| 1. |
- Arts, Jos, et al.
(författare)
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New governance approaches for sustainable project delivery
- 2012
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Ingår i: Transport Research Arena 2012. - : Elsevier. ; , s. 3239-3250
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Konferensbidrag (refereegranskat)abstract
- Studies show that many infrastructure projects have problems to deliver sustainability commitments made earlier in the planning process. One problem is that many decisions influencing project design and environmental performance are made after the (formal) planning process and consent decision. Also, many parties are involved in project delivery and there is lack of information transfer (follow-up) from planning stages to construction and implementation. In addition, the effectiveness of project studies has been questioned (i.e. do project studies delivering their outcomes?). In international practice various approaches are adopted to overcome these problems. One approach is to move towards more collaborative relationships between various parties (governmental, private and public). Also, authorities and companies increasingly use procurement and contracting as an environmental policy instrument to further the environmental performance of projects (green procurement). Furthermore, new tools for securing sustainability commitments are increasingly used in infrastructure design and construction (e.g. rating tools such as CEEQUAL, BREEAM, LEED). The various approaches have developed independently but nevertheless seem to head in the same direction i.e. achieving more environmental sustainable outcomes of (infrastructure) projects. An important challenge is how these approaches can be combined to reinforce each other for more sustainable project delivery. Various relationships can be developed between the different 'tracks' of impact assessment, green procurement and partnering contracts in order to come to a more integrated approach. This paper aims at discussing and comparing different approaches for delivering sustainability in infrastructure projects. By integrating green procurement, partnering and sustainability declaration, an integrated approach could be developed in order to safeguard sustainable performance beyond the formal decision-making phase of infrastructure projects. This integrated approach would enable transfer of information, communication, learning from experience and adaptive environmental management.
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| 2. |
- Cherp, Aleh, et al.
(författare)
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From formulation to implementation : Strengthening SEA through follow-up
- 2012
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Ingår i: Handbook of Strategic Environmental Assessment. - : Routledge. - 9781138975699 - 9781136539152 ; , s. 515-534
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Bokkapitel (refereegranskat)abstract
- This chapter deals with strategic environmental assessment (SEA) follow-up, which we define as: Monitoring and evaluation of the implementation of a strategic initiative and relevant environmental factors for management of, and communication about, the environmental performance of that strategic initiative.
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| 3. |
- Lundberg, Kristina, 1975-
(författare)
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Monitoring as an instrument for improving environmental performance in public authorities : Experience from Swedish Infrastructure Management
- 2009
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Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Monitoring is an important tool for gaining insight into an organisation’s environmental performance and for learning about the environmental condition and the effectiveness of environmental management measures. Development of environmental monitoring has generally relied on research aiming at improving monitoring methodology, technique or practice within a particular management tool. Little empirical research has taken into account the organisation’s reality where several management tools are used in parallel. This thesis analyses the practice of environmental monitoring in public authorities with the aim of identifying barriers and possibilities for environmental monitoring as an instrument for improving environmental performance, using the Swedish Rail Administration as a case organisation. The study identified two different types of environmental monitoring: environmental performance measurement (EPM) and activity monitoring, both important for achieving environmental improvements. EPM involves gathering and evaluating data to determine whether the organisation is meeting the criteria for environmental performance set by the management of the organisation. EPM can further be used for judging the success and failure of environmental objectives and strategies. Activity monitoring provides each project of the organisation with information to minimise the negative effects on the natural environment or human health and to ensure that the organisation’s operations conform with regulations. Problems encountered comprised a variety of little co-ordinated monitoring activities, poor utilization of the monitoring results as well as limited internal feedback on monitoring results. Some of the problems identified seem to be an effect of the management transition from a traditional ‘command and control’ system to a self-administered organisation managed by economic incentives and voluntary management systems. This thesis suggests several improvements to make monitoring more efficient. Primarily, the monitoring systems must have a clear structure and be adapted to its specific function. The EPE system would benefit from being integrated with the organisation’s central performance measurement, presenting progress towards organisational strategic objectives as well as operational objectives. The system for activity monitoring must not only focus on inputs and outputs to the system but must also include the environmental condition of the system. In order to improve communication and learning, monitoring data within both EPE and activity monitoring must be better transmitted and utilised within the structure of the permanent organisation. Experience from all monitoring activities that now is scattered and inaccessible to the individuals of the organisation could beneficially be stored within a well-structured organisational ‘memory‘. Such a system would facilitate an iterative management process where the monitoring results and the knowledge gained are used for making future plans and projects more adaptive, thereby improving the environmental performance of the organisation.
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| 4. |
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| 5. |
- Uttam, Kedar
(författare)
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Seeking sustainability in the construction sector: opportunities within impact assessment and sustainable public procurement
- 2014
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Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Growing concerns regarding sustainability have led the construction sector to adopt various policy instruments for reducing the impacts caused by construction activities. One such policy instrument includes impact assessment, which enables the construction sector to evaluate the environmental consequences of proposed developments at project (environmental impact assessment) and strategic (strategic environmental assessment) level. In recent years, the construction sector has also adopted green public procurement, which is a process whereby contracting authorities aim to procure services and products that meet environmental requirements. In certain contexts, green public procurement has extended to sustainable public procurement, which involves the incorporation of both environmental and social considerations in the procurement of services and products. Promoting sustainability in the constructor sector is a significant challenge. This challenge is primarily due to the requirement of high levels of cooperation among project stakeholders, on the one hand, and a lack of coordination between project planning and implementation on the other hand. Therefore, procurement plays a significant role as it establishes the tone for the interaction between contracting authorities and contractors. The overall aim of this thesis is to bolster the knowledge of promoting sustainability in the construction sector, with the specific aim of analysing the ways in which policy instruments such as environmental impact assessment and green public procurement can be reinforced to improve the coordination between planning and the implementation of sustainability considerations. This thesis conceptualises an inter-link between impact assessment and green public procurement, and identifies the opportunities to develop the inter-link. It is appropriate to plan for green public procurement at the pre-decision phase of an environmental impact assessment. The inter-link can be strengthened by involving contractors in planning for green and sustainable public procurement. One way to involve contractors is with the aid of competitive dialogue procedure, which is a procurement procedure that allows contracting authorities to hold discussions with contractors regarding the authority’s requirements. This study strengthens the conceptualisation that competitive dialogue procedure can facilitate green and sustainable public procurement. The various elements in a competitive dialogue procedure can enable the contracting authorities to ensure the consistency between the weight for environmental considerations in contract award criteria and the relevant preferences. This thesis also discusses key concerns for progress towards sustainable public procurement, which includes among others the incorporation of sustainability values in procurement decisions. In addition, this study identified certain discourses on future trends for green and sustainable public procurement. The discourses provide an opportunity for reflection, and thereby indicate that analytical support is required to develop criteria in a way that enables the evaluation of sustainable public procurement against the background of sustainability and justice regarding natural capital. Innovation must be promoted with a focus on sustainability values. Moreover, green or sustainable public procurement must be discussed between contracting authorities and contractors in light of its contribution to sustainability.
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