumption, also waste generation, selective collection, recycling and reuse. However, most of them have not adopted and do not intend to adopt consumer patterns based on the circular economy. The findings provide empirical evidence and directions that could help marketers identify their consumer’s characteristics and market segments and develop consumer empowerment strategies on the Romanian market.

PROBLEM ASSESSMENT OF THE LEVEL INVESTMENT ACTIVITY IN THE NATIONAL ECONOMY

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Tatiana ANDREEVA

2013-01-01

Full Text Available In this article the fundamental importance of the investment sphere, forming of factors of production and defining the competitiveness of the national economy, as well as some of the problems of evaluation of the level of investment made in the national economy, the problems of attracting foreign direct investment, as the most important conditions for sustainable growth of the national economies. The special attention in the article is paid to the methods of factor analysis of the investment climate, as well as the General trends of changes in the business environment, as basic conditions for improving the level of investment activity of the national economy.

Growth, Development and Sustainability

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Irina-Virginia Dragulanescu

2013-11-01

Full Text Available Describing the relationship of interdependence through the materials balance, will be argued how the economy is a subset of the environment and the environment the natural limit to any economic initiative, or the limits imposed by the laws of thermodynamics. The theoretical debate moves, then, from the concept of growth to that of development, understood this in its three dimensions: economic, social, environmental. Bring the different environmental positions in four versions of sustainability, with the gained awareness that it’s “a spectrum of overlapping sustainability positions from very weak to very strong”.

Efficient, equitable and sustainable energy policy in a small open economy: Concepts and assessments

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chang, Youngho; Fang, Zheng

2017-01-01

This study aims to develop three broadly defined concepts of designing and evaluating energy policy of a small open economy, namely, efficiency, equity, and sustainability which are applied to Singapore. By analysing the historical energy and economic data and examining energy policies and programs implemented, this study finds that (1) energy intensity improves over time and three strategies employed to improve energy efficiency - tariffs, deregulation and setting energy standards - are found to have some positive effects. (2) A utility rebate programme is implemented and revised continuously to achieve equity in energy consumption across Singapore households. (3) By the weak concept of sustainability, Singapore is considered marginally sustainable. Institutional, technological and market-based approaches are being implemented to increase energy efficiency, improve energy equity and secure sustainability. - Highlights: • Three concepts of designing and evaluating energy policy are developed. • Efficiency, equity and sustainability are the three concepts. • Three strategies are identified in improving energy efficiency. • A utility rebate programme is to achieve equity in energy consumption across households. • Institutional and market-based approaches are to secure sustainable energy supply.

Making sustainability work

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Binswanger, Hans Christoph

1998-01-01

Today's economic theory usually neglects the role of nature and environment. To make sustainability work it is, however, essential to (re-)integrate nature into the standard concepts of economics, especially by incorporating natural factors into the production function. It must be acknowledged that economic growth is not (only) the result of technical change but is mainly caused by rising energy-inputs into the economy, and that this is necessarily followed by resource exhaustion and pollution. Therefore, nature must not only be taken into account as a central factor of production but also in the form of environmental quality which is the basis for human quality of life. A numeric example shows that a small, but steady decrease of yearly resource consumption is already apt to redirect the economy on a path of sustainable development

Sustainability—What Are the Odds? Envisioning the Future of Our Environment, Economy and Society

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Stephen J. Jordan

2013-03-01

Full Text Available This article examines the concept of sustainability from a global perspective, describing how alternative futures might develop in the environmental, economic, and social dimensions. The alternatives to sustainability appear to be (a a catastrophic failure of life support, economies, and societies, or (b a radical technological revolution (singularity. The case is made that solutions may be found by developing a global vision of the future, estimating the probabilities of possible outcomes from multiple indicators, and looking holistically for the most likely paths to sustainability. Finally, an intuitive vision of these paths is offered as a starting point for discussion.

Circular Economy Development Mode of Coastal and Marine Areas in China and its Evaluation Index Research - The Example of Qingdao

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yan Lu

2014-06-01

Full Text Available Marine circular economy development and marine ecological security construction is the solution of seeking sustainable development when human beings are faced with marine ecological crisis in future period. Marine circular economy and ecological security is the subsystem of ecological, social and economic compound system. These two are mutually conditional and have been in collaborative development. Marine circular economy development is the premise and approach of securely constructing marine ecology. Constructing marine ecological security and building harmonious marine ecological environment is an important goal of developing circular economy. Circular economy is one of the important economic models for managing public resources under the principle of sustainable development, which is the guiding direction of future economic development in China. As important strategic resources, ocean is a crucial component of realizing economic sustainable development, which also needs to take the circular economy concept and basic principles as a guide for development.

Sustainable development of the wind power industry in a complex environment: a flexibility study

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhao, Zhen-Yu; Zhu, Jiang; Zuo, Jian

2014-01-01

As a new and developing green energy business in emerging economies such as China, the wind power industry chain faces some complex issues that are further compounded by turbulent internal and external environments. To deal with the complex environment, the wind power industry needs to improve its level of flexibility so that it can become more adaptable to the changing environment. Hence it is important to explore the dynamics of the wind power industry chain flexibility with respect to the ever changing environment. This study uses questionnaire surveys and expert interviews to identify the influential flexibility components of the wind power industry chain. Subsequently a fuzzy cognitive mapping (FCM) methodology was used to establish a flexibility operating mechanism model. The research found that special attention should be paid to competition flexibility, technology flexibility, and intellectual property and talent flexibility. Policies play a pivotal role in regulating the driving effects of these components of flexibility with the aim being long term sustainability of a healthy level of overall flexibility of the wind power industry chain. This should in turn facilitate the sustainable development of the industry. - Highlights: • Wind power industry shall improve flexibility to deal with complex environment. • Critical components of flexibility of wind power industry chain were identified. • An operating mechanism model for flexibility of wind power industry is proposed. • Fuzzy cognitive mapping method is employed to model the dynamics of flexibility. • Policies play a pivotal role in fostering an industry environment toward flexibility

«Resource type» regions in the modern Russian economy

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Levin Sergey, N.

2015-06-01

Full Text Available Despite the officially declared intention to form universal rules of the liberal type, development was based on the formation of a "hybrid" institutional environment in the "post-Soviet" transformation of the Russian economy. "Hybrid" institutional environment is characterized, firstly, with the prevalence of forms of interaction between authorities and business that are uncharacteristic for liberal market economy, and their "merging" with each other, secondly, with sustainable regional fragmentation. As a result regional institutional systems, based on different configurations of network linkages between business and authorities, appeared and embedded into unified «power vertical». «Resource type» regions occupy special position in the modern Russian economy. Their economies are based on the export-oriented industries as well as raw resources extracting and mining industries. We distinguish the following discrete structural alternatives of their development in a globalizing economy: "enclave dual economy" and integrated regional economy. The first option is institutionally reinforces the social and economic gap from developed countries. The second one provides diversification and development of regional and national economies. We use comparative characteristic of Kemerovo region and Krasnoyarsk region to carry out analysis of options of "resource type" regions development. We selected indicators and elaborated estimation algorithm to figure out the type of regional economic development.

Emergy-based ecological account for the Chinese economy in 2004

Science.gov (United States)

Jiang, M. M.; Zhou, J. B.; Chen, B.; Chen, G. Q.

2008-12-01

This paper provides an integrated study on the ecological account for the Chinese economy in 2004 based on emergy synthesis theory. The detailed flows of the Chinese economy is diagramed, accounted and analyzed in categories using the biophysically based ecological accounting. Through calculating environmental and economic inputs within and outside the Chinese economy, this paper discusses the Chinese international exchange, describes the resource structure, and assesses its sustainability as a whole. Also, the comparison of systematic indicators, such as emergy/dollar ratio, environmental load ratio, and emergy self-support ratio, with those of the other countries is tabled and explored to illustrate the general status of the Chinese economy in the world. Take, for example, the environmental load ratio, which was 9.29 in China 2004, it reveals that the Chinese economy put high pressure on the local environment compared with those of the environment-benign countries, such as Brazil (0.75), Australia (0.86) and New Zealand (0.81). In addition, in this paper, the accounting method of tourism is adjusted based on the previous researches.

Value Creation in the Context of Sustainable Corporate Social Responsibility

Science.gov (United States)

Šmida, Ľubomír; Sakál, Peter

2014-12-01

Under the influence of the new rules of the economy and the society, companies are achieving a notional line of a necessary change in the approach to creating new value, wealth. Implementation of changes in the system of wealth creation requires a review of existing assumptions of unlimited growth of the global economy and wealth creation in the environment accepting economic interests, society and the environment as a holistic unit. The main purpose of this paper is the clarification of a new requirements for business, presentation of the questionnaire survey Sustainable Corporate Social Responsibility and inform on value creation in the context of Sustainable Corporate Social Responsibility.

Value Creation in the Context of Sustainable Corporate Social Responsibility

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Šmida Ľubomír

2014-12-01

Full Text Available Under the influence of the new rules of the economy and the society, companies are achieving a notional line of a necessary change in the approach to creating new value, wealth. Implementation of changes in the system of wealth creation requires a review of existing assumptions of unlimited growth of the global economy and wealth creation in the environment accepting economic interests, society and the environment as a holistic unit. The main purpose of this paper is the clarification of a new requirements for business, presentation of the questionnaire survey Sustainable Corporate Social Responsibility and inform on value creation in the context of Sustainable Corporate Social Responsibility.

Sustainable development and Estonian energetics

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lausmaa, T.

1997-01-01

This conference was held 14 Nov 1997 in Tallinn, Estonia. The conference stressed the importance of the diminishing the negative impact of energy production on the environment. The Government and the Parliament should ensure the composing of short and long term master plans with the public participation for all sectors of the economy, based on the principles of sustainable development, the involved international treaties and the Sustainable Development Framework Act

Nigeria: Positioning Rural Economy for Implementation of Sustainable Development Goals

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Akinbode Michael Okunola

2016-09-01

Full Text Available Nigeria as nation has over the years engaged in lots of developmental activities without actions which makes achievements to elude the people. Development of societies doesn’t happen in the vacuum. Thus, the adoption of Structural Adjustment Program, SAP, by Nigeria leading to the neglect of the custom periodic National Plan at a time when Nigeria had no structure for development was the beginning of journey to widened inequality and large poverty incidence, depth and severity. To close the gap between the rich and the poor, the Nigeria government had designed and implemented some programs and policies whose implementation has not solved the inherent problems. In year 2000, the world leaders subscribed to the Millennium Development Goals to ensure synergized global approach to solving the poverty menace. Programs designed in Nigeria to achieve the MDGs focused on the urban centers thereby relegating the rural areas which are responsible for the feeding of the teeming population of the urban dwellers. Farming households and the general rural communities do not have access to clean water, quality education and health facilities, good feeder roads, affordable and safe energy as well as other socioeconomic and socio-infrastructural facilities that would ensure sustainable living for the people whose contribution to the national economy cannot be overemphasized. This study therefore looks at the structural actions the Nigeria government should embarked upon to ensure that the rural dweller have access to life. As the government would be developing programs and policies to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals whose priority is the end poverty in all forms and everywhere by 2030, this study reveals how to position the rural economy for developmental attention from the policy makers.

Family Businesses Transitioning to a Circular Economy Model: The Case of “Mercadona”

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Pedro Núñez-Cacho

2018-02-01

Full Text Available Sustainability addresses environmental and social issues affecting this and future generations. When family businesses perceive that the community is disrupted, recognize an environmental problem and respond by implementing new environmental policies or regulations, the family business’s socio-emotional values press to transition to a more sustainable production system, such as the ‘Circular Economy.’ Drawing on the Dubin (1978 methodology—a paradigm for building models through deduction—we design a sustainable model, which shows family businesses’ responses to changes in the environment. It explains the reasons why family firms transition to the Circular Economy, based on the theory of Socio-Emotional Wealth (SEW. We check the model through the case study of the food retail leader in the Spanish market—Mercadona—which applies policies about energy, resources and waste to become a Circular Economy business model. Because of the strong family character of Mercadona, this case can be useful for the decision-making of other family businesses.

Macroeconomics, financial crisis and the environment: Strategies for a sustainability transition

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Antal, M.; van den Bergh, J.C.J.M.

2013-01-01

We raise fundamental questions about macroeconomics relevant to escaping the financial-economic crisis and shifting to a sustainable economy. First, the feasibility of decoupling environmental pressure from aggregate income is considered. Decoupling as a single environmental strategy is found to be

Enabling Sustainable Agro-Food Futures: Exploring Fault Lines and Synergies Between the Integrated Territorial Paradigm, Rural Eco-Economy and Circular Economy

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Kristensen, Dan Kristian; Kjeldsen, Chris; Thorsøe, Martin Hvarregaard

2016-01-01

What kind of futures does agro-food imaginaries enable and who can get involved in the making of agro-food futures? In this respect, what can the increasingly influential idea of circular economy potentially offer in terms of enabling more sustainable agrofood futures? We approach this task...... important contributions in relation to studies of alternative food networks and the “quality” turn. These research agendas have challenged the current logic of the food system in terms of offering alternative visions of future development. We highlight two examples from the literature—the eco......-economy and the integrated territorial agri-food paradigm—that develop broader frameworks for rethinking the future of the agro-food system and which have distinguished themselves in contrast to the industrialized and globalized conventional food system. We find that with respect to reorienting and reconfiguring economic...

Analysis of physical interactions between the economy and the environment

NARCIS (Netherlands)

De Haes, Helias A Udo; Heijungs, Reinout

2009-01-01

In this chapter methods for analysing the physical interactions between the economy and the environment will be discussed. The historic roots of such methods lie in the 19th century and go back to Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels, who used the term 'metabolism' (Stoffwechsel) to imply a relationship

Estimating Potential GDP for the Romanian Economy and Assessing the Sustainability of Economic Growth: A Multivariate Filter Approach

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Dan Armeanu

2015-03-01

Full Text Available In the current context of economic recovery and rebalancing, the necessity of modelling and estimating the potential output and output gap emerges in order to assess the quality and sustainability of economic growth, the monetary and fiscal policies, as well as the impact of business cycles. Despite the importance of potential GDP and the output gap, there are difficulties in reliably estimating them, as many of the models proposed in the economic literature are calibrated for developed economies and are based on complex macroeconomic relationships and a long history of robust data, while emerging economies exhibit high volatility. The object of this study is to develop a model in order to estimate the potential GDP and output gap and to assess the sustainability of projected growth using a multivariate filter approach. This trend estimation technique is the newest approach proposed by the economic literature and has gained wide acceptance with researchers and practitioners alike, while also being used by the IMF for Romania. The paper will be structured as follows. We first discuss the theoretical background of the model. The second section focuses on an analysis of the Romanian economy for the 1995–2013 time frame, while also providing a forecast for 2014–2017 and an assessment of the sustainability of Romania’s economic growth. The third section sums up the results and concludes.

Exploration of sustainable development by applying green economy indicators.

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Yungkun; Chen, Chia-Yon; Hsieh, Tsuifang

2011-11-01

Following the global trend of sustainable development, development of green economy is the best way of slowing the negative ecological and environmental impact. This research establishes the Taiwan's green economic indicators based on the ecological footprint and energy analysis. The results are as follows: Taiwan's ecological footprint in 2008 intensity index was at 4.364; ecological overshoot index was at 3.364, showing that Taiwan's ecological system is in overload state. Moreover, this study utilizes energy analysis model to study the sustainable development of Taiwan. Findings showed that total energy use in 2008 was 3.14 × 10(23) sej (solar energy joule, sej), energy of renewable resources was 1.30 × 10(22) sej, energy of nonrenewable resources was 2.26 × 10(23) sej, energy of products from renewable resources was 1.30 × 10(22)sej, energy of currency flow was 8.02 × 10(22) sej and energy of wastes flow was 6.55 × 10(22) sej. Taiwan's energy per capita and the utilization rate of energy is lower while the environmental loading rate is significantly higher comparing to some other countries. The foregoing findings indicate that Taiwan currently belongs to an economic development pattern based on high resource consumption. The economic development is mainly established on the exploitation and utilization of nonrenewable resources. Therefore, Taiwan should change the development pattern, regulate the industrial structure, promote the utilization rate of resources, develop green pollution-free products, and enhance the sustainable development of ecological economic system.

An Empirical Study on Key Indicators of Environmental Quality: Green Budgeting - a Catalyst for Sustainable Economy and a Factor for Institutional Change

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Violeta – Maria Cimpoeru

2012-06-01

Full Text Available This paper presents the phenomenon of institutional change through the implementation of sustainable strategies of medium-term budgeting, having as an effect the growth of opportunity to attract proper resources for social and environmental programs. The study analyzes green budget practices and suggests several ways to use them in order to ensure consistency in implementing key elements of sustainable economy. Thus, we conducted an empirical study to explain the decisive factors impact (greenhouse gas emissions and national income on health expenditure and we obtained statistically significant positive relationship, suggesting that green budgeting is an important factor for sustainable economy. The reasons behind the introduction of a sustainable perspective for budgeting in any country are important since they will dictate, to a large extent, the way the medium term budgeting will be institutionalized

Intelligent computing for sustainable energy and environment

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Li, Kang [Queen' s Univ. Belfast (United Kingdom). School of Electronics, Electrical Engineering and Computer Science; Li, Shaoyuan; Li, Dewei [Shanghai Jiao Tong Univ., Shanghai (China). Dept. of Automation; Niu, Qun (eds.) [Shanghai Univ. (China). School of Mechatronic Engineering and Automation

2013-07-01

Fast track conference proceedings. State of the art research. Up to date results. This book constitutes the refereed proceedings of the Second International Conference on Intelligent Computing for Sustainable Energy and Environment, ICSEE 2012, held in Shanghai, China, in September 2012. The 60 full papers presented were carefully reviewed and selected from numerous submissions and present theories and methodologies as well as the emerging applications of intelligent computing in sustainable energy and environment.

Towards a Green Economy. Pathways to Sustainable Development and Poverty Eradication. A Synthesis for Policy Makers

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

2011-07-01

Nearly 20 years after the Earth Summit, nations are again on the Road to Rio, but in a world very different and very changed from that of 1992. Then we were just glimpsing some of the challenges emerging across the planet from climate change and the loss of species to desertification and land degradation. Today many of those seemingly far off concerns are becoming a reality with sobering implications for not only achieving the UN's Millennium Development Goals, but challenging the very opportunity for close to seven billion people - rising to nine billion by 2050 - to be able to thrive, let alone survive. Rio 1992 did not fail the world - far from it. It provided the vision and important pieces of the multilateral machinery to achieve a sustainable future. But this will only be possible if the environmental and social pillars of sustainable development are given equal footing with the economic one: where the often invisible engines of sustainability, from forests to freshwaters, are also given equal if not greater weight in development and economic planning. Towards a Green Economy is among UNEP's key contributions to the Rio+20 process and the overall goal of addressing poverty and delivering a sustainable 21st century. The report makes a compelling economic and social case for investing two per cent of global GDP in greening ten central sectors of the economy in order to shift development and unleash public and private capital flows onto a low-carbon, resource-efficient path. Such a transition can catalyse economic activity of at least a comparable size to business as usual, but with a reduced risk of the crises and shocks increasingly inherent in the existing model. New ideas are by their very nature disruptive, but far less disruptive than a world running low on drinking water and productive land, set against the backdrop of climate change, extreme weather events and rising natural resource scarcities. A green economy does not favour one political

Towards a Green Economy. Pathways to Sustainable Development and Poverty Eradication. A Synthesis for Policy Makers

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2011-01-01

Nearly 20 years after the Earth Summit, nations are again on the Road to Rio, but in a world very different and very changed from that of 1992. Then we were just glimpsing some of the challenges emerging across the planet from climate change and the loss of species to desertification and land degradation. Today many of those seemingly far off concerns are becoming a reality with sobering implications for not only achieving the UN's Millennium Development Goals, but challenging the very opportunity for close to seven billion people - rising to nine billion by 2050 - to be able to thrive, let alone survive. Rio 1992 did not fail the world - far from it. It provided the vision and important pieces of the multilateral machinery to achieve a sustainable future. But this will only be possible if the environmental and social pillars of sustainable development are given equal footing with the economic one: where the often invisible engines of sustainability, from forests to freshwaters, are also given equal if not greater weight in development and economic planning. Towards a Green Economy is among UNEP's key contributions to the Rio+20 process and the overall goal of addressing poverty and delivering a sustainable 21st century. The report makes a compelling economic and social case for investing two per cent of global GDP in greening ten central sectors of the economy in order to shift development and unleash public and private capital flows onto a low-carbon, resource-efficient path. Such a transition can catalyse economic activity of at least a comparable size to business as usual, but with a reduced risk of the crises and shocks increasingly inherent in the existing model. New ideas are by their very nature disruptive, but far less disruptive than a world running low on drinking water and productive land, set against the backdrop of climate change, extreme weather events and rising natural resource scarcities. A green economy does not favour one political perspective

Sustainability Assessment and Reporting in Agriculture Sector

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Edward Kassem

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Sustainability assessment is a mainstream business activity that demonstrates the link between the organization’s strategy and commitment to a sustainable global economy. Sustainability indicators describe the environmental, social, economic and governance performance of Small and Medium‑sized Businesses/Enterprises (SMB/SME. Unfortunately, their implementations in the Czech Republic show a low level of engagement in sustainability assessment. The paper presents the results of the authors’ research in sustainability assessment of SMB/SMEs in the agriculture sector of the Czech Republic. An appropriate set of key performance indicators (KPIs in four dimensions (economy, environment, social and governance was developed to suit the SMB/SMEs sustainability assessment in the agriculture sector. A set of KPIs is proposed to help SMB/SMEs to avoid the barriers of sustainability assessment. These indicators are based mainly on Sustainability Assessment of Food and Agriculture, Global Reporting Initiatives Frameworks and on current research state‑of‑the‑art. They have been created following the analysis of a number of agricultural enterprises over the world, particularly within European countries.

Book Review: Leadership and Sustainability in the Built Environment

OpenAIRE

Elmualim, Abbas

2015-01-01

Leadership and Sustainability in the Built Environment Opoku, A. and Ahmed, V. (ed.), 2015. Leadership and Sustainability in the Built Environment. Routledge, London. ISBN (hbk): 978-1-13-877842-9, Hardback: $155.00.

Sustainable Transport in Romania vs. European Union. Analysis of Road Transport System from the Sustainable Transport Perspective

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Clitan Andrei - Florin

2014-12-01

Full Text Available Sustainability is a term used more often lately, based on three factors: social, economic, and environmental. Sustainable transport systems increase social cohesion, reduce environmental problems and help create a more efficient economy. Sustainable transport consists in a complex system that is designed to ensure mobility needs of present generations without damaging the environment and health factors. By improving energy and material consumption, it must be capable to satisfy in optimum conditions the need for mobility for future generations. The current transportation system has not a character of sustainability.

IMPACT OF SUSTAINABLE TOURISM IN THE TRAVEL INDUSTRY

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Bogdan Sofronov

2017-12-01

Full Text Available Sustainable tourism is the concept of visiting a place as a tourist and trying to make only a positive impact on the environment, society and economy. A key aspect is respect for the people who call the location home, the culture and customs of the area, and the socio-economic system. While sustainable tourism is sometimes confused with ecotourism, ecotourism is actually only one aspect of sustainable tourism. Sustainable tourism is attempting to have a low impact on the environment and local culture, while helping to generate future employment for local people. The aim of sustainable tourism is to ensure that development brings a positive experience for local people, tourism companies and the tourists themselves.

Politics of Sustainability in the Arctic

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Gad, Ulrik Pram; Jakobsen, Uffe; Strandsbjerg, Jeppe

2017-01-01

The concept of sustainability has become central in arctic politics. However, there is little agreement on what ‘sustainable’ means. For different actors (governments, indigenous people, NGOs, etc.) the concept implies different sets of opportunities and precautions. Sustainability, therefore...... the role of sustainability in political and economic strategies in the Arctic. Sustainability has become a fundamental concept that orders the relationship between the environment (nature) and development (economy), however, in the process rearticulating other concepts such as identity (society). Hence, we...... to outline an agenda for how to study the way in which sustainability works as a political concept....

Collaborative Economy

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

collaborative economy and tourism Dianne Dredge and Szilvia Gyimóthy PART I - Theoretical explorations 2.Definitions and mapping the landscape in the collaborative economy Szilvia Gyimóthy and Dianne Dredge 3.Business models of the collaborative economy Szilvia Gyimóthy 4.Responsibility and care...... and similar phenomena are among these collective innovations in tourism that are shaking the very bedrock of an industrial system that has been traditionally sustained along commercial value chains. To date there has been very little investigation of these trends, which have been inspired by, amongst other...... in the collaborative economy Dianne Dredge 5.Networked cultures in the collaborative economy Szilvia Gyimóthy 6.Policy and regulatory perspectives in the collaborative economy Dianne Dredge PART II - Disruptions, innovations and transformations 7.Regulating innovation in the collaborative economy: An examination...

Bill asserting the national commitment for the environment (declared urgency), text from the commission of economy, sustainable development and town and country planning; Projet de Loi portant engagement national pour l'environnement (urgence declaree), Texte de la Commission de L'Economie, du Developpement Durable et de L'Amenagement du Territoire

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

2009-07-15

The bill asserting the French national commitment for the environment (also named 'Grenelle 2') is considered as the juridical tool-box of the French environmental policy. It confirms, strengthens, and concretizes the objectives defined by the Grenelle 1 law. The main dispositions of the bill concern the following domains: settlement and urbanism with the improvement of the energy efficiency, energy conservation and life-cycle of buildings; transports with the development of sustainable transportation systems; energy with the creation of regional climate, air and energy schemes with the aim of developing renewable energies (with some restrictions concerning wind power) and reducing CO{sub 2} emissions; biodiversity with the creation of ecological pathways between protected areas for the migration of flora and fauna species; environment and waste management with the reinforcement of measures for the abatement of environmental pollutant effects. Among the numerous dispositions involving more than 20 codes (urbanism, environment, buildings etc..) one concerns the progressive implementation of a 'carbon price' index taking into account the greenhouse gas emission costs during the whole life cycle of a product, another one concerns the monitoring of indoor air quality in public buildings. This document is the text of the bill as prepared by the Commission of economy, sustainable development and town and country planning. (J.S.)

Gamification, social networks and sustainable environments

OpenAIRE

Silva, Fábio; Analide, César; Rosa, Luís; Felgueiras, Gilberto; Pimenta, Cedric

2013-01-01

Intelligent environments and ambient intelligence enabled systems provide means to gather rich information from both environments and its users. With the help of such systems, it is possible to foster communities of ambient intelligence systems with community driven knowledge, which is created by individual actions and setups in each of the environments. Such arrangements provides the potential to build systems that promote better practices and more efficient and sustainable environments by p...

Knowledge-Based Economy in Argentina, Costa Rica and Mexico: A Comparative Analysis from the Bio-Economy Perspective

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ana Barbara MUNGARAY-MOCTEZUMA

2015-06-01

Full Text Available The objective of this article is to determine the necessary institutional characteristics of technology and human capital in Argentina, Costa Rica and Mexico in order to evolve towards a knowledge-based economy, addressing the importance of institutions for their development. In particular, the knowledge-based economy is analyzed from the perspective of bioeconomics. Based on the Knowledge Economy Index (KEI which considers 148 indicators, in the following categories: a economic performance and institutional regime; b education and human resources, c innovation, and d information and communication technologies, we selected 13 indicators. We aim to identify the strengths and opportunities for these countries in order to meet the challenges that arise from the paradoxes of technological progress and globalization. In this sense, bioeconomy is approached as part of the economy. This analysis shows, among other things, that Argentina has greater potential to compete in an economy sustained in the creation and dissemination of knowledge, while Costa Rica has an institutional and regulatory environment that is more conducive to the development of business activities, and Mexico faces significant challenges regarding its institutional structure, economic performance and human resources.

Approaches for assessing sustainable remediation

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Søndergaard, Gitte Lemming; Binning, Philip John; Bjerg, Poul Løgstrup

Sustainable remediation seeks to reduce direct contaminant point source impacts on the environment, while minimizing the indirect cost of remediation to the environment, society and economy. This paper presents an overview of available approaches for assessing the sustainability of alternative...... remediation strategies for a contaminated site. Most approaches use multi-criteria assessment methods (MCA) to structure a decision support process. Different combinations of environmental, social and economic criteria are employed, and are assessed either in qualitative or quantitative forms with various...... tools such as life cycle assessment and cost benefit analysis. Stakeholder involvement, which is a key component of sustainable remediation, is conducted in various ways. Some approaches involve stakeholders directly in the evaluation or weighting of criteria, whereas other approaches only indirectly...

Sustainability - What are the Odds? Guessing the Future of our Environment, Economy, and Society

Science.gov (United States)

This article examines the concept of sustainability from a global perspective, describing how alternative futures might develop in the environmental, economic, and social dimensions. The alternatives to sustainability appear to be (a) a catastrophic failure of life support, econo...

Sustainability dilemmas in emerging economies

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Rama K. Jayanti

2014-06-01

Full Text Available Increasing evidence of climate change is forcing businesses to play an active role in reducing sustainability burdens and preserving resources for future generations. Extant research on sustainability has an exclusive focus on developed countries with stringent environmental regulations and activist scrutiny. Emerging markets present interesting dilemmas since rapid mass urbanisation aimed at raising standards of living poses concomitant threats to environmental health. This round table aimed to showcase best practices in sustainability within the Indian business context. Insights from the discussion regarding sustainability dilemmas provide a fertile ground for bench marking global sustainability best practices.

SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT, A MULTIDIMENSIONAL CONCEPT

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

TEODORESCU ANA MARIA

2015-06-01

environmental pillar, the genesis of the concept should be considered. „Ecodevelopment” term stated in the World Conference on Environment in Stockholm in 1972 underlies sustainable development. Social approach implies eradicate poverty, providing better living conditions in terms of education, income, and the environment. When a nation's standard of living is high, also cares for the environment is high. This is one relation between social and environment pillars. Regarded from an economic perspective, sustainable development implies a maximum profit in terms of satisfaction other pillars of sustainability: pillar environment by preserving natural capital and social pillar by increasing welfare, employment insurance, respecting the principle of equity. On perspective economy-environment relationship, sustainable development is not quantity but quality. Regardless of the approach, sustainable development requires simultaneously ensuring of economic development, environmental protection and social welfare, resulting interrelationship between the three pillars: social, economic, environmental. Sustainable development through its components - economic and environmental - has only one beneficiary - the human factor who receives income, good quality environmental factors, and enjoys equity generations.

[Environmental governance and the green economy].

Science.gov (United States)

Jacobi, Pedro Roberto; Sinisgalli, Paulo Antonio de Almeida

2012-06-01

The Rio+20 Conference will mobilize the global community in 2012 to participate in a challenging debate on the global environmental reality and the existing modus operandi with respect to the broad and generic topics of development and the environment. One of the core themes of this meeting is the transition to a green economy in the context of sustainable development and the eradication of poverty. The issue of Global Environmental Governance will top the agenda of the Rio +20 discussions, with a view to promoting and accelerating the transition to sustainable societies. It presents, often in a controversial way, the creation of conditions to define new institutional spaces and shared decision-making processes. Before embarking on the discussion about what king of sustainability should be behind the Green Economy, and its applicability, the scope of this article is to ask readers to reflect on what should be the priority in the discussion on environmental governance This should be explained to the extent that there is a need to change the existing mechanisms of profoundly unequal exploitation of resources, which blocks progress in decision-making processes, as decisions of the few create a perverse logic of appropriation of natural resources and the non-resolution of social exclusion.

The economic dimension of the sustainable development - point for a debate

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Guhl Nannetti, Ernesto

2002-01-01

The article begins explaining the relations between economy and environment and exploring the limitations of the classic economic theory for the sustainable management of environmental goods and services. It stresses the insufficiency and inadequacy of the market mechanisms for this purpose, and the need of the intervention of the state to insure the correct distribution of environmental goods and services considering public interest and sustainability. Then it refers to the conception of natural resources and environment in the 1991 constitution and to the role that it assignees to the state in their management and administrator. It enters then to the subject of valuation of environmental goods and services and in the identification of the tools that the state has in order to administer them in accordance with the basic constitutional principles, in the search of a sustainable society. It ends by stating the need of changing of the dominant paradigm in order to introduce the concept of sustainability, changing the short-term market economy vision

The Politics of Sustainability in the Arctic

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

. In original conservationist discourse, the environment was the sole referent object of sustainability, however, as sustainability discourses expand, the concept is linked to an increasing number of referent objects, such as, society, economy, culture and identity. This book sets out a theoretical framework...... of sustainability and how actors are employing and contesting this concept in specific regions within the Arctic. In doing so, the book demonstrates how sustainability is being given new meanings in the postcolonial Arctic and what the political implications are for postcoloniality, nature, and development more...

