| 1. |
- Baresel, Christian, et al.
(author)
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Uncertainty-Accounting Environmental Policy and Management of Water Systems
- 2007
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In: Environmental Science & Technology. - : American Chemical Society (ACS). - 0013-936X .- 1520-5851. ; 41:10, s. 3653–3659-
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Environmental policies for water quality and ecosystemmanagement do not commonly require explicit stochasticaccounts of uncertainty and risk associated with thequantification and prediction of waterborne pollutant loadsand abatement effects. In this study, we formulate andinvestigate a possible environmental policy that does requirean explicit stochastic uncertainty account. We compareboth the environmental and economic resource allocationperformance of such an uncertainty-accounting environmentalpolicy with that of deterministic, risk-prone and riskaverseenvironmental policies under a range of differenthypothetical, yet still possible, scenarios. The comparisonindicates that a stochastic uncertainty-accountingpolicy may perform better than deterministic policies overa range of different scenarios. Even in the absence ofreliable site-specific data, reported literature values appearto be useful for such a stochastic account of uncertainty.
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| 2. |
- Höjer, Mattias, 1966-, et al.
(author)
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Scenarios in selected tools for environmental systems analysis
- 2008
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In: Journal of Cleaner Production. - : Elsevier BV. - 0959-6526 .- 1879-1786. ; 16:18, s. 1958-1970
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- A number of different tools for analysing environmental impacts of different systems have been developed. These include procedural tools such as strategic environmental assessment (SEA) and environmental management systems (EMS) as well as analytical ones such as life cycle assessment (LCA), life cycle costing (LCC), cost-benefit analysis (CBA) and the system of economic and environmental accounts (SEEA) including input-output analysis (IOA). Descriptions or scenarios of the future are typically relevant elements in these tools, since they are often used to describe impacts in the future. For futures studies a number of different approaches and techniques have been developed. In an earlier paper we have presented a typology of different types of scenarios that respond to different types of questions. These include predictive scenarios, explorative scenarios and normative scenarios. The aim of this paper is to explore connections between selected tools for environmental systems analysis and different scenario types. Although there is a clear need for futures studies in several tools for environmental systems analysis, it is interesting to note that the literature on methodologies for and case studies of combinations of futures studies and environmental systems analysis tools is rather limited. This suggests that there is a need for further research in this area including both methodoloy and practical case studies.
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| 3. |
- Enroth, Maria, 1960-
(author)
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Developing tools for sustainability management in the graphic arts industry
- 2006
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Doctoral thesis (other academic/artistic)abstract
- The main aim of this thesis is to develop and test industry-specific, applied work procedures and tools for environmental and emerging sustainability work in the graphic arts industry. This includes methods to quantify, follow-up, evaluate, manage, improve and communicate the environmental performance of activities in the graphic arts supply chain and printed products.In order to achieve the aims of the thesis, a selection of work areas were chosen as the basis for developing the industry-specific work procedures and tools. The selected work areas are the following: environmental management (being a part of sustainability management), environmental and sustainability strategies, environmental indicators and design for environment (DfE).The research presented in this thesis was based on survey research methods, case studies and multi-company studies. Within the framework of these methods, quantitative and qualitative techniques for data gathering were used. The companies included in the studies were selected according to their willingness, interest and motivation to participate and develop their environmental or sustainability work.The most significant results of the research presented in this thesis regarding the selected work areas are the following:• An evaluation of early certified environmental management systems (EMSs) in Sweden identified four areas as priorities in making the EMSs more efficient. Two of them, viz. improvement in the follow-up of environmental work, and the linking of EMSs to product design, were developed for the graphic arts industry. The remaining two areas were clarifying the identification process and assessment of environmental aspects, and streamlining and co-ordinating different management systems.• An established and successfully tested working method for formulating and realising corporate sustainability strategies in the graphic arts industry.• Industry-specific environmental indicator models for the graphic arts industry with defined methods for standardised inventorying and calculations. These models have been tested, used and approved of by the industry itself.• Collected and compiled data for the developed environmental indicator models. Data have been collected from quite a large number of companies (10-20 companies for each of the printing techniques covered, i.e. coldset offset, heatset offset and gravure) over a period of several years.• The use of the industry-specific environmental indicator models was developed and illustrated.• A described and recommended work procedure for DfE in graphic arts companies including industry-specific tools for applying DfE to printed products, in the form of a manual and a checklist. The checklist was designed so that it can serve as a simple tool for the environmental assessment of printed products. The tools were tested by graphic arts companies.
