TOWARD AGRICULTURAL ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT: APPLYING LESSONS FROM CORPORATE ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT

Many business firms both in the U.S. and abroad are practicing corporate environmental management. They are committed to improving the efficiency of material use, energy use and water use; to recycle; to make safer products and processes and to reduce their overall impact on the environment. In pursuing corporate environmental management, some businesses have found that the presumed tradeoff between profits and environmental quality does not always apply. Instead, by innovating and redesigning their products, processes, corporate culture, and organizational strategy, these firms have been able to improve environmental performance and add to profits. These improved profits are sometimes referred to as "innovation offsets" because they result from technological changes to reduce pollution which also reduce production costs (and/or improve productivity) and thereby "offset" the costs of compliance. The necessary technological innovation is pursued when firms take a dynamic investment perspective rather than presume a static tradeoff between profits and environmental quality.Environmental Economics and Policy,

Prioritizing Opportunities to Reduce the Risk of Foodborne Illness: A Conceptual Framework

Determining the best use of food safety resources is a difficult task faced by public policymakers, regulatory agencies, state and local food safety and health agencies, as well as private firms. The Food Safety Research Consortium (FSRC) has developed a conceptual framework for priority setting and resource allocation for food safety that takes full account of the food system’s complexity and available data but is simple enough to be workable and of practical value to decisionmakers. The conceptual framework addresses the question of how societal resources, both public and private, can be used most effectively to reduce the public health burden of foodborne illness by quantitatively ranking risks and considering the availability, effectiveness, and cost of interventions to address these risks. We identify two types of priority-setting decisions: Purpose 1 priority setting that guides risk-based allocation of food safety resources, primarily by government food safety agencies, across a wide range of opportunities to reduce the public health impact of foodborne illness; and Purpose 2 priority setting that guides the choice of risk management actions and strategies with respect to particular hazards and commodities. It is essential that such a framework be grounded in a systems approach, multi-disciplinary in approach and integration of data, practical, flexible, and dynamic by including ongoing evaluation and continuous updating of risk rankings and other elements. The conceptual framework is a synthesis of ideas and information generated in connection with and during the three FSRC workshops convened under a project funded by the Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension Service of USDA. Workshop materials are available on the project website: http://www.card.iastate.edu/food_safety/.

A Study on the Low-Carbon Transformation Path of Sinopec Group Based on ESG Principles

This study examines the low-carbon transformation path of the petrochemical industry based on Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) principles, taking China Petrochemical Corporation (Sinopec Group) as a case study. The research first analyzes the year-on-year carbon emissions of the petrochemical industry. Subsequently, addressing the deficiencies in Sinopec Group’s low-carbon transformation path, a series of recommendations are proposed: in terms of information disclosure, the study advocates for improvements in ESG reporting and transparency to enhance corporate governance and social impact. In the strategic aspect, the research suggests that Sinopec Group actively promotes sustainable procurement and green supply chain development, collaborating with partners to drive low-carbon transformation. This study aims to identify shortcomings and provide recommendations for the current low-carbon transformation path of China Petrochemical Corporation, serving as a reference for Sinopec Group and other enterprises within the industry

A High-Definition Spatially Explicit Modeling Approach for National Greenhouse Gas Emissions from Industrial Processes: Reducing the Errors and Uncertainties in Global Emission Modeling

Spatially-explicit (gridded) emission inventories (EIs) should allow us to analyse sectoral emissions patterns to estimate potential impacts of emission policies and support decisions on reducing emissions. However, such EIs are often based on simple downscaling of national level emissions estimate and the changes in subnational emissions distributions are not necessarily reflecting the actual changes driven by the local emissions drivers. This article presents a high definition,100m resolution bottom-up inventory of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from the industrial processes (fuel combustion activities in energy and manufacturing industry, fugitive emissions, mineral products, chemical industry, metal production, food and drink) that is exemplified on data for Poland. We propose an improved emission disaggregation algorithmthat fully utilizes a collection of activity data available at national/provincial level to the level of individual point and diffused (area) emission sources. To ensure the accuracy of the resulting 100m emission fields, the geospatial data used for mapping emission sources (point source geolocation and land cover classification) were subject to thorough human visual inspection.The resulting 100m emission field even hold cadastres of emissions separately for each industrial emission category, while we start with IPCC-compliant national sectoral GHG estimates that we made using Polish official statistics. We aggregated the resulting emissions to the level of administrative units such as municipalities, districts and provinces. We also compiled cadastres in regular grids and then compared them with EDGAR results. Quantitative analysis of discrepancies between both results revealed quite frequent misallocations of point sources used in the EDGAR compilation that considerably deteriorates high resolution inventories. We also propose a Monte-Carlo method-based uncertainty assessment that yields a detailed estimation of the GHG emission uncertainty in the main categories of the analysed processes. We found that the above mentioned geographical coordinates and patterns used for emission disaggregation have the greatest impact on overall uncertainty of GHG inventoriesfrom the industrial processes