Performance Indicator Framework for Evaluation of Sustainable Tourism in the Taiwan Coastal Zone

OpenAIRE

Shih-Hao Wang; Meng-Tsung Lee; Pierre-Alexandre Château; Yang-Chi Chang

2016-01-01

Surrounded by the ocean, Taiwan has been increasingly developing coastal tourism projects. Concerns that negative impacts might be brought about by prosperous tourism have resulted in a recent focus on sustainable tourism. Sustainable tourism involves policies that acknowledge the interdependences among the environment, the community, and the economy. The goal of sustainable tourism is to enhance and protect the environment while satisfying basic human requirements, as well as those of the co...

Social Initiatives in Food Consumption and Distribution as Part of Sustainable Consumption and Sharing Economy

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Katarzyna Bachnik

2018-01-01

Full Text Available The aim of this paper is to extract and describe recent social initatves in food consumpton and distributon in Poland and indicate their characteristcs related to sustainable consumpton, sharing economy and collaboratve consumpton and to indicate the processes, mechanisms and future development optons. Food is among areas that seem to adapt to those ideas more easily which means that individual consumers seem to see value in behaving in a more responsible way. In Poland, social awareness is rather limited and responsible behavior happens on a minor scale for the moment, but more internatonal research shows the great potental of sharing economy. Food is being wasted therefore it consttutes a good ground for changing consumpton habits. The paper presents four chosen social initatves in Poland that refer to a sustainable consumpton philosophy and collaboratve consumpton. Those mini case studies are backed by a thorough analysis of relevant literature, theme contents on websites, and results of secondary research studies dedicated to the issues discussed in the paper. Due to the qualitatve character of the study, it shall be followed by more quanttatve research to allow for more general insights and conclusions.

Taxation of cooperatives from the perspective of international expansion and sustainable development of social economy

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Gemma Patón García

2014-07-01

Full Text Available The economic crisis has created a major concern in developedcountries for control of social risks with negative effects on growth and this problem can be approached from the perspective of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR. Thus, CSR is seen as an entrepreneurial attitude aimed at promoting social, economic and environmental purposes while guarantying competitiveness in the international market. Thus, social economy can contribute to sustainable development, economic and social cohesion, to promote productive and income distribution, to ensure employment and equality of opportunities. The purpose of this study is to have an influence onthe role that taxation plays in the area of incentive policies related to social economy and very prominently manifested in the legal status of cooperatives. The approach aims to provide proposals on tax regulation of cooperatives taking the perspective of the international context and the size of the sector in countries like Spain and Peru in order to encourage cooperative social responsibility. Indeed, the importance of providing a legal and fiscal framework to promote their internationalization connects providentially with the principles that govern the cooperative action. We consider that it is essential, from the perspective of sustainable development and cooperatives’social responsibility, to take into account in the tax regime applicable criteria that can be justified on constitutional principles, the general interest of society or internationalization economic activity. Also, there could be other positive effects in the area of Latin America, such as decreasing tax evasion and the formalization of at least a portion of the informal sector of the economy, including the real impulse to CSR.

Understanding the Sustainability of Fuel from the Viewpoint of Exergy

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yaning Zhang

2018-01-01

Full Text Available At the same time of providing a huge amount of energy to the world population (social sustainability and global economy (economic sustainability, the fuel itself also releases a great amount of emissions to the environment the world people live in in the forms of gaseous pollutants (SOx, NOx, CO, CO2, CH4, etc. and ash compositions (Al2O3, CaO, Fe2O3, K2O, MgO, MnO, Na2O, P2O5, SO3, SiO2, TiO2, etc., seriously impacting the environment (environmental sustainability for the world population and global economy. Sustainability generally encompasses economic sustainability, environmental sustainability, and social sustainability, and all of these are significantly related to the energy/resource sustainability. This study addresses the sustainability of fuel from the viewpoint of exergy. It is demonstrated that the energy of a fuel is best evaluated by its chemical exergy, and the environmental impact of a fuel can be assessed through the chemical exergy of its emissions (the specific impacts such as toxicity or greenhouse effect are not detailed. Then, the sustainability of fuel can be understood from the viewpoint of exergy through three ways: (a high chemical exergy of the fuel, (b high exergy efficiency of the fuel conversion process, and (c low chemical exergy of the emissions.

Green economy and related concepts

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Loiseau, Eleonore; Saikku, Laura; Antikainen, Riina; Droste, Nils; Hansjürgens, Bernd; Pitkänen, Kati; Leskinen, Pekka; Kuikman, Peter; Thomsen, Marianne

2016-01-01

For the last ten years, the notion of a green economy has become increasingly attractive to policy makers. However, green economy covers a lot of diverse concepts and its links with sustainability are not always clear. In this article, we focus on definitions of green economy and related concepts

TECHNICAL AND VOCATIONAL EDUCATION AND TRAINING SKILLS: AN ANTIDOTE FOR JOB CREATION AND SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT OF NIGERIAN ECONOMY

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

James Edomwonyi Edokpolor

2017-12-01

Full Text Available The research is aimed at assessing the important role of TVET on job creation and sustainable development of Nigerian economy. Two research questions were answered using mean and standard deviation statistics, while two hypotheses were tested using t-test statistic. A survey method was employed for the research. A four-point scale questionnaire was employed as the instrument for collection of data. The population consists of 332 TVET lecturers in 3 universities and 4 colleges of education in Edo and Delta States. There was no need to adopt sampling technique, nor select any sample size, since the entire population is of a manageable size. The instrument was validated by two experts and its reliability coefficient value using Cronbach alpha method was 0.81. The research revealed that TVET can equip students with skills for job creation and sustainable development of Nigerian economy. It also revealed that there was no significant difference between the mean ratings of TVET lecturers in Edo and Delta States on the extent to which TVET can equip students with skills for job creation. It further revealed that there was no significant difference between the mean ratings of male and female TVET lecturers on the extent to which TVET can equip students with skills for sustainable development of Nigerian economy. Optimizing sufficient amount of financial resources, regular supplies of state-of-the-art facilities, sourcing for qualified manpower, and organization of advocacy programme, that would help in effective management delivery of TVET were further recommended.

[Scenario analysis on sustainable development of Sino-Singapore Tianjin Eco-city based on emergy and system dynamics].

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Chun-fa; Cao, Ying-ying; Yang, Jian-cho; Yang, Qi-qi

2015-08-01

Dynamic evaluation of sustainable development is one of the key fundamental parts of the success of Sino-Singapore Tianjin Eco-city, which is the first eco-city in China constructed by international cooperation. Based on the analysis of nature and economy, function and structure, planning control indices and so on, we constructed a sustainable development evaluation index system and a system dynamics model of Sino-Singapore Tianjin Eco-city to explore dynamic trends of its population, material and currency by comprehensive utilization of emergy analysis and system dynamics method. Five scenarios were set up and simulated, including inertial scenario, scientific and technological scenario, economic scenario, environmental scenario and harmonious development scenario. Then, the sustainability of the 5 scenarios was evaluated and compared. The results showed that in the economy and environment sustainable development scenario, there was a steady growth trend of GDP, accumulation of both emergy and currency, and relatively lower values in emergy waste ratio, emergy ratio of waste, and emergy loading ratio. Although both sustainable evaluation indices, such as ESI and UEI, were relatively low, the economy and environment sustainable development scenario was still the best development scenario which was more active than others.

Financial Markets and the Challenges of Sustainable Growth

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Janicka Małgorzata

2016-06-01

Full Text Available Sustainable growth and responsibility for the economy and the environment are postulates rarely associated with the term “financial market”. Financial markets are identified with the ruthless maximisation of profit at acceptable risk, rather than with socially responsible conduct. However, in the global economy businesses modify their priorities and become aware of not just the need to grow in financial terms but also to improve their quality performance. International financial markets have become part of this trend and are increasingly often adopting environmentally friendly attitudes and embracing the challenges posed by the concept of sustainable growth. Ideas such as CSR – Corporate Social Responsibility – and SRI – Socially Responsible Investment are gaining in importance. While sustainable growth of the economy as perceived from the point of view of the manufacturing or service sectors is widely discussed, the sustainable growth of financial markets is a relatively new concept and the available literature on “green” financial markets is quite scarce. This paper is intended to fill in this gap and examine the changes that have taken place on financial markets in the context of the idea of sustainable growth, with particular attention paid to the European Union markets.

Simulation and Prediction of Decarbonated Development in Tourist Attractions Associated with Low-carbon Economy

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yuyan Luo

2014-04-01

Full Text Available In the field of tourism, the development of tourist attractions is gradually playing a crucial role in tourism economy, regional economy and national economy. While tourism economy is stimulated by growing demand, tourist attractions have been facing the situation that ecological environment is becoming fragile and environmental protection is increasingly difficult in China. As low-carbon economy is highlighted more than ever before, how to develop green economy, how to apply theories and technologies, which are related to low-carbon economy, to push forward decarbonation, to protect the ecological environment, and to boost the development of tourism economy have become the core problems for the sustainable development of tourist attractions system. In addition, this system has drawn the attention of scholars and practitioners in recent years. On the basis of low-carbon economy, this paper tries to define the decarbonated development goals and the connotation of tourist attractions system. In addition, it also discusses system structure associated with system dynamics and system engineering, and constructs system simulation model. In the end, a case study is conducted, that is, to predict the development trend of Jiuzhai Valley by adopting the constructed system so as to extend the previous research on low-carbon tourism and to guide the decarbonated development in tourist attractions.

Sustainable rural development and cross-border cooperation

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Stojanović Žaklina

2009-01-01

Full Text Available The concept of sustainable rural development comprises three aspects - social, economical and ecological. They are supposed to act in synergy, but, at the same time, these aspects are supposed to be competitive. Agriculture, as a traditional activity of rural economy, contributes to the sustainable development of rural areas only if there is an adequate resources management. If not, there will be a significant degradation of rural environment. These are the reasons why sustainable agriculture development is emphasized since it maximizes productivity and minimizes negative effects on nature and human resources. In this context, one should observe the connection between agriculture and tourism existing in the EU, where the application of sustainable agricultural development concept produces external effects connected to biodiversity protection and environment in rural areas. These become a good foundation for the development of rural and ecotourism. EU enlargement induced diversification of support programmes that EU gives to the candidate countries, as well as to those who are just entering the process of stabilization and association to the EU. Through cross-border cooperation projects, many goals can be accomplished, among which aspiration for promotion of sustainable economical and social development in border regions is one of the leading. Knowing that these regions are usually passive and underdeveloped, the projects of cross-border cooperation could induce development of those activities in local economy, which could bring better living conditions and economic prosperity on the one hand, and protection of environment on the other. Examples of this kind of projects in Serbia can usually be found in rural and ecotourism development.

Energy, economy, and environment analysis and optimization on manufacturing plant energy supply system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Feng, Lujia; Mears, Laine; Beaufort, Cleveland; Schulte, Joerg

2016-01-01

Highlights: • Single objective and multicriteria optimization approaches are proposed. • Objectives of energy, economy, and environment are proved conflicting. • 3-input-5-output energy supply system of an automotive plant is studied. - Abstract: Increasing attention has recently been drawn to energy consumption in manufacturing plants. Facing the challenges from reducing emissions coupled with rising raw material prices and energy costs, manufacturers are trying to balance the energy usage strategy among the total energy consumption, economy, and environment, which can be self-conflicting at times. In this paper, energy systems in manufacturing environments are reviewed, and the current status of onsite energy system and renewable energy usage are discussed. Single objective and multicriteria optimization approaches are effectively formulated for making the best use of energy delivered to the production processes. Energy supply operation suggestions based on the optimization results are obtained. Finally, an example from an automotive assembly manufacturer is described to demonstrate the energy usage in the current manufacturing plants and how the optimization approaches can be applied to satisfy the energy management objectives. According to the optimization results, in an energy oriented operation, it takes 35% more in monetary cost; while in an economy oriented operation, it takes 17% more in megawatt hour energy supply and tends to rely more on the inexpensive renewable energy.

Study on Chinese model of low carbon economy-energy-electricity-environment

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hu, Zhaoguang

2010-09-15

With the successful experience on energy efficiency in the past 30 years in China, it can be summarized as Energy Usage Management(EUM) and Integrated Resource Strategic Planning(IRSP). They will play essential role in Low Carbon Economy. The model of Low Carbon Economy-Energy-Electricity-Environment and an outlook of Chinese economic growth, energy-electricity demand, and renewable energy generation have been studied in this paper. It has been shown that China would save energy 4.38 billion toe and reduce CO2 emission 16.55 billion ton by EUM, and would save energy 1.5 billion toe and reduce CO2 emission 5.7 Btons by IRSP during 2010-2030.

Cultural development and environment: a necessity to achieve sustainable development

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Azhari, A.

2003-01-01

This paper stresses on the important role of cultural development and protection of environment as the main pillars of sustainable development. one of the article's goals to make link among culture, protection of environment and sustainable development. according to the article, part of our commitment to sustainable development is to keep balance among different dimensions of development (cultural/ economic/ political/ social) considering environmental ethics

Sustainable management of heavy metals in agro-ecosystems

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Moolenaar, S.W.

1998-01-01

In 1993, the Netherlands Organization for Scientific Research (NWO) launched a priority research program on 'Sustainability and Environmental Quality'. Within this program, the METALS subprogram focusses on the accumulation of metals in economy (e.g., zinc in gutters) and the environment

Dynamics and forecast in a simple model of sustainable development for rural populations.

Science.gov (United States)

Angulo, David; Angulo, Fabiola; Olivar, Gerard

2015-02-01

Society is becoming more conscious on the need to preserve the environment. Sustainable development schemes have grown rapidly as a tool for managing, predicting and improving the growth path in different regions and economy sectors. We introduce a novel and simple mathematical model of ordinary differential equations (ODEs) in order to obtain a dynamical description for each one of the sustainability components (economy, social development and environment conservation), together with their dependence with demographic dynamics. The main part in the modeling task is inspired by the works by Cobb, Douglas, Brander and Taylor. This is completed through some new insights by the authors. A model application is presented for three specific geographical rural regions in Caldas (Colombia).

Wine tourism and sustainable environments

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

M.ª Luisa González San José

2017-11-01

Full Text Available Sustainability is a model of development in which the present actions should not compromise the future of future generations, and is linked to economic and social development which must respect the environment. Wine tourism or enotourism is a pleasant mode of tourism that combines the pleasure of wine-tasting, with cultural aspects related to the wine culture developing in wine regions over time until the present day. It can be affirmed that wine culture, and its use through wine tourism experiences, is clearly correlated to social (socially equitable, economic (economically feasible, environmental (environmentally sound and cultural aspects of the sustainability of winegrowing regions and territories.

China's growing methanol economy and its implications for energy and the environment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yang, Chi-Jen; Jackson, Robert B.

2012-01-01

For more than a decade, Nobel laureate George Olah and coworkers have advocated the Methanol Economy – replacing petroleum-based fuels and chemicals with methanol and methanol-derivatives – as a path to sustainable development. A first step to this vision appears to be occurring in China. In the past five years, China has quickly built an industry of coal-based methanol and dimethyl ether (DME) that is competitive in price with petroleum-based fuels. Methanol fuels offer many advantages, including a high octane rating and cleaner-burning properties than gasoline. Methanol also has some disadvantages. A coal-based Methanol Economy could enhance water shortages in China, increase net carbon dioxide emissions, and add volatility to regional and global coal prices. China's rapidly expanding Methanol Economy provides an interesting experiment for what could happen elsewhere if methanol is widely adopted, as proposed by Olah and researchers before him. - Highlights: ► China is quickly building a coal-based chemical industry. ► Methanol has become a significant automotive fuel and chemical feedstock in China. ► Coal-based methanol could provide a domestic alternative to imported oil. ► It, however, increases greenhouse gas emissions, and can cause other problems.

Modelling management process of key drivers for economic sustainability in the modern conditions of economic development

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Pishchulina E.S.

2017-01-01

Full Text Available The text is about issues concerning the management of driver for manufacturing enterprise economic sustainability and manufacturing enterprise sustainability assessment as the key aspect of the management of enterprise economic sustainability. The given issues become topical as new requirements for the methods of manufacturing enterprise management in the modern conditions of market economy occur. An economic sustainability model that is considered in the article is an integration of enterprise economic growth, economic balance of external and internal environment and economic sustainability. The method of assessment of economic sustainability of a manufacturing enterprise proposed in the study allows to reveal some weaknesses in the enterprise performance, and untapped reserves, which can be further used to improve the economic sustainability and efficiency of the enterprise. The management of manufacturing enterprise economic sustainability is one of the most important factors of business functioning and development in modern market economy. The relevance of this trend is increasing in accordance with the objective requirements of the growing volumes of production and sale, the increasing complexity of economic relations, changing external environment of an enterprise.

Sustainable living in a Chinese city. Analysis and support for market-conscious urban planning

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Hu, H.

2014-01-01

In the transition from a state-led industrial to a market-driven post-industrial urban economy, China’s planners are facing challenges in building sustainable living environment for the rapidly increasing and wealthier urban population.Citizens are the end-users of the sustainable city. Their

A worldwide perspective on energy, environment and sustainable development

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dincer, Ibrahim; Rosen, Marc A.

1998-01-01

Problems with energy supply and use are related not only to global warming, but also to such environmental concerns as air pollution, ozone depletion forest destruction and emission of radioactive substances. These issues must be taken into consideration simultaneously if humanity is to achieve a bright energy future with minimal environmental impacts. Much evidence exists which suggests that the future will be negatively impacted if humans keep degrading the environment. There is an intimate connection between energy, the environment and sustainable development. A society seeking sustainable development ideally must utilise only energy resources which cause no environmental impact (e.g. which release no emissions to the environment). However, since all energy resources lead to some environmental impact, it is reasonable to suggest that some (not all) of the concerns regarding the limitations imposed on sustainable development by environmental emissions and their negative impacts can be part overcome through increased energy efficiency. A strong relation clearly exists between energy efficiency and environmental impact since, for the same services or products, less resource utilisation and pollution is normally associated with higher efficiency processes. Anticipated patterns of future energy use and consequent environmental impact (Focusing on acid precipitation, stratospheric ozone depletion and the greenhouse effect) are comprehensively discussed in this paper. Also, some solutions to current environmental issues in terms of energy conservation and renewable energy technologies are identified and some theoretical and practical limitations on increased energy efficiency are explained. The relations between energy and sustainable development, and between the environment and sustainable development, are described, and in illustrative example is presented. Throughout the paper several issues relating to energy, environment and sustainable development are examined

Tourism Development from the Perspectives of Sustainability in Melaka State

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Alam A. S. A. Ferdous

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Tourism is an important development tool and it is considered the second largest contributor to the Malaysian economy. Even though the visitors are satisfied by the prevailing facilities, a few shortcomings need to be addressed on sustainable tourism such as the lack of knowledge on sustainable tourism in different sectors, and the neglected local communities in making decisions on sustainability. The aim of this study is to realize the relationship between three factors namely economy, environmental impacts of tourism, and community satisfaction and perceptions on tourism development in Melaka, a UNESCO World Heritage site in Malaysia. In order to observe this relationship, 735 tourists were interviewed to get the tourists’ responses. Here, the concepts on sustainable tourism development include the conservation of the environment, mitigation of pollution from tourism development, and support of local economies. Additionally, sustainable tourism is aimed at generating local employment for the community. Data from the interviews have been analysed using descriptive and simple statistical tools. It is found that the variables are suitable in this study due to the high Cronbach’s Alpha values. The study found that there are positive significant influences between the three dimensions and their perceptions on sustainability and tourism development.

Why the New Economy is a Learning Economy

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Lundvall, Bengt-Åke

In this paper it is shown that the intense focus on the new economy reflected real change as well as 'hype?. The basic reason why new economy-growth could not be seen as sustainable is that introducing advanced technologies can only take place successfully when it is accompanied by organizational...... change and competence-building among employees. Any strategy that gives technology an independent role as problem-solver is doomed to fail. Danish data of a unique character are used to demonstrate that the key to economic performance is to promote learning at different levels of the economy....... In the conclusion it is argued that there is a need for a new type of knowledge and learning oriented Keynesianism in order to get close to the kind of growth rates characterizing the high days of the new economy adventure in the US....

The Dynamic Coordinated Development of a Regional Environment-Tourism-Economy System: A Case Study from Western Hunan Province, China

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yaoqing Yuan

2014-08-01

Full Text Available Based on regional coordination theory and system theory, the authors constructed an evaluation index system for the coordinated development of a regional environment-tourism-economy system with a pressure-state-response (PSR model. With a coordinated development model, it further empirically analyzed the coordinated development state of an environment-tourism-economy system in western Hunan from 2001 to 2012. The results showed that, although this environment-tourism-economy system failed to achieve a high benefit index, inter-subsystem coupling extent, and coordinated development index, the three indices presented an increasing overall trend. This outcome suggested that the sub-systems in this system were developing towards their optimal proportions: the development of these sub-systems (environmental, tourism, and economic was unbalanced in western Hunan. The environment therein sees only slow development although provided with a favorable ecological foundation. Economic development, which has long been lagging, acted as the main factor restricting the coordinated development of a regional environment-tourism-economy system. To promote its coordinated development in western Hunan, the following recommendations were proposed: strengthen the prediction and warnings on the evolution of the whole system; optimize the industry’s structure; reinforce environmental management.

Trends in Organic Farming Development in Bulgaria: Applying Circular Economy Principles to Sustainable Rural Development

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Dimitrov Dimitar K.

2017-05-01

Full Text Available The paper examines the development of organic farming in Bulgaria through the viewpoint of its links to circular economy concept and its potential to contribute to sustainable rural development. The significant increase in the number of organic operators and areas is analyzed in the context of stable growth in the European sector and worldwide and the increase in consumer demand. Main indicators reported by the Ministry of Agriculture and Food of the Republic of Bulgaria and the support provided by the National Rural Development Program are used to present the characteristics of organic production and agricultural holdings. The advantages of Bulgaria are underlined as a country offering the necessary conditions, along with the main problems in production and marketing. Recommendations are provided for organic sector encouragement as a sustainable business model and an entrepreneurial initiative for sustainable rural development putting a special accent on networking and capacity building activities in connection to potential solutions and policy development.

CANDU advanced fuel cycles: key to energy sustainability

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Boczar, P.G.; Fehrenbach, P.J.; Meneley, D.A.

1996-01-01

In the fast-growing economies of the Pacific Basin region, sustainability is an important requisite for new energy development. Many countries in this region have seen, and continue to see, very large increases in energy and electricity demand. The investment in any nuclear technology is large. Countries making that investment want to ensure that the technology can be sustained and that it can evolve in an ever-changing environment. Three key aspects in ensuring a sustainable energy future, are technological sustainability, economic sustainability, and environmental sustainability (including resource utilization). The fuel-cycle flexibility of the CANDU reactor provides a ready path to sustainable energy development in both the short and long term. (author)

Materials in the economy; material flows, scarcity, and the environment

Science.gov (United States)

Wagner, Lorie A.

2002-01-01

The importance of materials to the economy of the United States is described, including the levels of consumption and uses of materials. The paths (or flows) that materials take from extraction, through processing, to consumer products, and then final disposition are illustrated. Scarcity and environmental issues as they relate to the flow of materials are discussed. Examples for the three main themes of the report (material flows, scarcity, and the environment) are presented.

Analysing Italian Regional Patterns in Green Economy and Climate Change. Can Italy Leverage on Europe 2020 Strategy to Face Sustainable Growth Challenges ?

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Francesco BONSINETTO

2013-12-01

Full Text Available European cities and regions are facing the crucial challenge of greening their economy towards more sustainable patterns. Politicians and policy-makers should promote new policies for sustainable growth including renewables, greenhouse gas emissions, energy efficiency and biodiversity. All of these aspects can be considered as a boost for local and regional economy. In this regard, European countries and regions can benefit from the Europe 2020 Strategy which is defined as Europe’s blueprint for a smart, sustainable and inclusive future, providing a ten year roadmap for growth and jobs. EU2020S was designed as a European exit strategy from the global economic and financial crisis in view of new European economic governance. This study discusses the above issues regarding Italy and intends to provide some answers on the perspectives of the new EU2020S. It draws from a research project supported by ESPON, the S.I.E.S.T.A. Project, focused on the territorial dimension of the EU2020S. Therefore, this paper aims at analyzing Italian regional patterns on climate change, green economy and energy within the context of EU2020S and at providing policy recommendations for better achieving the goals of the Strategy.

Accounts for the Environment 2008

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2009-11-01

Economic developments have an impact on the environment. Environmental accounts describe the relationship between the Dutch economy and the environment. Because the environmental accounts are integrated with concepts from the national accounts, developments in the field of the environment and macro-economic developments in the Netherlands can be directly compared. Key indicators can also be derived from the environmental accounts; these provide an insight into the sustainability of the development of the environment and the economy. The integrated system makes it possible to quantify and analyse the underlying causes of changes in environmental indicators. These effects of changes in - among other things - economic growth, environmental efficiency and international trade can be expressed in figures. This publication presents the results of the environmental accounts developed by Statistics Netherlands. [nl

Sustainability of biomass import for the Dutch energy economy. Final report

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rijssenbeek, W.; Van der Vleuten, F.; De Winter, J.; Corten, I.

1996-07-01

The current study is conducted with the aim of developing a number of general (qualitative) criteria which can be used to judge, from the perspective of sustainable development, the various options of importing biomass for the Dutch energy economy. The methods used during implementation of the desk study include: literature reviews on sustainable development and biomass energy conversion techniques; concept development and elaboration; internal discussions of the project team; international discussions through electronic mail in order to obtain the opinions of people outside The Netherlands, in particular from the potentially biomass exporting countries; an interim discussion meeting with representatives of involved (Dutch) actors; a final discussion meeting with representatives of involved (Dutch) actors; and reporting. The results of the desk study are presented. The context of energy from biomass in The Netherlands, and the Dutch policy concerning renewable energies is described. A selection is given of international comments on the idea of importing biomass for the Dutch electricity sector, to underline that the sustainability of this activity is not obvious without more detailed consideration. An overview of biomass energy technologies is presented in order to illustrate the numerous options of importing biomass for energy purposes. A concrete example of wood import from Estonia and Uruguay shows how a biomass import chain could look like in practice. Attempts to put the concept into practice are discussed. General criteria and framework conditions, that can be used in assessing the sustainability of the various alternatives of biomass import are presented. A method for the full evaluation process is proposed. The most important ideas that have been received through E-mail and Internet news groups discussions are listed along with an overview of biomass chains

Connecting political economies of energy in South Africa

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Buescher, Bram

2009-01-01

The South African energy debate is and will remain a heated one. Given South Africa's history of racial inequality and contemporary concerns around sustainability, much of it rightly focuses on the links between energy, poverty and the environment. Yet, many contributions to the (mainstream) debate seem to have a somewhat one-sided focus that might hamper rather than stimulate the understanding of these links. They either display a strong technical, quantitative bias and/or lean towards rather simplistic ideas about policy processes and dynamics. The article argues that many of these analyses could benefit greatly from a critical focus on the political economy of energy: the political-economic power structures that influence both many energy policies and the issues of energy equality and sustainability. Two major global developments emphasise the importance of this focus: the recent financial crisis and South Africa's role in the increasingly tense geopolitics of energy in Africa. The article concludes with some suggestions on how currently disparate political economies of energy could be better connected.

Connecting political economies of energy in South Africa

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Buescher, Bram [Institute of Social Studies, Kortenaerkade 12, 2518 AX The Hague (Netherlands); Department of Geography, Environmental Management and Energy Studies, University of Johannesburg (South Africa)

2009-10-15

The South African energy debate is and will remain a heated one. Given South Africa's history of racial inequality and contemporary concerns around sustainability, much of it rightly focuses on the links between energy, poverty and the environment. Yet, many contributions to the (mainstream) debate seem to have a somewhat one-sided focus that might hamper rather than stimulate the understanding of these links. They either display a strong technical, quantitative bias and/or lean towards rather simplistic ideas about policy processes and dynamics. The article argues that many of these analyses could benefit greatly from a critical focus on the political economy of energy: the political-economic power structures that influence both many energy policies and the issues of energy equality and sustainability. Two major global developments emphasise the importance of this focus: the recent financial crisis and South Africa's role in the increasingly tense geopolitics of energy in Africa. The article concludes with some suggestions on how currently disparate political economies of energy could be better connected. (author)

Creating sustainable empowering learning environments through ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

... as these impede optimal learning especially among rural and immigrant communities in South Africa, Canada and the world over. The primary focus of all papers herein therefore is on the creation of sustainable empowering learning environments through engaged scholarship spearheaded by the university.

Polish economic clusters and their efforts to protect the environment – selected examples

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Dyrda-Muskus Joanna

2014-01-01

Full Text Available This paper presents the benefits they can obtain business which aim to protect the environment. The environment protection has found its place and affects the process of systemic change of the Polish economy. This article assumes that building a competitive economy and enterprise development based on the principle of sustainable development requires the development of mechanisms for mutual benefits. These will be the economic mechanisms, technical and technological, and social. All these mechanisms are concentrated in clusters. Pursue sustainable development policies, an emphasis on environmental protection will be the general element for them a competitive advantage. Sustainable development will in this case be both the agent and the goal of economic and entrepreneurship development. Basing on the assumption that economic development is possible through the achievement of competitive advantage, sustainable development should be treated as its source.

Governing a Sustainable Business Ecosystem in Taiwan’s Circular Economy: The Story of Spring Pool Glass

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ying-Che Hsieh

2017-06-01

Full Text Available The business ecosystem has provided a new paradigm for management research. Most research in the field has focused on profit-driven industries, neglecting the area of the circular economy. This research sets out to capture the mechanisms that the leading firm in the circular economy uses to govern its business ecosystem. The research strategy adopted is a longitudinal case study of the largest glass recycling company in Taiwan, Spring Pool Glass. Our findings illustrate that continuous value capture is the key to governing a sustainable business ecosystem in the glass recycling industry. The mechanisms include continuous value capture to enter new markets, using stakeholder networks to enlarge the business ecosystem, brand image and corporate social responsibility, company capabilities and research and development in the recycling process, and reacting to government policy.

Sustainability concept for energy, water and environment systems

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Afgan, N.H.

2004-01-01

This review is aimed to introduce historical background for the sustainability concept development for energy, water and environment systems. In the assessment of global energy and water resources attention is focussed in on the resource consumption and its relevancy to the future demand. In the review of the sustainability concept development special emphasize is devoted to the definition of sustainability and its relevancy to the historical background of the sustainability idea. In order to introduce measuring of sustainability the attention is devoted to the definition of respective criteria. There have been a number of attempts to define the criterions for the assessment of the sustainability of the market products. Having those criterions as bases, it was introduced a specific application in the energy system design

Assessment of the Sustainable Development Capacity with the Entropy Weight Coefficient Method

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Qingsong Wang

2015-10-01

Full Text Available Sustainable development is widely accepted in the world. How to reflect the sustainable development capacity of a region is an important issue for enacting policies and plans. An index system for capacity assessment is established by employing the Entropy Weight Coefficient method. The results indicate that the sustainable development capacity of Shandong Province is improving in terms of its economy subsystem, resource subsystem, and society subsystem whilst degrading in its environment subsystem. Shandong Province has shown the general trend towards sustainable development. However, the sustainable development capacity can be constrained by the resources such as energy, land, water, as well as environmental protection. These issues are induced by the economy development model, the security of energy supply, the level of new energy development, the end-of-pipe control of pollution, and the level of science and technology commercialization. Efforts are required to accelerate the development of the tertiary industry, the commercialization of high technology, the development of new energy and renewable energy, and the structure optimization of energy mix. Long-term measures need to be established for the ecosystem and environment protection.

Study benefit value of utilization water resources for energy and sustainable environment

Science.gov (United States)

Juniah, Restu; Sastradinata, Marwan

2017-11-01

Referring to the concept of sustainable development, the environment is said to be sustainable if the fulfillment of three pillars of development that is economic, social and ecological or the environment itself. The environment can sustained in the principle of ecology or basic principles of environmental science, when the three environmental components, namely the natural environment, the artificial environment (the built environment) and the social environment can be aligned for sustainability. The natural environment in this study is the water resources, the artificial environment is micro hydroelectric power generation (MHPG), and the social environment is the community living around the MHPG. The existence of MHPG is intended for the sustainability of special electrical energy for areas not yet reached by electricity derived from the state electricity company (SEC). The utilization of MHPG Singalaga in South Ogan Komering Ulu (OKUS) district is not only intended for economic, ecological, and social sustainability in Southern OKU district especially those who live in Singalaga Village, Kisam Tinggi District. This paper discusses the economic, ecological and social benefits of water resources utilization in Southern OKU District for MHPG Singalaga. The direct economic benefits that arise for people living around MHPG Singalaga is the cost incurred by the community for the use of electricity is less than if the community uses electricity coming from outside the MHPG. The cost to society in the form of dues amounting to IDR 15,000 a month / household. Social benefits with the absorption of manpower to manage the MHPG is chairman, secretary and 3 members, while the ecological benefits of water resources and sustainable energy as well as the community while maintaining the natural vegetation that is located around the MHPG for the continuity of water resources.