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| 4. |
- Faith-Ell, Charlotta, 1971-
(author)
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The application of environmental requirements in procurement of road maintenance in Sweden
- 2005
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Doctoral thesis (other academic/artistic)abstract
- The Swedish Road Administration (SRA) is responsible for maintenance of the state-run roads in Sweden. The SRA also has an overarching responsibility for the state of the environment in the road transport sector. The overall aim of this thesis is to examine the implementation of environmental requirements in SRA road maintenance contracts and to develop an improved model for the implementation of environmental requirements, making it easier for the SRA to establish an optimal contracting strategy for routine road maintenance. Using several qualitative methodologies, the thesis is mainly based on a content analysis of 18 tender documents, two case studies consisting of five cases and a questionnaire. The study shows that the SRA have stipulated environmental requirements in procurements of routine road maintenance since 1997. The formulation of the environmental requirements was initially carried out at the Regional Road Management Directorates. However, in the case of trucks and construction vehicles relevant organisations were given the opportunity to actively participate in the development of environmental requirements. The contractors in the study fulfil about three-quarters of the environmental requirements in the contracts. The main reasons for not complying with the environmental requirements are: i) absence of consultation with municipalities and competent authorities, and ii) inadequate communication of environmental requirements to subcontractors. The benefit to the environment of laying down environmental requirements for road maintenance is difficult to assess, due to unclear environmental requirements and the fact that the SRA does not systematically follow up the environmental requirements. The findings of the research indicate that the SRA have made a serious effort to integrate environmental aspects in their maintenance contracts through the use of environmental requirements. However, the SRA need to adopt a more systematic approach towards road maintenance contracts in order to make green procurement an effective tool for environmental adaptation of road maintenance. The thesis proposes an improved process for development, implementation and follow-up of environmental requirements. The proposed process can be summarised in five criteria that need to be fulfilled in order to achieve an environmentally efficient application of environmental requirements: i) the environmental requirements have to be based on legislation, environmental quality objectives, identified environmental problems and/or research, ii) environmental indicators and baselines have to be established in order to facilitate follow-up of compliance with the requirements, iii) the environmental requirements have to be stated clearly in order to limit misinterpretations and to facilitate follow-up, iv) the contractors have to develop working processes, routines and training based on the environmental requirements, v) routines for following-up compliance with the requirements and the environmental effectiveness need to be developed, and there has to be a feedback of the results. Furthermore, the purchasing function needs to be integrated with the implementation of the contracts. Although, having faced several problems during the introduction of environmental requirements, the SRA have managed to meet the main arguments that are used for justification of green procurement. However, if slightly changed, the process of green procurement has the potential of becoming an important tool in the work for enhancing the environmental performance of the SRA.
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| 5. |
- Carlson, Raul, 1961, et al.
