667 research outputs found

    Tea Tourism Development in China entering Experience Economy Era under the Strategic Background of Rural Revitalization: a case study of West Lake Longjing t ea area and Damushan tea garden area in Zhejiang Province

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    [eng] Rural revitalization has been paid great attention in China in recent years, and officially established as a national strategy since 2018. Based on practical evidence and relevant literature, rural tourism is considered as a therapy to correct urban and rural imbalance and offer an alternative way of in place urbanization in rural areas. Meanwhile the rapid socio-economic development has driven evolution of Chinese tourists’ needs and travel behaviors, entering the experience economy, the existing low-end homogeneous rural tourism products couldn’t meet their growing needs. This research aims to propose tea tourism, as a form of special-interest rural gastronomic tourism, if could contribute to regional revitalization and meanwhile satisfying tourists’ upgrading needs with diversified experiential activities, as China has rich tea resources and authentic tea culture. To achieve the research goals, a mixed method approach is adopted, in the field work of two chosen study areas of diffident development conditions, West Lake Longjing tea area and Damushan tea garden area, through in-depth interviews and observation to the main actor groups, public sectors and individual practitioners, and questionnaire survey to both domestic on-site tourists and international potential tourists. The main findings are, first of all, based on the significance of tea tourism from theoretical perspective, the actual tea tourism practice in case areas is shaped by its development conditions and operating capability. West Lake Longjing tea area is a revitalized case, benefiting from its favorable conditions such as reputed tea resources, good accessibility and tourism infrastructure. Damushan tea garden area is a to be revitalized case, the degree of individual participation and their understanding of tea tourism is lower, ‘government incentives and subsidy’ is a key motive, while practitioners in West Lake Longjing tea area mentioned ‘lifestyle pursuit and self-interest’ as main motive. Individual tea practitioners in both regions, together with local public sector, integrated tea resources in tourism activities, but mainly as adding value products instead of main selling points, in other words, the potential of tea resources haven’t been fully discovered. Several factors such as origin, relevant working - 2 - experience, education level and internet skills impact on practitioners’ personal capability. Despite of different development conditions, both areas have benefited from tea tourism development on household and village levels, especially in the emerging case, tea tourism becomes a channel to facilitate construction of infrastructure and turned the situation of rural residents’ outflow to inflow, achieved various aspects of rural revitalization. Both domestic on-site tourists and international potential tourists are interested in experiential activities of tea tourism, a certain part of domestic tourists are repeat visitors with high level satisfaction. Domestic tourists show a higher profile than mass tourists, three segmentations were identified, ‘tea knowledge and skill learners’, ‘leisure enjoyers’ and ‘enthusiastic experiencers’ with their characteristics respectively. Then two factors of destination attributes, basic conditions, environment related factors were statistically verified to positively impact on tourist loyalty fully mediated by tourists’ overall satisfaction. Tea related destination factors, and tourists’ personal tea preference positively influence tourist loyalty with tourist satisfaction playing a partial intermediary role. As for international potential tourists, whether they’ve been in China greatly influence their perception. Three factors of destination attributes, general destination conditions, tea-related resources, personal interaction, and two factors of personal features, perceived authenticity and recognition of tea destination image were discovered as contributive factors to their behavior intention of tea tourism in China. Finally, implications and suggestions were demonstrated respectively, the results could supplement the limited existing literature on tea tourism, offer important evidence and enlightenments to regional tea tourism practice that contributing to rural revitalization and rural tourism updates.