Scalar and vector games in the evaluation of social and environmental disclosure and their relationship with market value

This study evaluated the association of social, environmental and socio-environmental disclosure with the market value of Brazilian companies with high environmental impact based on the Game Theory. To perform the analysis, rankings were developed by using scalar and vector gaming techniques. After the construction of the rankings, the association between them was verified through Kendall’s correlation analysis. The findings indicate a positive association of social, environmental and socio-environmental disclosure with the market value of Brazilian companies with high environmental impact. In addition, there was an increase in the degree of association during the investigated periods. This result suggests that the market is increasingly demanding regarding the disclosure of this information, which indicates that the disclosure of these information can bring competitive advantages in relation to the market value

Ecological Life Cycle Assessment Modified Novolaks Waste Used in Industrial Wastewater Treatment

Ecological Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) applied in the assessment of the impact of products on the environment is a technique that allows for the evaluation of the environmental impact of polymeric flocculants used in industrial wastewater treatment. The possibility of conducting a full life cycle and thus manufacturing process analysis allows for reliable and accurate identification of the sources of environmental hazards and the impact of new products on the environment. Newly synthesized waste-based polymers are water soluble and possess the properties of flocculants, while reducing the parameters in industrial wastewater. In the paper, there are presented the results of the analysis conducted using LCA technique for the assessment of the impact of modified waste phenol formaldehyde resin (Novolak) on the environment. LCA technique was used to assess the impact of the new flocculant applied in the process of metallurgical wastewater treatment taking into account the environmental impact of the fl occulant manufacturing process

Impacts of environmental regulations on the efficiency of arable farms in France and Germany

This paper develops a methodology for asymmetric treatment of desirable and undesirable outputs. First, a hyperbolic output efficiency measurement is used to describe a middle term transformation of production processes where producers try to improve their competitiveness together with a reduction of the negative impact on the environment. Second, a radial efficiency measurement, called directional output distance function, is used to depict a long-term transformation of the production process. A non-parametric Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) and a Stochastic Frontier Analysis (SFA) are used to evaluate the impact of agricultural policy changes, both in France and Germany, on the technical and environmental efficiency of arable farms, taking into account participation or not in agri-environmental programs. The results from both methods indicate only limited possibilities for environmental improvements, mainly for farms participating in agri-environmental programs.Frontier analysis, technical and environmental efficiency, environmental regulations, Agricultural and Food Policy, Environmental Economics and Policy, Productivity Analysis,

Environmental proactivity and firms' performance: Mediation effect of competitive advantages in Spanish wineries

The main aim of this paper is to show the extent to which environmental proactivity is able to generate competitive advantages in a firm in order to improve their economic-financial performance by introducing the role of managerial perception into the analysis. This study focuses on Spanish wineries and their environmental practices and covers a total of 4598 wineries with a sample of 142 valid responses during the month of November 2015. The results can be summarized as follows. Firstly, there is positive environmental proactivity in terms of obtaining both cost-based and differentiation-based competitive advantages. Likewise, this proactivity has a positive impact on the manager’s perception of performance. Secondly, obtaining differentiation-based competitive advantages has a positive impact on the manager’s perception of performance although a negative impact on performance itself. There is, however, no significant evidence of the impact of cost-based competitive advantages on financial performance nor on the perception of performance itself, nor the impact of environmental proactivity on financial performance

Soft systems methodology analysis for scoping in environmental impact statement in Israel

The current working paper will focus on Soft System Methodology (SSM) analysis of the process of issuing guidelines for Environmental Impact Statements (EIS) to developers in the Israeli context. The paper’s goal is to make the reader familiar with the terminology and the concepts of SSM, while serving as a case study for practising SSM. The paper starts with a “crash” introduction to SSM, followed by a general description of the process in the centre of the discussion - the Israeli EIS process. After these two introductory sections, the paper turns to the main issue - a SSM analysis of the problem situation - the creation of guidelines for EIS in the Israeli context. This specific case study have been selected due to the author’s familiarity with it (is served as the main research field for his MA thesis). Also the author has the shorthand transcripts from a series workshops that were held as part of an evaluation study that the environmental planning department in the ministry of environment (EPD-MoE) have commissioned on the Israeli EIS system. Unless stated otherwise, the sources for SSM are “Information Systems Development: Methodologies, Techniques and Tools” (Avison and Fitzgerald, 1995), “Practical Soft Systems Analysis” (Patching, 1990), on-line lecture notes for the UCL “System Analysis and Design” course (Sasse and Fultun, 1997) and “Soft Systems Methodology: An Alternative Approach to Knowledge Elicitation in Complex and Poorly Defined Systems” (Finegan, 1994)

Bt and Ht Corn versus Conventional Pesticide and Herbicide Use. Do Environmental Impacts Differ?