Sustainable Deforestation Evaluation Model and System Dynamics Analysis

Science.gov (United States)

Feng, Huirong; Lim, C. W.; Chen, Liqun; Zhou, Xinnian; Zhou, Chengjun; Lin, Yi

2014-01-01

The current study used the improved fuzzy analytic hierarchy process to construct a sustainable deforestation development evaluation system and evaluation model, which has refined a diversified system to evaluate the theory of sustainable deforestation development. Leveraging the visual image of the system dynamics causal and power flow diagram, we illustrated here that sustainable forestry development is a complex system that encompasses the interaction and dynamic development of ecology, economy, and society and has reflected the time dynamic effect of sustainable forestry development from the three combined effects. We compared experimental programs to prove the direct and indirect impacts of the ecological, economic, and social effects of the corresponding deforest techniques and fully reflected the importance of developing scientific and rational ecological harvesting and transportation technologies. Experimental and theoretical results illustrated that light cableway skidding is an ecoskidding method that is beneficial for the sustainable development of resources, the environment, the economy, and society and forecasted the broad potential applications of light cableway skidding in timber production technology. Furthermore, we discussed the sustainable development countermeasures of forest ecosystems from the aspects of causality, interaction, and harmony. PMID:25254225

Sustainable deforestation evaluation model and system dynamics analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Feng, Huirong; Lim, C W; Chen, Liqun; Zhou, Xinnian; Zhou, Chengjun; Lin, Yi

2014-01-01

The current study used the improved fuzzy analytic hierarchy process to construct a sustainable deforestation development evaluation system and evaluation model, which has refined a diversified system to evaluate the theory of sustainable deforestation development. Leveraging the visual image of the system dynamics causal and power flow diagram, we illustrated here that sustainable forestry development is a complex system that encompasses the interaction and dynamic development of ecology, economy, and society and has reflected the time dynamic effect of sustainable forestry development from the three combined effects. We compared experimental programs to prove the direct and indirect impacts of the ecological, economic, and social effects of the corresponding deforest techniques and fully reflected the importance of developing scientific and rational ecological harvesting and transportation technologies. Experimental and theoretical results illustrated that light cableway skidding is an ecoskidding method that is beneficial for the sustainable development of resources, the environment, the economy, and society and forecasted the broad potential applications of light cableway skidding in timber production technology. Furthermore, we discussed the sustainable development countermeasures of forest ecosystems from the aspects of causality, interaction, and harmony.

Sustainable Deforestation Evaluation Model and System Dynamics Analysis

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Huirong Feng

2014-01-01

Full Text Available The current study used the improved fuzzy analytic hierarchy process to construct a sustainable deforestation development evaluation system and evaluation model, which has refined a diversified system to evaluate the theory of sustainable deforestation development. Leveraging the visual image of the system dynamics causal and power flow diagram, we illustrated here that sustainable forestry development is a complex system that encompasses the interaction and dynamic development of ecology, economy, and society and has reflected the time dynamic effect of sustainable forestry development from the three combined effects. We compared experimental programs to prove the direct and indirect impacts of the ecological, economic, and social effects of the corresponding deforest techniques and fully reflected the importance of developing scientific and rational ecological harvesting and transportation technologies. Experimental and theoretical results illustrated that light cableway skidding is an ecoskidding method that is beneficial for the sustainable development of resources, the environment, the economy, and society and forecasted the broad potential applications of light cableway skidding in timber production technology. Furthermore, we discussed the sustainable development countermeasures of forest ecosystems from the aspects of causality, interaction, and harmony.

Sustainable Biomaterials: Current Trends, Challenges and Applications.

Science.gov (United States)

Kumar Gupta, Girish; De, Sudipta; Franco, Ana; Balu, Alina Mariana; Luque, Rafael

2015-12-30

Biomaterials and sustainable resources are two complementary terms supporting the development of new sustainable emerging processes. In this context, many interdisciplinary approaches including biomass waste valorization and proper usage of green technologies, etc., were brought forward to tackle future challenges pertaining to declining fossil resources, energy conservation, and related environmental issues. The implementation of these approaches impels its potential effect on the economy of particular countries and also reduces unnecessary overburden on the environment. This contribution aims to provide an overview of some of the most recent trends, challenges, and applications in the field of biomaterials derived from sustainable resources.

Sustainable Biomaterials: Current Trends, Challenges and Applications

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Girish Kumar Gupta

2015-12-01

Full Text Available Biomaterials and sustainable resources are two complementary terms supporting the development of new sustainable emerging processes. In this context, many interdisciplinary approaches including biomass waste valorization and proper usage of green technologies, etc., were brought forward to tackle future challenges pertaining to declining fossil resources, energy conservation, and related environmental issues. The implementation of these approaches impels its potential effect on the economy of particular countries and also reduces unnecessary overburden on the environment. This contribution aims to provide an overview of some of the most recent trends, challenges, and applications in the field of biomaterials derived from sustainable resources.

Perspectives on Eco Economics. Circular Economy and Smart Economy

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Cristina Balaceanu

2017-12-01

Full Text Available The implementation of sustainable development principles in contemporary economic thinking has generated the conceptual remodeling that expresses the new mechanisms of the economy. Thus, the concept of circular economy meet the theoretical representation of an economic system oriented towards the re-use of waste as raw materials and limiting the production of waste that cannot come back into the economic circuit. Circular economy is one that involves even its concept of operation, recovery and regeneration, as much as possible of resources, aiming to preserve, at the highest level, the value and usefulness of products, components and raw materials, distinguishing between technical and biological cycles. In this way, we can find solutions for two major issues affecting today's economy: the limited nature of resources and the pollution generated by the waste resulting from economic activities.

Financing the Transition to a Green Economy - An empirical investigation of how Norwegian firms can achieve business models for sustainability

OpenAIRE

Pedersen, Synne Mari; Slette, Sunniva Bratt

2016-01-01

The objective of this Master s thesis is to explore the interaction between the state of the current financial system and sustainable value creation of companies. This is done by examining how the financial community and business actors can address tensions that currently provide barriers for sustainability investments. The thesis is structured as an exploratory case study within the context of Norwegian industry development in the transition to a green economy. More specifically, the study i...

Sustainable development of energy, water and environment systems

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Duić, Neven; Guzović, Zvonimir; Kafarov, Vyatcheslav; Klemeš, Jiří Jaromír; Mathiessen, Brian vad; Yan, Jinyue

2013-01-01

Highlights: ► This special issue of contributions presented at the 6th SDEWES Conference. ► Buildings are becoming energy neutral. ► Process integration enables significant improvements of energy efficiency. ► The electrification of transport and measures to increase its efficiency are needed. ► Renewable energy is becoming more viable while being complicated to integrate. -- Abstract: The 6th Dubrovnik Conference on Sustainable Development of Energy, Water and Environment Systems (SDEWES Conference), attended by 418 scientists from 55 countries representing six continents. It was held in 2011 and dedicated to the improvement and dissemination of knowledge on methods, policies and technologies for increasing the sustainability of development, taking into account its economic, environmental and social pillars, as well as methods for assessing and measuring sustainability of development, regarding energy, transport, water and environment systems and their many combinations.

An Interdisciplinary Education of Sustainability, Energy and Green Economics

Science.gov (United States)

Sikand, M. V.; Mazzatenta, C.; Wong, K.; Socha, A.

2017-12-01

This following project demonstrates an interdisciplinary method of teaching Sustainability, Energy and Green Economics. It is shown that an interdisciplinary approach to introduce students to the foundations of sustainability strongly connects education with real world applications, and highlights the growing influence of sustainable practices on the world at large. The authors will present results from the interdisciplinary course "Sustainability, Energy and Green Economy" taught at the Center of Sustainable Energy, Bronx Community College, City University of New York (CSE-BCC-CUNY) by faculty from Physics, Chemistry, Biology. The course curriculum covers the relationship of humans within their environment, the facts of climate change, an analysis of the current global energy portfolio, the burgeoning renewable energy sector, and connections between consumption and quality of life. The students are exposed to empirical data and asked to evaluate trends to ascertain the future energy and resource demands of a growing global population. The students are lead through an estimation of their own carbon footprint. Emphasis is made on the concept of `Life Cycle Analysis' and how such analyses can be used to create market value and a "green product". The interdisciplinary approach to teach students on how the principles of sustainability are building the green economy and how to build a successful career within today's workforce encourages students to apply the critical lens of sustainability to all aspects of their personal lives, as well as local, regional and global economies. The authors will present data collected by students to formulate and articulate a hypothesis specifically related to the sustainability of societal and economic market trends.

Radiation environment assessment, measurement and its impact on health and sustainable development

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kumar, Pradeep; Panwar, Brijandra Singh

2012-01-01

Present paper deals with Radiation Environment Assessment, Measurement and its Impact on Health, its meaning and in particular with sustainable development perspective. Health and Environment appears to be different subjects and concepts, but in reality they are interrelated and interdependent. One cannot exist without the other. For good health hygienic environment is a sine qua non. Article 3 of Universal Declaration of Human Right 1948 incorporates the right to life. It has been interpreted by the international court that the word life does not means simply to live but it means to live with dignity and in well and pollution and radiation free environment which is a gift of nature on this universe. There is no doubt about the nuclear revolution that has taken place and has made life of human beings worth living on this earth with comfort. It is growing development of the nation. But in the process the development that has been done at the cost of human life, public health and environment which will prove fatal in the long run. So there is a need for Sustainable Development of the human and environment of the world. Precisely and concisely, the sustainable development is a process that meets the needs of the present without compromising ability of future generations to meet their own needs. A hygienic and redaction free environment will ensure the better Health of the people. Environment and nuclear power plant can coexist. The harmonization of the two needs has led to the concept of Radiation Environment Assessment and sustainable development, so much so that it has become the most significant and focal point of environmental legislation relating to the same. Sustainable development, simply put, is a process in which development can be sustained over generations effects of radiation on humans and on the environment. Finally, this paper deals with the impact of radiation on environment and the need of sustainable development for achieving a better human. (author)

Towards a sustainable Asia. Environment and climate change

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

2011-07-01

This series of books are the output of the research project called ''Sustainable Development in Asia (SDA)'', which was initiated by the Association of Academies of Sciences in Asia (AASA). They are comprised of one synthesis report, which entitled ''Towards a Sustainable Asia: Green Transition and Innovation'', and four thematic reports on natural resources, energy, the environment and climate change, and culture from particular perspectives of agriculture. They aim to: (1) investigate common sustainability issues faced by all Asian countries, including population increase, poverty alleviation, pollution control, ecological restoration, as well as regional problems, such as water shortage in West and Central Asia, energy security in Northeast Asia, development model and transformation in East Asia; (2) analyze and summarize of best practices towards sustainable development in Asia; (3) bring forward suggestions and policy options for promoting green transition, system innovation and sustainable development of Asia. With best practice guidelines for a sustainable Asia, this series of reports, for the first time systematically address the common challenges and regional problems in regard to Asia's natural resources use, pollution reduction and climate protection, sustainable energy development, and innovations for environment-friendly and culture-compatible agriculture. They will provide handy and useful information to researchers, government policy makers and the general public who have concerns about Asia's sustainable development. AASA is a scientific and technological organization in Asia, established in 2000, comprising of 26 member academies all over Asia. Its vision is to provide a forum for the discussion of all issues relevant to science and technology development and its application on national level within Asia. (orig.)

Secondary resources and recycling in developing economies.

Science.gov (United States)

Raghupathy, Lakshmi; Chaturvedi, Ashish

2013-09-01

Recycling of metals extends the efficient use of minerals and metals, reduces pressure on environment and results in major energy savings in comparison to primary production. In developing economies recycling had been an integral part of industrial activity and has become a major concern due to the handling of potentially hazardous material without any regard to the occupational health and safety (OH&S) needs. With rising awareness and interest from policy makers, the recycling scenario is changing and the large scale enterprises are entering the recycling sector. There is widespread expectation that these enterprises would use the Best Available Technologies (BAT) leading to better environment management and enhanced resource recovery. The major challenge is to enhance and integrate the activities of other stakeholders in the value chain to make recycling an economically viable and profitable enterprise. This paper is an attempt to propose a sustainable model for recycling in the developing economies through integration of the informal and formal sectors. The main objective is to augment the existing practices using a scientific approach and providing better technology without causing an economic imbalance to the present practices. In this paper studies on lead acid batteries and e-waste recycling in India are presented to evolve a model for "green economy". Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Sustainability of Biomass Utilisation in Changing operational Environment - SUBICHOE

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Soimakallio, S.; Hongisto, M.; Koponen, K. (VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland, Espoo (Finland)), e-mail: sampo.soimakallio@vtt.fi (and others)

2011-11-15

Sustainability is a multi-faceted and challenging target, but at the same time a crucial issue to assess when setting policies and targets for the future. The main objective of the SUBICHOE project is to assist public administration and companies in strategic decision- making in the most sustainable use of biomass, by taking into account the changing operational environment. The project aimed to assess how the sustainability criteria, in particular those set by the EC, ensure the sustainability of biofuels from short and long term perspectives. The project is carried out jointly by VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland, Finnish Environment Institute SYKE, MTT Agrifood Research Finland, Finnish Forest Research Institute (Metla) and The Government Institute for Economic Research (VATT). The work plan of the project is divided into four Work Packages. In this article, a summary of main findings of the project is presented. (orig.)

The hydrogen economy for a sustainable future and the potential contribution of nuclear power

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hardy, C.

2003-01-01

The Hydrogen Economy encompasses the production of hydrogen using a wide range of energy sources, its storage and distribution as an economic and universal energy carrier, and its end use by industry and individuals with negligible emission of pollutants and greenhouse gases. Hydrogen is an energy carrier not a primary energy source, just like electricity is an energy carrier. The advantages of hydrogen as a means of storage and distribution of energy, and the methods of production of hydrogen, are reviewed. Energy sources for hydrogen production include fossil fuels, renewables, hydropower and nuclear power. Hydrogen has many applications in industry, for residential use and for transport by air, land and sea. Fuel cells are showing great promise for conversion of hydrogen into electricity and their development and current status are discussed. Non-energy uses of hydrogen and the safety aspects of hydrogen are also considered. It is concluded that the Hydrogen Economy, especially if coupled to renewable and nuclear energy sources, is a technically viable and economic way of achieving greater energy diversity and security and a sustainable future in this century

Sustainability and Organizational Change

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Catălina Sitnikov

2012-06-01

Full Text Available The relevant and, above all, remarkable feature of sustainability is due to its "duality": on the one hand, it is an indispensable element within the companies even if, on the other hand, it increases the costs of many activities and processes. Facing the challenge of sustainability will determine and create, in the coming years, emerging organizational forms. If ten years ago, many managers clearly expressed their doubts regarding the financial feasibility of sustainability, today, they admit the importance of sustainability for the competitive advantage of the companies they manage. Currently, companies have great opportunities to support build a sustainable global economy, becoming one of the solutions to the most pressing societal challenges. Whether it is about reducing pollution, global warming, reducing use of water resources and other limited resources or ensuring a better work environment for employees throughout the supply chain, there are many things that companies can and should do.

Sustainable Low-Carbon Expansion for the Power Sector of an Emerging Economy: The Case of Kenya.

Science.gov (United States)

Carvallo, Juan-Pablo; Shaw, Brittany J; Avila, Nkiruka I; Kammen, Daniel M

2017-09-05

Fast growing and emerging economies face the dual challenge of sustainably expanding and improving their energy supply and reliability while at the same time reducing poverty. Critical to such transformation is to provide affordable and sustainable access to electricity. We use the capacity expansion model SWITCH to explore low carbon development pathways for the Kenyan power sector under a set of plausible scenarios for fast growing economies that include uncertainty in load projections, capital costs, operational performance, and technology and environmental policies. In addition to an aggressive and needed expansion of overall supply, the Kenyan power system presents a unique transition from one basal renewable resource-hydropower-to another based on geothermal and wind power for ∼90% of total capacity. We find geothermal resource adoption is more sensitive to operational degradation than high capital costs, which suggests an emphasis on ongoing maintenance subsidies rather than upfront capital cost subsidies. We also find that a cost-effective and viable suite of solutions includes availability of storage, diesel engines, and transmission expansion to provide flexibility to enable up to 50% of wind power penetration. In an already low-carbon system, typical externality pricing for CO 2 has little to no effect on technology choice. Consequently, a "zero carbon emissions" by 2030 scenario is possible with only moderate levelized cost increases of between $3 and $7/MWh with a number of social and reliability benefits. Our results suggest that fast growing and emerging economies could benefit by incentivizing anticipated strategic transmission expansion. Existing and new diesel and natural gas capacity can play an important role to provide flexibility and meet peak demand in specific hours without a significant increase in carbon emissions, although more research is required for other pollutant's impacts.

From The Human-Environment Theme Towards Sustainability – Danish Geography and Education for Sustainable Development

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Grindsted, Thomas Skou

2013-01-01

Research on geography in relation to education for sustainable development (ESD), has only recently climbed the research agenda. The geopolitics of intended learning outcomes in the ESD debate, carries policy that produce dilemmas and challenges confronted with disciplinary traditions....... In this article it is examined dialectically how the changing climate and the paradigm of sustainability have been dealt with in Danish geographical university education. It is shown how curriculum programs in higher geographical education have taken different approaches to address issues of sustainability...... and climate change and how geographers articulate their role and function as knowledge on human-environment interactions changes. The analysis of the geographical education reveal that geographers’ find their discipline contribute considerably to ESD, and thus the human environment theme seems...

Research on Xi Jinping's Thought of Ecological Civilization and Environment Sustainable Development

Science.gov (United States)

Xiang-chao, Pan

2018-05-01

Since the reform and opening up, China’s sustained and rapid economic development, but the environment problem increasingly is prominent in our country. It has seriously affected the sustainability of economic development in China. Environment overall situation is not optimistic, and environmental management is imperative. Since the 18th national congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC), Xi Jin-ping has put forward the thought of building a beautiful China with ecological civilization and realizing the sustainable development of economic construction and environmental protection. Sticking to Xi's Thought of Ecological Civilization is a fundamental guarantee for the sustainable development of environment and building a new era of ecological civilization.

A Effect on Environment and Countermeasures in accordance with a Shift to a Knowledge-Based Economy

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Jang, Ki Bok; Moon, Hyun Ju; Jeong, Hyun Keun; Kim, Tae Yol [Korea Environment Institute, Seoul (Korea)

2000-12-01

The importance of knowledge has been being more stressed now than any other time. How efficiently and effectively knowledge is created, spread, and applied is an important point to secure the competitiveness of an individual economic unit as well as to grow nation's economy. For that reason, the Government has been promoting various policies to accelerate a shift to a knowledge-based economy, establishing 'a Strategy for Knowledge-Based Economic Development', pan-governments level. Companies also have been positively accepting 'a Knowledge-Based Management' as a new strategy of managing companies. Accordingly, only knowledge-based industries, including a high technology manufacturing industry and an information/communication industry, are not sharply grow, but a knowledge-based activity in individual economic activities, such as R and D, has been expanding its share. As such a shift to a knowledge-based economy, it is expected that there are lots of effects in many-sided fields, society, culture, and politics, as well as economy. Based on due consideration to such various effects, the strategy for knowledge-based economic development and the policies on the related fields have to be promoted with a balance. An environmental field also cannot be exceptional. However, there has not yet been a concrete examination on which significance a shift to a knowledge-based economy environmentally has. The purpose of this study is to examine the effects on environment according to a shift to a knowledge-based economy and to find a countermeasure under the awareness of such problems. Anyhow, I hope that the results and the countermeasures from this study can contribute to achieving a shift to an environment-centered and knowledge-based economy. 82 refs., 30 figs., 10 tabs.

SUSTAINABLE GROWTH OF THE COMMERCIAL AVIATION INDUSTRY IN MALAYSIA USING A SYSTEM DYNAMICS APPROACH

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

B. S. TAN

2015-09-01

Full Text Available The environmental impact of the commercial aviation industry for an emerging economy like Malaysia is under-studied. The focus on the subject has thus far concentrated either on non geographical performance of the aviation industry or technical performance of aircrafts and that leaves the sustainability of the commercial aviation industry for an economy, or more specifically, an emerging economy least understood. Hence, this paper aims to investigate the sustainability of the growth of the commercial aviation industry in Malaysia and its impact upon the environment using a system dynamics approach. VENSIM is employed to model the commercial aviation industry in Malaysia as a dynamic system to evaluate the CO2 emitted from each component within the industry in order to forecast its overall CO2 emission. Results from the analysis show that sustainable growth can be affected by adopting short and long term strategies identified in this study.

Renewability emergy index calculation in the evaluation of the sustainability of a national economy; Calculo do indice de renovabillidade emergetica na avaliacao da sustentabilidade de uma economia nacional

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Siche Jara, Raul Benito [Universidad Nacional de Trujillo, La Libertad (Peru). Fac. de Ciencias Agropecuarias. Escuela de Ingenieria Agroindustrial], e-mail: Siche.J.R@gmail.com; Ortega Rodriguez, Enrique [Universidade Estadual de Campinas (DEA/FEA/UNICAMP), SP (Brazil). Lab. de Engenharia Ecologica e Informatica Aplicada], e-mail: ortega@fea.unicamp.br

2006-07-01

In this study, the emergy methodology was used to analyze the sustainability of the Peruvian economic system. The resources (natural and not natural) and importations had been accounting in units of solar emergy using data of the Peruvian economy for the year 2004. Emergy is an energy measure based in the contribution of the resources and its influence, defined as the energy of a type required producing a flow or storage of another type. The focus of this study is the calculation of the emergy index call 'renewability' (REN), considered as a general measure of the ecological sustainability. In a long period, only systems or processes with high REN are sustainable. This index is calculated by the accounting of the resources renewed used in the economy in emergy units (2.17E+23 seJ) and divided by emergy total that enters to the economic system (6.93E+23 seJ), resulting a REN of 0.31. The renewable resources that use Peru almost represent 20% of the total of renewable resources available in the system. The great amount of renewable resources that Peru can potentially use was calculated in 11.44E+23 seJ, meaning that the system can be more sustainable if the economy is based on increasing the use of renewable resources and to diminish the use of non-renewable resources and imported resources. These data show that Peru has a relatively sustainable economy that can improve or get worse, depending of its politics in the use of resources. (author)

Sustainable agriculture and protection of the environment

Science.gov (United States)

Siemianowska, Ewa; Wesołowski, Andrzej; Skibniewska, Krystyna A.; Tyburski, Józef; Gurzyński, Marcin

2017-10-01

The economic, environmental and social development should not degrade the environment but it should leave it for the next generations in the state that it is presently or even better. The principle of sustainable agriculture is to cover the human needs for food without damage to the environment. The aim of the article was to research the farmers' awareness of the principle of sustainable agriculture and balanced fertilization and their influence on the environment. Among 100 farmers of the Tczew district (Poland) there was done questionnaire research on the determination rates of nitrogen fertilizers and on the regulation of fertilizers usage in Poland. Most of farmers declared a good knowledge of good agricultural practices and of balanced fertilization and the awareness of threats issuing from their activities. At the same time in Poland since the announcement of the Nitrate Directive of the former European Common Market (1992) up till now (2013) the application of nitrogen fertilizers doubled and the yield of wheat increased only by 15%, which means the increase of environmental burden with this chemical element.

Sustainable agriculture and protection of the environment

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Siemianowska Ewa

2017-01-01

Full Text Available The economic, environmental and social development should not degrade the environment but it should leave it for the next generations in the state that it is presently or even better. The principle of sustainable agriculture is to cover the human needs for food without damage to the environment. The aim of the article was to research the farmers’ awareness of the principle of sustainable agriculture and balanced fertilization and their influence on the environment. Among 100 farmers of the Tczew district (Poland there was done questionnaire research on the determination rates of nitrogen fertilizers and on the regulation of fertilizers usage in Poland. Most of farmers declared a good knowledge of good agricultural practices and of balanced fertilization and the awareness of threats issuing from their activities. At the same time in Poland since the announcement of the Nitrate Directive of the former European Common Market (1992 up till now (2013 the application of nitrogen fertilizers doubled and the yield of wheat increased only by 15%, which means the increase of environmental burden with this chemical element.

CRESCIMENTO ECONÔMICO E SUSTENTABILIDADE / Economic Growth and Sustainability

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Gilberto Montibeller-Filho

2007-06-01

Full Text Available The subject “economic growth and sustainability” refers to the relationship between economicgrowth and its positive impact on the wellbeing of the population and on the environment. It is,therefore, about economic, as well as social and environmental, sustainability, i.e. the root ofthe sustainable development paradigm. A historical review is needed for understanding theroots of the emergence of this new socio-political and scientific paradigm. It starts from themoment when the economy was mainly viewed as an evil against the environment, to the pointwhen the new sustainable development, or eco-development, is developed. Then the paperpresents the present, and most important, ways that several public and private actions attemptto develop their economic activities guided by this paradigm, emphasising the Brazilian context.

Forests, environment, sustainable development and peace process

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Orozco Munoz, Jose Miguel

1998-01-01

The paper tries about the perspectives of the peace and the environment in the negotiation calendar with the armed groups and their thought about if the sustainable development is a common objective between the government and these groups

The Impact of Energy Price Decline on China's Energy-Economy-Environment System Variables Using a CGE Model

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Guo, Zhengquan; Wang, Daojuan; Chen, Chong

In recent years, prices of coal and crude oil have fallen significantly. These declines have had a large impact on China’s energy-economy-environment system variables. This paper establishes a computable general equilibrium model to systematically analyse the impact of coal price changes alone...... or the decline of both coal and oil prices on the variables of China's energy-economy-environment system. The results of the analysis show that the decline of the coal price alone or of coal and crude oil prices together will lead to a significant increase in demand for either coal and total energy or coal...

Sustainability assessment for the transportation environment of Darjeeling, India.

Science.gov (United States)

Nag, Dipanjan; Paul, Subrata Kr; Saha, Swati; Goswami, Arkopal K

2018-05-01

Darjeeling is an important tourist hill town of West Bengal, India. It suffers from an acute problem of transportation, particularly during its peak tourist seasons due to limited road space, inadequate public transport facilities and indiscriminate use of automobiles. This hill town was originally designed for a population of 10,000, but over the years, it has come face-to-face with rapid urbanization, a rising population of both tourists and residents and intensifying motor vehicle usage. These factors together are posing a threat to its transport environment. This study identifies the Sustainable Transport Indicators (STIs) available in the existing literature to identify the critical stretches using Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP) based on experts' consensus. It was found that the experts placed emphasis on the mobility of the town, talking about vehicular impact on air pollution and encroachment of roads as the main issues affecting the sustainability of the transport environment. Thereafter, policy-level interventions have been suggested in accordance with the identified sustainability issues. We trust that other tourist hill towns with issues similar to Darjeeling could easily emulate the study methodology to assess their transport environment sustainability, or replicate on the lines of the recommended policy interventions. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The Potential of Circular Economy in Sustainable Buildings

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Malabi Larsen, Leonora Charlotte; Birgisdottir, Harpa; Birkved, Morten

2018-01-01

benefits of designing the buildings concrete structure for disassembly, with the purpose of reuse, as well as to exemplify how circular economy can be applied in future building projects. Moreover, the paper aims at suggesting a more industry focused approach towards circular economy in order to seize...... the inherent potentials. As a result, it was found that recycling and energy recovery are the most common circular economy practices in the building industry, even though the economic and environmental benefits of reuse are believed to be much higher. This observation is supported by the findings of the case...... and glass, thereby enabling easier disassembly for both reuse and recycling. However, main challenges preventing the industry from seizing these potentials are identified as: focus on short term goals, complex supply chains, lack of collaboration between stakeholders and absence of a commonly agreed...

Comparison of approaches for assessing sustainable remediation of contaminated sites

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Søndergaard, Gitte Lemming; Binning, Philip John; Bjerg, Poul Løgstrup

2017-01-01

It has been estimated that there are approximately 2.5 million potentially contaminated sites in Europe. Of these, approximately 340,000 sites are thought to be contaminated to a degree that may require remediation (Joint Research Center, 2014). Until recently, remediation was considered...... to be inherently green or sustainable since it removes a contaminant problem. However, it is now broadly recognized that while remediation is intended to address a local environmental threat, it may cause other local, regional and global impacts on the environment, society and economy. Over the last decade......, the broader assessment of these criteria is occurring in a movement toward ‘sustainable remediation’. This paper aims to review the available methods for assessing the sustainability of remediation alternatives. Sustainable remediation seeks to reduce direct contaminant point source impacts on the environment...

Dragons with Clay Feet? : Transition, sustainable land use and rural environment in China and Vietnam

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Spoor, M.; Heerink, N.; Qu, F.

2007-01-01

Dragons with Clay Feet? presents state-of-the-art research on the impact of ongoing and anticipated economic policy and institutional reforms on agricultural development and sustainable rural resource in two East-Asian transition (and developing) economies--China and Vietnam.

Does energy-price regulation benefit China's economy and environment? Evidence from energy-price distortions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ju, Keyi; Su, Bin; Zhou, Dequn; Wu, Junmin

2017-01-01

China's energy prices have long been regulated due to the critical role energy plays in economic growth and social development, which leads to energy-price distortion to some extent. To figure out whether energy-price regulations will benefit China's economy (measured by GDP growth) and environment (measured by carbon emissions), we conducted an in-depth simulation using path analysis, where five energy products (natural gas, gasoline, fuel oil, steam coal, and coking coal) are selected and three measurements (absolute, relative, and moving) of energy-price distortions are calculated. The results indicate that, with a series of energy pricing policies, the price distortion for a single type of energy has gradually transformed, while the energy pricing system in China is not fully market-oriented yet. Furthermore, China's economy benefits from relative and moving distortions, while the absolute distortions of energy prices have negative impacts on economic growth. Finally, with regard to the environment, carbon emissions call for fewer distortions. - Highlights: • Price distortion for a single type of energy has gradually transformed. • Energy pricing system in China is not yet fully market-oriented. • China's economy benefits from relative and moving distortions. • Absolute distortions of energy prices have negative effects on economic growth. • Carbon emissions call for less pricing distortions.

How energy technology innovation affects transition of coal resource-based economy in China

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Guo, Pibin; Wang, Ting; Li, Dan; Zhou, Xijun

2016-01-01

The aim of this research paper is to investigate factors and mechanisms that may facilitate the transition from coal resource-based economy to sustainability. Based on the energy technology innovation theory, factors that may influence the transition of coal resource-based economy were categorized into four types, including: innovation policy, innovation input, innovation ability, and innovation organization. Hypotheses were proposed regarding the mechanisms of these factors. Data were collected from surveys administered to 314 Chinese energy firms, and a structural equation model (SEM) was employed to test the hypotheses. Ten of fifteen hypotheses were retained based on the reliability tests, validity tests, and SEM. The results show that the four proposed factors are crucial in transforming the coal resource-based economy, and the effects become statistically significant through three intermediate variables, namely, transition of energy consumption structure, correction of resource wealth investment, and improvement of transition environment. - Highlights: •Approximately, 66% of energy relies on coal in China. •Serious environment problems have occurred in many coal-based regions. •Energy technology innovation can promote the transition of coal-based economy. •China should accelerate the development of clean energy.

THE COMMUNICATION PROCESS IN THE BUSINESS ENVIRONMENT. ECONOMIC AND MORAL PRINCIPLES FROM THE PERSPECTIVE OF SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

CLAUDIA ELENA PAICU

2014-02-01

Full Text Available The economic communication is more than a decade a point of interest due to the communication supports development and the diversity of information, on one hand, and due to the need for documentation and knowledge, both at the individual level and at the level of society, on the other hand. Thus the freedom into thinking and expression led to the development of communication activities and collecting them in a new vision. The process of communication has become, in a relatively short time, one of the engines of the economy, but also an integral part of what is meant to be today, the psycho-sociology of modern human societies. In this context, we propose an analysis of the communicative process that takes place in the economic environment, since the information and communication technology is, at present, a real factor in sustainable development. We start the analysis from the tight interdependence between the economic communication and the development of human culture as a basic factor for efficient management and for sustainable development overall.

Sustainability of environment-assisted energy transfer in quantum photobiological complexes

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Zloshchastiev, Konstantin G. [Institute of Systems Science, Durban University of Technology (South Africa)

2017-09-15

It is shown that quantum sustainability is a universal phenomenon which emerges during environment-assisted electronic excitation energy transfer (EET) in photobiological complexes (PBCs), such as photosynthetic reaction centers and centers of melanogenesis. We demonstrate that quantum photobiological systems must be sustainable for them to simultaneously endure continuous energy transfer and keep their internal structure from destruction or critical instability. These quantum effects occur due to the interaction of PBCs with their environment which can be described by means of the reduced density operator and effective non-Hermitian Hamiltonian (NH). Sustainable NH models of EET predict the coherence beats, followed by the decrease of coherence down to a small, yet non-zero value. This indicates that in sustainable PBCs, quantum effects survive on a much larger time scale than the energy relaxation of an exciton. We show that sustainable evolution significantly lowers the entropy of PBCs and improves the speed and capacity of EET. (copyright 2017 by WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH and Co. KGaA, Weinheim)

Predictors of Saudi nursing students' attitudes towards environment and sustainability in health care.