[spa] La revitalización rural ha merecido gran atención en China en los últimos años, y se ha establecido oficialmente como una estrategia nacional desde 2018. Sobre la base de la evidencia práctica y la literatura pertinente, el turismo rural se considera una terapia para corregir el desequilibrio urbano y rural y ofrecer en las zonas rurales una forma alternativa a la urbanización. Mientras tanto, el rápido desarrollo socioeconómico ha impulsado la evolución de las necesidades y los comportamientos de viaje de los turistas chinos, entrando en la economía de la experiencia. Los productos de turismo rural homogéneos, de gama baja, existentes, no podían satisfacer sus crecientes necesidades. El objetivo de esta investigación es proponer el turismo del té, como una forma de turismo gastronómico rural de interés especial, que podría contribuir a la revitalización de la región y, al mismo tiempo, satisfacer las necesidades de mejora de los turistas con actividades experienciales diversificadas, ya que China cuenta con muchos recursos relacionados con el té y una auténtica cultura del té. Para lograr los objetivos de la investigación, se adopta un enfoque de método mixto en el trabajo de campo, en dos áreas de estudio elegidas, con situaciones de desarrollo diferentes: la zona de té de Longjing Lago Oeste y la zona de los jardines de té de Damushan; mediante entrevistas en profundidad y la observación de los principales grupos de actors: sector público y profesionales individuales; y una encuesta, tanto a los turistas nacionales, in situ, como a los turistas potenciales internacionales. Las principales resultados son, en primer lugar, que, basándonos en la importancia del turismo del té desde el punto de vista teórico, la práctica real del turismo del té en las zonas analizadas está condicionada por cada una de sus condiciones de desarrollo y su capacidad operativa. La zona de té de Longjing Lago Oeste, es un caso ya maduro, que se beneficia de sus condiciones favorables, como los reputados recursos de té, la buena accesibilidad y la infraestructura turística. La zona de los jardines de té de Damushan es un caso aún por desarrollar, el grado de participación individual y de su comprensión del turismo del té es menor, mientras que los "incentivos y subvenciones del gobierno" son un motivo clave para desarrollar este turismo, mientras que los que - 4 - lo practican en la zona de té de Longjing Lago Oeste mencionaron como motivación principal la "mejora del modo de vida y el interés propio" como motivo principal. Los profesionales del té de ambas regiones, junto con el sector público local, integraron los recursos del té en las actividades turísticas, pero principalmente como productos de valor añadido en lugar de puntos de venta principales, es decir, el potencial de los recursos del té no se ha explotado del todo. Varios factores, como el origen, la experiencia laboral pertinente, el nivel educativo y los conocimientos de Internet, influyen en la capacidad personal de los profesionales para desarrollar este turismo. A pesar de las diferentes condiciones de desarrollo, ambas zonas se beneficiaron del desarrollo del turismo del té a nivel de las familias y de los pueblos, especialmente en el caso emergente de Damushan, el turismo del té se convierte en un canal para facilitar la construcción de infraestructuras y cambió la situación de emigración de los residentes rurales en inmigración, logrando así varios objetivos de la revitalización rural. Tanto los turistas nacionales como los potenciales turistas internacionales están interesados en las actividades turísticas vivenciales, y una parte de los turistas nacionales son visitantes repetitivos con un alto nivel de satisfacción. Los turistas nacionales muestran un perfil de nivel más alto que los turistas de masas. Se identificaron tres segmentos: “aprendices de los conocimientos y habilidades del té”, “los turistas de puro ocio” y “los experimentados entusiastas de esta actividad”, con sus características respectivas. A continuación, se verificó estadísticamente qué son dos factores de los atributos del destino: las condiciones básicas y los factores relacionados con el entorno, los que influyen positivamente en la fidelidad de los turistas, mediante la satisfacción general de éstos. Los factores del destino relacionados con el té y la preferencia personal de los turistas por el té influyen positivamente en la fidelidad del turista, mientras que la satisfacción del turista desempeña un papel intermedio parcial. En cuanto a los turistas potenciales internacionales, el hecho de haber estado en China influye mucho en su percepción. Se descubrieron tres factores de atributos del destino: las condiciones generales del destino, los recursos relacionados con el té y la interacción personal; y dos factores de características personales, la autenticidad percibida y el - 5 - reconocimiento de la imagen del destino del té, como factores que contribuyen a la intencionalidad del comportamiento del turismo del té en China. Por último, se demostraron las implicaciones del turismo del té y se expusieron las sugerencias, respectivamente. Los resultados podrían complementar la limitada literatura existente sobre el turismo del té, ofrecer importantes pruebas y aclaraciones en la práctica regional del turismo del té, contribuyendo así a la revitalización rural y a las actualizaciones del turismo rural.