In this paper we empirically assess and compare the environmental impact of pesticide programs for Bt, Ht (glufosinate) and conventional corn in Europe, employing the Environmental Impact Quotient. We use field trial data from Narbons, France 2004 as well as secondary data. Our results show that management of Bt corn has a lower environmental impact than conventional corn programs. Herbicide treatment of the Ht variety also has a much lower environmental impact than that of the two conventional programs. Our empirical findings support the argument of lower environmental and health impacts with respect to pesticide use when growing Bt and Ht corn. The outcomes are relevant for environmental benefit-cost analysis of Bt and Ht corn.EIQ, pesticide use, Bt, Ht corn, Crop Production/Industries, Environmental Economics and Policy, Q10, Q16,

Integrating EJ into Federal Policies and Programs: Examining the Role of Regulatory Impact Analyses and Environmental Impact Statements

Following Executive Order 12898 in 1994, federal agencies have taken a variety of steps to incorporate environmental justice (EJ) into their programs and practices. Two scales at which these efforts are critical are regulatory design and enforcement. This study evaluates Regulatory Impact Analyses (RIAs) and Environmental Impact Statements (EISs) across three federal agencies (the Department of Energy, the Department of Transportation, and the Environmental Protection Agency) to compare the extent to which EJ is addressed at these two scales, across agencies, and over time. By searching agency documents for key EJ variables, such as site, population, and impact characteristics, we develop a framework to determine if RIAs and EISs include sufficient information to identify disproportionate impacts of proposed regulations or projects on minority and low-income communities. Results of this analysis reveal that EJ issues are noted more frequently in all three agencies’ EISs over time, but few RIAs or EISs contain enough data to assess whether EJ impacts are significant.environmental justice, Regulatory Impact Analysis, RIA, Environmental Impact Statement, EIS, content analysis, program evaluation

Environmental economic impact assessment in China: Problems and prospects

The use of economic valuation methods to assess environmental impacts of projects and policies has grown considerably in recent years. However, environmental valuation appears to have developed independently of regulations and practice of environmental impact assessment (EIA), despite its potential benefits to the EIA process. Environmental valuation may be useful in judging significance of impacts, determining mitigation level, comparing alternatives and generally enabling a more objective analysis of tradeoffs. In China, laws and regulations require the use of environmental valuation in EIA, but current practice lags far behind. This paper assesses the problems and prospects of introducing environmental valuation into the EIA process in China. We conduct four case studies of environmental economic impact assessment (EEIA), three of which are based on environmental impact statements of construction projects (a power plant, a wastewater treatment plant and a road construction project) and one for a regional pollution problem (wastewater irrigation). The paper demonstrates the potential usefulness of environmental valuation but also discusses several challenges to the introduction and wider use of EEIA, many of which are likely to be of relevance far beyond the Chinese context. The paper closes with suggesting some initial core elements of an EEIA guidelineEnvironmental impact assessment; Environmental valuation; China; Economic analysis

Seagrass Posidonia oceanica (L.) Delile as a marine biomarker: A metabolomic and toxicological analysis

A human-made environmental disaster due to the shipwrecked of Costa Concordia cruise vessel on the Tuscan Island of Giglio (Italy) coast and the possible pollutants release has been feared, so requiring the activation of removal operations and the monitoring of the marine environment. In the present study, the seagrass Posidonia oceanica (L.) Delile was used as a bioindicator for the impact of the Costa Concordia accident on the marine and coastal habitat. Different P. oceanica samples were collected in the shipwrecked site under different light conditions. Using high-performance thin-layer chromatography, metabolic analysis of the samples was carried out in order to highlight possible changes in the secondary metabolism due to the permanent shading and the presence of pollutant traces. Moreover, sample mutagenicity, as a consequence of the possible absorption of environmental toxicants leaked by the wreck, was assessed by the Ames test. The results highlighted the permanence of the Concordia-induced alteration in the plant secondary metabolites. However, absorption of chemical pollutants and carcinogens was not reported; this point was confirmed by the lack of mutagenic effects found for the samples tested. Our results clearly evidence that the environmental impact of Costa Concordia wreck and removal operations on P. oceanica was mainly due to the lack of light in the marine habitat. Present methodological approach, which combines metabolomic and genetic ecotoxicological analysis, could represent a suitable strategy to evaluate the impact of human disasters on the ecosystem and to monitor the environmental changes

Quantitative Analysis of the Impact of Agricultural Management Strategies on Environmental Indicators

This study uses an integrated economic-environmental modeling system to provide quantitative estimates that were used in the process of setting provincial environmental outcome targets under the APF. The analysis represents a joint effort of the Department's physical scientists, economists and policy analysts. This approach provides the ability to model the impacts of agricultural production and the adoption of Beneficial Management Practices (BMPs) on the Canadian environment. The analysis quantifies the impacts of various management practices on air, soil, and water quality as well as biodiversity through measurable and meaningful indicators. It also assists in identifying appropriate environmental goals by providing an indication of achievable outcomes as a result of adopting environmental management practices. This study is based on existing agri-environmental indicators and integrated modeling capacity. The limitations of these analytical tools and results are recognized.sustainability of agriculture, agricultural policy, environmental issues, social issues, environmental outcome targets, Environmental Economics and Policy, Research Methods/ Statistical Methods, Resource /Energy Economics and Policy,