(author)
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Establishing common primary data for environmental overview of product life cycles. Users, perspectives, methods, data and information systems
- 2005
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Reports (other academic/artistic)abstract
- This report describes how information about the environmental performance of products over their life cycles can be accessed anywhere and by any stakeholder throughout the product life cycle. Particular consideration has been given to different ways of performing a life cycle assessment (LCA). The report covers different users of environmental product information, the various methods and tools used to produce and disseminate that information, and the primary data needed for those methods and tools. The report also outlines an information system organisation for potential use as a cooperative approach to supporting stakeholders of product life cycles with environmental information. Chapter 2 contains a comprehensive (albeit not exhaustive) list of perspectives from which a stakeholder may environmentally view and assess products. A number of examples are given to describe reasons people have in practice for applying each perspective. The intention is to ensure that users find the methods and tools in chapter 3 to be truly relevant. Chapter 3 lists and presents methods and tools for assessing environmental performance, for acquiring information about environmental impacts, and for providing information on environmental properties of products. Particular emphasis is placed on the different types of LCA that have been identified, how they differ, how to use them, and their differing data requirements. Chapter 4 lists and presents the data and information that are used or produced by the methods and tools described in Chapter 3. This chapter includes discussion of data availability, data quality issues and data formatting. Chapter 5 proposes an information system organisation and design taking into account all perspectives and practical needs as described in Chapter 2, as well as all information and data issues described in Chapter 4. Particular attention is paid to the need for compatibility with existing systems, the technical and economic feasibility of building small systems instead of large ones, and the necessity of a short payback time for all investments, particularly those in the private sector. In chapter 6 the authors present outline recommendations for further work.
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| 6. |
- Wallbaum, Holger, 1967
(author)
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Sustainability indicators for the built environment - the challenges ahead
- 2008
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In: Proceedings of the 2008 World Sustainable Building Conference, 21-25 September 2008, Melbourne, Australia. - 9780646503721 ; 2, s. 1292-1298
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Conference paper (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Methods and tools including sustainable development indicators (SDIs) are important aids to the implementation of sustainable development in the construction industry. Through a qualitative analysis, a variety of methods which are widely used internationally can be assessed to establish their compliance with the general requirements of sustainable development. This paper looks at five fundamental criteria: holism, lifecycle assessment, directional certainty, traceability/transparency and local suitability. Most methods more or less meet these requirements, in which users play a central role in compliance. This paper identifies a number of remaining knowledge deficits: the recording and analysis of sociocultural indicators, additional environmental indicators such as land use, resource intensity, interior quality and usability, and a more detailed understanding of building usage and decommissioning costs. In addition to these knowledge deficits, and for a variety of reasons, there is also an implementation deficit: the practice of sustainable construction is lagging far behind the theory.
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| 7. |
- Stenis, Jan
(author)
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Industrial Management Models with Emphasis on Construction Waste
- 2005
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Doctoral thesis (other academic/artistic)abstract
- Increased attention is nowadays devoted to waste management. The objective of this work is to analyse how commonly known business economic models and methods, as well as the Polluter-Pays Principle, can be applied to waste management in general and to waste fractionation in particular, so as to facilitate environmental optimisation of industrial and construction waste fractionation. In discussing the functionality of the modified models arrived at, systems theory is applied in order to get a scientifically adequate picture of the societal context of the models. A further objective is to investigate certain aspects of construction waste management economic model theory through case studies. Thereby, the applicability of modified versions of the above mentioned business economic models applied in construction waste management is tested. Generally, the work is performed in order to provide flexible management instruments adapted to changing demands. The economic model methods are studied and modified from a waste management point of view. In this context, the "equality principle" introduced earlier (Stenis, 2002), interpreted as equality between (industrial) waste and normal products in business economic terms, is applied. "The model for Efficient Use of Resources for Optimal Production Economy (EUROPE)", is introduced for assigning industrial costs and revenues to waste by the employment of so-called shadow prices. The modified, mainly cost assessment oriented, methods are evaluated from a business economics perspective in relation to waste management. The effort in this work represents a shift of views within the field of waste management. This shift is consistent with the concept of sustainable development. Also, the present study represents general environmental and financial advantages for society at large. It is concluded that the findings point at the partly fruitful possibility to modify commonly used cost benefit estimation methods and contribution margin analysis including the Polluter-Pays Principle (PPP) in a practical industrial and, to a certain extent, a practical construction waste management context by the use of the equality principle. Therefore, it can be said that construction waste management can be carried out by using certain (modified) economic models. Summarised, the major findings of the work are as follows: 1) Presentation of an alternative way of looking at industrial waste in a business context; 2) Introduction of the EUROPE model for assigning costs to industrial waste to be used in conjunction with the introduced equality principle to provide long term recommendations regarding waste involving the use of "environmental shadow prices"; 3) Presentation of how the Polluter-Pays Principle can be incorporated into the financial accounts of a manufacturing company by the employment of the equality principle in conjunction with the introduced concept of the "environmental adjustment cost"; 4) Proposal for a shift of views within the field of waste management. Summarised, the recommendations for the future in this work are as follows: 1) As regards general industrial conditions, commonly used cost benefit methods, the contribution margin method and the Polluter-Pays Principle approach are suggested to be applied in a modified way through the use of the EUROPE model, the basis being the equality principle introduced. 2) As regards construction management conditions, the average cost estimation method is suggested to be applied in a modified way through the use of the EUROPE model, the basis being the equality principle introduced.
