Guidelines for Identifying Business Risks and Opportunities Arising From Ecosystem Change

Outlines the Corporate Ecosystem Services Review, a methodology to help businesses develop strategies for managing operational, regulatory, reputational, market, and financing risks and opportunities arising from their dependence and impact on ecosystems

Participatory Modelling and Decision Support for Natural Resources Management in Climate Change Research

The ever greater role given to public participation by laws and regulations, in particular in the field of environmental management calls for new operational methods and tools for managers and practitioners. This paper analyses the potentials and the critical limitations of current approaches in the fields of simulation modelling (SM), public participation (PP) and decision analysis (DA), for natural resources management within the context of climate change research. The potential synergies of combining SM, PP and DA into an integrated methodological framework are identified and a methodological proposal is presented, called NetSyMoD (Network Analysis – Creative System Modelling – Decision Support), which aims at facilitating the involvement of stakeholders or experts in policy - or decision-making processes (P/DMP). A generic P/DMP is formalised in NetSyMoD as a sequence of six main phases: (i) Actors analysis; (ii) Problem analysis; (iii) Creative System Modelling; (iv) DSS design; (v) Analysis of Options; and (vi) Action taking and monitoring. Several variants of the NetSyMoD approach have been adapted to different contexts such as integrated water resources management and coastal management, and, recently it has been applied in climate change research projects. Experience has shown that NetSyMoD may be a useful framework for skilled professionals, for guiding the P/DMP, and providing practical solutions to problems encountered in the different phases of the decision/policy making process, in particular when future scenarios or projections have to be considered, such as in the case of developing and selecting adaptation policies. The various applications of NetSyMoD share the same approach for problem analysis and communication within the group of selected actors, based upon the use of creative thinking techniques, the formalisation of human-environment relationships through the DPSIR framework, and the use of multi-criteria analysis through a Decision Support System (DSS) software.Modelling, Public Participation, Natural Resource Management, Policy, Decision-Making, Governance, DSS

Building the System: Follow-up, monitoring & adaptive management

Does impact assessment (IA) end when the license has been granted? While societal resources tend to focus on rigorous project approvals, what happens to the project, to the public and to the environment once approval is granted? Follow up and monitoring are often an afterthought for legislators, public servants and proponents. But they are critical to public confidence and to ensuring that proponents live up to their commitments in a rapidly changing world."This report draws from research funded by the Impact Assessment Agency as part of the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada Knowledge Mobilization Grant on Informing Best Practice in Environmental and Impact Assessment.

Development of a conceptual framework for integrated analysis and assessment of agricultural systems in SEAMLESS-IF

Production Economics,

Technology Selection at BC Hydro\u27s Office of the Chief Technology Officer

A technology portfolio selection process was developed for BC Hydro’s Office of the Chief Technology Officer (OCTO). The OCTO’s existing technology management tools and practices were assessed against those found in academic literature as well as those used at other utility firms. The report then outlines a process for valuing and prioritizing technology solutions to meet portfolio objectives of maximized value, strategic fit and portfolio balance. The final process was shaped by considerations of technological maturity, integration with existing business practices, and flexibility to respond to changes inherent in technology research and development

Navigating Trade-Offs in Complex Systems: Deliberative Multi Criteria Decision Analysis of CCMPO Metropolitan Transportation Plan, 2010-2035

Metropolitan Planning Organizations (MPOs) are required by Federal law to develop a long-range Metropolitan Transportation Plan (MTP) at least every five years. This research focuses on assessing the trade-offs between business-as-usual MTP scenario of gasoline driven transportation infrastructure and suburban growth with two alternate sustainable community design scenarios in Chittenden County Metropolitan Planning Area (CCMPO). The CCMPO adopted its last longrange transportation plan in 2005 for a temporal horizon of 2005 to 2025 and is currently updating 2025 MTP to 2035 MTP. We implemented two focus groups with multiple stakeholder representatives of the regional transportation planning network and conducted numerous interviews to implement a participatory multi-criteria evaluation of 2035 MTP scenarios. Three MTP scenarios are evaluated on twelve decision criteria: operational performance, sustainable land-use, safety and accessibility, minimize time and total costs, protect built and natural environs, community development, access and mobility, transportation system efficiency, energy efficiency and conservation, improve alternate travel modes, public education and cost effective and inclusiveness. Our analysis reveals that the underlying expected value functions of all stakeholder representatives in the regional transportation planning network overwhelmingly reject business-asusual MTP scenario. Instead, a more sustainable, growth contained community design scenario emerges with the highest expected value for all stakeholder groups. Formal implementation of sustainable community design scenario would, however, require CCMPO and regional transportation planning network actors to overcome a series of legal, political and economic challenges. We discuss the implications of these trade-offs, challenges and opportunities on the development and implementation of sustainable community designs

Microgrids & District Energy: Pathways To Sustainable Urban Development

A microgrid is an energy system specifically designed to meet some of the energy needs of a group of buildings, a campus, or an entire community. It can include local facilities that generate electricity, heating, and/or cooling; store energy; distribute the energy generated; and manage energy consumption intelligently and in real time. Microgrids enable economies of scale that facilitate local production of energy in ways that can advance cost reduction, sustainability, economic development, and resilience goals. As they often involve multiple stakeholders, and may encompass numerous distinct property boundaries, municipal involvement is often a key factor for successful implementation. This report provides an introduction to microgrid concepts, identifies the benefits and most common road blocks to implementation, and discusses proactive steps municipalities can take to advance economically viable and environmentally superior microgrids. It also offers advocacy suggestions for municipal leaders and officials to pursue at the state and regional level. The contents are targeted to municipal government staff but anyone looking for introductory material on microgrids should find it useful

From Fragmentation to Function: Critical Concepts and Writings on Social Capital Markets' Structure, Operation, and Innovation

We hope to see a future in which more funds flow to investments seeking the generation of social and/or environmental value in conjunction with some level of financial performance. As the 'capital markets' moniker would suggest, we would like to see these capital flows be performance-based (so that funds advance the work of high-performance investees, while being less accessible to lower-performing and/or riskier ventures). Furthermore, we would like to see these investments adopt structures that more completely address the diverse needs and interests of investors and investees. Our ambition is that by better organizing the ideas and initiatives of the many individuals who have worked to frame this emerging market, these goals may be advanced. The paper's secondary goals are to help focus future research and praxis on efforts that build on the significant body of existing work without unduly re-treading well-worn analytical paths. This paper seeks to promote an elevated discussion of the social capital markets, a discourse focusing on  high-leverage issues. The paper also invites experts from related academic and practical fields to engage in a conversation that has to this point largely been conducted between social sector professionals turning their attention to capital flows and finance professionals placing their expertise in the service of social purposes