Productive Development Policies in Trinidad and Tobago: A Critical Review

Even as Trinidad and Tobago seeks productive diversification away from the energy sector, the process underlying the country’s productive development policies (PDP) is in a state of transition from state-directed industrial policy to a newer approach with extensive private-public participation. This study explores the main characteristics of four PDPs in Trinidad and Tobago and reviews them following the related literature (e.g., Rodríguez-Clare, 2005a and 2005b, and Melo and Rodríguez-Clare, 2006). The four PDPs are: a) The process towards the Promotion of Clusters; b) the PDPs for the Tourism industry; c) the classical PDPs for Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises and; d) the Free Trade Zone as a policy designed to compensate for the failure of the State.Industrial policy, Productive development policies, Diversification, Caribbean, Trinidad and Tobago

Industry and Tertiary Sectors towards Clean Energy Transition

The clean energy transition is the transition from the use of nonrenewable energy sources to renewable sources and is part of the wider transition to sustainable economies through the use of renewable energy, the adoption of energy-saving measures, and sustainable development techniques. The clean energy transition is a long and complex process that will lead to an epochal change, and it will allow safeguarding the health of the environment in the long term. For its success, it necessitates contribution from everyone, from the individual citizen to large multinationals, passing through SMEs; national and international policies play a key role in paving the way to this process. This Special Issue is focused on technical, financial, and policy-related aspects linked to the transition of industrial and service sectors towards energy saving and decarbonization. These different aspects are interrelated and, as such, they have been analyzed with an interdisciplinary approach, for example, by combining economic and technical information. The collected papers focus on energy efficiency and clean-energy key technologies, renewable sources, energy management and monitoring systems, energy policies and regulations, and economic and financial aspects

Towards sustainable water use in industry: a case study of the oil refinery industry in Kazakhstan

The concept of “Sustainable water use” (SWU) aims to assure three pillars of sustainability related to the water sector: the social, environmental, and economical. Industrial development, especially in developing countries, requires an adequate response, as industrial activities are recognized as one of the major sources of water pollution, what leads to deterioration of environmental safety and wellbeing of the society. This thesis aims to understand to what extent the water use in the oil refinery industry in Kazakhstan is sustainable and to assess its impacts on the environment. A system approach was used to evaluate the current status of legislation, the treatment methods, the discharge process, and the effect on the environment in the sector. The weakness of the existing framework was identified by its lack of unified and transparent legislative standards for treatment processes, wastewater quality, and assessments of groundwater contamination with potential negative impact on public safety. Analysis of chemical characteristics of groundwater contamination, based on a seven-year monitoring program from one of the refineries, showed that groundwater has been affected, containing anthropogenically and naturally occurred contaminants, e.g. average exceedance for total petroleum hydrocarbons was 4 times, for total dissolved solids - 5 times, for chlorides - 9 times, for sodium - 6 times and total hardness was more than 6 times compared with World Health Organization and Kazakhstani standards. The analysis made it possible to specify the contribution of each contaminant to the overall pollution and to identify the most polluted sites. These pollutants are likely spreading towards areas with substantial groundwater use. The following investigation included performance of potential spreading of the TPH plume, based on historical observations. The results showed that zone at 2-6 km downstream the source of pollution could be affected by contaminated water, where concentrations of TPH exceeded permissible value. Based on performed investigations, this study highlights importance of implementation of suitable legislative standards with requirements for efficient water-saving techniques. Comparison with developed countries showed that Principles of Circular Economy (CE) (reduce pollution and reuse water) have been neglected in Kazakhstan. However, these principles have a potential to become a response to existing pressure of industrial activities and to achieve Sustainable Development as Driving force. Implementation of the CE for refineries in Kazakhstan requires firstly, the usage of advanced wastewater treatment techniques, and secondly, the introduction of the optimization scheme for water reuse, where regeneration units are established after each technological unit. Establishing criteria for water fees, wastewater quality, and recipients’ characteristics should follow respective and fair practices of the Environmental Impact Assessment, instead of looking for legislative loopholes. These practices include a detailed assessment of a real level of effluents’ toxicity and strict requirements to avoid the transfer of pollutants from one environmental media to another. Also, it is strongly recommended to update the list of contaminants for operational monitoring with inclusion of specific indicators of toxicity, such as PAHs, BTEX and others. It will let to understand the real harm caused by the ineffective systems of wastewater treatment and disposal from oil refineries in Kazakhstan.This thesis can be used as a trigger to drive and engage all stakeholders into a transparent dialogue about potential consequences of non-sustainable wastewater management in the industry in Kazakhstan. The potential actions might include development of new efficient monitoring programs, stimulation the industry to innovative and water-saving treatment methods, and a creation of a site remediation program