[cat] La revitalització rural ha merescut gran atenció a la Xina en els últims anys, i s'ha establert oficialment com una estratègia nacional des de 2018. Basant-se en l'evidència pràctica i la literatura pertinent, el turisme rural es considera una solució per a corregir el desequilibri urbà i rural i oferir una forma alternativa a la urbanització, a les zones rurals. Mentrestant, el ràpid desenvolupament socioeconòmic ha impulsat l'evolució de les necessitats i els comportaments de viatge dels turistes xinesos, entrant en l'economia de l'experiència. Els productes de turisme rural homogenis, de gamma baixa, existents, no podien satisfer les seves creixents necessitats. L'objectiu d'aquesta recerca és proposar el turisme del te, com una forma de turisme gastronòmic rural d'interès especial, que podria contribuir a la revitalització de la regió i, al mateix temps, satisfer les necessitats de satisfacció dels turistes amb activitats experiencials diversificades, ja que la Xina compta amb molts recursos de te i una autèntica cultura del te. Per a aconseguir els objectius de la recerca, s'adopta un enfocament de mètode mixt en el treball de camp, de dues àrees d'estudi triades, amb condicions de desenvolupament diferents: la zona de te de Longjing Llac Oest i la zona dels jardins de te de Damushan; mitjançant entrevistes en profunditat i l'observació dels principals grups d'actors, sector públic i professionals individuals, i una enquesta, tant als turistes nacionals, in situ, com als turistes potencials internacionals. Les principals resultats són, en primer lloc, que, basant-nos en la importància del turisme del te des del punt de vista teòric, la pràctica real del turisme del te en les zones analitzades està condicionada per cadascuna de les seves condicions de desenvolupament i la seva capacitat operativa. La zona de te de Longjing Llac Oest, és un cas ja revitalitzat, que es beneficia de les seves condicions favorables, com els prestigiosos recursos de te, la bona accessibilitat i la infraestructura turística. La zona dels jardins de te de Damushan és un cas encara per revitalitzar, el grau de participació individual i de la seva comprensió del turisme del te és menor, mentre que els "incentius i subvencions del govern" són un motiu clau per a desenvolupar aquest turisme, mentre que els que el practiquen en la zona de te de Longjing Llac Oest van esmentar com a motivació la "millora de la manera de vida i l'interès propi" com a motiu principal. Els professionals del te de les dues regions, juntament amb el sector públic local, van integrar els recursos del te en les activitats turístiques, però principalment com a productes de valor afegit en lloc de punts de venda principals, és a dir, el potencial dels recursos del te no s'ha explotat del tot. Diversos factors, com l'origen, l'experiència laboral pertinent, el nivell educatiu i els coneixements d'Internet, influeixen en la capacitat personal dels professionals per a desenvolupar aquest turisme. Malgrat les diferents condicions de desenvolupament, totes dues zones es van beneficiar del desenvolupament del turisme del te a nivell de les famílies i dels pobles, especialment en el cas emergent de Damushan, el turisme del te es converteix en un canal per a facilitar la construcció d'infraestructures i va canviar la situació d'emigració dels residents rurals en immigració, aconseguint així diversos objectius de la revitalització rural. Tant els turistes nacionals com els potencials turistes internacionals estan interessats en les activitats turístiques vivencials, i una part dels turistes nacionals són visitants repetitius amb un alt nivell de satisfacció. Els turistes nacionals mostren un perfil més alt que els turistes de masses. Es van identificar tres segments: “aprenents dels coneixements i habilitats del te”, “els turistes de pur oci” i “els experimentats entusiastes d'aquesta activitat”, amb les seves característiques respectives. A continuació, es va verificar estadísticament quin dos factors dels atributs del destí: les condicions bàsiques i els factors relacionats amb l'entorn, influeixen positivament en la fidelitat dels turistes, mitjançant la satisfacció general d'aquests. Els factors del destí relacionats amb el te i la preferència personal dels turistes pel te influeixen positivament en la fidelitat del turista, mentre que la satisfacció del turista exerceix un paper intermedi parcial. Quant als turistes potencials internacionals, el fet d'haver estat a la Xina influeix molt en la seva percepció. Es van descobrir tres factors d'atributs del destí: les condicions generals del destí, els recursos relacionats amb el te i la interacció personal; i dos factors de característiques personals, l'autenticitat percebuda i el reconeixement de la imatge del destí del te, com a factors que contribueixen a la intencionalitat del comportament del turisme del te a la Xina. Finalment, es van demostrar les implicacions i els suggeriments, respectivament. Els resultats podrien complementar la limitada literatura existent sobre el turisme del te, oferir importants proves i aclariments en la pràctica regional del turisme del te, contribuint així a la revitalització rural i a les actualitzacions del turisme rural