Science.gov (United States)

Cruz, J P; Alshammari, F; Felicilda-Reynaldo, R F D

2018-02-09

This study aimed to investigate the predictors of Saudi nursing students' attitudes towards the environment and sustainability in health care. With rising temperature and decreasing annual rainfall, Saudi Arabia is threatened by the harmful effects of climate change on its population. In response to these threats, the Ministry of Health adapted sustainable development and environmental preservation in their National E-Health strategy. To implement these policies successfully, healthcare practitioners should be educated on how climate change could impact human health negatively. A secondary analysis of 280 questionnaires from baccalaureate nursing students of a university in Hail City, Saudi Arabia, was completed. The New Ecological Paradigm (NEP) Scale and Sustainability Attitudes in Nursing Survey 2 (SANS-2) were used to investigate the predictors of student attitudes towards the environment and sustainable development in health care. The NEP score indicated moderate pro-environment attitudes, whereas the SANS-2 mean score showed very positive attitudes towards sustainability in health care. Learning about the environment and related issues in the nursing programme, raising climate change awareness and attending environment-related seminars and training positively influenced the environmental and sustainability attitudes of nursing students. Saudi nursing students moderately manifested pro-environment attitudes but exhibited extremely positive attitudes towards sustainability in health care. The results support the need to strengthen the education of nursing students about environmental and sustainability concepts and the inclusion of these topics in the nursing curricula. The study underscores the critical role of enriching the awareness of nursing students on environmental issues and concerns and sustainability in health care. The findings of this study can support the inclusion of course contents, which deal specifically with environmental health and

Tour operators, environment and sustainable development

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Andriola, L.; Chirico, R.; Declich, P.

2001-01-01

The purpose of this work is to characterize the role of the tour operators in achieving sustainable development meaning a process of development which leaves at least the same amount of capital, natural and man-made, to future generations as current generations have access to. Tourism is one of the largest and fastest growing global industries, creating significant employment and economic development, particularly in many developing countries. Tourism can also have negative environmental and social impact resulting from resource consumption, pollution, generation of wastes and from the compromise of local culture while introducing new activities. Most tour operators has started to recognised that a clean environment is critical to their success, but few tour operators have the management tools or experience to design and conduct tours that minimize their negative environmental and social impacts. A group of tour operators from different parts of the world have joined forces to create the Tour Operators' Initiative for Sustainable Tourism Development. With this initiatives, tour operators are moving towards sustainable tourism by committing themselves to address the environmental, social, and cultural aspects of sustainable development within the tourism sector [it

How to assess sustainability in automated manufacturing

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Dijkman, Teunis Johannes; Rödger, Jan-Markus; Bey, Niki

2015-01-01

The aim of this paper is to describe how sustainability in automation can be assessed. The assessment method is illustrated using a case study of a robot. Three aspects of sustainability assessment in automation are identified. Firstly, we consider automation as part of a larger system...... that fulfills the market demand for a given functionality. Secondly, three aspects of sustainability have to be assessed: environment, economy, and society. Thirdly, automation is part of a system with many levels, with different actors on each level, resulting in meeting the market demand. In this system......, (sustainability) specifications move top-down, which helps avoiding sub-optimization and problem shifting. From these three aspects, sustainable automation is defined as automation that contributes to products that fulfill a market demand in a more sustainable way. The case study presents the carbon footprints...

Green economy in Finnish society; Vihreae talous suomalaisessa yhteiskunnassa

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Antikainen, R.; Laehtinen, K.; Leppaenen, M.; Furman, E.

2013-02-15

The concept of a green economy is commonly used in public discussion, but no unanimity exists as to its definition. The objective of this report was to increase understanding of the concept of green economy and the changes required by the transition to a green economy. The report is part of the 'Green economy - analysis of the concept and its consequences for various parties' project, implemented by the Finnish Environment Institute (SYKE) in 2012. The research material comprised literature, web-based background surveys, results of a multidisciplinary workshop for scientists and a workshop for relevant actors, opening presentations for the workshops, expert opinions voiced in the workshops, and discussions of the project steering group. Examples of the elements of a green economy are resource - i.e. energy and material - efficiency, the reduction of resource use, the improvement of resource use efficiency and recycling of resources, the move from tangible to intangible value creation, and the revising of corporate business models, such as models of industrial symbiosis and increased service orientation. Of key importance in this transformation are new models for production and communities, the preservation of natural capital and taking account of challenges presented by the global operating environment, as well as the implementation of sustainability principles. A green economy is seen to contribute to domestic well-being, employment and the economy, while enabling the internationalisation of companies and international business. Finland's strengths lie in expertise related to areas such as bioeconomy, cleantech, water and water supply, and recycling. A further strength is the traditionally close cooperative relationships between various actors. However, silo thinking should be further reduced, as it slows down reform, and collaboration initiatives and experiments between actors and on the level of policies should be supported. In the future, it

From Teaching-to-Know-to-Learning-to-Think for Sustainability: What Should it Take? And How to Do it?

Science.gov (United States)

Zoller, Uri

2011-01-01

Given the current striving for "sustainability" and the corresponding paradigms shift in science, technology, R&D, environment perception, economy and politics; e.g., from unlimited growth-to-sustainable development, correction-to-prevention and passive consumption of "goods", culture and education--to active participation,…

Sustainable Supply Chain Management in Small and Medium Enterprises

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sebastian Kot

2018-04-01

Full Text Available The sector of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs plays a key role in the economies of all of the countries in the world. These entities constitute the basis for the development of the national and global economies. In a contemporary complex and competitive business environment, the adaptation of appropriate strategies is a particularly important effort to furthering the development of companies from the SMEs sector. In this context, the application of the concept of sustainable supply chain management (SCM in the operation strategy of SMEs seems to be a very important function. This supply chain also covers all three aspects of sustainable development: business, environmental, and social. The purpose of this article is to present the current state of the research in sustainable development in relation to managing the supply chain of SMEs, as well as the empirical findings in this area. The results found that all of the sustainability areas were very important in the supply chain management practices of the studied SMEs, despite the imbalance described in the literature. The study also presents the most important elements in the particular sustainability areas of SCM and SMEs.

Nuclear energy-an essential option for sustainable development of global economy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tokio Kanoh

2005-01-01

Increased use of nuclear energy is an essential option for us to take the sustainable development of the global economy. The reasons are as follows: 1. Energy demand, especially in oil demand; 2. Environmental impact, especially greenhouse effect and carbon dioxide emissions, CO 2 emissions to be reduced 40% by increased use of nuclear power; 3. In the era of hydrogen, nuclear power can contribute in two ways. One is hydrogen production by electrolysis of water in conventional light water reactors powered by less costly late night electricity and the other by paralysis using high temperature gas produced in a high temperature testing reactor, Electric power consumption will increase 50% from 1990 to 2050. What is striking about his projection is types of fuels in use for power generation at that time which will consist of 60% nuclear, 10% hydro and 10% of other renewable energies. In other words, nearly 80% of fuels will be non-fossil sources

Throw caution to the winds. Recommendation on acceleration of the transition to a sustainable energy economy in the Netherlands

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2011-10-01

With regard to the title subject several councils in the Netherlands formulated recommendations for five roads to follow to remove constraints of the present system and accelerate the transition to a sustainable energy economy: (1) Set up a mandatory and consistent goal for a sustainable energy system in 2050, preferably in a European context, but otherwise national; (2) Set up a charter between government, business and civil society with a long term strategy for making sustainable the energy-intensive industry and the fossil energy sector in the Netherlands; (3) use a wider framework for the debate on the usefulness and the need for energy transition in the Netherlands; (4) Stimulate markets for energy conservation and renewable energy; (5) Take away legal and institutional barriers to energy transition. [nl

Public spaces and urban sustainability in the tropical built environment

Science.gov (United States)

Yusof, Y. M.; Kozlowski, M.

2018-01-01

Sustainability is an overarching sense of responsibility towards the future. On a city-wide level, urban sustainability incorporates a wide body of changes especially as they relate to the built environment, all of which intended at creating a livable place. This paper discusses existing public spaces in view of their achievement against a set of criteria for the built environment. The paper introduces performance design criteria for the tropical built environment. The key findings indicate that long-term strategies, guidance and directions for the city and region can achieve development which corresponds to local climate, synergies and provide a higher proportion of public spaces that offer something for everyone.

A SHORT CONSIDERATIONS REGARDING SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT OF TOURISM

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CEAUSESCU IONUT

2016-12-01

Full Text Available The popularity created the concept of sustainable development has determined the conviction that tourism can develop in compliance with the philosophy of sustainability. For example, if we compare with other activities such as agriculture, forestry or in other sectors of the economy, tourism has a development relatively recent to human evolution. Tourism place in sustainable development is given the role of this economic activity that "sells" the physical and human environment as a product of his own. Tourism is one of the industries that should be involved in sustainable development, as industry resources, dependency on natural and human potential of cultural heritage in an efficient manner. Tourism "sell" these resources as some parts of his product, but at the same time shares certain resources with other users (local communities, the structure of the central administration. It is essential that tourism to be active in issues of sustainable development and to cooperate with other industries in ensuring the quality and longevity of the resources on which rests the whole tourist activity. Sustainable development in tourism is a necessity, and the connection between tourism and environment is much stronger than in the case of other industries. This paper presents the most important aspects of the rural turism and the contribution which it can bring to the wellbeing of a nation. The author like to stress some elements related to the concept of rural tourism which has nowadays become very important around the world. The rural tourism can revitalise the conventional concepts and views on tourism, and bring in a new dim ension to the sustainable development of tourism. It has been realised that tourism can play a major role in many countries economies, especially in developing ones, where it can substantially contribute to the increase of the national income..

The Atom, the Environment and Sustainable Development

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2014-09-01

The IAEA has a broad mandate to facilitate nuclear applications in a number of areas and scientific disciplines. A fundamental component of the Agency's mandate is to enhance the peaceful contribution of nuclear science and technology to the specific development needs of its Member States in areas such as industry, human health, agriculture and nutrition. Nuclear techniques play an important role in addressing these development challenges. By facilitating their use, the IAEA is contributing to sustainable development. Well known examples include helping to advance treatment methods for fighting diseases, improving access to electricity, and increasing food security. A major underlying challenge in development for many Member States is environmental degradation. Environmental issues affect local, national, regional and global communities and threaten to undermine human well-being. Addressing these issues in a timely and efficient manner is essential. As with the other areas mentioned above, nuclear science and technology can make a particularly valuable contribution to assisting with efforts to better understand and protect the natural environment. Through The Atom, the Environment and Sustainable Development, the IAEA aims to raise and widen awareness of the unique contributions nuclear science and technology can make to the environmental dimension of sustainable development. Through this publication and other reports, it is expected that the readers acquire a better and more precise understanding of the significant role of science and technology, including nuclear-related technology, in the global development agenda. This publication also highlights the IAEA's role in supporting developing countries to realize their sustainable development aspirations through technology transfer and capacity-building

Sustainable development in a developing economy: Challenges ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

USER

2013-08-21

Aug 21, 2013 ... towards environmental management in Nigeria which is a fast developing economy. The basic ... almost every developing country in which it is grown ..... perspective of Development in Formal and Integrated Management of.

Re-designing project management : Steps towards a project management curriculum for a sustainable built environment

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Heintz, J.L.; Lousberg, L.H.M.J.; Prins, M.

2015-01-01

Sustainability concerns add a wide range of both stakeholders and performance expectations to building projects. The transition of a circular economy will also have a significant impact on the way in which building projects are carried out. This in addition to an already established escalation of

Green economy. From theory to practice; 'Green Economy'. Von der Theorie zur Praxis

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Wackerbauer, Johann [ifo Institut, Muenchen (Germany)

2013-04-15

The topic of ''green economy'' took centre stage at last year's UN conference on sustainable development in Rio de Janeiro. The term ''green economy'' has many interpretations to it, ranging from an emphasis on energy and resource efficiency in an otherwise ordinary economy to positions that are critical of growth as such. What can be considered as the essence of the concept of green economy, and what challenges need to be mastered on the way there? The present study shows that there is more to the term than most companies and consumers are aware of.

Environment, sustainability, and education policy research

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

McKenzie, Marcia; Rickinson, Mark; Bengtssen, Stefan

Introduction: This session is a two part symposium on the topic of environment and sustainability in relation to educational policy development, enactment, and analysis. This format is modeled on similar formats used in other international conferences, such as the Association of American...... and methodological approaches to policy and policy research. Some key questions to be addressed include:- What kinds of understandings of policy and policy research are informing work in environmental and sustainability education?- Are there interdisiplinary approaches to policy research that can be useful...... for furthering critical education policy analysis?- What are the relationships between policy development and its enactment or implementation? - To what extent has the environmental education field researched policy development and/or enactment?- What might environmental education research have to offer...

Exergy energy, environment and sustainable development

CERN Document Server

Dincer, Ibrahim; Rosen, Marc A

2007-01-01

This book deals with exergy and its applications to various energy systems and applications as a potential tool for design, analysis and optimization, and its role in minimizing and/or eliminating environmental impacts and providing sustainable development. In this regard, several key topics ranging from the basics of the thermodynamic concepts to advanced exergy analysis techniques in a wide range of applications are covered as outlined in the contents. - Comprehensive coverage of exergy and its applications - Connects exergy with three essential areas in terms of energy, environment and sustainable development - Presents the most up-to-date information in the area with recent developments - Provides a number of illustrative examples, practical applications, and case studies - Easy to follow style, starting from the basics to the advanced systems.

Public Health Engineering for the Built Environment: Completing Sustainability

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Bronswijk, van J.E.M.H.; Koren, L.G.H.; Pernot, C.E.E.; Vliet, van A.A.M.; Rameckers, E.M.A.L.; Erkelens, P.A.; Jonge, de S.; Vliet, van A.A.M.

2000-01-01

Good health is a prerequisite for sustainable development. From ancient times on environments are built with the good of man in mind, especially to extend his vital life span. At first most building could be considered as public health engineering. Built environments, however, always posed new risks

Global Impact of Energy Use in Middle East Oil Economies: A Modeling Framework for Analyzing Technology-Energy-Environment-Economy Chain

OpenAIRE

Hodjat Ghadimi

2007-01-01

To explore choices of improving energy efficiency in energy-rich countries of the Middle East, this study lays out an integrated modeling framework for analyzing the technology-energy-environment-economy chain for the case of an energy exporting country. This framework consists of an input output process-flow model (IOPM) and a computable general equilibrium (CGE) model. The former investigates the micro-level production processes and sectoral interdependencies to show how alternative technol...

Sustainable Mobility: Using a Global Energy Model to Inform Vehicle Technology Choices in a Decarbonized Economy

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Timothy Wallington

2013-04-01

Full Text Available The reduction of CO2 emissions associated with vehicle use is an important element of a global transition to sustainable mobility and is a major long-term challenge for society. Vehicle and fuel technologies are part of a global energy system, and assessing the impact of the availability of clean energy technologies and advanced vehicle technologies on sustainable mobility is a complex task. The global energy transition (GET model accounts for interactions between the different energy sectors, and we illustrate its use to inform vehicle technology choices in a decarbonizing economy. The aim of this study is to assess how uncertainties in future vehicle technology cost, as well as how developments in other energy sectors, affect cost-effective fuel and vehicle technology choices. Given the uncertainties in future costs and efficiencies for light-duty vehicle and fuel technologies, there is no clear fuel/vehicle technology winner that can be discerned at the present time. We conclude that a portfolio approach with research and development of multiple fuel and vehicle technology pathways is the best way forward to achieve the desired result of affordable and sustainable personal mobility. The practical ramifications of this analysis are illustrated in the portfolio approach to providing sustainable mobility adopted by the Ford Motor Company.

SOCIAL ECONOMY EFFICIENCY

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Florina Oana Virlanuta

2015-05-01

Full Text Available The social economy combines profitability with social inclusion. Social innovation is the first step in the creation of a social enterprise. Social economy development is a process underway, innovative in terms of relating the individual to the production processes, the concept of citizenship, production areas and modalities. The concern for sustainable development, analysis of economic and financial crisis, the issue of the relationship between the individual and the production process open up many opportunities for development that can influence public policies on employment and social cohesion.

Establishment of a strategy of circular economy increasing the well-being of society: comparison of two national policies

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kalioujny Boris

2016-01-01

Full Text Available The paper considers a new paradigm of sustainable development, establishing new ways of societal progress and success based on the concepts other than only economic growth and material wealth. Sustainable development suggests that the wellbeing of the society depends, among other, on clean and healthy environment, and on the mutual interaction of human beings realized in new models of economics and behaviour. This article describes a new model of economics based on the interaction of environmental protection and economic efficiency, the model of circular economy (CE. The paper compares two different macro-economical approaches integrating the CE model into national economy strategies. The existing CE instruments and mechanisms are explored demonstrating the results of such policy application at meso- and micro- levels.

The Multi-Sector Sustainability Browser (MSSB): A Tool for ...

Science.gov (United States)

The MSSB is the first and only decision support tool containing information from scientific literature and technical reports that can be used to develop and implement sustainability initiatives. The MSSB is designed to assist individuals and communities in understanding the impacts that the four key dimensions of sustainability - Land Use, Buildings and Infrastructure, Transportation, and Materials Management - can have on human health, the economy, the built environment and natural environments. The MSSB has the following capabilities: a. Displays and describes linkages between the four major sustainability concepts (Land Use, Buildings and Infrastructure, Transportation, and Materials Management) and their subordinate concepts. b. Displays and lists literature sources and references (including weblinks where applicable) providing information about each major sustainability concept and its associated subordinate concepts. c. Displays and lists quantitative data related to each major sustainability concept and its associated subordinate concepts, with weblinks where applicable.The MSSB serves as a ‘visual database’, allowing users to: investigate one or more of the four key sustainability dimensions; explore available scientific literature references, and; assess potential impacts of sustainability activities. The MSSB reduces the amount of time and effort required to assess the state of sustainability science and engineering research pertaining

Intelligent Buildings: Key to Achieving Total Sustainability in the Built Environment

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Tulika Gadakari

2014-01-01

Full Text Available ‘Are intelligent buildings a pragmatic approach towards achieving a sustainable built environment?’ is the research question that this review article aims to answer. It has been argued that there is a serious need for intelligent buildings to be evaluated against the parameters of total sustainability (environmental, economic and social so as to help the agenda of living in a technologically advanced, healthy and comfortable world. This paper reviews existing theoretical concepts of intelligence and sustainability in the built environment, through an exploration of various scientific literature and U.S Green Building Council’s LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design databases. A systematic qualitative review approach has been employed to select an appropriate definition of sustainable development and use it as a theoretical framework to assess the technological impact of intelligent buildings on the environmental, economic and social front. Subsequently five case study buildings from around the world, which exemplify the use of intelligent technologies to achieve sustainable gains were chosen and analyzed to further validate the literature findings. Outputs from the study highlight the various benefits of intelligent buildings, which include decrease in energy and water consumption, operational costs, as well as increase in productivity and investments. Additionally the analysis of the case studies revealed that the use of intelligent building technologies has contributed significantly towards a higher sustainability rating on the LEED rating scale. Moreover, the comparison of the attributes of intelligent buildings and sustainable practices in buildings, illustrates the fact that there is a considerable overlap between the two and intelligence can aid sustainability in the built environment. Thus the research suggests that green technologies and intelligence in combination may be a pragmatic approach towards the sustainability

'Ecological value added' in an integrated ecosystem-economy model. An indicator for sustainability

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kratena, Kurt

2004-01-01

This paper sets up an input-output system of the relevant ecosystem flows that determine the carbon cycle in the global ecosystem. Introducing energy as the value added component in the ecosystem allows to calculate ecosystem prices expressed in 'energy values'. Linking the ecosystem with the economy in an integrated input-output model then allows to calculate prices of economic activities and of ecosystem activities. In analogy to the 'Ecological Footprint', where productive land is needed to absorb anthropogenic emissions, in this integrated input-output model additional carbon sinks are introduced for emission absorption. These carbon sinks need solar energy input, i.e. 'ecological value added'. Emission absorption as well as GDP therefore become activities valued in the numeraire of the integrated system, i.e.'energy values'. From that sustainability indicators can be derived

Accounting engineering for sustainable development

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Sidornya A.

2017-01-01

Full Text Available The article deals with the sustainable development of industrial enterprises in Russia, accounting for sustainable industrial growth of the national economy, tools of accounting engineering aimed at creating an information basis of transformation the Russian economic model to knowledge based economy. The proposed mechanism of ownership control of industrial enterprises in the context of long-term planning of the national economy. Theoretical bases of accounting engineering, its tools are defined. A brief review of the literature on the problem of accounting engineering is provided. A practical example of the application of the accounting engineering logic for the industrial enterprise is reviewed. It describes the research results obtained during the last 25 years of Russian scientific school of accounting engineering. Conclusions and recommendations on the use of accounting engineering to sustainable development of the Russian economy are formulated.

[Letter to the] Environment & Rural Development Committee meeting on sustainable development

OpenAIRE

Sustainable Development Commission Scotland

2006-01-01

On December 13th 2006, the Sustainable Development Commission gave evidence as part of the Environment & Rural Development Committee's enquiry into sustainable development. This letter was sent as a written submission before the meeting. Publisher PDF

[Sustainable development of the three economic patterns in China: The application of genuine progress indicator in the sustainability assessment of six typical cities.

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Jing; Huang, Lu; Yan, Li Jiao

2016-06-01

Three economic patterns, i.e., Zhujiang Model, Wenzhou Model and Sunan Model, were all generated in the developed areas of China. Sustainability assessment of those areas plays an important role in guiding future development of the economy of China. Genuine progress indicator (GPI) was adopted in this study to evaluate the sustainability of 6 typical cities (Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Wenzhou, Suzhou, Wuxi, and Changzhou) of the three economic patterns from 1995 to 2012. During the study period, the values of GDP for the six cities had experienced exponential growth, while the values of GPI started to increase since 2005 after a relatively constant period between 1995 and 2005. The gap between GPI and GDP had been widening from a historical perspective. Zhujiang Model made great progress in economic growth, however, the economic, social, and environmental costs were evident. It should tackle income inequality, traffic jam, and environmental pollution to reach sustainability. The development of Wenzhou Model slowed down in the late pe-riod, with inadequate potential to develop. Its income inequality was tough, social and economic development was slow, and the economic development pattern needed to be urgently changed. Sunan Model had a higher value of GPI and the potential to reach sustainability, with remarkable growth of economy, median level of the GPI costs, and steady improvement of social development, although its natural resources were depleted. Three economic patterns should focus on the three dimensions of sustainability (economy, environment, and society), and Zhujiang Model and Wenzhou Model needed to be more active to search for transition of their development.

Econometric Approach of the Scenarios regarding the Impact of the Consumer’s Empowerment and Companies’ Responsibility for Environment Sustainability on the Electricity Market Performance

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Camelia I. Lungu

2014-02-01

Full Text Available Energy is a major component of the economy, both as a sector in itself and as an input factor to all other economic activities. This sector is facing major challenges regarding increasing oil prices, severity of climate change or extremely complex implications of the global financial crisis. Organized as an empirical study, based on econometric analysis supported by a rigorous literature review, the paper studies possible correlations between the performance of electricity market, renewable resource consumption, consumers’ behaviour, the influence of economic environment and economic development. It also aims to encourage a new and wider research framework regarding the implications of economic policies’ use on consumers’ perception. The results of the study indicate that the early stage of renewable energy use and the prospect of influencing the consumer behaviour in a way to increase the market performance, through the development of strategies oriented towards sustainable energy consumption, can have a positive impact on companies’ responsibility. It is concluded that consumers’ empowerment stimulates competition, raises efficiency and rethinks companies’ strategies for environment sustainability.

Secondary resources and recycling in developing economies

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Raghupathy, Lakshmi; Chaturvedi, Ashish

2013-01-01

Recycling of metals extends the efficient use of minerals and metals, reduces pressure on environment and results in major energy savings in comparison to primary production. In developing economies recycling had been an integral part of industrial activity and has become a major concern due to the handling of potentially hazardous material without any regard to the occupational health and safety (OH and S) needs. With rising awareness and interest from policy makers, the recycling scenario is changing and the large scale enterprises are entering the recycling sector. There is widespread expectation that these enterprises would use the Best Available Technologies (BAT) leading to better environment management and enhanced resource recovery. The major challenge is to enhance and integrate the activities of other stakeholders in the value chain to make recycling an economically viable and profitable enterprise. This paper is an attempt to propose a sustainable model for recycling in the developing economies through integration of the informal and formal sectors. The main objective is to augment the existing practices using a scientific approach and providing better technology without causing an economic imbalance to the present practices. In this paper studies on lead acid batteries and e-waste recycling in India are presented to evolve a model for “green economy”

Sustainable Water Management in the Tourism Economy: Linking the Mediterranean’s Traditional Rainwater Cisterns to Modern Needs

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jared Enriquez

2017-11-01

Full Text Available Communities on islands with mass-tourism, like Santorini, rely on vast quantities of water to develop the local economy. Today’s inhabitants of Santorini have largely abandoned the traditional cisterns that were used to sustain the island’s pre-modern civilizations in favor of water obtained from desalinization, ship deliveries, and well withdrawals. In June 2016, Cornell University researchers worked with the Water and Sewage Authority of Thera (DEYATH to assess the viability of improving sustainability and water efficiency by restoring traditional rainwater harvesting and storage cisterns. The team surveyed five cisterns, held meetings with water authority staff and mayoral leadership, conducted interviews with local tourism stakeholders, and coordinated with Global Water Partnership-Mediterranean. One conclusion was that cisterns could be rehabilitated as decentralized storage reservoirs and integrated into the island’s centralized water systems, or alternatively, serve as educational and cultural spaces used to communicate the importance of water to residents and tourists. The research findings highlight how multi-stakeholder partnerships could assist local authorities with developing new water management initiatives to foster more sustainable models of tourism development.

The state of the debate on the environment and the economy: environment and sustainable development indicators for Canada

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2003-01-01

This document provides a synthesis of results from stakeholder consultations concerning potential opportunities for sustainable development. The extent of consensus and the reasons for disagreement were summarized, and a review of the consequences of action, or lack of it, was included. The promotion of sustainability and the measures that can be implemented by specific stake holders were recommended. The objective is to track how current economic practices impact both natural and human assets. Chapter one provides a brief introduction, and the context is reviewed in chapter 2. The capital model is examined in chapter 4. The national natural and human capital indicators are described in chapter 4. These include indicators for air quality trends, freshwater quality, greenhouse gas emissions, forest cover, extent of wetlands, and a human capital indicator. In chapter 5, the reader is introduced to a better capital information framework. The final chapters summarize the state of the debate and present recommendations for future action. The following 3 recommendations were presented: (1) report annually on a small set of new national-level natural and human capital indicators, (2) expand the System of National Accounts, and (3) improve national environmental information systems. tabs., figs

The digital national framework - underpinning the knowledge economy

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

K J Murray

2003-10-01

Full Text Available Providing a sustainable spatial data infrastructure creates responsibility and high demand by continually meeting and satisfying the needs of all kinds of users. It is essential to provide the right information at the right level of quality and reliability and at the right time. Geographic information (GI is today being universally recognised as a key part of the national information infrastructure, especially by government. GI is an enabler in the knowledge economy since the power of geography can be used to underpin the sharing (and trading of vital georeferenced information collected by all kinds of organisations. From this information reliable conclusions can and will be drawn and decisions made. However, achieving such an environment does not just happen. It has to be led, nurtured and developed in line with user needs. Funding requires sustained investment, and it all has to be implemented and maintained whether the economy enjoys good times or bad, and through periods of political change. These are all big challenges encountered by just about every national economy. The aim of many national governments around the world is to establish a reliable and integrated reference base for GI that can underpin the e-economy. This base needs to support government and the commercial sector who need to reference information, and potentially share it with others (eg land ownership or link it up to form an application.(eg location based services. To achieve this a consistent method of georefererencing is required and the Digital National Framework is intended to fulfil that need in Great Britain. This paper will describe what has been happening in Great Britain to build on the firm foundations of the past, and develop a modern and sustainable framework for geographic information for the future. In particular it will be shown that the business model adopted by Ordnance Survey in recent years (ie the users pay for the data has played a key role in securing

Globalization of the economy and women's work in a sustainable society.

Science.gov (United States)

Mies, M

1998-01-01

This article critiques theories of development and growth models, which are not compatible with conservation of resources, women's empowerment, and a sustainable society. Affluent societies are using up most of the world's resources in unsustainable ways. Industrial giants have co-opted the term "sustainability." This gender discussion addresses the issue of patriarchal and capitalist systems and presents a new theoretical framework. The author disagrees with the global division of labor, where women are manipulated as producer-housewives and consumer-housewives, and with the global level of violence against women, in general. Gender equality is not viable in the present patriarchal order. In all economic theories, women's work is a free resource and invisible as unpaid housework and nurturing work. The globalization of the economy leads to greater capital and power concentration in the hands of a few. Women are ill served by structural adjustment policies. New global restructuring has improved the welfare of Third World elites. Globalization of capital and new technology makes ethics obsolete. A new economic model must be based on the preservation of life at the center, with livelihood based on wage labor and unpaid work, control of communal assets, and solidarity of communities. Unpaid necessary social labor must be shared by men and women equally. The checklist for change includes, for example, that money would be a means of circulation, not of accumulation. Nature would be reintegrated into economics. There must be new meanings for work, productive labor, economics, the good life, satisfaction of needs, and political structures.

A Sustainable Engineering Solution for Pediatric Dehydration in Low-Resource Clinical Environments

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ashley R Taylor

2016-09-01

Full Text Available Engineering efforts in low resource environments pose a unique set of challenges, requiring an in-depth understanding of local needs, comprehensive mapping of community resources, and extensive collaboration with local expertise. The importance of these principles is demonstrated in this paper by detailing the novel design and field demonstration of an affordable, locally manufactured intravenous fluid regulation device. Collaboration with clinical personnel in Uganda and Malawi guided device design. In-country physicians emphasised the need to regulate volume of intravenous (IV fluid delivered to a paediatric patient without use of electricity. The proposed device regulates IV fluid delivery within ±20 mL of total prescribed dosage, providing a method of reducing fatalities caused by over-hydration in low resource environments; the feasibility of building the device from local resources was demonstrated by a field research team in Malawi. The device was successfully constructed entirely from local resources for a total cost of $46.21 (USD. Additionally, the device was demonstrated in rural clinics where 89 % of surveyed clinical staff reported that they would use the device to regulate IV fluid delivery. This paper emphasises the importance of collaborating with communities for community-based engineering solutions. Mapping community assets and collaborating with local expertise are crucial to success of engineering efforts. Long-term, community-based efforts are likely to sustainably improve health outcomes and strengthen economies of communities worldwide.

How Supportive Are Romanian Consumers of the Circular Economy Concept: A Survey

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Elena Simina Lakatos

2016-08-01

Full Text Available The aim of this paper is to investigate consumer behavior regarding the environment and the adoption of new patterns of behavior and responsible consumption in the promotion of a Circular Economy (CE in Romania. With this goal in mind, a questionnaire survey was performed on-line on a nationwide scale to explore consumers’ behaviors and attitudes, which was distributed in all four of Romania’s macro-regions and interviewing 642 respondents. The results indicate that the consumers have a positive attitude towards the importance of the environmental protection, in general and it also measures the frequency of adopting eco-friendly behaviors by the consumers, showing that the consumption behavior is not very consistent with the general attitude regarding environment. As a parallel, consumers are aware of the importance of CE business models, in general, both for the economy and for the environment, but the adoption of consumption patterns specific to CE business models, necessary for the development and the success of the CE business models, has a low probability in the absence of direct or indirect incentives and benefits fostering the adoption of these consumption patterns. In conclusion, the development of CE business models in Romania requires a national strategy, which includes means to sustain the adoption of necessary new consumption behaviors, besides awareness raising and educational campaigns for explaining to consumers the liaison and the impact of their behavior to the environment and to the economy.

Critical Analysis on Construction Workforce Sustainability in Developed Economy

OpenAIRE

Sing, Michael; Tam, Vivian; Fung, Ivan; Liu, Henry

2017-01-01

The construction industry in the developed economy has suffered a shortage of workforce which triggers project cost escalation and project delay and suppresses the whole economy. This paper aims to explore the perceptions of the general public and construction workers towards workforce shortage in the Hong Kong construction industry and identifies the critical factors affecting their intention to join the industry. Triangulation approach was adopted in this study and a street survey was condu...

Risk management of hazardous substances in a circular economy.