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| 8. |
- Enroth, Maria
(author)
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How to formulate and realise a corporate sustainability strategy
- 2007
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In: Progress in Industrial Ecology, An International Journal. - 1476-8917 .- 1478-8764. ; 4:1-2, s. 103-121
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The main aim of this study is to develop, test and implement a working method for the graphic arts industry to formulate and realise a corporate sustainability strategy. This study is based on the case studies of two companies in the supply chain for printed products. The working method is inspired by the Plan-Do-Check-Act (PDCA) methodology in ISO 14001 and the SWOT methodology. The working method established and successfully tested consists of six stages. The initial stages include an analysis of the current business climate in society and in the company, an identification of the significant sustainability aspects and a formulation of a shared vision. Examples of a sustainability strategy, long-term objectives, short-term targets, activities in working programmes and indicators are given. The results contribute to the process of bringing the thoughts of conceptual sustainability into practice in industrial applications.
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| 9. |
- Ngirane-Katashaya, G., et al.
(author)
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Decision Support Systems for Water Resources Management in Uganda : The Need
- 2007
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In: Sustainable Development of Water Resources, Water Supply and Environmental Sanitation. - 9781843801191 ; , s. 267-270
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Conference paper (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Water is a major factor in the socio-economic fabric of Ugandan society and a major determinant of the development potential of the country. However, management of water resources is a complex problem that typically involves a variety of stakeholder interests and environmental uncertainties. The plurality of concerns establishes a pressing need for improved planning and management capabilities, and in this respect it has been noted that decision-making related to water resource management would benefit from engineering expertise combined with suitable use of informatics. In spite of rapidly advancing computer technology and the proliferation of software for decision support, relatively few Decision Support Systems have been developed, implemented, and evaluated in the field of water resources management in Uganda. Such tools need to be structured to fit in with existing policy frameworks in Uganda?s water sector, and should be tailored to the local conditions prevailing in the country.
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| 10. |
- Varnäs, Annika, 1977-
(author)
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Enhancing Environmental Performance by Green Procurement : A study of environmental procurement preferences in the construction industry
- 2008
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Licentiate thesis (other academic/artistic)abstract
- In recent years, the general awareness of the environmental impacts that industrial production gives rise to has radically increased throughout the world. Finding ways to minimise these impacts has become a major concern of the authorities in many countries. In order to promote a more sustainable industrial production, different incentives can be used. Among these incentives, the consideration of environmental issues in public procurement is increasingly being emphasised. While much attention regarding sustainable procurement has centred on the purchase of products, this thesis focuses on green procurement of construction contracts. The construction industry is a major contributor to environmental pollution. It consumes about half of all resources humans take from nature and accounts for about 25 – 40 per cent of all energy used and about 30 – 50 per cent of all waste generated in OECD countries. In the procurement of products, the environmental impacts of the available products can be estimated and compared, for example by using tools such as life cycle assessments. When construction contracts are procured, assessing the suppliers’ environmental capabilities can be more challenging, as the contract to be procured has not yet been performed. However, at the same time, there are considerably more opportunities to steer the construction towards more environmentally friendly alternatives. In the thesis, it is suggested that the environmental requirements and the environmental criteria for tender evaluation should be used in combination, in order to safeguard environmental performance in the construction project and at the same time stimulate a green development within the industrial sector. In addition, the role of the client in ensuring that the environmental requirements are fulfilled during construction work is emphasised.
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