    Adapting to Climate Change: The Case of Multi-level Governance and Municipal Adaptation Planning in Nova Scotia, Canada

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    Nova Scotia is the only province in Canada to use the gas tax as a financial incentive to create a regulatory mandate for ‘Municipal Climate Change Action Plans’ (MCCAPs). The MCCAP adaptation policy mandate initiated and enabled climate change vulnerability assessment and the development of climate risk priorities and adaptation plans to uniformly occur at the local scale in 53 Nova Scotian municipalities. This dissertation seeks to answer the question: What are the social factors that impacted municipal climate change adaptation policy and planning processes in the multi-level governance context of Nova Scotia’s MCCAP? The study develops and operationalizes a thematic, functional conceptual framework and exploratory, descriptive case study research approach for conducting adaptation case studies and comparative analysis of municipal adaptation planning processes in multi-level governance contexts. The framework enables thematic investigation and discussion about the social factors impacting municipal adaptation policy and planning processes in multi-level governance and municipal case settings. The study utilizes content analysis of adaptation plans in combination with focus groups, an iterative online survey and targeted interviews conducted with adaptation stakeholders to explore, describe and illustrate what and how social factors impacted the MCCAP process in Nova Scotia municipalities. The mixed methodology provides a pragmatic approach to generate data from which to compare evidence of the social impact factors that affect municipalities’ adaptation planning and policy development processes in multi-level governance contexts. The study offers new empirical and conceptual insights into the ‘how and what’ of municipal climate change adaptation policy making processes in multi-level adaptation governance contexts. The study conceptually affirms that significant resource and capacity-building gaps, a lack of governmental coordination, low levels of public demand and aspects of cross-scalar political leadership hinder and constrain adaptation capacity building and policy integration in municipal processes. Institutional fragmentation and lack of multi-level policy coordination may be key social factors impacting Nova Scotia municipalities’ adaptive capacities and the prospects for long-term resiliency and adaptation to climate change risks impacting communities at the local scale

    Sacred Civics

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    Sacred Civics argues that societal transformation requires that spirituality and sacred values are essential to reimagining patterns of how we live, organize and govern ourselves, determine and distribute wealth, inhabit and design cities, and construct relationships with others and with nature. The book brings together transdisciplinary and global academics, professionals, and activists from a range of backgrounds to question assumptions that are fused deep into the code of how societies operate, and to draw on extraordinary wisdom from ancient Indigenous traditions; to social and political movements like Black Lives Matter, the commons, and wellbeing economies; to technologies for participatory futures where people collaborate to reimagine and change culture. Looking at cities and human settlements as the sites of transformation, the book focuses on values, commons, and wisdom to demonstrate that how we choose to live together, to recognize interdependencies, to build, grow, create, and love—matters. Using multiple methodologies to integrate varied knowledge forms and practices, this truly ground-breaking volume includes contributions from renowned and rising voices. Sacred Civics is a must-read for anyone interested in intersectional discussions on social justice, inclusivity, participatory design, healthy communities, and future cities

    Building scenarios for ecosystem services tools: Developing a methodology for efficient engagement with expert stakeholders

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    The ecosystem services framework provides a holistic perspective for planning on local, national, and global scales. Often, scenarios are utilized to quantify and contrast the potential impacts of anthropocentric or climatic drivers of change on ecosystem services. One freely available modeling suite, Integrated Valuation of Ecosystem Services and Tradeoffs (InVEST), from the Natural Capital Project, aims to aid in decision making and planning processes by quantifying ecosystem services in spatially explicit context. Several of their modeling tools require land cover data layers, and the user can generate future land cover data layers through the scenario generator tool, released in 2014. The tool’s associated literature emphasizes the integration of stakeholders into the scenario generating process to help create plausible and relevant scenarios, often through workshops. Our study reviews the tool and presents an alternative methodology for engaging expert stakeholders in the scenario generation process through a less time intensive format than the recommended workshops—a detailed questionnaire. We find that there is a need for systematic decision making analysis of stakeholder input before scenarios can be created, and we used cumulative percent frequency analysis of questionnaire responses to dictate scenario generation transition tables, when appropriate. We conclude that using a questionnaire to elicit input from expert stakeholders to develop land cover scenarios may be a time and cost effective alternative that still provides realistic and usable inputs when compared to workshops