Science.gov (United States)

Bodar, Charles; Spijker, Job; Lijzen, Johannes; Waaijers-van der Loop, Susanne; Luit, Richard; Heugens, Evelyn; Janssen, Martien; Wassenaar, Pim; Traas, Theo

2018-04-15

The ambitions for a circular economy are high and unambiguous, but day-to-day experience shows that the transition still has many difficulties to overcome. One of the current hurdles is the presence of hazardous substances in waste streams that enter or re-enter into the environment or the technosphere. The key question is: do we have the appropriate risk management tools to control any risks that might arise from the re-using and recycling of materials? We present some recent cases that illustrate current practice and complexity in the risk management of newly-formed circular economy chains. We also highlight how separate legal frameworks are still disconnected from each other in these cases, and how circular economy initiatives interlink with the European REACH regulation. Furthermore, we introduce a novel scheme describing how to decide whether a(n)(additional) risk assessment is necessary with regard to the re-use of materials containing hazardous substances. Finally, we present our initial views on new concepts for the fundamental integration of sustainability and safety aspects. These concepts should be the building blocks for the near future shifts in both policy frameworks and voluntary initiatives that support a sound circular economy transition. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Challenges in Building a Sustainable Biobased Economy

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Mussatto, Solange I.

2017-01-01

for the production of fuels, chemicals, energy and materials is therefore recognized as a need by numerous industries and policy makers in countries around the world. In addition, a biobased economy has the potential to generate new jobs and even new industries, creating new opportunities for entrepreneurship...

IDES-EDU – new interdisciplinary education program for Sustainable Buildings

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Dvorakova, Pavla; Kabele, Karel; Brunsgaard, Camilla

2013-01-01

Buildings fulfilling all requirements related to energy, economy and environment are necessary to be designed by interdisciplinary teams with efficient transfer of information and good knowledge base. IDES EDU is a project co-funded by the Intelligent Energy Europe program in which 15 European...... universities make a concerted effort to develop and implement balanced master and postgraduate courses on Sustainable Energy Design providing skills and knowledge that exceed the requirements of the EPBD. The resulting courses focus on different aspects of sustainable building design from the perspective...

Embedding Sustainability and Renewable Energy Concepts into Undergraduate Curriculum

Science.gov (United States)

Belu, R.; Cioca, L.

2017-12-01

Human society is facing an uncertain future due to the present unsustainable use of natural resources and the growing imbalance with our natural environment. Creation of a sustainable society is a complex multi-disciplinary and multi-stage project, believed to dominate our century, requiring collaboration, teamwork, and abilities to work with respect and learn from other disciplines and professions. Sustainable development means technological progress meeting the present needs without compromising future generation ability to meet its needs and aspirations. It has four aspects: environment, technology, economy, and societal organizations. Students are often taught to deal with technological developments and economic analysis to assess the process or product viability, but are not fully familiar with sustainability and optimization of technology development benefits and the environment. Schools in many disciplines are working to include sustainability concepts into their curricula. Teaching sustainability and renewable energy has become an essential feature today higher education. Sustainable and green design is about designs recognizing the constraints of the natural resource uses and the environment. It applies to all of engineering and science areas, as all systems interact with the environment in complex and important ways. Our project goals are to provide students with multiple and comprehensive exposures to sustainability and renewable energy concepts, facilitating the development of passion and skills to integrate them into practice. The expected outcomes include an increased social responsibility; development of innovative thinking skills; understanding of sustainability issues, and increasing student interests in the engineering and science programs. The project aims to incorporate sustainability and renewable energy concepts into our undergraduate curricula, employing the existing course resources, and developing new courses and laboratory experiments

Nuclear energy in the hydrogen economy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bertel, E.; Lee, K.S.; Nordborg, C.

2004-01-01

In the framework of a sustainable development, the hydrogen economy is envisaged as an alternative scenario in substitution to the fossil fuels. After a presentation of the hydrogen economy advantages, the author analyzes the nuclear energy a a possible energy source for hydrogen production since nuclear reactors can produce both the heat and electricity required for it. (A.L.B.)

ASTA - A method for multi-criteria evaluation of water supply technologies to Assess the most SusTainable Alternative for Copenhagen

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Godskesen, Berit; Hauschild, Michael Zwicky; Albrechtsen, Hans-Jørgen

2018-01-01

these environmental, economic and social sustainability dimensions we introduce a novel multi-criteria assessment method for evaluation of water supply technologies. The method is presented and demonstrated for four alternatives for water supply based on groundwater, rain- & stormwater or seawater developed...... for augmenting Copenhagen's current groundwater based water supply. To identify the most sustainable technology, we applied rank order distribution weights to a multi-criteria decision analysis to combine the impact assessments of environment, economy and society. The three dimensions were assessed using 1) life...... weight was assigned to the environmental dimension of sustainability then the alternative of 'Rain- & stormwater harvesting' was the most sustainable water supply technology; when the highest weight was assigned to the economy or society dimensions then an alternative with 'Groundwater abstraction...

Sustainable development of energy, water and environment systems

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Duić, Neven; Guzović, Zvonimir; Kafarov, Vyatcheslav

2013-01-01

The 6th Dubrovnik Conference on Sustainable Development of Energy, Water and Environment Systems (SDEWES Conference), attended by 418 scientists from 55 countries representing six continents. It was held in 2011 and dedicated to the improvement and dissemination of knowledge on methods, policies...

Sustainable agricultural water management across climates

Science.gov (United States)

DeVincentis, A.

2016-12-01

Fresh water scarcity is a global problem with local solutions. Agriculture is one of many human systems threatened by water deficits, and faces unique supply, demand, quality, and management challenges as the global climate changes and population grows. Sustainable agricultural water management is paramount to protecting global economies and ecosystems, but requires different approaches based on environmental conditions, social structures, and resource availability. This research compares water used by conservation agriculture in temperate and tropical agroecosystems through data collected from operations growing strawberries, grapes, tomatoes, and pistachios in California and corn and soybeans in Colombia. The highly manipulated hydrologic regime in California has depleted water resources and incited various adaptive management strategies, varying based on crop type and location throughout the state. Operations have to use less water more efficiently, and sometimes that means fallowing land in select groundwater basins. At the opposite end of the spectrum, the largely untouched landscape in the eastern plains of Colombia are rapidly being converted into commercial agricultural operations, with a unique opportunity to manage and plan for agricultural development with sustainability in mind. Although influenced by entirely different climates and economies, there are some similarities in agricultural water management strategies that could be applicable worldwide. Cover crops are a successful management strategy for both agricultural regimes, and moving forward it appears that farmers who work in coordination with their neighbors to plan for optimal production will be most successful in both locations. This research points to the required coordination of agricultural extension services as a critical component to sustainable water use, successful economies, and protected environments.

Sustainable production of biologically active molecules of marine based origin.

Science.gov (United States)

Murray, Patrick M; Moane, Siobhan; Collins, Catherine; Beletskaya, Tanya; Thomas, Olivier P; Duarte, Alysson W F; Nobre, Fernando S; Owoyemi, Ifeloju O; Pagnocca, Fernando C; Sette, L D; McHugh, Edward; Causse, Eric; Pérez-López, Paula; Feijoo, Gumersindo; Moreira, Ma T; Rubiolo, Juan; Leirós, Marta; Botana, Luis M; Pinteus, Susete; Alves, Celso; Horta, André; Pedrosa, Rui; Jeffryes, Clayton; Agathos, Spiros N; Allewaert, Celine; Verween, Annick; Vyverman, Wim; Laptev, Ivan; Sineoky, Sergei; Bisio, Angela; Manconi, Renata; Ledda, Fabio; Marchi, Mario; Pronzato, Roberto; Walsh, Daniel J

2013-09-25

The marine environment offers both economic and scientific potential which are relatively untapped from a biotechnological point of view. These environments whilst harsh are ironically fragile and dependent on a harmonious life form balance. Exploitation of natural resources by exhaustive wild harvesting has obvious negative environmental consequences. From a European industry perspective marine organisms are a largely underutilised resource. This is not due to lack of interest but due to a lack of choice the industry faces for cost competitive, sustainable and environmentally conscientious product alternatives. Knowledge of the biotechnological potential of marine organisms together with the development of sustainable systems for their cultivation, processing and utilisation are essential. In 2010, the European Commission recognised this need and funded a collaborative RTD/SME project under the Framework 7-Knowledge Based Bio-Economy (KBBE) Theme 2 Programme 'Sustainable culture of marine microorganisms, algae and/or invertebrates for high value added products'. The scope of that project entitled 'Sustainable Production of Biologically Active Molecules of Marine Based Origin' (BAMMBO) is outlined. Although the Union is a global leader in many technologies, it faces increasing competition from traditional rivals and emerging economies alike and must therefore improve its innovation performance. For this reason innovation is placed at the heart of a European Horizon 2020 Strategy wherein the challenge is to connect economic performance to eco performance. This article provides a synopsis of the research activities of the BAMMBO project as they fit within the wider scope of sustainable environmentally conscientious marine resource exploitation for high-value biomolecules. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Development of Rural Communities by Diversification of Rural Economy in the Context of Sustainable Development

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Manuela Dora Orboi

2012-05-01

Full Text Available The sustainable development is a process taking place at the same time with the complex and sustainable agricultural development; agriculture and the rural area being interdependent sides specific to rural communities. When analysing economic activity in the rural area we should pay a particular attention to the identification of such alternative activities that have a real chance for development and create new jobs that compensate the diminution of labour occupancy degree in agriculture. Opportunities of rural economy represent a source of having alternative income for the population from rural communities in order to escape from poverty and in order to accelerate the social progress in the rural area. Alternative activities with economic, social and cultural impact, providers of jobs and incomes are: the development of agro tourism and rural tourism, processing and promoting foodstuff, local traditional drinks, ecological foodstuff, handicraft and silviculture. Improving the conditions for business in the rural area is a main condition for the generation of economic activities generating jobs in the rural area.

Direito autoral e economia criativa: a construção de uma economia preocupada com a criatividade | Copyrights and the creative economy: the construction of an economy preoccupied with creativity

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Marcos Wachowicz

2011-10-01

the construction of a Regulatory Framework for the Creative Economy in Brazil. This is based on the understanding that the Creative Economy and Sustainable Development promotes the human, social and technologically inclusive way, i.e. it is not a simple vision of economic growth. This is because the new concepts inherent in the Creative Economy embrace the use of technological tools (ICTs in its interface with education, architecture, design, training of creative, the Local Productive Arrangement (APL and the creative industries (CIs. Keywords Copyright, Creative Economy, Sustainable development

Technological learning in energy-environment-economy modelling: A survey

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kahouli-Brahmi, Sondes

2008-01-01

This paper aims at providing an overview and a critical analysis of the technological learning concept and its incorporation in energy-environment-economy models. A special emphasis is put on surveying and discussing, through the so-called learning curve, both studies estimating learning rates in the energy field and studies incorporating endogenous technological learning in bottom-up and top-down models. The survey of learning rate estimations gives special attention to interpreting and explaining the sources of variability of estimated rates, which is shown to be mainly inherent in R and D expenditures, the problem of omitted variable bias, the endogeneity relationship and the role of spillovers. Large-scale models survey show that, despite some methodological and computational complexity related to the non-linearity and the non-convexity associated with the learning curve incorporation, results of the numerous modelling experiments give several new insights with regard to the analysis of the prospects of specific technological options and their cost decrease potential (bottom-up models), and with regard to the analysis of strategic considerations, especially inherent in the innovation and energy diffusion process, in particular the energy sector's endogenous responses to environment policy instruments (top-down models)

Unleashing the Power of the Circular Economy

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kok, L.; Wurpel, G.; Ten Wolde, A. [IMSA Amsterdam, Amsterdam (Netherlands)

2013-04-15

The concept of circular economy is an economic and industrial system that focuses on the reusability of products and raw materials, reduces value destruction in the overall system and aims at value creation within each tier of the system. This report for Circle Economy (CE) outlines the general direction and concrete steps that must be taken to accomplish a breakthrough to a circular economy. It also provides a knowledge base behind the concept, connecting it to sustainability.

Energy, Transport, & the Environment Addressing the Sustainable Mobility Paradigm

CERN Document Server

King, Sir

2012-01-01

Sustainable mobility is a highly complex problem as it is affected by the interactions between socio-economic, environmental, technological and political issues. Energy, Transport, & the Environment: Addressing the Sustainable Mobility Paradigm brings together leading figures from business, academia and governments to address the challenges and opportunities involved in working towards sustainable mobility. Key thinkers and decision makers approach topics and debates including:   ·         energy security and resource scarcity ·         greenhouse gas and pollutant emissions ·         urban planning, transport systems and their management ·         governance and finance of transformation ·         the threats of terrorism and climate change to our transport systems.   Introduced by a preface from U.S. Secretary Steven Chu and an outline by the editors, Dr Oliver Inderwildi and Sir David King, Energy, Transport, & the Environment is divided into six secti...

Oil Economy and the Revenue Allocation Debacle in Nigeria ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Oil Economy and the Revenue Allocation Debacle in Nigeria. ... This paper delves into one of the most controversial issues in the political economy of Nigeria. ... The paper conclude that, the drive for financial autonomy and sustainable ...

CORRELATIONS OF ENVIRONMENTROMANIAN ECONOMY BETWEEN INVESTMENT NEEDS AND OPPORTUNITIES

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ana Popa

2011-03-01

Full Text Available Currently, the correlations between the naturally environment problems and the economic and social situation are the important part of the national policy for every country. As a starting point, a series of measurable targets – the Millennium Development Goals (MDG from the United Nations – were established for monitoring progress. The first Romanian Millennium Development Goals Report established a set of eight development objectives and 21 related targets to monitor progress. In another point, integrated Europe underlines the fact that the environmental investment projects should be subscribed to the cohesion policy with a lot of objectives established by the Lisbon Strategy, from March 2000, underlying the territorial dimension. The sustainable development also needs the finding of financing solutions, adequate to the market economy mechanisms. Romania started the economic reform after 1990, but there are still many deficiencies in the achievement of the correlation between the social-economic developments, crisis and environmental sustainability. First of all, in Romania, the environmental sustainability must be integrated into core development work, for maximizing synergies. Secondly, it should be built as a portfolio of public and private projects for environment. Third, these projects need the financing funds and the good ability to access these funds

Environment and power; Umwelt und Energie

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Franz, W.; Ramser, H.J.; Stadler, M. (eds.)

2006-07-01

Within the scope of the 35th economic seminar with he title '' Environment and power'' held between 18th and 21st September, 2006, at the monastery Ottobeuren (Federal Republic of Germany), the following lectures were held: (a) Environment and power: introduction into the subject matter (Karl Heinrich Opplaender); (b) Theoretical fundamentals of the sustainability (Wolfgang Buchholz); (c) Ecological fiscal reform and double dividend (Ronnie Schoeb); (d) ''My friend, that is all mere theory'' - Notes to the emission trading (Christoph Boehringer); (e) Environmental policy and locational competition (Michael Rauscher); (f) Dynamical incentives of environment political instruments - a survey (Till Requate); (g) Product differentiation in the presence of environmental concern, network effects and compatibility: The automobile market (Klaus Conrad); (h) The liability right as an instrument of environment policy (Alfred Endres); (i) environment economy and experimental evidence (Joachim Weimann); (j) Market design in the energy economy (Felix Muesgen, Axel Ockenfels); (k) Re-regulation of the liberalized energy markets in Europe (Carl Christian von Weizsaecker).

Assessing regional sustainability using a model of coordinated development index : a case study of mainland China

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Yang, Q.; Ding, Y.; Vries, de B.; Han, Q.; Ma, H.

2014-01-01

From a holistic view, this paper addresses a perspective of coordinated development of economy, society, and environment for regional sustainability assessment. Firstly, a comprehensive indicator system for co-evaluating the level of economic, social, and environmental subsystems is presented based

Sustainable Mining Environment: Technical Review of Post-mining Plans

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Restu Juniah

2017-12-01

Full Text Available The mining industry exists because humans need mining commodities to meet their daily needs such as motor vehicles, mobile phones, electronic equipment and others. Mining commodities as mentioned in Government Regulation No. 23 of 2010 on Implementation of Mineral and Coal Mining Business Activities are radioactive minerals, metal minerals, nonmetallic minerals, rocks and coal. Mineral and coal mining is conducted to obtain the mining commodities through production operations. Mining and coal mining companies have an obligation to ensure that the mining environment in particular after the post production operation or post mining continues. The survey research aims to examine technically the post-mining plan in coal mining of PT Samantaka Batubara in Indragiri Hulu Regency of Riau Province towards the sustainability of the mining environment. The results indicate that the post-mining plan of PT Samantaka Batubara has met the technical aspects required in post mining planning for a sustainable mining environment. Postponement of post-mining land of PT Samantaka Batubara for garden and forest zone. The results of this study are expected to be useful and can be used by stakeholders, academics, researchers, practitioners and associations of mining, and the environment.

The Uncontrolled Economic Engine of the Developing Economies, Speeding up the Climate Shift

Science.gov (United States)

Khan, K. M.; Khan, M. A.

2014-12-01

As we progress into the 21st century, the world faces challenges of truly global nature bearing implications on the whole world in one way or another. The global economic engine has shifted from the western world (Developed Economies) to the eastern world (Developing Economies) which has brought about tremendous change in the climate related variables in this part of the world. As uncontrolled carbon emissions grow in the developing economies, the phenomenon of global warming and climate shifts become more and more prevalent. While this economic activity provides income for millions of households, it is contributing generously to the rapid degradation of the environment. Developing economies as it has been seen do not employ or abide by stringent regulations regarding emissions which result in uncontrolled emissions. In this particular scenario, it is a tedious task to convince governments in the developing economies to implement regulations regarding emissions because businesses in these economies deem such regulations to be economically unviable. The other side of the problem is that these uncontrolled emission are causing evident climate shifts which has had adverse impacts on the agricultural societies where shifting climates are leading to reduced agricultural output and productivity. Consequently the lives of millions associated directly or indirectly with agriculture are affected and on a more global level, the agricultural produce is decreasing which increases the chances of famine in parts of the world. The situation could have devastating impacts on the global economy and environmental standards and therefore needs to be addressed on emergency basis. The first step towards betterment could be the introduction of the carbon trading economy in the developing economies which would incentivize emission reduction and become more attractive and in the process sustaining minimum possible damage to the environment. Though carbon trading is a formidable first step

NASA Ames Sustainability Initiatives: Aeronautics, Space Exploration, and Sustainable Futures

Science.gov (United States)

Grymes, Rosalind A.

2015-01-01

In support of the mission-specific challenges of aeronautics and space exploration, NASA Ames produces a wealth of research and technology advancements with significant relevance to larger issues of planetary sustainability. NASA research on NexGen airspace solutions and its development of autonomous and intelligent technologies will revolutionize both the nation's air transporation systems and have applicability to the low altitude flight economy and to both air and ground transporation, more generally. NASA's understanding of the Earth as a complex of integrated systems contributes to humanity's perception of the sustainability of our home planet. Research at NASA Ames on closed environment life support systems produces directly applicable lessons on energy, water, and resource management in ground-based infrastructure. Moreover, every NASA campus is a 'city'; including an urbanscape and a workplace including scientists, human relations specialists, plumbers, engineers, facility managers, construction trades, transportation managers, software developers, leaders, financial planners, technologists, electricians, students, accountants, and even lawyers. NASA is applying the lessons of our mission-related activities to our urbanscapes and infrastructure, and also anticipates a leadership role in developing future environments for living and working in space.

Editorial: Dilemmas of Modern Economy and Business

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jelena Stankevičienė

2016-02-01

Full Text Available Various dilemmas concerning modern economy and business have been in the focus of scientific discussion in recent years (Klich, 2013; Renko & Knezevic, 2013; Szarucki, 2013; Agrawal & Gugnani, 2014; Pardhasaradhi & Grace, 2015. In modern economy, not only researches but corporations face complex economic and business dilemmas in their daily routine. The Joint Research Centre of the European Commission addresses key economic challenges by stimulating innovations, sustainability policies, social and environmental responsibilities. These challenges require the mobilization of significant resources by science, innovation and regional policy makers and scientific communities across Europe (EUA, 2014. Broader scientific discussions are crucial for the success of the Europe 2020 strategy for smart, sustainable and inclusive growth. According to the Global Risks Report 2015, the biggest threat to world stability in the next 10 years arise from the four most serious economic risks. These are high structural unemployment or underemployment, energy price shock, critical information infrastructure breakdown and fiscal crises. We continuously agree that innovation is critical to global prosperity (WEF, 2015. Currently, the internationalisation of family businesses is an increasingly important research area. Substantial numbers of FBs are forced to expand into foreign markets in order to survive and grow in the competitive environment (Daszkiewicz & Wach, 2014. The roles of business angels are especially important taken both decreasing the levels of formal venture capital investment and growing average amount of individual deals. Angel investors are the key players in generating high-growth companies, essential to regional economic development. As a result, they have attracted the attention of policy makers (Rostamzadeh et. al., 2014. Consequently, this issue of EBER concentrates on the current dilemmas of modern economy and business, particularly dealing

China's challenging fast track. Far more energy will have to be produced - and conserved - to power the expanding economy and protect the environment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wei Zhihong

2004-01-01

China's economy is on a fast track, with growth projected to quadruple in the first two decades of this century. A mix of clean and affordable energy sources will be needed to fuel and sustain development. Since China opened to outside markets in the 1980s, the national economy has expanded steadily, with an average annual growth rate of 9.6% in gross domestic product (GDP) from 1980 to 2000. Development has stayed strong in this century, and GDP grew 9.1% in 2003, the highest rate in the past six years. For the first time, per capita GDP topped $1000, reaching $1090 last year. How to best manage and sustain growth is driving energy decisions. Analyses show that China has entered a stage of manufacturing, chemical, and heavy industrial development that is energy intensive. At the same time, demands for energy at home and in businesses are growing among China's population of 1.3 billion people. As consumption grows, so do concerns about air, water, and land pollution in the context of sustainable energy development

Chemistry and sustainable environment (abstract)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hussain, M.

2011-01-01

Chemistry is one of the oldest branches of science; the human beings had ever come across. It has consistently contributed towards meeting the human needs from the dawn of civilization. However, its role has multiplied since the inception of industrial revolution. Although anthropogenic activities have made the human life comfortable and even luxurious yet their impacts on the physical, biological and socio-economic environments had been destructive. Numerous kinds of chemicals have engulfed us and our environment. Modern chemistry has leading role in sculpting the present as well as future of human lifestyle. It is serving the man and other biodiversity by providing countless products in every sphere of life. At the same time it is playing villain role in the destruction of environment at an alarming rate. Today the world is confronted with heinous environmental issues hitherto unknown to the living beings mostly triggered by chemicals. Thousands of chemicals are used in industrial products, agricultural chemicals, persistent organic pollutants, freezers, pharmaceuticals, chemical and radiological warfare, construction industry, synthetic materials, electrical goods, medical gadgets etc. Some natural sources of chemicals are acid rains, volcanic eruptions, eutrophication and photochemical smog. The fact of matter is that chemicals are being consistently added into atmosphere, biosphere and lithosphere. For the sustainable environment it is imperative that the chemicals must not be added into human environment beyond its carrying capacity. It is responsibility of chemists to introduce environmentally benign and biodegradable chemicals. All types of chemistry need to be green and environment friendly. The scientists and engineers should develop chemicals and technologies which do not harm the living creatures during any stage of their life-cycle. (author)

Sustainable energy development in Austria until 2020: Insights from applying the integrated model 'e3.at'

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Stocker, Andrea; Grossmann, Anett; Madlener, Reinhard; Wolter, Marc Ingo

2011-01-01

This paper reports on the Austrian research project 'Renewable energy in Austria: Modeling possible development trends until 2020'. The project investigated possible economic and ecological effects of a substantially increased use of renewable energy sources in Austria. Together with stakeholders and experts, three different scenarios were defined, specifying possible development trends for renewable energy in Austria. The scenarios were simulated for the period 2006-2020, using the integrated environment-energy-economy model 'e3.at'. The modeling results indicate that increasing the share of renewable energy sources in total energy use is an important but insufficient step towards achieving a sustainable energy system in Austria. A substantial increase in energy efficiency and a reduction of residential energy consumption also form important cornerstones of a sustainable energy policy. - Highlights: → Together with stakeholders three renewable energy scenarios for Austria were defined. → The scenarios were simulated using an integrated environment-energy-economy model. → Increasing the share of renewables in total energy use is important but insufficient. → Efficiency and a cut of energy use are also essential for a sustainable energy system.

The Dutch Economy 2009

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2010-09-01

In the series 'The Dutch Economy' the Dutch Statistical Office describes and analyzes annual developments in enterprises, households and governments, and with respect to employment and the environment. One of the subjects is 'Economy and Environment' with the sub-topics 'Resources and Energy', 'Emissions' and 'Environmental Taxes'. Furthermore, in articles on specific themes current economic issues are discussed. One of those themes has the title 'Share of renewable energy in the Netherlands is still small'. [nl

Energy, environment and the market

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Letta, E.

2000-01-01

Policy choices regarding energy and sustainable development need to be geared to the instruments that science and the economy make available in each country, partly because competitiveness restrictions be sustainable for the economy [it

Review and challenges of policies of environmental protection and sustainable development in China.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Kun-Min; Wen, Zong-Guo

2008-09-01

China is confronted with the dual task of developing its national economy and protecting its ecological environment. Since the 1980s, China's policies on environmental protection and sustainable development have experienced five changes: (1) progression from the adoption of environmental protection as a basic state policy to the adoption of sustainable development strategy; (2) changing focus from pollution control to ecological conservation equally; (3) shifting from end-of-pipe treatment to source control; (4) moving from point source treatment to regional environmental governance; and (5) a turn away from administrative management-based approaches and towards a legal means and economic instruments-based approach. Since 1992, China has set down sustainable development as a basic national strategy. However, environmental pollution and ecological degradation in China have continued to be serious problems and have inflicted great damage on the economy and quality of life. The beginning of the 21st century is a critical juncture for China's efforts towards sustaining rapid economic development, intensifying environmental protection efforts, and curbing ecological degradation. As the largest developing country, China's policies on environmental protection and sustainable development will be of primary importance not only for China, but also the world. Realizing a completely well-off society by the year 2020 is seen as a crucial task by the Chinese government and an important goal for China's economic development in the new century, however, attaining it would require a four-fold increase over China's year 2000 GDP. Therefore, speeding up economic development is a major mission during the next two decades and doing so will bring great challenges in controlling depletion of natural resources and environmental pollution. By taking a critical look at the development of Chinese environmental policy, we try to determine how best to coordinate the relationship between the

Sustaining the wild equals sustaining the world.

Science.gov (United States)

Nelson, G

1994-01-01

Sustainable development and carrying capacity are concepts that denote meeting society's needs without compromising the survival of future generations. The United States and other industrialized countries are pursuing a self-destructive course when fueling their economies by consuming their capital and degrading and depleting their resource base. Maximum exploitation of all resources has been the guiding ethic without paying respect to the environmental consequences. A sustainable society is still possible if strong political leadership and an ecologically literate society with an environmental ethic evolves. In the 1990s the world's population is calculated to increase to 6.3 billion people, the population of the United States already exceeds its carrying capacity and neither of these population increases are sustainable in the long run. In 1916 the US had 98 million people, and in 1994 it had about 260 million and it is still growing. The consequences are already obvious: the National Park System had just 358,000 visitors in 1916, 33 million in 1950, 172 million in 1970, and over 270 million in 1993. Often economists are an impediment to a sustainable economy because they fail to factor in the accumulated environmental deficit or annual cost of environmental deterioration when measuring annual economic output. Fortunately, in the US a conservation ethic is beginning to develop that will eventually become a strong social, political, and economic force. For instance, Wisconsin has mandated environmental education in every school from kindergarten through 12th grade. Such a program will provide the moral and political support to move the country to a sustainable economy. Even losing nations have recovered from World War II, but there is no recovery from destroyed ecosystems.

Energy sustainability performance of the regional economy

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

N. I. Danilov

2005-03-01

Full Text Available The results of the study of the dynamics of energy intensity of gross regional product of the Sverdlovsk region for the period 1996 - 2003 years. and projections for the period up to 2015. The principal possibility of growth performance of the regional economy, without a significant increase in the consumption of primary fuel.

The Impact of Sustainable Development Technology on a Small Economy-The Case of Energy-Saving Technology.

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Xiding; Huang, Qinghua; Huang, Weilun; Li, Xue

2018-02-08

We investigated the impact of a sustainable development technology on the macroeconomic variables in a small economy utilizing a case study with a stochastically improving energy saving technology and a stochastically increasing energy price. The results show the technological displacement effects of energy saving technology are stronger, but there are more ambiguous instantaneous returns to physical capital. However, the energy saving technology's displacement effects might not affect the conditions under which the Harberger-Laursen-Metzler (HLM) effect holds. The effects of rising energy prices on bonds are stronger, and there are more ambiguous instantaneous returns, but the conditions under which the HLM effect holds are different.

Environmentally sustainable economic development

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jones, M.G.; Woodruffe, J.D.

1991-01-01

Shell Canada adopted Sustainable Development in 1990 as the approach to managing the environment. The corporation's president, representing the energy industry on the National Round Table on the Environment and the Economy, provided key direction on the development of the process. This paper reports on national concepts of Sustainable Development principles that were utilized as a starting point, but quickly a Shell specific policy was approved, followed by Corporate Principles and Targets and Undertakings. These are being further developed in both the upstream and downstream with leadership from Resources (E and P) Department. Cascading of Targets and Undertakings has occurred to E and P followed by operating complexes, the drilling sites and the seismic lines. Steps were carefully programmed to learn from specific application before expanding to all areas. All plans are expected to be in place by mid 1992. Place contain short and long term target but focus on a rolling 2 year identification of actions to meet those targets. The plans permit an annual appraisal of accomplishments as well as budgeting for successive years. The move to Sustainable Development planning is a significant shift in industry attitude and approach but demonstrates the ability for the coexistence of environmental and economic demands

Power for peace, prosperity, and the environment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Eagan J, Robert; Baker B, Arnold; Sanders L, Thomas

2000-01-01

The remarkable prosperity and standard of living enjoyed in the US is in large part linked to the use of energy. While high-energy use brings many benefits, it also causes environmental degradation. In the last decade, the potentially devastating effects of degradation of greenhouse gases have received worldwide attention. The tradeoff between sustaining a healthy environment and sustaining a healthy economy is a major challenge of the 21st century. In this paper, the authors explore some of the issues and focus particularly on the option of enhancing nuclear energy as a way to help sustain economic prosperity while decreasing pollution of the atmosphere

Securing a port's future through Circular Economy: Experiences from the Port of Gävle in contributing to sustainability.

Science.gov (United States)

Carpenter, Angela; Lozano, Rodrigo; Sammalisto, Kaisu; Astner, Linda

2018-03-01

Ports are an important player in the world, due to their role in global production and distributions systems. They are major intermodal transport hubs, linking the sea to the land. For all ports, a key requirement for commercial and economic viability is to retain ships using them and to remain accessible to those ships. Ports need to find approaches to help them remain open. They must ensure their continued economic viability. At the same time, they face increasing pressure to become more environmentally and socially conscious. This paper examines the approach taken by the Port of Gävle, Sweden, which used contaminated dredged materials to create new land using principles of Circular Economy. The paper demonstrates that using Circular Economy principles can be a viable way of securing a port's future and contributing to its sustainability, and that of the city/region where it operates. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Environmental impacts of the emerging digital economy: the e-for-environment e-commerce?

Science.gov (United States)

Sui, Daniel Z; Rejeski, David W

2002-02-01

The Internet-led digital economy is changing both the production and consumption patterns at the global scale. Although great potential exists to harness information technology in general and the Internet in particular and improve the environment, possible negative impacts of e-commerce on the environment should also be considered and dealt with. In this forum, we discuss both the potential positive and negative impacts of e-commerce. Drawing from insights gained from the complexity theory, we also delineate some broad contours for environmental policies in the information age. Given the paradoxical nature of technological innovations, we want to caution the scientific community and policymakers not to treat the Internet as the Holy Grail for environmental salvation.

Terra Reversa. The transition to fair sustainability

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jones, P.T.; De Meyere, V.

2009-01-01

Terra Reversa tells how to reverse present policy by means of integrating transition management and the 4E-model (Energy-Economy-Environment-Engineering) into a new vision for the transition to a socially fair, ecologically sustainable and economically stable model for our society. The question is whether one is willing to leave the beaten path. Terra Reversa is an argument to opt for a Green New Deal XL (a number of proposals to combat climate change) [nl

Happy degrowth through more amateur economy

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Nørgaard, Jørgen

2013-01-01

to a brief historical overview of the role of work, including turning points in the 1930s in the United States, when work sharing was displaced by work creation through consumerism, and, in the post-war economy when GDP became the dominant economic indicator. The paper proposes the aim of a happy...... and sustainable degrowth for affluent countries, implying the transfer of some activities from the professional economy to the less ‘labor’ productive amateur economy. This will tend to reduce overall labor productivity and hence resource throughput, but increase satisfaction and happiness. A key element...