Feasibility study on manganese nodules recovery in the Clarion-Clipperton Zone

The sea occupies three quarters of the area on the earth and provides various kinds of resources to mankind in the form of minerals, food, medicines and even energy. “Seabed exploitation” specifically deals with recovery of the resources that are found on the seabed, in the form of solids, liquids and gasses (methane hydrates, oil and natural gas). The resources are abundant; nevertheless the recovery process from the seabed, poses various challenges to mankind. This study starts with a review on three types of resources: polymetallic manganese nodules, polymetallic manganese crusts and massive sulphides deposits. Each of them are rich in minerals, such as manganese, cobalt, nickel, copper and some rare earth elements. They are found at many locations in the deep seas and are potentially a big source of minerals. No commercial seabed mining activity has been accomplished to date due to the great complexities in recovery. This book describes the various challenges associated with a potential underwater mineral recovery operation, reviews and analyses the existing recovery techniques, and provides an innovative engineering system. It further identifies the associated risks and a suitable business model.Chapter 1 presents a brief background about the past and present industrial trends of seabed mining. A description of the sea, seabed and the three types of seabed mineral resources are also included. A section on motivations for deep sea mining follows which also compares the latter with terrestrial mining.Chapter 2 deals with the decision making process, including a market analysis, for selecting manganese nodules as the resource of interest. This is followed by a case study specific to the location of interest: West COMRA in the Clarion-Clipperton Zone. Specific site location is determined in order to estimate commercial risk, environmental impact assessment and logistic challenge.Chapter 3 lists the existing techniques for nodule recovery operation. The study identifies the main components of a nodules recovery system, and organizes them into: collector, propulsion and vertical transport systems.Chapter 4 discusses various challenges posed by manganese nodules recovery, in terms of the engineering and environment. The geo-political and legal-social issues have also been considered. This chapter plays an important role in defining the proposed engineering system, as addressing the identified challenges will better shape the proposed solution.Chapter 5 proposes an engineering system, by considering the key components in greater details. An innovative component, the black box is introduced, which is intended to be an environmentally-friendly solution for manganese nodules recovery. Other auxiliary components, such as the mother ship and metallurgical processing, are briefly included. A brief power supply analysis is also provided.Chapter 6 assesses the associated risks, which are divided into sections namely commercial viability, logistic challenges, environmental impact assessment and safety assessment. The feasibility of the proposed solution is also dealt with.Chapter 7 provides a business model for the proposed engineering system. Potential customers are identified, value proposition is determined, costumer relation is also suggested. Public awareness is then discussed and finally a SWOT analysis is presented. This business model serves as an important bridge to reach both industry and research institutes.Finally, Chapter 8 provides some conclusions and recommendation for future work

Working Paper 07-02 - ICT contribution to economic performance in Belgium: preliminary evidence

In this paper, the impact of ICT on economic and productivity growth is investigated in the context of the Belgian economy. The analysis is conducted at aggregate and branch level. The impact of ICT on economic growth through productivity gains can be transmitted via three different channels, namely increase in the ICT capital available per worker (capital deepening), technical progress in the ICT producer sectors (TFP growth) and finally, technical progress in the ICT user sectors through spillover effects (TFP growth).

Health hazards of China’s lead-acid battery industry: a review of its market drivers, production processes, and health impacts

Despite China’s leaded gasoline phase out in 2000, the continued high rates of lead poisoning found in children’s blood lead levels reflect the need for identifying and controlling other sources of lead pollution. From 2001 to 2007, 24% of children in China studied (N = 94,778) were lead poisoned with levels exceeding 100 μg/L. These levels stand well above the global average of 16%. These trends reveal that China still faces significant public health challenges, with millions of children currently at risk of lead poisoning. The unprecedented growth of China’s lead-acid battery industry from the electric bike, automotive, and photovoltaic industries may explain these persistently high levels, as China remains the world’s leading producer, refiner, and consumer of both lead and lead-acid batteries. This review assesses the role of China’s rising lead-acid battery industry on lead pollution and exposure. It starts with a synthesis of biological mechanisms of lead exposure followed by an analysis of the key technologies driving the rapid growth of this industry. It then details the four main stages of lead battery production, explaining how each stage results in significant lead loss and pollution. A province-level accounting of each of these industrial operations is also included. Next, reviews of the literature describe how this industry may have contributed to mass lead poisonings throughout China. Finally, the paper closes with a discussion of new policies that address the lead-acid battery industry and identifies policy frameworks to mitigate exposure. This paper is the first to integrate the market factors, production processes, and health impacts of China’s growing lead-acid battery industry to illustrate its vast public health consequences. The implications of this review are two-fold: it validates calls for a nationwide assessment of lead exposure pathways and levels in China as well as for a more comprehensive investigation into the health impacts of the lead-acid battery industry. The continuous growth of this industry signals the urgent need for effective regulatory action to protect the health and lives of China’s future generations