    Assessing school climate using a sequential transformative design

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    Department Head: Dale E. DeVoe.2010 Summer.Includes bibliographical references.As it has been shown repeatedly in the research literature, school climate influences student academic achievement, typically employing a single methodology to collect data: a quantitative organizational climate survey administered to school stakeholders. Utilizing a sequential transformative mixed methods design, I studied how the results of the two methodologies were different and similar. The school climate factors of parental involvement, school safety, and building facilities were studied within 14 K-12 schools. Equity factors were also integrated into the study. Given that these school climate factors are interdependent, the factors needed to be studied using multiple methods. The 'sequential' portion of the research design accomplished this, which first entailed a quantitative organizational climate survey and then a visual ethnography was conducted. The results from the two methodologies uncovered more similarities than differences between higher-ranked and lower-ranked school climates. The `transformative' portion involved critiquing the results from a feminist lens, which produced recommendations for school climate improvement. This study demonstrated that school climate provides a level of complexity that is difficult to assess. Future studies need to utilize innovative designs and progressive methodologies to ensure any modifications made to the school climate are carried out with intentionality and mindfulness. Last but definitely not least, feminist ideals should be at the forefront throughout the school climate and school improvement processes

    Sacred Civics

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    Sacred Civics argues that societal transformation requires that spirituality and sacred values are essential to reimagining patterns of how we live, organize and govern ourselves, determine and distribute wealth, inhabit and design cities, and construct relationships with others and with nature. The book brings together transdisciplinary and global academics, professionals, and activists from a range of backgrounds to question assumptions that are fused deep into the code of how societies operate, and to draw on extraordinary wisdom from ancient Indigenous traditions; to social and political movements like Black Lives Matter, the commons, and wellbeing economies; to technologies for participatory futures where people collaborate to reimagine and change culture. Looking at cities and human settlements as the sites of transformation, the book focuses on values, commons, and wisdom to demonstrate that how we choose to live together, to recognize interdependencies, to build, grow, create, and love—matters. Using multiple methodologies to integrate varied knowledge forms and practices, this truly ground-breaking volume includes contributions from renowned and rising voices. Sacred Civics is a must-read for anyone interested in intersectional discussions on social justice, inclusivity, participatory design, healthy communities, and future cities

    L’économie circulaire est-elle bonne pour l’environnement ? Essais sur la mesure de la circularité