Bioeconomy, Climate Change, and Sustainable Development

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Chum, Helena L.

2016-05-31

This presentation addresses the recognition that the sustainability of the bioeconomy requires strong interlinkages between existing and developing industries in agriculture (terrestrial and aquatic); forestry; waste and residue management in rural, industrial, and urban environments; the chemicals and biotechnology industry in terms of production of substitutes or better performing materials and chemicals; and in the fuels and power sectors. The transition to a low-carbon intensity economy requires the integration of systems and uses circular economy concepts to increase resource use efficiency and security for all biomass and other resources used as well. It requires innovation along the whole supply chains as well as research, development, and demonstration of the integrated systems with strong partnerships from the landscapes and watersheds where biomass is planted all the way to the many applications.

Green economic growth premise for sustainable development

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Carmen Lenuţa TRICĂ

2013-01-01

Full Text Available Accelerating the global issues such as natural resource depletion, damage to the natural environment, economic and financial crises and consumption growth led to the shift of the development paradigm from consumption to sustainable development and recognition of the new path, namely green economy.At the European level a number of international organizations discussed issues of transition to green economy (EC, UNEP, OECD. In 2008, UNEP launched “Green Economy Initiative to Get the Global Markets Back to Work”, aiming to mobilize and re-focuse the global economy towards.This is the twin challenge of moving towards a green economy: radically reducing the footprint of developed countries, while simultaneously raising levels of social and material well being in developing countries.Without public intervention, the related market failures (i.e. market prices that do not fully reflect the environmental degradation generated by economic activity may delay or even prevent the development of environmentally-friendly technologies.Furthermore, in sectors such as electricity, network effects arising from existing infrastructures create additional barriers to the adoption of alternative sources of power, further hampering incentives to invest in new technologies.Given that the transition to a green economy requires increasing of investment in economic sectors that contribute to enhancing of natural capital and reduce environmental risks, we intend to analyze the main measures taken by Romania to ensure transition to green economy.

STUDY ON NEED FOR SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT IN EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS – A CASE STUDY OF COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING- GUINDY, CHENNAI

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Gobinath Ravindran

2010-06-01

Full Text Available Sustainability has become the key word of developing world and it’s evident in many issues, the growing economy is facing nowadays. Sustainability is the need of the hour for Indian economy to support our future generation with a cleaner, safer environment. Legal framework implemented by governing bodies such as Pollution control board is also supporting the implementation of sustainable development by new enforcements introduced then and there, but it is questionable about the effectiveness of this frameworks. Most of the enforcements are focusing to imply the sustainability in industries or equivalent organizations but not putting thrust on all polluting bodies, educational institutions are one among them. Recent growth in educational scenario in India had increased the number of educational institutions to a large extent, also increased the effect on environment by their activities. Growth of educational sector and the number of institutions catering various fields of education is needed for India but the growth should be optimized in a way such that it’s sustainable and eco friendly. Various methods are developed recently to find out the exact problems associated with the environment, Geograpchial Information System (GIS is one among them taking a big leap in the recent years in the area of environmental problem identification. This paper provides the details of the environmental impacts of educational institutions with case studies and also suggests a sustainable framework to make them environmental friendly by the use of (GIS.

ECO-INNOVATION FOR A SUSTAINABLE FUTURE

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RATIU Mariana

2014-05-01

Full Text Available Eco-innovation is any form of innovation resulting in or aiming at significant and demonstrable progress towards the goal of sustainable development, through reducing impacts on the environment, enhancing resilience to environmental pressures, or achieving a more efficient and responsible use of natural resources. States and governments of the world, different institutions and organizations actively involved and aware in public policies, strategies and actions, reaffirm their commitments and reassess actions in order to achieve a truly sustainable development. In the common vision and the resolutions and other documents of the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development, Rio+20, the words "environment", "innovation", "green economy" appear very often and almost always along the same context, to achieve the objectives of the sustainable development. The objectives of EU's Europe 2020 strategy for smart, sustainable and inclusive growth, are being implemented through a number of Flagship Initiatives addressing the main challenges, like “Innovation for a sustainable Future - The Eco-innovation Action Plan (EcoAP”. Eco-innovation Observatory developed the Eco-Innovation index, the first tool to assess and illustrate eco-innovation performance across the EU Member States. Like in all fields, in textiles and leather field, eco-innovation is present and there are a lot of tools available that measure environmental damage and help manufacturers and brands become more sustainable. Eco-innovation is not just a trendy concept but a reality and a necessity nowadays, a way to achieve a sustainable future for ourselves and future generations.

Competition and stability analyses among emissions, energy, and economy: Application for Mexico

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pao, Hsiao-Tien; Fu, Hsin-Chia

2015-01-01

In view of limited natural resources on Earth, linkage among environment, energy, and economy (3Es) becomes important perspectives for sustainable development. This paper proposes to use Lotka–Volterra model for SUstainable Development (LV-SUD) to analyse the interspecific interactions, equilibria and their stabilities among emissions, different types of energy consumption (renewable, nuclear, and fossil fuel), and real GDP, the main factors of 3Es issues. Modelling these interactions provides a useful multivariate framework for prediction outcomes. Interaction between 3Es, namely competition, symbiosis, or predation, plays an important role in policy development to achieve a balanced use of energy resources and to strengthen the green economy. Applying LV-SUD in Mexico, an emerging markets country, analysing results show that there is a mutualism between fossil fuel consumption and GDP; prey-predator relationships that fossil fuel and GDP enhance the growth of emissions, but emissions inhibit the growth of the others; and commensalisms that GDP benefits from nuclear power, and renewable power benefits from fossil fuel. It is suggested that national energy policies should remain committed to decoupling the relevance between non-clean energy and GDP, to actively developing clean energy and thereby to properly reducing fossil fuel consumption and emissions without harming economic growth. - Highlights: • LV-SUD is used to analyse the competition between environment-energy-economy (3Es). • The competitions between renewable, nuclear, and fossil energy are analysed. • Competition between 3Es plays an important role in policy development. • LV-SUD provides a useful multivariate framework for prediction outcomes. • An application for emerging markets countries such as Mexico is presented

Creating sustainable learning environments in schools by means of ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Creating sustainable learning environments in schools by means of strategic ... be addressed by means of proper strategic planning of the education system as such ... The authors who are academics at a university and who are specializing in ...

Organizational Sustainability Practices: A Study of the Firms Listed by the Corporate Sustainability Index

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Alamo Alexandre da Silva Batista

2018-01-01

Full Text Available Organizational sustainability (OS has been guiding the decision-making process of managers in order to generate competitive advantage. This paper aims to identify the sustainable practices performed by large corporations in the implementation of OS. Reports with actions performed by large organizations and their reach in the three pillars of sustainability—environmental, economic, and social dimensions—are disclosed to their main stakeholders, based on short, medium and long-term sustainable goals. These reports often reflect the progress of OS or the progress made toward them. However, few studies investigate the sustainable practices adopted by firms and their reproducibility. A search was performed in reports selected from the firms listed by the Corporate Sustainability Index (CSI from 2012–2016, belonging to the Brazilian stock market in services sector of the economy and employed the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI methodology. The results showed the strategic planning involving infrastructure, environment, human resources, product innovation, organizational management and deadline setting acted as the baseline for the implementation of the practices found. The findings will guide the managers´ decisions in the development of their strategic planning, based on practical and objective results.

Sustainable diets: The interaction between food industry, nutrition, health and the environment.

Science.gov (United States)

Alsaffar, Ayten Aylin

2016-03-01

Everyday great amounts of food are produced, processed, transported by the food industry and consumed by us and these activities have direct impact on our health and the environment. The current food system has started causing strain on the Earth's natural resources and that is why sustainable food production systems are needed. This review article discusses the need for sustainable diets by exploring the interactions between the food industry, nutrition, health and the environment, which are strongly interconnected. The most common environmental issues in the food industry are related to food processing loss, food wastage and packaging; energy efficiency; transportation of foods; water consumption and waste management. Among the foods produced and processed, meat and meat products have the greatest environmental impact followed by the dairy products. Our eating patterns impact the environment, but the environment can impact dietary choices as well. The foods and drinks we consume may also affect our health. A healthy and sustainable diet would minimise the consumption of energy-dense and highly processed and packaged foods, include less animal-derived foods and more plant-based foods and encourage people not to exceed the recommended daily energy intake. Sustainable diets contribute to food and nutrition security, have low environmental impacts and promote healthy life for present and future generations. There is an urgent need to develop and promote strategies for sustainable diets; and governments, United Nations agencies, civil society, research organisations and the food industry should work together in achieving this. © The Author(s) 2016.

THE OPPORTUNITY TO ADDRESS THE SUSTAINABLE INDUSTRIAL DEVELOPMENT IN ROMANIA

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Duduială Popescu Lorena

2015-06-01

Full Text Available Its economy experienced a sharp decline, coupled with a process of deindustrialization, projected on a phase of the property. In these circumstances, to discuss the sustainable development may seem inappropriate; therefore, be taken in steps such as halting the decline of the economy and industry; the industry revitalization and growth; the development that takes place according to the criteria of sustainable development. To this must be stopped declining industrial output and output stabilization. It must be found and made the necessary conditions leading to full use of the potential of the country, to stimulate those structural changes that allow the country to fall market economy conditions. To address the main criteria for sustainable industrial development since this time of economic downturn may be several reasons such as the need to respect the provisions of international treaties to which Romania is a party. Some of them may be mentioned as: putting control of Earth's greenhouse effect, preventing damage to the ozone layer (waiving of manufacture and use of chlorofluorocarbons, transboundary pollution and protection of large water basins of the border. Each of these treaties contain provisions that are converging concept of sustainable development. The entry into the European Union implies aligning Romanian legislation in the EU The EU Council adopted a common position, relative to a plan of action intended to give a new political impetus of the fifth environmental action program. The main objective of this program is the promotion of sustainable development throughout the economy. The Action Plan identifies priority areas for action, namely: • better integration of environmental issues into policies as those of agriculture, transport, energy, industry and tourism; • further development of basic tools acting on the market and, in particular, horizontal instruments; • improving enforcement and implementation of environmental

Evolutionary pattern, operation mechanism and policy orientation of low carbon economy development

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

X. Dou

2016-10-01

Full Text Available The essence of low carbon economy development is a continuous evolution and innovation process of socio-economic system from traditional high carbon economy to new sustainable green low carbon economy to achieve a sustainable dynamic balance and benign interactive development of various elements between society, economy and natural ecosystem. At the current stage, China’s socio-economy is showing the feature of "three high" (high energy consumption, high emissions and high pollution. In this case, quickly to promote the development of green low carbon economy is necessary and urgent. This research indicates that, low carbon economy development is achieved by micro-economic agents such as households, businesses and social intermediary organizations through Government’s guidance and the role of market mechanism. In low carbon economy development, the state (government is a leader and markets are core, while economic agents (e.g., households, businesses and social intermediary organizations are basis. For this reason, it is necessary to build an effective cleaner development and incentive-compatible policy system oriented to end-users.

Modeling of similar economies

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sergey B. Kuznetsov

2017-06-01

Full Text Available Objective to obtain dimensionless criteria ndash economic indices characterizing the national economy and not depending on its size. Methods mathematical modeling theory of dimensions processing statistical data. Results basing on differential equations describing the national economy with the account of economical environment resistance two dimensionless criteria are obtained which allow to compare economies regardless of their sizes. With the theory of dimensions we show that the obtained indices are not accidental. We demonstrate the implementation of the obtained dimensionless criteria for the analysis of behavior of certain countriesrsquo economies. Scientific novelty the dimensionless criteria are obtained ndash economic indices which allow to compare economies regardless of their sizes and to analyze the dynamic changes in the economies with time. nbsp Practical significance the obtained results can be used for dynamic and comparative analysis of different countriesrsquo economies regardless of their sizes.

National Conference on Sustainable Built Environment 2015

CERN Document Server

Biswas, Arindam; Khare, Ajay; Sen, Joy

2017-01-01

This book is a comprehensive document visualizing the future of built environment from a multidisciplinary dimension, with special emphasis on the Indian scenario. The multidisciplinary focus would be helpful for the readers to cross-refer and understand others' perspectives. The text also includes case studies substantiating theoretical research. This method of composition helps the book to maintain rational balance among theory, research and its contextual application. The book comprises selected papers from the National Conference on Sustainable Built Environment. The chapters provide varied viewpoints on the core issues of urbanization and planning, especially in the economically diverse Indian market. This compilation would be of interest to students, researchers, professionals and policy makers.

THE EFFECT OF ILLICIT TRADE IN NARCOTICS ON GLOBAL ECONOMY

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

ALASMARI Khaled

2013-07-01

Illicit markets especially those dealing with narcotics constitute grievous issues to the world’s economies, putting to test global safety, economic progress as well as security and many other aspects. Seemingly, illicit narcotics trade in the last decade – that is 2000 to 2011 underwent a significant boom, resulting from a wide spectrum of illegal drugs such as cocaine as well as heroin among many other hard drugs. In today’s global society, several concerns are emerging on the rise of illicit narcotics trade accompanied with organized crime, chiefly as major hindrances to consistent global economic progress. Apparently, some of the effects of illicit narcotics trade are that; this trade gradually turns upside down business rules, opening way for new unruly market players besides reconfiguring influence in global economics as well as politics. Surprisingly, the revenue from illegal drugs in 2011 alone was roughly 10% of the global GDP. Hence, exaggerating local economies’ incomes and triggering ceaseless conflicts among market players, while at the same time reducing legal business activities likewise disintegrating socioeconomic conditions. An empirical research method was adopted for this study, analyzing illicit trade in narcotics on the global arena as from 2000 to 2011 and its resultant effects. The research findings indicate that, illegal drugs trade particularly on the world economy besides growing at a high rate, it endangers the overall welfare of humans likewise the business environment. This is ostensibly because this trade has high chances of engrossing regional economies into illegal drugs business activities, causing them to neglect sustainable ethical businesses. Now, to effectively address negative economic issues related to illegal drugs trade, there is apparent need for integrated efforts from local as well as international authorities. Such efforts are chiefly to control not only the harmful effects resulting from the use of illicit

Sustainability of biomass utilisation in changing operational environment - SUBICHOE

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Soimakallio, S. [VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland, Espoo (Finland)], email: sampo.soimakallio@vtt.fi

2012-07-01

The main objective of the project was to assist in strategic decision-making of public administration and companies, as regards the most sustainable use of biomass, by taking into account the changing operational environment. This project continued the work of the BIOVAIKU project by exploring in more details the most critical issues identified in sustainability assessment. These include the need to develop assessment methods and criteria in particular for land use and land-use change due to biomass cultivation and harvesting and indirect impacts due to resource competition.

Integrating Sustainability in a PBL Environment for Electronics Engineering

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Arsat, Mahyuddin; Holgaard, Jette Egelund; de Graaff, Erik

2013-01-01

(PBL) has been put forward as a promising pedagogical model and emerged as an opportunity to implement sustainability successfully. Due to the almost forty years of experience in PBL, a case study was carried out at Aalborg University, Denmark to excerpt their experience of integrating sustainability...... in a problem based learning environment. Three electronics engineering project modules were selected as example and empirically supported by constructed interviews with staff and document analysis of selected material. The findings were analysed with a systems approach and presented with reference to three...

Environment of sustainable job in construction: the interface risk and right to health

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Nilton Cesar Flores

2016-04-01

Full Text Available This study analyzes the right to health in the middle of construction work environment, through risk perspective, prevention, sustainability and public policy, with an emphasis on activity that exposes the worker to solar radiation and, therefore, implies a means not sustainable environment. The analysis will focus on the environmental risk arising from exposure to radiation and its legal effects. In this context of risk, prevention is essential to the realization of the right to health in the workplace, and the extension of the right to health is the result of a constitutional reading for a sustainable environment, particularly from the art. 196 and art. 7, item XXII, which refers to prevention in the working environment. In this context, public policies show up as a guarantor instrument of disease prevention and the implementation of the right to health in the workplace. For this study, we use the theory of social systems as a theoretical framework

Efficiency, sustainability and global warming

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Woodward, Richard T.; Bishop, Richard C.

1995-01-01

Economic analyses of global warming have typically been grounded in the theory of economic efficiency. Such analyses may be inappropriate because many of the underlying concerns about climate change are rooted not in efficiency, but in the intergenerational allocation of economic endowments. A simple economic model is developed which demonstrates that an efficient economy is not necessarily a sustainable economy. This result leads directly to questions about the policy relevance of several economic studies of the issue. We then consider policy alternatives to address global warming in the context of economies with the dual objectives of efficiency and sustainability, with particular attention to carbon-based taxes

ECONOMY COMPETITIVENESS AND MODERN PEDAGOGICS DEFINITIONS CORRELATION

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Svetlana Tolochko

2016-11-01

Full Text Available The purpose of the paper is to understand and explain economy competitiveness and modern pedagogic definition correlation. Education for entrepreneurship or economic development, and education for environmental sustainability, or sustainable development are seen as arguing goals in education reforms. Teachers today also encounter a number of other and equally important challenges in their work, such as educating youth for insecurity, tolerance, new technologies, peace and active citizenship, to mention but a few. National economic competitiveness is linked to intellectual and capital and is driven by knowledge, and innovation. Sustainable development requires an understanding of the complexity of the global ecosystem and of creative problem-solving the solutions searching to ‘wicked problems’ such as that of reconciling economic activity with a sustainable environment. Methodology. It is used the data from publications and reports of the European Commission, OECD, World Bank, World Economic Forum, UNESCO, International Journals in Economics and Pedagogic: American Economic Review, Journal of Education Policy, Journal of Education Change, European Journal of Education. In the article the descriptive analysis, supported by the quantitative analysis is applied. Results. It was defined that national economic competitiveness is linked to capital driven by knowledge and innovation. It was analysed the formation of Global Competitiveness Index (GCI which is made up of over 110 variables. According to the GCI Switzerland is the most competitive economy in the world in 2015. It is highlighted the following overarching needs to: give a higher profile to the notion of interdependence: how closely one part of an ecosystem is linked to and depends upon another; making humanity more aware of its own fragility on this planet; highlight the role of cooperation: problems faced will only be resolved by international cooperation; develop the notion of a global

The hydrogen economy urgently needs environmentally sustainable hydroelectricity

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Goodland, R.

1995-01-01

Only two sources of energy were said to have the capacity to bridge the transition to fully sustainable and renewable energy, namely natural gas and hydro. The argument was made that because of this advantage, both forms will have to be promoted fast, since the transition to sustainable energy is urgent. In so far as natural gas supplies are concerned, it was estimated that they will last for perhaps the next 50 years, whereas hydroelectric potential is practically unlimited. Developing nations could vastly accelerate their development, reduce poverty and approach sustainability by exporting hydro to industrial countries. Similarly, industrial nations switching from fossil fuels to hydrogen could move up the environmental ranking, and significantly help alleviating global pollution and climate risks. Environmental ranking of new energy sources, world reservoirs of hydroelectric power, environmental and social ranking of hydro sites, the environmental impacts of hydro projects, and the concept of environmental sustainability in hydro reservoirs, were summarized. Greater acceptance of the need for sustainable development by the hydro industry was urged, along with more care in selecting hydro development sites with sustainability as a prime objective. 23 refs., 6 figs

The socio-economic significance of the Turkish coastal environment for sustainable development.

Science.gov (United States)

Kuleli, Tuncay

2015-05-01

The objective of this study was to estimate the contribution from the coastal resources in the coastal region to the national economy for sustainable development. There was no separate data base for the coastal zone so that the contribution from the coastal resources in the coastal region to the national economy was not evaluated. In estimating the significance of Turkish coastal cities, indirect methods and the geographical information system were used. In conclusion, it was found that 61.09% of the total national gross domestic product and 50.75% of the national agricultural, 90.98% of the national fisheries, 68.19% of the national tourism and 71.82% of the national industrial gross domestic product came from the coastal zone. It was determined that while coastal cities of Turkey had 28.23% of the national surface area, the coastal district had 12.96%; in other words, 21.5 million (28.04%) of the national population lived in 101.5 thousand km(2) (12.96%) of the national surface area. Approximately 44% of the national gross domestic product comes from the top ten coastal cities. According to the contribution ratio to the national economy of each coastal city, these low-lying coastal cities have about $16 billion risk value. An analysis showed that the coastal zone is very important for the national economy of Turkey and also the pressure on the coastal zone is very high. At a time of increasing pressures on coastal resources of Turkey, the decision-makers need the most up-to-date information on the full range of values these resources provide in order to make decisions that best reflect the public interest.

Energy, society and environment. Technology for a sustainable future

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Elliott, D.

1997-04-01

Energy, Society and Environment examines energy and energy use, and the interactions between technology, society and the environment. The book is clearly structured to examine; Key environmental issues, and the harmful impacts of energy use; New technological solutions to environmental problems; Implementation of possible solutions, and Implications for society in developing a sustainable approach to energy use. Social processes and strategic solutions to problems are located within a clear, technological context with topical case studies. (UK)

Government as a change agent toward a sustainable economy

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Fickl, Stephan (Austrian Energy Agency, klima:aktiv Management, Vienna (Austria)); Schmidt, Alexander (osb-international Consulting GmbH (Austria))

2009-07-01

Many of the recent political problems like health care, migration or climate protection have a level of complexity, which makes it difficult to tackle with relying on the 'normal' instruments. If we take climate protection seriously, this means that we have to perform a deep social change towards a sustainable economy. Besides pressure factors like high oil price, regulation or subsidies, two main factors are essential: a realistic vision of an agreeable future and a network of public and private institutions, which give momentum for the change and incorporate the change. Thus, the government grows into a new role of leadership, management and facilitation of the social change. The main key is the building and stabilisation of a inter-organisational network to include, activate and focus the different stakeholders. The paper will show the lessons learnt in building networks which generate co-operation for climate protection analysing the example of the Austrian climate protection program klima:aktiv, which started in 2004 with the aim to change the market by introducing services together with main market players, do this in a systematic and comprehensive way for some years; provide for quality management with standards and trainings; and secure confidence in the services by public support. Thus you get climate protection together with economic success, higher quality of life and less cost for the consumer. The paper will show the important steps in threes phases of the project and will describe the main factors of success in the adventure of building a change network.

Next steps for a Green Economy Working Group in Kazakhstan. Notes from the Astana Green Economy Dialogue, 24-26 November 2011

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ospanova, Saule; Wilson, Emma; Bass, Steve

2013-01-15

In the Republic of Kazakhstan, national concerns over today’s economic, social and environmental challenges have translated into sustainable development policy and initiatives such as the Astana Green Bridge Initiative. The Government of Kazakhstan has developed the Green Bridge Partnership Programme (GBPP), with the support of international organizations, for possible adoption at the Rio+20 World Sustainable Development Conference in June 2012. This programme offers opportunities for 'greening' the economy, with a focus on aspirations for regional and international technology cooperation and finance. it also offers potential for enhancing public participation in decision-making, and harmonising policies and practices across European, Asian and Pacific regions. A range of other initiatives are also ongoing within Kazakhstan, and it is important for those promoting these initiatives to join forces and engage in dialogue. The Astana Green Economy Dialogue, held from 24th to 26th November 2011, organised by IIED and the Kazakhstan Ministry for the Environment and supported by the UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) and the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE), brought together a range of stakeholders from government, civil society and industry to discuss the notion of the green economy and how it can be applied and developed in Kazakhstan. The dialogue had a particular focus on the energy sector given its relevance. Oil-producing states face a global challenge to play their part in establishing economic systems that reduce climate change and other environmental burdens, and to produce higher societal value from limited natural resources. This short report summarises the key observations and ideas discussed at the workshop, with recommendations for next steps and follow up. It is meant to provide a record of the discussions that took place at this dialogue and provides a foundation for further work.

Mything out on sustainability

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Rees, W.E. [British Columbia Univ., BC (Canada). School of Community and Regional Planning

2000-12-01

Two myths are deeply ingrained in our modern psyche, that of unlimited growth and technology efficiency. In that context, it becomes increasingly difficult to define sustainability. The first factor helping us define the meaning of sustainability is that there are no inherent conflicts between continuous economic growth and the environment. The second factor contradicts the first: the economy is a subsystem, fully-contained within a materially closed, non-growing biosphere/ecosphere, or better yet, that the economy is parasitic on nature. In this light, society is prevented from consuming renewable resources faster than their production rate, nor can it use those non-renewable resources faster than technology can find renewable substitutes, and finally cannot produce wastes faster than their assimilation by the biosphere. It is obvious that our society consumes resources faster than they can be produced, as evidenced by deforestation, soil degradation, falling water tables, etc. Wastes production also is faster than assimilation by the biosphere, proved by climate change, smog, air, water, and land pollution, etc. It is widely believed that the knowledge industries contribute to reducing harm to the environment, but this is not true, as the manufacturing of products is shifted to countries with less stringent environmental standards that are poorly enforced. The author emphasized the point that gains from energy efficiency lead to lower prices and higher incomes, as history demonstrated. A number of factors have an impact: (1) savings in energy efficiency might prompt consumers to use more of the goods in question, (2) efficiency-induced savings realized by individuals might lead to alternative forms of consumption which consume more energy, and (3) energy efficiency leads to higher incomes, which prompt increased levels of consumption. A reference was made to a report produced by the World Resources Institute in 1997. The report focused on the economies of Germany

Sonaravni razvoj (napredek in geografija = Sustainable development (progress and geography

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Dušan Plut

2007-01-01

Full Text Available The extent and intensity of different forms of degradation of geographical environment andits constituents prove the need for such economic development which will take account ofenvironmental features. In order to increase the environmental component of human welfare,only passively devised protection of geographical environment is not sufficient. Geographyof sustainable development both as an area of research and as a subject in the curriculum,lays emphasis on the significance of landscape features and on the processes of sustainablepattern of settling, economy, infrastructure and landscape use, as well adjusted as possible.

Multi-criteria approach to support strategically sustainable decisions in organizations

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Victor Diogho Heuer de Carvalho

2015-09-01

Full Text Available Keeping the social and environmental conditions in a favorable conservation status for allowing the society to develop itself without restrictions is the central idea which underpins the sustainability concept. Different spheres such as media, academia and business organizations started to give more importance to the study of sustainability, once it directly affects aspects that influence the economy in the world. Organizationally, the use of sustainable strategies can bring returns in favor of a healthy development and a conscious culture about the waste as well as reflecting how organizations connect with society and the environment. The objective of this work is to propose a model for prioritizing strategies to support the creation of an environment and a culture based on sustainability in organizations. This model has four steps, beginning with the problem structuring, including the definition of criteria and alternatives, the application of a multi-criteria method for prioritization, and finally, the implementation of the alternatives according to the decision maker opinion as well as on prioritization results.

STUDY ON NEED FOR SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT IN EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS, AN ECOLOGICAL PERSPECTIVE - A CASE STUDY OF COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING - GUINDY, CHENNAI

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Gobinath Ravindran

2010-01-01

Full Text Available Sustainability has become the key word of developing world and it¿s evident in many issues, the growing economy is facing nowadays. Sustainability is the need of the hour for Indian economy to support our future generation with a cleaner, safer environment. Legal framework implemented by governing bodies such as Pollution control board is also supporting the implementation of sustainable development by new enforcements introduced then and there, but it is questionable about the effectiveness of this frameworks. Most of the enforcements are focusing to imply the sustainability in industries or equivalent organizations but not putting thrust on all polluting bodies, educational institutions are one among them. Recent growth in educational scenario in India had increased the number of educational institutions to a large extent, also increased the effect on environment by their activities. Growth of educational sector and the number of institutions catering various fields of education is needed for India but the growth should be optimized in a way such that it¿s sustainable and eco friendly. Various methods are developed recently to find out the exact problems associated with the environment, Geograpchial Information System (GIS is one among them taking a big leap in the recent years in the area of environmental problem identification. This paper provides the details of the environmental impacts of educational institutions with case studies and also suggests a sustainable framework to make them environmental friendly by the use of (GIS.

Sustainable economic structures

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Dellink, R.B.; Bennis, M.; Verbruggen, H.

1999-01-01

The paper introduces four scenarios for sustainable economic structures in the Netherlands for 2030. The aim of this paper is to provide possible answers to what a sustainable future might look like in terms of alternative economic structures. To this end, an empirical economy-ecology model is

A system dynamics model of coordinated development of central and provincial economy and oil enterprises

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ge, Feng-Long; Fan, Ying

2013-01-01

Based on the characteristics of oil exploration and development and the inherent rule of a coordinated development of central and provincial economy and oil enterprises in oil producing provinces, this paper addresses the principal questions that determine the coordinated development of the central economy, provincial economy and oil enterprises, and establishes a dynamic model for the above three variables. The research takes Shaanxi Province as an example and makes analogue simulation of the situations from 2006 to 2020. The results indicate that China's provincial governments need to share more tax income, reform some taxes on oil enterprises, and China's oil industry needs to be open to both provincial state-owned enterprise and private enterprise. Meanwhile, this research also provides policy proposals for the coordinated development of central and provincial economy and oil enterprises regarding taxation and sustainable development in China's market-oriented economy. - Highlights: • Chinese provincial government should share more oil enterprises' income tax. • Diversifying sources of investment is able to boost provincial economic development. • Compensation for environment relieves provincial governments' financial pressure. • People's welfare hinges on oil enterprises, provincial governments and tax reform

Accounts for the Environment 2007

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2008-01-01

The environment is strongly affected by economic developments. In the environmental accounts, the interrelationship between economy and environment is described in detail. Because the environmental accounts are consistent with the concepts of the national accounts, it is feasible to directly compare the physical and monetary flows of the environmental economic system. The environmental accounts provide key indicators which give insight into the sustainability of economic developments. The integrated system can be used to quantify and analyse the causes of changes in environmental indicators. For example, the effects of changes in economic growth, environmental efficiency and international trade are quantified. In this publication the results of the Dutch environmental accounts are presented. In this edition special attention is paid to the relation between the economy and climate change. Based on the results of environmental-economical analyses insight is given in the changes with regard to emission of greenhouse gases by businesses and households [nl

The social sustainability of entrepreneurship

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Bjerregaard, Toke; Lauring, Jakob

2012-01-01

Sustainable entrepreneurship is attracting increasing attention in entrepreneurship literature. Social sustainable entrepreneurship is often conceived as entrepreneurial processes that generate social value. In this chapter we illuminate how small business entrepreneurs in a developing country...... engage in activities of importance for social sustainability and development as they undertake entrepreneurial ventures. We present the findings from an ethnographic field study that examines the strategies used by small entrepreneurs in an area of extreme resource scarcity to navigate co-existing social...... and market logics. The cases elucidate how the entrepreneurs cope with and exploit such co-existing logics through their sphere-straddling ventures to ensure sustainability during changes from an economy based on traditional exchange relationships to a situation with an emerging market economy. The chapter...

transforming nigeria's economy on the path of sustainable

African Journals Online (AJOL)

SILKA

deficit, re-evaluate and revitalize the educational system, all under a ... even though its greater to have a sense of how large the economy is, but what .... procedure, dedicated dynamism and application of capital formation and ... America, China, India, United Kingdom, Netherlands, France, Germany, Brazil and Italy forms.

APPROACHES FOR SUSTAINABLE MANUFACTURING

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

G(U)NTHER Seliger; SEBASTIAN Kernbaum; MARCO Zettl

2007-01-01

Sustainable development is a holistic approach harmonizing ecological, economical and socio-political needs with respect to the superior objective of enhancing human living standards. Thereby the availability of natural resources and the conservation of the ecosystems have to be considered that future generations have the possibility to meet their own needs. A long-term economical development demands the transition from a source-sink economy to a cycle economy as a result of limited resources, limited environmental capacities to absorb waste and emissions as well as increasing needs of a growing population. A reference model for sustainability in manufacturing is presented and used to illustrate sustainable approaches with respect to management, technology, process and product. Adaptation of products and components is a vital element for supporting efficient reuse of products and components. Consequently adaptation contributes to the ambitious goals of sustainability. Technological enablers for adaptation as modularity, information and communication technology are exemplarily introduced. Moreover, approaches for disseminating knowledge in sustainability are given.

The Sustainable Office. An exploration of the potential for factor 20 environmental improvement of office accommodation

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Van den Dobbelsteen, A.A.J.F.

2004-01-01

Sustainable development is the goal of a balance between economy and the environment, whilst establishing a better spread prosperity across the world. In order to make this possible, the environmental load of our commodities needs to be reduced by a factor of 20. This factor 20 can also be

Social economy of quality food

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Otsuki, K.