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    RÉSUMÉ : Le concept d’Économie Circulaire (ÉC) met au défi gouvernements, compagnies et société civile de s’accorder sur un objectif commun. Cependant, cette diversité d’acteurs et de parties prenantes conduit inévitablement à décliner les solutions d’ÉC selon des cadres d’application très différents, et dont la mesure du succès repose sur l’atteinte d’objectifs parfois contradictoires et soutenus par des postulats de plus en plus contesté : (1) augmenter la remise en circulation des matériaux et éviter l'extraction et la production de ressources vierges conduit à réduire les impacts sur l'environnement et (2) boucler les flux de matières à l’échelle d’un produit ou d'une organisation constitue une trajectoire de progrès vers une ÉC. Alors que le premier cas donne lieu à des situations d’arbitrage difficiles, le second cas exclut les effets d’échelle du champ d’étude. À la question initialement formulée dans le titre « l’ÉC est-elle bonne pour l’environnement ? », nous argumentons que oui, à condition que ces deux phénomènes soient suffisamment bien identifiés afin d’être maitrisés et garantir un progrès vers une économie réellement circulaire et durable. La remise en question de ces postulats dans la littérature et l’apparition de nouveaux indicateurs liés à la popularisation du concept d’ÉC nous amènent à nous poser la question suivante : doit-on développer de nouveaux outils dédiés à l’ÉC? La revue de littérature révèle différents types d’outils permettant soit de mesurer le degré de circularité d’un système défini dans le temps et dans l’espace, soit d’en mesurer les effets sur l’écosphère. À ce jour, aucun outil ne permet (1) de capturer tout l’éventail des stratégies incarnées par l’ÉC, (2) d’avoir un regard un sur les situations d’arbitrage ni (3) d’intégrer les effets d’échelle. Sans prétendre fournir un nouvel outil d’analyse, cette thèse pose les bases d’une approche méthodologique qui intègre ces trois critères. Dans le premier article, nous challengeons le premier postulat en utilisant l’Analyse du Cycle de Vie (ACV) et le Material Circularity Indicator (MCI) développé par la Fondation Ellen Macarthur au travers d’une étude de cas sur la gestion des pneus de poids lourds usés au Brésil, à partir duquel nous analysons trois scénarios : la situation courante, le rechapage et le recreusage. Nous proposons une approche pour discuter des résultats du MCI et de l’ACV qui identifie quatre types de trajectoires : un couplage, un découplage, un compromis sur les stocks de ressources ou un compromis sur les réservoirs de pollution. Les études de cas révèlent qu’allonger la durée de vie grâce au rechapage améliore le score de circularité d'un pneu mais n'améliore pas nécessairement les impacts sur la santé humaine et les écosystèmes. Dans le deuxième article, nous challengeons les deux postulats de circularité avec une étude de cas sur le recyclage des bouteilles en Polyéthylène Téréphtalate (PET) en boucle fermée aux États-Unis. Le MCI et l’impact sur les changements climatiques révélés par l’ACV révèle que boucler les flux de matières au niveau de la bouteille augmente la circularité de celle-ci et diminue les impacts sur son cycle de vie mais transfère les impacts sur le reste du marché du PET incluant d’autres applications qui ne requièrent pas du PET de haute qualité. Or en élargissant le champ d'application à l'ensemble du marché du PET, favoriser le recyclage en boucle ouverte en incluant d’autres applications pour le recyclage du PET est plus bénéfique sur tous les plans et qu’améliorer la collecte est le premier levier d’amélioration environnementale pour le marché du PET. Dans le troisième article, nous développons une approche polyvalente pour évaluer la performance des différentes stratégies d’ÉC inspirée de l'utilisation empirique de l'IPAT (Impact = Population x Affluence x Technologie). Notre proposition permet de distinguer les efforts d’amélioration de la circularité selon différentes échelles d’observation, par exemple par région, secteur, processus ou autre, ainsi que le produit de différents facteurs clés de la mise en œuvre de l’ÉC, employant par exemple des ratios d’efficience technologique tels que les GES/matériaux ou matériaux/produit. L’objectif de l’ÉC étant souvent tenu au discours du découplage de l'activité économique de la dégradation du capital naturel, nous utilisons cette formulation générale pour quantifier le niveau de contribution d’une stratégie d’ÉC à un découplage global selon les trajectoires d’évolution des facteurs d’efficacité technologique. Ce type d’approche permet, par exemple, de déduire les cibles d'augmentation maximale de production d’un matériau pour assurer l'efficacité des stratégies de circularité comme nous l’illustrons avec les travaux prospectifs réalisés par le cabinet de conseil suédois Material Economics, ensuite repris par la Fondation Ellen Macarthur. Le premier article montre que l'indicateur de ressources en ACV et le MCI mènent à des conclusions différentes ; alors que le MCI mesure le degré de circularité, les indicateurs d’ACV mesurent plutôt les conséquences d’une stratégie circulaire sur l’environnement. Les résultats du deuxième article ont permis de montrer qu’améliorer la circularité d’un produit n'améliore pas nécessairement la circularité moyenne des produits car elle ne réduit pas systématiquement la demande en ressources vierges ni les impacts sur l'environnement globalement. Ainsi, les frontières d'analyse d’une stratégie de circularité devraient être suffisamment systémique pour inclure les potentiels effets d’échelle, soutenant l’idée selon laquelle analyser la circularité au niveau produit est en contradiction avec le caractère symbiotique de l’ÉC. La proposition formulée dans le troisième article est suffisamment polyvalente pour répondre aux trois critères que les outils de la littérature manquent d’intégrer – les stratégies d’ÉC, les situations d’arbitrage et les effets d’échelle – mais elle manque encore de pragmatisme dans l’intégration des effets de marché. L’emploi de modèles d’équilibre général pourrait pallier ce manque. À la question « doit-on développer de nouveaux outils dédiés à l’ÉC? », ce travail de recherche tend à démontrer qu’une meilleure intégration des outils existants suffirait. Par exemple, une avenue de recherche possible consisterait à employer la décomposition de l'indicateur proposée dans le troisième article pour identifier la « structure économique » caractéristique d’un produit, d’un composant ou d’un matériau en combinant des méthodologies existantes basées sur une structure de calcul matricielle. L’utilisation combinée de ce type d’outil permettrait d’évaluer la contribution d’un produit à une ÉC, plutôt que d’évaluer le degré de circularité du produit en soi.----------ABSTRACT : The Circular Economy (CE) concept is inspiring new governmental policies along with company strategies. This has led to the emergence of a plethora of indicators to quantify the “circularity” of individual companies or products. Preserving resources and reducing emissions are both necessary conditions to achieve a sustainable CE, and the corresponding assessment tools should be selected accordingly. Approaches behind these indicators build mainly on two implicit premises: (1) maximizing material circularity contributes to mitigating environmental impacts and (2) closing material loops at product level leads to improvements in material efficiency for the economy as a whole. While the first case gives rise to environmental trade-off situations, the second case disregards the scale effects. To the question immediately formulated in the title "Is circular economy good for the environment?", we argue that yes, provided that these two premises can be sufficiently well verified to be monitored. With the literature increasingly questioning these premises and the development of new indicators related to the popularization of the CE concept, we asked ourselves the following question: should we develop new tools dedicated to CE? The literature review reveals different types of tools either used to measure the degree of circularity of a system defined in time and space, or to measure the effects on the ecosphere. To date, no tool allows (1) to capture the whole range of CE strategies, (2) to monitor trade-off situations nor (3) to integrate scale effects. Without providing a new analytical tool, this thesis lays the foundations for a methodological approach that integrates these three criteria. In the first paper, we challenge the first premise that material circularity contributes to mitigating environmental impacts using the Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) and the Material Circularity Indicator (MCI) through two case studies from the tire industry. In the most comprehensive case study, we analyze three scenarios to process used tires in Brazil: baseline, retreading and regrooving. We propose an approach to discuss MCI and LCA results that identifies four pathways toward or away from the CE goal: coupling, decoupling, trade-off related to resource consumption or trade-off related to emissions. The case studies reveal that extending lifetime through retreading and introducing recycled material improve the MCI of a tire, but do not necessarily improve impacts on human health and ecosystems. In the second paper, we challenge the both premises, on the environmental trade-off and the scale effect, with a case study on closed-loop recycling of polyethylene terephthalate (PET) bottles in the USA. The MCI and the impact on climate change revealed by the LCA show that closing the material flows within the scope of a bottle lifecycle increases its circularity and decreases the environmental impacts. This, however, shift burdens to other sectors where recycled PET is applied and where using high quality PET is not required. However, expanding the assessment scope to the entire PET market, open-loop recycling by including other applications to introduce recycled PET, i.e. fiber textile, sheets and films, appears more beneficial and that increasing the post-consumer bottle reclamation rate is the major environmental improvement lever for the PET market. In the third paper we develop a versatile approach to assess the environmental performance of CE strategies, building on an empirical use of the IPAT (Impact = Population x Affluence x Technology). Our approach can distinguish activities by region, industry or process for instance, and the product of environmental efficiency factors, embodied in T, illustrates key drivers for CE implementation, e.g. GHG/materials and materials/product. CE is often linked to decoupling the economic activity from the degradation of the environment. Hence, we use our approach to quantify the contribution of a CE strategy to an overall decoupling according to the scenarios of technological efficiency factors. This type of approach allows, for example, to deduce the maximum allowable increase in the production of a material to ensure the effectiveness of circularity strategies. We illustrate this approach with data from the scenario analysis carried out by the Swedish consultancy Material Economics, then taken over by the Ellen Macarthur Foundation. The first paper shows trade-offs in the results between the MCI and the LCA resource indicator and thereby highlight relevant issues to the design of future assessment tools; while the MCI measures the degree of circularity, LCA indicators measure the environmental impact of a circular strategy. Results of the second paper show that improving the circularity of a single product does not necessarily improve products average because product circularity does not necessarily reduce virgin resource demand and environmental impacts at a broader market perspective. Hence, we conclude that a CE assessment scope should be systemic enough to enhance progress towards reducing environmental impacts and that the way product-level circularity assessment is currently performed is contradictory to the symbiotic purpose of CE. The approached developed in the third paper is versatile enough to meet the three criteria that current tools in the literature fail to integrate – CE strategies, monitoring trade-off situations and integrating scale effects – but it currently does not allow the integration of market effects in a pragmatic way. The use of general equilibrium models could fill this gap. To the question "should we develop new tools dedicated to CE?", this research work demonstrate that a better integration of existing tools would suffice. A possible research avenue could be based on, for instance, using the decomposition of the indicator proposed in the third article to identify the “economic structure” characteristic of a product, a component or a material by combining existing methodologies based on a matrix computational structure. The combined use of these tools would assess the contribution of a product to a CE, rather than assessing the degree of circularity of the product itself
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