2014-01-01

Purpose – This paper aims to examine the implications of the efforts to promote a quality-oriented economy that incorporates a vision of environmental sustainability and equitable social development. Design/methodology/approach – The analysis builds on a case study of food procurement in Brazil,

Sustainable development from A to Z

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Euzen, Agathe; Gaill, Francoise; Eymard, Laurence

2013-01-01

This document proposes a presentation and the table of content of a book written by a large panel of researchers in economy, physics, agronomy, ecology, urban planning, demography, climate, geography, and so on, to describe, understand, and imagine the various tools aimed at the sustainable development of societies in the future. The contributions recall the origin of the concept of sustainable development, and discuss its political dimension, the evolution of the metropolitan space at the era of globalization, the issues of climate and energy, the relationship between environment and animal development, ethic aspects. They propose different perspectives on the environment (vulnerability, time scales, climate and ecosystems, water cycle issues, atmospheric chemistry, sea level rise, soils, wet lands, modelling of biodiversity, examples of sea biodiversity). They discuss the issue of new 'biomes' (city, urban forms, sustainable urban planning, urban ecology, urban mobility, urban growth, rural areas, and anthropogenic pressure on the coasts). They address societal aspects: demographic growth, access to basic services, sharing of resources, fishing and farming, GMOs and agriculture, food issues, energy transition, ways of life related to globalization, so on). They discuss the impacts of human activities on the environment: floods, dry and heat periods, air quality and health, ecological risks, marine sound pollution, consumption and wastes, pollutions, underground disposal, adaptation to climate change. A last part presents new research approaches

Educating Future Energy Engineers for Sustainability: Case Study in Energy Economy

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Şiir Kilkiş

2015-03-01

Full Text Available This paper analyzes the case study of an interdisciplinary course in Energy Economy that was developed at the Energy Engineering Graduate Program at Başkent University. The course integrated several unique pedagogical features to satisfy the aim of developing a working knowledge in energy economy with an energy systems perspective. The novel aspects of the course thematically led to a capstone research project where 5 teams of 17 course participants analyzed their prioritized solutions towards improving the energy self-sufficiency of the campus based on the practice of energy economy. The results of the teams’ solutions towards a net-zero energy/exergy campus included electric buses for city-campus transport, poly-generation for the new Arts Center, LED/OLED lighting for campus lighting, dynamo driven/piezoelectric sports center, biofuels from the university-owned dairy products farm, and an energy efficient technology incubation center. This unique course with participatory learning is compared with others before concluding that the case study is a useful international example for energy economy.

The dream of a green economy: cover story

CSIR Research Space (South Africa)

Musvoto, Constansia D

2015-12-01

Full Text Available and relevant information to guide implementation, the green economy could just be a pipe dream, says Constansia Musvoto. T he green economy, an ambitious economic approach for a developing nation such as South Africa, is a tool for achieving sustainable.... And without any yardstick it is difficult to plan and The dream of a green economy 12|1 2016 19 implement a project with certainty, and it is impossible to measure success or identify areas for improvement. Specific information and guidance on how...

Intergenerational Efforts to Develop a Healthy Environment for Everyone: Sustainability as a Human Rights Issue.

Science.gov (United States)

Kruger, Tina M; Savage, Caroline E; Newsham, Patrick

2014-12-01

As climate change proceeds at an unprecedented rate, concern for the natural environment has increased. The world's population aging also continues to rise at an unprecedented rate, giving greater attention to the implications of an older population. The two trends are linked through the fact that changes to the environment affect older adults, and older adults affect the environment. Sustainability is, therefore, an intergenerational phenomenon, and protecting resources today leaves a positive legacy and enhances quality of life for future generations. Older adults have much to share with younger generations about behaviors that promote sustainable living, yet few sustainability efforts are intergenerational in nature. As large numbers of people currently subsist without secure access to basic needs, ensuring equitable resource consumption for all generations is urgent and aligns with the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Through exploring linkages between aging and sustainability, we identify intergenerational strategies to protect the environment and promote human rights and quality of life for older adults. © The Author(s) 2015.

Site selection for deep geologic repositories - Consequences for society, economy and environment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2010-03-01

In a few years, Switzerland will make the decision regarding site selection for geological underground repositories for the storage of radioactive wastes. Besides the safety issue, many citizens are interested in how such a repository will affect environment, economy and society in the selected site's region. This brochure summarizes the results of many studies on the socio-economic impacts of nuclear waste repositories. Radioactive wastes must be stored in such a way that mankind and environment are safely protected for a long period of time. How this goal may be achieved, is already known: geologic deep repositories warrant long-term safety. For the oncoming years in Switzerland the question is where the repository will be built. The search for an appropriate site for a repository in the proposed regions will launch discussions. Within the participative framework the regions may bring their requests. The demonstration of the safety of potential repository sites has the highest priority in the selection process. In the third procedural step additional rock investigations will be made. The socio-economic studies and the experience with existing plants show that radioactive waste management plants can be built and operated in good agreement with environmental requirements. The radioactive wastes in a deep underground repository are stored many hundred meters below the Earth's surface. There, they are isolated from our vital space. Technical barriers and the surrounding dense rock confinement prevent the release of radioactive materials into the environment. A deep repository has positive consequences for the regional economy. It increases trade and value creation and creates work places. The socio-economic impacts practically extend over one century, but strongly vary with time; they are the largest during the building period. High life quality and a positive population development in the selected site region are compatible with a deep repository. A fair and

Risk evaluation in biotechnology of environment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mazaheri Asadi, M.

2003-01-01

It is the Era of technology and many countries are adjusting their economy with it. The research on biotechnology is done with a logarithmic rate at different technologies such as pharmacy, agriculture, environment, food, oil, and etc. The relevant research would result in the production of new materials which are released into the environment. In many developed countries biotechnology is regarded as a firm base for economic development and without doubt plays a determined role in humane wealth and well-being, but this technology should be sustainable and controllable. The producer and consumer of biotechnology must think deeply about this matter and take into account the health and sustain ability of earth and the environment. Evaluation of ecological impacts of micro- organisms and manipulated genetically organism should be considered in all countries of the world and such an activities should be regulated and controlled as it was don in Canada under the supervision of Dept

Modern technologies and equipment for environment and sustainable development at ROMAG-PROD Heavy Water Plant

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Preda, Marius Cristian; Patrascu, Mihai; Pop, Artimisia; Chilom, Rodica

2004-01-01

At ROMAG-PROD Heavy Water Plant, the sustainable development concept incorporates as a priority the environmental protection through the production process technology. Norway's Prime Minister, Mr. Gro Harlem Brundtland used the concept of 'sustainable development' in 1987, when as President of International Commission for Environment and Sustainable Development, he presented his report 'Our common future'. Sustainable development means that development that allows satisfying our present needs without spoiling the next generation capacity to meet their own needs. Any technology has both advantages and disadvantages; when considering the concept of sustainable development we have to take into account all the aspects, namely: - causes identification and review; - results evaluation; - corrective and preventive actions. Thus, ROMAG-PROD Heavy Water Plant has implemented a typical environment management system by means of what the general and specific objectives have been established, these objectives being stated in an Environment Policy Declaration: - Environment Management System as per SR EN ISO 14001/1997; - Quality Management System as per SR EN ISO 9001/2000; - IQNet- The International Certification Network. The paper presents the modern equipment for emissions and in-missions management with real time data transmission, for air and water as environment elements. Section two deals with trial of modern technology for industrial discharged wastewater treatment using the method of controlled batching of surface-active materials. Investigations on method application and laboratory testing as well as findings are given. As a conclusion, one can state that ROMAG-PROD Heavy Water Plant, has as one of its main concern keeping on high standards the safety of its equipment operation, sustainable development and risk eliminating so that neither environment or the population in vicinity is affected. (authors)

40 CFR 600.113-78 - Fuel economy calculations.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 29 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Fuel economy calculations. 600.113-78... FUEL ECONOMY AND CARBON-RELATED EXHAUST EMISSIONS OF MOTOR VEHICLES Fuel Economy Regulations for 1978 and Later Model Year Automobiles-Test Procedures § 600.113-78 Fuel economy calculations. The...

40 CFR 600.113-88 - Fuel economy calculations.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 29 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Fuel economy calculations. 600.113-88... FUEL ECONOMY AND CARBON-RELATED EXHAUST EMISSIONS OF MOTOR VEHICLES Fuel Economy Regulations for 1978 and Later Model Year Automobiles-Test Procedures § 600.113-88 Fuel economy calculations. The...

40 CFR 600.113-93 - Fuel economy calculations.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 29 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Fuel economy calculations. 600.113-93... FUEL ECONOMY AND CARBON-RELATED EXHAUST EMISSIONS OF MOTOR VEHICLES Fuel Economy Regulations for 1978 and Later Model Year Automobiles-Test Procedures § 600.113-93 Fuel economy calculations. The...

Sustainable development of tourism in an example of Vlasinska povrs

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Stefanović Vidoje

2012-01-01

Full Text Available The globalization of capital, finance, labor, technology, transport and communications in the second half of the last century and in the beginning of this century, has managed to become the world's largest tourism industry. This has become an important factor on economic and regional development of each country. But in a way he became the cause of the challenger and the devastation of the environment. Therefore, the concept of sustainable tourism development is becoming an important theoretical and practical problem of modern economy, and other sciences. Thus, sustainability is the ultimate goal, though difficult to reach. If we consider space as Vlasinska povrs, which is still clean, but tends to be an important tourist destination, then sustainability becomes a necessity.

The role of manufacturing in affecting the social dimension of sustainability

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Sutherland, John W.; Richter, Justin S.; Hutchins, Margot J.

2016-01-01

performance are framed for different stakeholder groups with associated social needs. Methodology development as well as various challenges for social life cycle assessment (S-LCA) are further examined. Efforts to integrate social and another dimension of sustainability are considered, with attention......Manufacturing affects all three dimensions of sustainability: economy, environment, and society. This paper addresses the last of these dimensions. It explores social impacts identified by national level social indicators, frameworks, and principles. The effects of manufacturing on social...... to globalization challenges, including offshoring and reshoring. The paper concludes with a summary of key takeaways and promising directions for future work....

Performance Indicator Framework for Evaluation of Sustainable Tourism in the Taiwan Coastal Zone

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Shih-Hao Wang

2016-07-01

Full Text Available Surrounded by the ocean, Taiwan has been increasingly developing coastal tourism projects. Concerns that negative impacts might be brought about by prosperous tourism have resulted in a recent focus on sustainable tourism. Sustainable tourism involves policies that acknowledge the interdependences among the environment, the community, and the economy. The goal of sustainable tourism is to enhance and protect the environment while satisfying basic human requirements, as well as those of the contemporary and future tourism industries to improve quality of life. On the other hand, unsustainable coastal tourism might undermine the natural environment and society, resulting in air, water, and soil pollution, wildlife habitat disruption, and changes of local community cultural characteristics. Therefore, performance evaluation of coastal tourism, using an indicator framework to facilitate sustainable development and enhance the effectiveness of coastal resources exploitation, is critical. Through a literature review and expert surveys using the methods of the fuzzy Delphi method (FDM and the fuzzy analytic hierarchy process (FAHP, this study builds a performance indicator framework and identifies the key factors affecting the sustainable development of coastal tourism in Taiwan. The results can serve as a reference for the public sector to be used for the sustainable planning and development of coastal tourism.

Knowledge based economy in European Union

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ecaterina Stănculescu

2012-04-01

Full Text Available Nowadays we assist at a fundamental change from the economy based mainly on resources to the one based mostly on knowledge. The concept has been launched in the last decade of the past century. The knowledge became a production agent and a value creation instrument for whatever country and of course for an entire community like European Union which is constantly concerned by its development and competitiveness. This paper presents the principal characteristics of the present EU preoccupations with the expansion of a knowledge based economy through the 2020 European Development Strategy for smart, sustainable and inclusive economy, and especially for the Framework Programs (Framework Programme 7 and Competitiveness and Innovation Framework Programme.

The key role of the meat industry in transformation to a low-carbon, climate resilient, sustainable economy.

Science.gov (United States)

Rijsberman, Frank

2017-10-01

Climate change, air pollution and refugees have become key global challenges threatening sustainability of lifestyles, economies and ecosystems. Agri-food systems are the number one driver of environmental change. Livestock production is the world's largest land user, responsible for half of greenhouse gas emissions from agri-food systems, and the source of repeated health crises. Poor diets have become the number one cause of ill health. Recommendations for a healthy diet emphasize plant-based food. Rapidly falling costs in information technology, biotechnology, renewable energy and battery technology will disrupt current energy and transportation systems and offer opportunities for responsible meat production. Growing consumer interest in healthy food, combined with innovative information systems, offer opportunities to create value through quality control and consumer information in integrated value chains. Meat scientists have a major role to play in the necessary transformation of global agri-food systems towards a new model of green economic growth that is climate resilient, sustainable and provides green jobs. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Technological Advances and Opportunities for the Development of Sustainable Biorefineries

OpenAIRE

Mussatto, Solange I.

2017-01-01

Moving to a more sustainable economy, where renewable biomass is used to produce fuels, chemicals, energy and materials, is one of the main challenges faced by the society nowadays in order to ensure a sustainable low-carbon economy for the future. In addition, a bio-based economy has the potential to generate new jobs and new opportunities for entrepreneurship, with further benefits to the global economy and the society. Biomass can be used to replace fossil feedstocks for the production of ...

ANALYSIS THE SUSTAINABLE MANAGEMENT OF TOURIST DESTINATION INFLUENCE ON THE COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE. CASE STUDY: ROMANIA

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Virgil NICULA

2017-12-01

Full Text Available In an ever changing and competitive environment, the tourism industry of each country must be developed in a sustainable manner, able to generate substantial economic benefits for key stakeholders and minimize negative environmental impacts. Thus, the pronounced dynamism of the tourism sector currently makes tourist destinations to be in fierce competition where the long-term success is conditioned by the sustainable development strategy adopted and operationalized by management organizations destinations. In this context, the minimum requirements for sustainable tourism development are: supporting the diversity of ecosystems; conservation and management of natural resources; finding ways to reduce uncontrolled population growth and unification of national decisions concerning the environment and the economy. Based on these considerations and the fact that Romania has a valuable ecotourism potential, internationally recognized by profile associations and other stakeholders, this paper presents an overview regarding the way in which sustainable management of tourist destination influence obtaining sustainable competitive advantage.

An Analysis of Pre-Service Science Teachers' Moral Considerations about Environment and Their Attitudes towards Sustainable Environment

Science.gov (United States)

Alpak-Tunç, Gizem; Yenice, Nilgün

2017-01-01

This study aims at analysing the moral considerations of pre-service science teachers about environment and their attitudes towards sustainable environment. It was carried out during the school year of 2014-2015 with 1438 pre-service science teachers attending public universities in the Aegean region of Turkey. The data of the study were collected…

Breaking the Barriers to the Circular Economy

OpenAIRE

Kirchherr, J.W.; Hekkert, M.P.; Bour, Ruben; Huijbrechtse-Truijens, Anne; Kostense-Smit, Erica; Muller, Jennifer

2017-01-01

The Copernicus Institute of Sustainable Development, Utrecht University, the Netherlands and Deloitte have jointly carried out research on barriers to the Circular Economy (CE) in the European Union. For this research, a survey with 153 businesses, 55 government officials and expert interviews with forty-seven thought leaders on the circular economy from businesses, governments, academia and NGOs have been carried out. Two types of barriers emerged as main barriers Firstly, there are the cult...

40 CFR 610.42 - Fuel economy measurement.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 29 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Fuel economy measurement. 610.42... ECONOMY RETROFIT DEVICES Test Procedures and Evaluation Criteria General Vehicle Test Procedures § 610.42 Fuel economy measurement. (a) Fuel consumption will be measured by: (1) The carbon balance method, or...

Autonomous Learning for English Acquisition in Blended e-Studies for Adults within the Context of Sustainable Development

Science.gov (United States)

Bojare, Inara

2016-01-01

Personality integration and self-realisation in the global economy and coevolution with multilingual cultural environment of sustainable learning society by means of technologies actualise the paradigm shift in science, and create the necessity for transdisciplinary research to resolve the problem of transformation of the system of values in the…

Interdependence of Agricultural Production and Environment and the Road to Sustainable Development

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Curić Jasmina

2016-12-01

Full Text Available Sustainability of agricultural production in the world is in serious crisis. Interdependence of agricultural production and the environment is multiple and causality works both ways. On one hand, there are environmental changes which hamper food production, and on the other, the agricultural production, as it is, is severely damaging the environment. The very systems of agricultural production jeopardize future production. The goal of this paper is to explore causes of limitations of sustainable agricultural development in the world, where the authors emphasize the following: gas emissions with greenhouse effect, a disturbed cycle of nitrogen circulation and destruction of biodiversity.

Sustainability Policy and the Law

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Karsten, Jens; Reisch, Lucia

2008-01-01

Growing awareness of environmental and social concern and the pressing issue of climate change have forcefully re-established sustainability policy as a part of consumer policy. The need for change in consumer behaviour and for more responsible lifestyles on the demand-side of the economy is chal...... of sustainability policy in European politics. Beyond this descriptive purpose the paper thereby purports to frame the debate on sustainability policy and the law on the eve of a new political cycle of the European Union.......Growing awareness of environmental and social concern and the pressing issue of climate change have forcefully re-established sustainability policy as a part of consumer policy. The need for change in consumer behaviour and for more responsible lifestyles on the demand-side of the economy...

Sustaining “Lilliputs” in the Global Knowledge-Based Economy: Prospects for Micro, Small, and Medium-Scale Enterprises in the Developing World

OpenAIRE

Maria Divina Gracia Z. Roldan

2015-01-01

Micro, small, and medium-scale enterprises (MSMEs) comprise bulk of business entities in the developing world. Their contribution is seen in terms of employment generation and capital formation. Seen as the engine of growth in present knowledge-based economies, MSMEs play a crucial role in the economic sustainability of Asian developing countries. This paper discusses the role of MSMEs in Asia, with the Philippines as a case in point. It examines issues and challenges these enterprises face, ...

Applying sustainability theory to transport infrastructure assessment using a multiplicative ahp decision support model

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Pryn, Marie Ridley; Cornet, Yannick; Salling, Kim Bang

2015-01-01

report, which is used to validate the nested model of sustainability for countries operating under the paradox of affluence. This provides a theoretical rationale for prioritising longer-term ecological integrity over shorter-term economic concerns, in line with the stronger conceptualisation......It is generally expected that the three dimensions of the economy, society and the environment must be included in any measurable sustainability pathway. However, these do not provide much guidance as to how to prioritize impacts within and between the dimensions. A conceptualized approach...... to sustainability based on the nested model is therefore presented seeking to provide an alternative approach to sustainable transportation assessment, namely the SUSTAIN Decision Support System (DSS) model. This model is based on a review of basic notions of sustainability presented by the Brundtland Commission...

Growing a green economy in China

Science.gov (United States)

Weng, Qingqing; Xu, He; Ji, Yijun

2018-02-01

With the rapid development of economy, resource depletion and environmental degradation have become serious challenges for Chinese sustainable development. Green development is a mode of well environmental and high-quality economic development. It is necessary for China to implement green development. In this review, it discusses the green development problems in China, the international experience and connotation of green development are summarized and identified further. Based on the connotation and experience of green economy development, it puts forward several countermeasures and suggestions for Chinese green development finally.

ENVIRONMENTAL ASPECTS OF "GREEN ECONOMY" RUSSIA'S ECONOMIC GROWTH

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

R. N. Botavina

2016-01-01

Full Text Available The article tells the story of the emergence of "green" economy, as opposed to the traditional "brown" ekonomike, given its concept shown shortcomings of the existing definitions of "green" economy, conclusions about the real possibilities of the transition to the growth of "green" economy. The relevance of this work lies in the fact that the changing paradigm of understanding the basis and essence of sustainable development of the national socio-economic systems necessitates the integration of economic and environmental solutions, this integration is seen as part of the concept of "green economy".The approach of this article is based on an interdisciplinary concept of quality management in relation to the specifics of functioning and development of the domestic socio-economic systems.The purpose / goal. The purpose of this article, and its main task is to systematize the areas of environmentally oriented development of economic entities, as well as the determination of the list of key provisions of environmental policy, which will provide further socio-economic development of Russia in line with the green economy. As a result, Russia as one of the great powers of the world will find a stable geopolitical situation.Methodology. The methodological basis of this article are comparative, economic and statistical analysis methods.Results. This article suggests some solutions to be included in the national environmental policy as a major incentive for the further transition to a green economy.Conclusions: The material contained in this article show the special role of the concept of "green economy" in the social and economic processes in the development of Russia's geo-economic stability. The above article aspects of the further development of the green economy in Russia can complement scientific and practical base solutions that provide active creation, implementation and use of green technologies to provide environmentally responsible sustainable

Modelling Non-Renewable Energy in Mauritius: In Quest for Sustainable Policies towards a Greener Economy

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Indranarain Ramlall

2012-07-01

Full Text Available This paper sheds light on the interaction between energy consumption and energy production in an upper-income developing country. Results show that Industrial consumption of energy in Mauritius is driven mainly by Fuel source while Commercial use is accommodated by a mixture of Coal and Fuel sources. Bagasse and Hydro energy generations undermine the use of Coal and Fuel, all demonstrating an inherent greening phenomenon embedded in the energy process. However, their size effects are low. Findings further confirm sustainability in energy generation and absorption based on a slightly above one long-term elasticity coefficient between energy production and consumption. Overall, results suggest that Mauritius has to implement vigorous measures in view of greening its energy processes. Policy wise, this could signify the urgent need of both Commercial and Industrial usage taxes to stimulate a greener economy.

Is Environmental Dematerialization An Active Factor Of The Sustainable Development?

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Florin Razvan BĂLĂȘESCU

2012-09-01

Full Text Available As it is known, sustainable development reveals economic, social and ecologic aspects circumscribed to the sustainability of the stock of natural capital and to the energy matter entropic flows which affects the relation environment-economy-society in terms of externalities and of the socio-industrial metabolism. Thus, taking into account the principles of the technical-economic rationality and integrative socio-ecologic complexity, dematerialization is a concept, an instrument and a vector carrying socio-economic values based on the natural and social sciences. In this framework environmental dematerialization reveals the issue of socio- economic energetic centres - a result of relationship between nature and human rational sensible free will determinism.

40 CFR 600.510-08 - Calculation of average fuel economy.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 29 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Calculation of average fuel economy. 600.510-08 Section 600.510-08 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (CONTINUED) ENERGY POLICY FUEL ECONOMY AND CARBON-RELATED EXHAUST EMISSIONS OF MOTOR VEHICLES Fuel Economy Regulations for Model Year 1978 Passenger Automobiles...

40 CFR 600.510-93 - Calculation of average fuel economy.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 29 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Calculation of average fuel economy. 600.510-93 Section 600.510-93 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (CONTINUED) ENERGY POLICY FUEL ECONOMY AND CARBON-RELATED EXHAUST EMISSIONS OF MOTOR VEHICLES Fuel Economy Regulations for Model Year 1978 Passenger Automobiles...

40 CFR 600.510-86 - Calculation of average fuel economy.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 29 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Calculation of average fuel economy. 600.510-86 Section 600.510-86 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (CONTINUED) ENERGY POLICY FUEL ECONOMY AND CARBON-RELATED EXHAUST EMISSIONS OF MOTOR VEHICLES Fuel Economy Regulations for Model Year 1978 Passenger Automobiles...

Renewable energy for sustainable development and environment

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Omer, Abdeen

2010-09-15

The increased availability of reliable and efficient energy services stimulates new development alternatives. This article discusses the potential for such integrated systems in the stationary and portable power market in response to the critical need for a cleaner energy technology. Throughout the theme several issues relating to renewable energies, environment and sustainable development are examined from both current and future perspectives. It is concluded that renewable environmentally friendly energy must be encouraged, promoted, implemented and demonstrated by full-scale plan especially for use in remote rural areas.

Implementation of the knowledge economy paradigm in the strategy of national economy development

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Dmytro Lukianenko

2013-08-01

Full Text Available This paper studies the knowledge economy paradigm and the factors of its influence on the development of national economies in the context of transformation of the global competitive environment. It has been methodologically identified the basic categories and concepts concerning the determination of key factors and parameters of modern economic systems. It has been proved through the example of South Korea that implementation of the knowledge economy paradigm in long-term strategies initiated and supported by the state provides new opportunities of socio-economic progress. The basic problems of innovation-driven development of Ukraine’s economy through an assessment of its readiness to transition to the knowledge economy, compared with South Korea. The latter’s experience, despite the objective limitations, is regarded as an example of strategic success in formation of a creative innovation system.

Open source engineering and sustainability tools for the built environment

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Coenders, J.L.

2013-01-01

This paper presents two novel open source software developments for design and engineering in the built environment. The first development, called “sustainability-open” [1], aims on providing open source design, analysis and assessment software source code for (environmental) performance of

Psychological science's contributions to a sustainable environment: extending our reach to a grand challenge of society.

Science.gov (United States)

Kazdin, Alan E

2009-01-01

Climate change and degradation of the environment are global problems associated with many other challenges (e.g., population increases, reduction of glaciers, and loss of critical habitats). Psychological science can play a critical role in addressing these problems by fostering a sustainable environment. Multiple strategies for fostering a sustainable environment could draw from the diversity of topics and areas of specialization within psychology. Psychological research on fostering environmentally sustainable behaviors is rather well developed, as illustrated by interventions focusing on education of the public, message framing, feedback, decision making, the media, incentives and disincentives, and social marketing. Other sciences and professions as well as religion and ethics are actively involved in fostering a sustainable environment. Psychology ought to be more involved directly, systematically, and visibly to draw on our current knowledge and to have palpable impact. We would serve the world very well and in the process our discipline and profession.

The political ecology of health: perceptions of environment, economy, health and well-being among 'Namgis First Nation.

Science.gov (United States)

Richmond, C; Elliott, S J; Matthews, R; Elliott, B

2005-12-01

Informed by Mayer's (Progr. Hum. Geogr 20 (1996) 441) political ecology of disease framework, this paper investigates First Nation's perceptions of the links between environment, economy and health and well-being. A case study of 'Namgis First Nation (Alert Bay, British Columbia, Canada) is used to explore the risks and benefits of salmon aquaculture for British Columbia's First Nations. Analysis of interview data (n = 23) indicates strong links between reduced access to environmental resources, marginal participation in the economy, and declining community health and well being. Results suggest that aquaculture development has further decreased the community's access to environmental resources, thereby restricting those economic, social, and cultural activities that determine good health and well-being for this community.

An introductory note on the environmental economics of the circular economy

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Andersen, M. S.

2007-01-01

Abstract This paper provides an introduction to some of the fundamental principles and approaches in environmental economics which are of significance to achieving an integrated sustainability science. The concept of a circular economy, introduced by the late David Pearce in 1990, addresses...... the interlinkages of the four economic functions of the environment. The environment not only provides amenity values, in addition to being a resource base and a sink for economic activities, it is also a fundamental life-support system. Environmental economists have suggested that, taking these four functions...... reached as a result of such interdisciplinary research are gradually being applied to the economic analysis of environmental policy priorities. Although such figures provide only a partial and incomplete picture of the environmental costs at stake, they support and inform the analysis of the virtues...

Climate change, economics and Buddhism. Part 2. New views and practices for sustainable world economies

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Daniels, Peter L.

2010-01-01

The evidence of impending and serious climate and other consequences of an expanding world economy based on fossil carbon energy continues to accumulate. This two-part paper examines the potential contribution of the world view and insights of Buddhism to this search. It presents both a conceptual and practical case that Buddhism can help shape and move towards an alternative and effective paradigmatic basis for sustainable economies - one capable of bringing about and maintaining genuine, high welfare levels across the world's societies. The first paper outlined a comprehensive analytical framework to identify the fundamental nature of anthropogenic climate change. Based on the integration of two of the most influential environmental analysis tools of recent decades (the DPSIR model and IPAT equation), the framework was then broadened to facilitate ideas from the Buddhist world view by injecting two key missing aspects - the interrelated role of (1) beliefs and values (on goals and behavior) and (2) the nature of well-being or human happiness. Finally, the principal linkages between this climate change analysis framework and Buddhism were explored. In this concluding paper, the systems framework is used to demonstrate how Buddhist and related world views can feed into appropriate and effective responses to the impending challenges of climate change. This is undertaken by systematically presenting a specific, if indicative, list of relevant strategies informed by the understanding of interconnectedness and other basic principles about the nature of reality and human well-being as proposed in Buddhism. (author)

Climate change, economics and Buddhism. Part 2. New views and practices for sustainable world economies

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Daniels, Peter L. [Griffith School of Environment, Griffith University, Brisbane, 4111 (Australia)

2010-03-15

The evidence of impending and serious climate and other consequences of an expanding world economy based on fossil carbon energy continues to accumulate. This two-part paper examines the potential contribution of the world view and insights of Buddhism to this search. It presents both a conceptual and practical case that Buddhism can help shape and move towards an alternative and effective paradigmatic basis for sustainable economies - one capable of bringing about and maintaining genuine, high welfare levels across the world's societies. The first paper outlined a comprehensive analytical framework to identify the fundamental nature of anthropogenic climate change. Based on the integration of two of the most influential environmental analysis tools of recent decades (the DPSIR model and IPAT equation), the framework was then broadened to facilitate ideas from the Buddhist world view by injecting two key missing aspects - the interrelated role of (1) beliefs and values (on goals and behavior) and (2) the nature of well-being or human happiness. Finally, the principal linkages between this climate change analysis framework and Buddhism were explored. In this concluding paper, the systems framework is used to demonstrate how Buddhist and related world views can feed into appropriate and effective responses to the impending challenges of climate change. This is undertaken by systematically presenting a specific, if indicative, list of relevant strategies informed by the understanding of interconnectedness and other basic principles about the nature of reality and human well-being as proposed in Buddhism. (author)

Sustainable cotton production and water economy through different planting methods and mulching techniques

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nasrullah, H.M.; Khan, M.B.; Ahmad, R.; Ahmad, S.; Hanif, M.; Nazeer, W

2011-01-01

Planting methods and mulching techniques are important factors which affect crop growth, development and yield by conserving soil and plant moisture. A multifactorial experiment was conducted to study the water economy involving different planting methods and mulching techniques in cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) for two consecutive years (2004 and 2005) at the Agronomic Research Station, Khanewal. Two moisture stress tolerant cotton varieties (CIM-473 and CIM-499) were planted using four different planting methods i.e. 70c m spaced single row planting, 105 cm spaced double row strip planting, 70 cm spaced ridge planting and 140 cm spaced furrow beds (or bed and furrows) along four mulching practices i.e. cultural, straw, sheet and chemical for their individual and interactive effects on various parameters including water use efficiency. Positive interactive effects of furrow bed planting method (140 cm spaced) with plastic sheet/film mulching were observed for all the parameters i.e., highest seed cotton yield (3009 and 3332 kg ha/sup -1/), maximum water saving (up to 25.62% and 26.53%), highest water use efficiency up to 5.04 and 4.79 [macro mol (CO/sub 2/)/mmol (H/sub 2/O)], highest net income (Rs. 27224.2 and 50927.7 ha/sup -1/) with a cost-benefit ratio of 1.64 and 2.20 followed by maximum net income (Rs. 27382.2 and 47244.5 ha/sup -1/) with 1.64 and 2.10 cost-benefit ratio in case of plastic mulch and 2814 and 3007 kg ha/sup -1/ in ridge planting method during 2004 and 2005, respectively. It is concluded that cotton crop can be grown using bed and furrow planting method with plastic sheet/film mulching technique for sustainable cotton production and better water economy. (author)

Creative economy and knowledge-based society. Perspectives for Romania

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Istudor Laura Gabriela

2017-07-01

Full Text Available Creative economy is a rather new concept that started developing during the last decade, being currently applied to a variety of activities and professions. It has become an important sector of the global economy, being sustained and promoted by the European Union, especially in the context of an innovative and knowledge-based society. Within this new type of economy, creativity, innovation and knowledge management are essential factors that lead to a smart, sustainable and inclusive development in regard to the creation of new jobs and to the social inclusion requirements. According to John Howkins (2001, the creative industries / sectors include art, research, advertising, movies, theatre, software, with the possibility of the concept of creative economy to be extended to other non-artistic and IT related fields, where improvements are expected to arise through innovation and creativity. The Global Creativity Index (GCI and the European Innovation Scoreboard (EIS, are two benchmarking tools that measure the creativity and innovation degree of the countries in the European Union, placing Romania within the last positions, especially with respect to intellectual property rights and entrepreneurship. The research methodology consists of both qualitative and quantitative methods, while the research questions to be answered are What is the degree of innovation in Romania compared to other states? What can be done in order to increase the level of innovation in Romania? In this viewpoint, the paper analyzes the development of the creative industries / sectors in Romania, in the context of creative economy and innovation. The objective of the paper is to analyze the extent to which the concept of creative economy can be promoted and implemented in Romania, given its increasing importance at the international level, with countries such as the United Kingdom that already adopted strategies to sustain this kind of economy in the past years. In order to

Barter Economies and Centralized Merchants

OpenAIRE

Jose Noguera

2000-01-01

The main goal of this essay is to analyze the emergence of a barter economy, and the rise of centralized merchants and a barter redistribution system out of a primitive barter system. The environment is a spatial general equilibrium model where exchange is costly. Since exchange becomes more complicated as the scope of the economy increases, we prove that, after the economy reaches a critical size, the cost of trade expansion surpasses its benefits. This imposes limitations on the scope of th...

Governing in a placeless environment: Sustainability and fish aggregating devices

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Bush, S.R.; Mol, A.P.J.

2015-01-01

Sustainability governance views ‘place’ as either a central concept and phenomenon to counter homogenising globalisation, or as an irrelevant concept for understanding ostensibly ‘placeless’ global environments such as oceans. Based on a review of global tuna fisheries in placeless oceans, we

Do environmental and climate change issues threaten sustainable development?

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mesarovic, M.

2002-01-01

The atmospheric environment is presently under threat from anthropogenic emissions of pollutants and greenhouse gases to the extent that irreversible changes to the climate, the ozone layer and the quality of the air could occur. While the required changes in practice and regulations may hit economies if the induced costs are to be internalised, the impact of ignoring these requirements might even threaten the concept of sustainable development. The prospects of environmental pollution, depletion of ozone layer and climate change due to human activities have sparked a variety of controversies on many fronts. These topics are discussed with respect to the imposed threats to the sustainable development, and with particular attention paid to delays in urgent emission reductions. (author)

The study of evaluation index system on construction enterprise’s circular economy

Science.gov (United States)

Yi, Lu; Liu, Zhigang

2017-06-01

The development of circular economy is an important way to judge quality of enterprise development and to realize the sustainable development of enterprises. This paper will combine the characteristics of the development of circular economy in construction enterprise to construct circular economy evaluation index system. Then it uses fuzzy mathematics theory and hierarchical analysis evaluation method for comprehensive evaluation of circular economy development level. Through the empirical analysis, the paper provides the reference basis for construction enterprises to further improve the level of circular economy.

How can design science contribute to a circular economy?

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Pigosso, Daniela Cristina Antelmi; McAloone, Tim C.

2017-01-01

Circular Economy is increasingly seen as a key approach to operationalising goals and supporting the transition to a sustainable society by enhancing competitiveness and economic growth. Creating a Circular Economy requires fundamental changes throughout the value chain, from innovation, product...... design and production processes all the way to end of life, new business models and consumption patterns. This paper explores how design science can support the transition from the traditional linear 'take-make-consume-dispose' approach, to a Circular Economy. By means of a systematic literature review...

Facility of Laboratories for Sustainable Habitation - an Initial Design of a Closed-Loop Environment

OpenAIRE

Quantius, Dominik; Schubert, Daniel; Maiwald, Volker; Parìs Lopéz, Rosa; Hauslage, Jens; Seboldt, Wolfgang; Doule, Ondrej; Schlacht, Irene Lia; Ransom, Stephen

2012-01-01

An effective and self-sustainable artificial habitat design is essential for human spaceflight and expansion of mankind into orbit or towards other celestial bodies. Besides the necessity to create an artificial habitat for the extreme environments of space, development of a self-sustainable habitat can also enable more effective exploration of extreme environments on Earth. One major application of the habitat’s closed-loop capabilities can also be in enabling ecological habitation of human ...

The Sustainable Expression of Ecological Concept in the Urban Landscape Environment Design

Science.gov (United States)

Dong, Junyan; Zhou, Tiejun; Xin, Lisen; Tan, Yuetong; Wang, Zhigang

2018-02-01

Urbanization is an inevitable trend of development of human society, also the inevitable outcome of economic development and scientific and technological progress, while urbanization process in promoting the development of human civilization, also no doubt, urban landscape has been a corresponding impact. Urban environment has suffered unprecedented damage, the urban population density, traffic congestion, shortage of resources, environmental pollution, ecological degradation, has become the focus of human society. In order to create an environment of ecological and harmonious, beautiful, sustainable development in the urban landscape, This paper discusses the concept of ecological design combined with the urban landscape design and sustainable development of urban landscape design.

The Evolution of the Sustainability Assessment Tool SBToolPT: From Buildings to the Built Environment

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Guilherme Castanheira

2014-01-01

Full Text Available This paper analyses the current trends in sustainability assessment. After about 15 years from the launch of sustainability assessment tools, focused on buildings evaluation, the paradigm of sustainability assessment tools is changing from the building scale to the built environment scale. Currently European cities and cities around the world are concerned with sustainable development, as well as its evolution. Cities seek a way to adapt to contemporary changes, in order to meet the required needs and ensure population’s well-being. Considering this, the new generations of sustainability assessment tools are being developed to be used to guide and help cities and urban areas to become more sustainable. Following the trend of the most important sustainability assessment tools, the sustainability assessment tool SBToolPT is also developing its version for assessing the sustainability of the built environment, namely, the urban planning projects and the urban regeneration projects, to be developed in Portugal, the SBToolPT-UP. The application of the methodology to three case studies will demonstrate its feasibility; at the same time this will identify the best practices which will serve as reference for new projects, thereby assisting the development of the tool.

The Evolution of the Sustainability Assessment Tool SBToolPT: From Buildings to the Built Environment

Science.gov (United States)

Bragança, Luís

2014-01-01

This paper analyses the current trends in sustainability assessment. After about 15 years from the launch of sustainability assessment tools, focused on buildings evaluation, the paradigm of sustainability assessment tools is changing from the building scale to the built environment scale. Currently European cities and cities around the world are concerned with sustainable development, as well as its evolution. Cities seek a way to adapt to contemporary changes, in order to meet the required needs and ensure population's well-being. Considering this, the new generations of sustainability assessment tools are being developed to be used to guide and help cities and urban areas to become more sustainable. Following the trend of the most important sustainability assessment tools, the sustainability assessment tool SBToolPT is also developing its version for assessing the sustainability of the built environment, namely, the urban planning projects and the urban regeneration projects, to be developed in Portugal, the SBToolPT-UP. The application of the methodology to three case studies will demonstrate its feasibility; at the same time this will identify the best practices which will serve as reference for new projects, thereby assisting the development of the tool. PMID:24592171

Regional sustainable development strategy for the Athabasca Oil Sands area

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1999-07-01

The Regional Sustainable Development Strategy (RSDS) provides a framework for balancing development with environmental protection. This provisional direction for sustainable resource management was confirmed in a March 1999 policy document. It is as follows: the use of Alberta's natural resources shall be sustainable, the management of Alberta's natural resources shall support and promote the Alberta economy, Alberta's environment shall be protected, resources shall be managed on an integrated basis, and Alberta's natural resources shall be managed for multiple benefits. The focus of the RSDS is to address the need to balance resource development and environmental protection. The report covers: an overview, the Regional Sustainable Development Strategy and the RSDS management model. Blueprints for action concerning the impacts of oilsands development are provided under 14 themes, including 1) cumulative impacts on wildlife, fish habitat and populations, surface and groundwater quality and 2) human health effects of air emissions and effects of air emissions on wildlife and vegetation. The RSDS will apply provincial and federal policy, legislation, standards and programs in a regional context, including principles in the Canadian Council of Ministers of the Environment (CCME) Harmonization Accord

Protecting America's economy, environment, health, and security against invasive species requires a strong federal program in systematic biology

Science.gov (United States)

Hilda Diaz-Soltero; Amy Y. Rossman

2011-01-01

Systematics is the science that identifies and groups organisms by understanding their origins, relationships, and distributions. It is fundamental to understanding life on earth, our crops, wildlife, and diseases, and it provides the scientific foundation to recognize and manage invasive species. Protecting America's economy, environment, health, and security...

Systems and practices in sustainable consumption research

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Røpke, Inge

The financial crisis in 2007-2008 and the subsequent economic crisis served as a wake-up call for sustainable consumption studies. The literature on consumption and environment had little focus on finance, but the crisis made it clear that financial issues are important also from an environmental...... perspective. Credit plays an important role as a driver of unsustainable consumption, and financial mechanisms contribute to the widening inequalities as well as the build-up of macroeconomic instability. Looking ahead, transformation of finance is just as important for sustainability as transformation...... of the provision systems for food, transport, housing, etc. that are the dominant focus of environmental studies. Intertwined with these systems, the economy includes various other systems that are decisive for the overall economic and environmental performance and for the distribution of goods and services...

Institutional incentives in circular economy transition

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Fischer, Aglaia; Pascucci, Stefano

2017-01-01

The aim of this paper is to gain insight into how requirements for transitioning to circular economy creates new organizational forms in inter-firm collaborations, and ultimately how they stimulate the emergence of new institutions enhancing sustainability. Two strands of literature, one on

Towards the core of the biobased economy. The sustainability promises of biomass in perspective

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Asveld, L.; Van Est, R.; Stemerding, D.

2011-02-01

This report addresses the best ways for the Dutch government to supervise the transition to the bio-economy. To this end, the researchers no only the technological state of affairs, but also the current Dutch policy with regard to the bio-economy. Which societal discussions are held in the wide framework of the bio-economy? A review of history shows which scientific, social and economic efforts the Netherlands is facing in realizing a transition to a bio-economy. [nl

Competitiveness in tourism economies of the APEC

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Reyna María Ibáñez Pérez

2015-08-01

Full Text Available It is estimated that by 2030 the influx of tourists worldwide scope 1. 7 billion people. For such figures become a reality, timely in formation that can be taken as a reference for the generation of strategies aimed at harnessing the tourism potential of the various destinations in the world is required, plus a coordinated work between different economies, blocks and organizations. Here, in this article, an overview of the situation and development of tourism competitiveness of nations that make up the Forum Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC is provided. The methodology consisted of review of specialized search and sta tistical information influx, income and tourism competitiveness globally and literature APEC member country. The main results indicate that globally between 2010 and 2013, APEC countries experienced an increase in tourism revenues of 25%, a figure that exceeds global trends. In 2013, the level of tourism competitiveness presented by APEC, ranged between 6 and 82 position globally and only 53% of the 19 APEC economies that were evaluated by the World Economic Forum (WEF, improved their level of competitiveness. In relation to the regulatory framework linked to tourism, nations like Peru, Brunei and Russia reached the lowest ratings of the block thus have enormous work to do to improve your score in this category. In business environment and infrastructure, highlighted America. While in human and cultural resources, proved to be the issue in which APEC economies outperformed. Finally, results for APEC economies, evidence that critical areas are those concerning regulation and policies; and particularly sustainability issue, which can become a bottleneck in terms of competitiveness in the area of APEC therefore must strengthen and design better strategies for joint efforts in relation to such matters.

Iceland as a demonstrator for a transition to low carbon economy?

Science.gov (United States)

Asbjornsson, Einar Jon; Stefansson, Hlynur; Finger, David Christian

2017-04-01

The energy supply in Iceland is quite unique, about 85% of the total primary energy is coming from renewable resources. Nevertheless, the ecological footprint of an average Icelander is with 6.5 worlds, one of the highest worldwide and the energy consumption per capita is about 7 times higher than the European average. Recent developments have shown that there is a great potential to reduce the footprint and develop towards low carbon economy. With its small population, well educated and governed society and clear system boundaries to the outside world, Iceland is a good research laboratory and an ideal demonstrator for a transition towards a low carbon economy. This presentation will outline how several innovative research projects at Reykjavik University could lead Iceland towards a sustainable and low carbon economy. The presentations will conclude with a visionary outlook how Iceland can become a demonstration nation towards a prosperous, low carbon and sustainable economy, helping stabilize global warming at an acceptable level.

Research on the Food Green Packaging Under the Sustainable Development

OpenAIRE

Wang Qiang; Zhou Min

2015-01-01

With the rapid growth in economy and the constant development in people living standard, packaging has become an indispensable part to human activities. However, the ways and materials popular used for packaging currently have been making a great deal of recourse waste and serious pollution to the environments. From the existing problems in food packaging, the study has put forward the necessity of green packaging under the idea of sustainable development and discussed the approach of green f...

Organising Sustainable Transition: Understanding the Product, Project and Service Domain of the Built Environment

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Thuesen, Christian; Koch-Ørvad, Nina; Maslesa, Esmir

2016-01-01

of three generic domains - the Project, Product and Service domain - with widely different markets, companies, business models and regulation. Besides identifying the characteristics of the different domains, the findings show that these domains are interdependent, but largely live their own lives......Sustainable transition of the built environment con struction industry is challenging the existing construction practices and business models. This article presents a framework for understanding and facilitating sustainable transition in the built environment. The framework was developed through...

Incorporating Sustainability and Green Design Concepts into Engineering and Technology Curricula

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Radian G. Belu

2016-05-01

Full Text Available Human society is facing an uncertain future due to the present day unsustainable use of natural resources and the growing imbalance with our natural environment. Sustainability is an endeavour with uncertain outcomes requiring collaboration, teamwork, and abilities to work with respect and learn from other disciplines and professions, as well as with governments, local communities, political and civic organizations. The creation of a sustainable society is a complex and multi-stage endeavour that will dominate twenty first century.  Sustainability has four basic aspects: environment, technology, economy, and societal organization. Schools with undergraduate engineering or engineering technology programs are working to include sustainability and green design concepts into their curricula. Teaching sustainability and green design has increasingly become an essential feature of the present day engineering education. It applies to all of engineering, as all engineered systems interact with the environment in complex and important ways. Our project main goals are to provide the students with multiple and comprehensive exposures, to what it mean to have a sustainable mindset and to facilitate the development of the passion and the skills to integrate sustainable practices into engineering tools and methods. In this study we are describing our approaches to incorporating sustainability and green design into our undergraduate curricula and to list a variety of existing resources that can easily be adopted or adapted by our faculty for this purpose. Our approaches are: (1 redesigning existing courses through development of new curricular materials that still meet the objectives of the original course and (2 developing upper division elective courses that address specific topics related to sustainability, green design, green manufacturing and life-cycle assessment. 

The Macroeconomic Framework of Support Analysis for Sustainable Businesses Development

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Constantin Mitrut

2015-08-01

Full Text Available The state of satisfaction of an economy results from the quality of the economic products it produces and consumes, in agreement with assuring environment protection, as a source of producing present and future economic goods, and with intensive utilising of human capital, as a source of innovation growth. Knowledge transfer happens in a sustainable economy, whose principles are rational use of resources, limiting of waste, protection, for enabling future generations to have also access to resources. The present research is based on a multifactorial liniar regression model which outlines the direct correlation between the dependent variable welfare and the independent variable of concentration measured by the Gini coefficient of wealth concentration, on the one hand, and by the GDP level, on the other hand, at the level of year 2012. The aim of this research is to identify the correlation between the indicator of quality of life satisfaction or of the welfare function at the level of EU 2012, and the assurance of a macroeconomic framework for sustainable business development.

Some Theories Of Environmental Sustainability

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Irina-Virginia Dragulanescu

2014-01-01

Full Text Available The paper deals with the arguments with which the neoclassical have approached the problems of sustainability, giving life to that branch of political economy that studies the problems related to the use of natural resources and environmental externalities. Environmental Economics studies, insights and additions that bind knowledge economy with the application of economic theory to environmental problems seek to provide in this paper an comprehensive framework and as exhaustive as possible of speculations around the concept of sustainability. We highlight, also, how environmental aspects are processed within a defined perimeter of economic instruments to defend the neoclassical orthodoxy in front of the market failure and to support the undertaking of a path of development that is sustainable.

Methodology for appreciation the manufacturing castings from perspective of circular economy

Science.gov (United States)

Soporan, V. F.; Crișan, M.; Lehene, T.; Pop, A. L.

2016-06-01

This paper presents a methodology for studying the trends toward developing circular economy, comprising the following steps: description the field analyzed statistically and technological, establishing assessment criteria, establishing the event which will be analyzed and its description and evaluation of the event from the perspective of circular economy. The case study was designed to the manufacture castings through the analysis, after the methodology proposed, by the work of the 71-th World Foundry Congress in 2014 from Bilbao. The conclusion of this approach shows us that the manufacture castings through the trends expressed fall in the principles of circular economy. At the level of resources needed for the manufacturing process of castings - specifically immaterial resources, materials and energy, are analyzed at all levels, specific phases, namely: 1. Information analysis specific for the field; 2. Analysis preparation in terms of manufacturing technology and technological infrastructure available; 3. Analysis of manufacturing castings; 4. Analysis of the results of the manufacturing process; 5. Analysis of exploitation and disposal at end of life cycle; 6. Analysis of other phases that contribute to achieving castings; 7. Analysis of the entire process in terms of respecting the environment and sustainable development. The analysis method on a field belonging to the specific requirements of circular economy is made by analyzing a global event. This comprises the following stages: Establish specific criteria for the analyzed domain in relation to the circular economy; Specifying event works falling within the criteria set, which will be analyzed, and justification for selection.

The centrality of food; sustainability and competitiveness of the agri-food system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Iannetta, Massimo

2015-01-01

The challenges of food production are enormous and will be even more pressing in order to meet the growing need for food worldwide. It must therefore be at the center of international policy the theme of food and encourage a process of development and intensification of research and innovation policies, to address an epochal challenge like the one we face. The paradigm to be used and what the Green Economy in a multidisciplinary perspective, an integrated approach that considers not only the primary production of food, linked to agriculture, its industrial processing and distribution, but also the energy issue, the environment and the territory with its cultural and social values, nutrition, nutrition and health, consumer eating habits. A new approach to sustainable production of food that has interest and impact both to the general public, both to the world of production, industrial and scientific. The new idea is based on the possibility of treating the issue as an integrated system based on a finite number of sub-systems (agriculture, environment, food security, water, health, energy, infrastructure, economy etc.), To manage in a coordinated way to address the future challenges we have ahead, pursuing five objectives. Objective 1: Maintains the agricultural land available for food production Objective 2: Increasing agricultural production and reduce losses Objective 3: Making the most efficient and sustainable agriculture Objective 4: To adopt sustainable consumption patterns and reduce waste Objective 5 : Ensuring quality and food safety [it

Toxic economy - interferences with recent Romanian experience

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Cristian Gheorghe Iacob

2015-05-01

Full Text Available What is the toxic economy? Economy through which the legislation and control in place, fails to provide a standard of living with sustainable uptrend, getting to transform assets into cash whose value is consumed unproductively. Why we do not live well? Good life is in fact the standard of living of the economic and political offered by the laws of a state or groups of states, citizens living on a certain territory. The standard of living is a result of variety of factors, difficult to quantify both separately and in particular unit. In this article we will try to define the fractal complexity of how the toxic economy is affecting the standard of leaving

What governs the transition to a sustainable hydrogen economy? Articulating the relationship between technologies and political institutions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hisschemoeller, Matthijs; Bode, Ries; Kerkhof, Marleen van de

2006-01-01

There is a lack of integrated knowledge on the transition to a sustainable energy system. The paper focuses on the relationship between technologies and institutions in the field of hydrogen from the perspective of political theory. The paper unfolds four paradigms of governance: 'Governance by policy networking', Governance by government', 'Governance by corporate business', and 'Governance by challenge', and looks into the major line of argument in support of these paradigms and into their possible bias with respect to hydrogen options. Each of these paradigms reveals an institutional bias in that it articulates specific opportunities for collaboration and competition in order to stimulate the transition to a sustainable hydrogen economy. The paper makes the observation that there is a compelling need to reframe fashionable discourse such as the necessary shift from government to governance or from government to market. Instead, specific questions with respect to the impact of guiding policy frameworks on innovation will highlight that neither 'neutral' nor 'optimal' frameworks for policy making exist, where competing hydrogen options are at stake. The identification of paradigms of governance maybe considered a methodological device for (participator) policy analysis

Digital sustainability: basic conditions for sustainable digital artifacts and their ecosystems

OpenAIRE

Stürmer, Matthias; Abu-Tayeh, Gabriel; Myrach, Thomas

2017-01-01

The modern age has heralded a shift from the industrial society, in which natural resources are crucial input factors for the economy, towards a knowledge society. To date, sustainability literature has treated knowledge—and in particular digital artifacts—mainly as a means to the end of achieving sustainable development. In this conceptual paper, we argue that digital artifacts themselves ought also to be considered as resources, which also need to be sustainable. While over-consumption is a...

Green Economy – A New Dimension of Development

OpenAIRE

Raluca Mihalcioiu

2013-01-01

The “Green Economy” has been recognized by the international community (United Nations) as a key strategic tool for sustainable development. The transition to a green economy must be a task for all countries - for developing but also for developed countries. Economy and consumers should therefore be able to accelerate the economic transformation for their own interests. In developing this concept representatives of business, trade unions and environmental organizations are involved to ensure ...

Sustainable development criteria for Built Environment projects in South Africa (CSIR)

CSIR Research Space (South Africa)

Gibberd, Jeremy T

2010-01-01

Full Text Available This paper is based on work undertaken for the Gauteng Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (GDARD) developing a set of sustainable development criteria for built environment projects requiring environmental impact assessments. (Gibberd...

Contaminated land and wetland remediation in Nigeria: Opportunities for sustainable livelihood creation.

Science.gov (United States)

Sam, K; Zabbey, N

2018-10-15

The Niger Delta region of Nigeria is one of the most crude oil impacted deltas globally. The region has experienced over five decades of oil related contamination of the total environment (air, soil, water and biota). In 2011, UNEP released a seminal report on oil impact on Ogoniland environments, which up scaled demands for urgent clean up and restoration of degraded bio-resource rich environments of the Niger Delta, starting from Ogoniland. The Nigerian Government demonstrated renewed political will to remediate contaminated sites in Ogoniland with a launch of the clean-up exercise in June 2016. Stakeholders' expectations from the clean-up include not only environmental remediation but also restoration and creation of sustainable livelihood opportunities to reduce poverty in the region. Most studies have focused on the environmental restoration aspect and identified bioremediation as the likely appropriate remediation approach for Ogoniland, given its low environmental footprints, and low-cost burden on the weak and overstretched economy of Nigeria. This study mapped opportunities for sustainable livelihood creation during the Ogoniland remediation and restoration exercise. Given the value chain of bioremediation and its ancillary activities, the study analysed opportunities and mechanisms for skilled and unskilled job creation and prospects for sustainable livelihoods and knock-on effects. It is anticipated that the clean-up process would lead to economic prosperity and mitigate resource-driven conflicts in the Niger Delta. The study provides an exemplar for waste-to-wealth transformation in regions where natural resource mining has impacted communities, and has dislocated local economies and age-old livelihood structures. Copyright © 2018. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Interpreting the green economy: emerging discourses and their considerations for the Global South

CSIR Research Space (South Africa)

Faccer, K

2014-05-01

Full Text Available The green economy concept promises to provide a concrete roadmap to the implementation of sustainable development while delivering significant social and economic benefits and reduced environmental risks. However, the concept of a green economy...

Corporate corruption of the environment: sustainability as a process of compromise.

Science.gov (United States)

Nyberg, Daniel; Wright, Christopher

2013-09-01

A key response to environmental degradation, climate change and declining biodiversity has been the growing adoption of market principles in an effort to better value the social good of nature. Through concepts such as 'natural capitalism' and 'corporate environmentalism', nature is increasingly viewed as a domain of capitalist endeavour. In this article, we use convention theory and a pluralist understanding of social goods to investigate how the social good of the environment is usurped by the alternate social good of the market. Through analysis of interviews with sustainability managers and corporate documentation, we highlight how organizational actors employ compromise to temporally settle disputes between competing claims about environmental activities. Our findings contribute to an understanding of the processes of empirically grounded critique and the under-theorized concept of compromise between social goods. Rather than protecting the environment, the corporate promotion of sustainability facilitates the corruption of the social good of the environment and its conversion into a market commodity. © London School of Economics and Political Science 2013.

Sustainability of biomass utilisation in changing operational environment - SUBICHOE

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Soimakallio, S.; Hongisto, M.; Koponen, K.; Sokka, L. (VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland, Espoo (Finland)), Email: sampo.soimakallio@vtt.fi; Antikainen, R.; Manninen, K. (Finnish Environment Inst. SYKE, Helsinki (Finland)); Thun, R.; Sinkko, T. (MTT Agrifood Research Finland, Jokioinen (Finland)); Pasanen, K. (Finnish Forest Research Inst., Joensuu (Finland))

2010-10-15

Sustaibability is a multi-faceted and challenging target, but at the same time a crucial issue to assess when setting policies and targets for the future. The main objective of the SUBICHOE project is to assist in strategic decision- making of public administration and companies, as regards the most sustainable use of biomass, by taking into account the changing operational environment. In the project the sustainability of biofuels and the criteria, in particular those set by the EC, for ensuring that set requirements can and will be fulfilled are being assessed from short and long term perspectives. The project is carried out jointly by VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland, Finnish Environment Institute SYKE, MTT Agrifood Research Finland, Finnish Forest Research Institute (Metla) and The Government Institute for Economic Research (VATT). The project started in June 2009 and it is scheduled to be finalised in June 2011. The work plan of the project is divided into four Work Packages. In this article, a summary of a critical view on the requirements and challenges related to the implementation of the RES Directive is also provided based on the main findings of the WP1. (orig.)

Design for Environment as a Tool for the Development of a Sustainable Supply Chain

CERN Document Server

Bevilacqua, Maurizio; Giacchetta, Giancarlo

2012-01-01

Environmental Design is becoming an increasingly significant agenda for many manufacturing companies and yet there is no standard to their approaches, strategies or their levels of execution. Applying Design for Environment (DfE) methodologies to develop a more sustainable supply chain has formed procedures and techniques which allow designers to integrate these methods with environmental supply chain management. Design for Environment as a Tool for the Development of a Sustainable Supply Chain aims to define relevant target specifications for a product throughout its life cycle; from conception and design to the end of its operating life.  Be considering this new approach to the supply chain, environmental responsiveness can work in tandem with sounds business management. The usual focus on suppliers, manufacturers and customers is expanded in Design for Environment as a Tool for the Development of a Sustainable Supply Chain to include stakeholders such as government bodies and recycling companies. The infl...

Some Thoughts on Sustainability, Insurability and Insurance

OpenAIRE

Walter R Stahel

1997-01-01

There are clear indications that the present “old” industrial economy needs a serious adjustment to become compatible with the aims of a sustainable society. The main issues involved are the time factor, resource productivity and socio-cultural ecology.-the time factor: sustainability is a long-term societal vision concerned with the stewardship of natural resources and assets in order to safeguard the opportunities and choices of future generations. The industrial economy is often limited to...

Sustainability in Electricity Markets. Study for the Dutch Transition Platform on Sustainable Electricity

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2005-12-01

The current energy system is not sustainable. This situation is liable to lead to serious and costly consequences in the long term. The two most important themes to be addressed are climate change and securing energy supplies, particularly in view of the increasing dependency on fossil fuels from geo-politically unstable regions. That is why the Dutch government has decided to strive for a transition towards a Sustainable Energy System. The aim of the energy transition is to transform the current energy system over the coming decades into a sustainable energy system. The participants in this Energy Transition have established six themes for achieving a sustainable energy economy within 50 years. Within these themes experiments are being conducted, experiments that ensure that the final aims become clearer and feasible. Market participants, scientific and civil organizations, and government agencies are taking the lead in each of the six themes: (a) Green raw materials; (b) Sustainable Mobility; (c) Chain Efficiency; (d) New Gas; (e) Sustainable Electricity; (f) Energy in the built environment. This document provides input for the theme on Sustainable Electricity. The Dutch Ministry of Economic Affairs together with SenterNovem is preparing a Platform Renewable Electricity Supply. In this Platform representatives from different stakeholders are to take part. The platform is meant to stimulate concrete actions/initiatives towards sustainable electricity supply. SenterNovem has asked PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) to make an international inventory of electricity market developments, with a focus on the impact for future sustainable electricity supply. The question which options for electricity generation are the most suitable for a sustainable electricity supply will be dealt with by KEMA (a Dutch research institute for the electric power industry)

International trends on sustainable energy Issues

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Spitalnik, J.

2007-01-01

At the U.N. Commission on Sustainable Development (CSD), the role of nuclear power for a carbon free emission supply of energy is now being recognized although with certain reticence or opposition. Such recognition is taking place at the current cycle of discussions devoted to sustainable energy, industrial development, atmospheric pollution and climate change issues. This paper focuses on the arguments and facts provided during CSD deliberations for considering nuclear energy as a valid option: all available energy sources will need to be considered for an adjustment to a world that requires much less carbon liberation to the environment; in the transportation sector, actions need to be urgently implemented for promoting cleaner fuels and more efficient vehicles; massive reduction of greenhouse gas emissions must be urgently implemented in order to mitigate the impacts of global warming; sustainable energy solutions for developed economies are not always adequate in developing countries; the development evolution requires specifically tailored solutions to conditions of large annual growth-rates of energy demand. Consequently, nuclear power will provide the answer to many of these problems. (Author)

Business Models for Circular Economy and Sustainable Development: the Case of Lease Transactions

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ion Ionașcu

2018-05-01

Full Text Available The purpose of this paper is to discuss the features of leasing as a business model in the circular economy, which is presumed to support sustainable development by product recirculation and driving economic performance. In particular, this study highlights microeconomic benefits for listed Romanian companies, showing that adopting a "greener" business model, as in the case of leasing, does not penalize firms economically but it is a catalyst for increasing their performance, both in terms of accountancy-based measures (return on assets and return on sales, but also in terms of the subjective perceptions of investors and financial analysts operating on the capital market (proxied by Tobin’s Q and market to book value of equity. Based on 266 observations from companies listed on the Bucharest Stock Exchange (BSE during 2013-2016, the study uses regression analysis to show that financial performance is higher for quoted Romanian companies that use leasing and renting and that performance is also directly associated with leasing intensity, i.e. the share of the value of the rights to use leased goods in the total value of property, plant and equipment.

Towards climate justice: how do the most vulnerable weigh environment-economy trade-offs?

Science.gov (United States)

Running, Katrina

2015-03-01

The world's poor are especially vulnerable to environmental disasters, including the adverse consequences of climate change. This creates a challenge for climate justice advocates who seek to ensure that those least responsible for causing climate change do not bear unwanted burdens of mitigation. One way to promote climate justice could be to pay particular attention to the environmental policy preferences of citizens from poorer, lower-emitting countries. This paper examines opinions on environment-economy trade-offs and willingness to make personal financial contributions to protect the environment among residents of 42 developed and developing countries using data from the 2005-2008 World Values Survey, the 2010 Climate Risk Index, and World Bank development indicators. Results reveal that individuals in developing countries are less likely to support policies to prioritize environmental protection over economic growth but are more willing to donate personal income for pro-environmental efforts compared to citizens of more developed nations. Published by Elsevier Inc.

INTELLIGENT NETWORKS, SMART GRIDS CONCEPT, CRUCIAL TECHNOLOGIES FOR SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Constantin RADU

2011-05-01

Full Text Available In this article is presented the concept of smart grids, a very important technology for sustainable development. In the context of globalization of the world lives in an increasingly complex security environment, with rapid changes, some obvious, others less obvious implications in the short, medium or long term, international, national, local and up to every citizen. All countries in the globalized world economy is facing energy problems in terms of climate change have intensified in the twentieth century.

Sustainable and safe energy supply with seawater uranium fueled HTGR and its economy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fukaya, Y.; Goto, M.

2017-01-01

Highlights: • We discussed uranium resources with an energy security perspective. • We concluded seawater uranium is preferable for sustainability and energy security. • We evaluated electricity generation cost of seawater uranium fueled HTGR. • We concluded electricity generation with seawater uranium is reasonable. - Abstract: Sustainable and safe energy supply with High Temperature Gas-cooled Reactor (HTGR) fueled by uranium from seawater have been investigated and discussed. From the view point of safety feature of self-regulation with thermal reactor of HTGR, the uranium resources should be inexhaustible. The seawater uranium is expected to be alternative resources to conventional resources because it exists so much in seawater as a solute. It is said that 4.5 billion tons of uranium is dissolved in the seawater, which corresponds to a consumption of approximately 72 thousand years. Moreover, a thousand times of the amount of 4.5 trillion tU of uranium, which corresponds to the consumption of 72 million years, also is included in the rock on the surface of the sea floor, and that is also recoverable as seawater uranium because uranium in seawater is in an equilibrium state with that. In other words, the uranium from seawater is almost inexhaustible natural resource. However, the recovery cost with current technology is still expensive compared with that of conventional uranium. Then, we assessed the effect of increase in uranium purchase cost on the entire electricity generation cost. In this study, the economy of electricity generation of cost of a commercial HTGR was evaluated with conventional uranium and seawater uranium. Compared with ordinary LWR using conventional uranium, HTGR can generate electricity cheaply because of small volume of simple direct gas turbine system compared with water and steam systems of LWR, rationalization by modularizing, and high thermal efficiency, even if fueled by seawater uranium. It is concluded that the HTGR

Sustainability and the Fixed Bed Nuclear Reactor (FBNR