277,503 research outputs found
Recommended from our members
Understanding digital eco-innovation in municipalities: An institutional perspective
Municipalities consume over 67% of global energy and are responsible for over 70% of greenhouse gas emissions (GHG). The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change warns that rapid adjustments need to happen at a global level, or the effects of climate change will be irreversible. The contribution of municipalities is therefore vital if GHG emissions are to be reduced. Our research is timely in its exploration of the ways in which municipalities institutionalise environmental sustainability practices in and through Green digital artefacts. Using mechanism-based institutional theory as a lens, the paper presents the findings of three contrasting case studies of large municipalities in the United Kingdom in their respective programmes to leverage the direct, enabling and systemic effects of Green ICT in order to reduce GHG emission and achieve their eco-sustainability goals. The case sites are also regarded as exemplars for further research and practice on digital eco-innovation. The mechanism-based explanations illustrate how a social web of conditions and factors influence eco-sustainability outcomes. We conclude that the digital technology-enabled grassroots-based initiatives offer the best hope to begin the transition to sustainable climate change within municipalities. The contributions of our study are therefore both theoretical and practical
Perspectives of Integrated “Next Industrial Revolution” Clusters in Poland and Siberia
Rozdział z: Functioning of the Local Production Systems in Central and Eastern European Countries and Siberia. Case Studies and Comparative Studies, ed. Mariusz E. Sokołowicz.The paper presents the mapping of potential next industrial revolution clusters in Poland and Siberia. Deindustrialization of the cities and struggles with its consequences are one of the fundamental economic problems in current global economy. Some hope to find an answer to that problem is associated with the idea of next industrial revolution and reindustrialization initiatives. In the paper, projects aimed at developing next industrial revolution clusters are analyzed. The objective of the research was to examine new industrial revolution paradigm as a platform for establishing university-based trans-border industry clusters in Poland and Siberia47 and to raise awareness of next industry revolution initiatives.Monograph financed under a contract of execution of the international scientific project within 7th Framework Programme of the European Union, co-financed by Polish Ministry of Science and Higher Education (title: “Functioning of the Local Production Systems in the Conditions of Economic Crisis (Comparative Analysis and Benchmarking for the EU and Beyond”)). Monografia sfinansowana w oparciu o umowę o wykonanie projektu między narodowego w ramach 7. Programu Ramowego UE, współfinansowanego ze środków Ministerstwa Nauki i Szkolnictwa Wyższego (tytuł projektu: „Funkcjonowanie lokalnych systemów produkcyjnych w warunkach kryzysu gospodarczego (analiza porównawcza i benchmarking w wybranych krajach UE oraz krajach trzecich”))
Recommended from our members
Potentialities of customer relationship management in the building of government reputation
A Strategy for the Commons: Business-driven Networks for Collective Action and Policy Dialogue. The Example of Global Compact Local Networks
The current challenges involved with ensuring
global sustainability are daunting.
Climate change is increasing the incidence
of severe weather events, natural resources
are undergoing rapid depletion, labor conditions
in global supply chains are often inhumane
and degrading, and corruption around
the globe is undermining competition and
destroying wealth. These and other global
challenges pose serious problems not only to
mankind in general, but also to the sustainability
of companies. Indeed, companies rely
on enabling environments, local and global
alike, for long-term success. Companies depend
on a reliable legal framework conducive
to investment and competition, a healthy
and viable natural environment, and a secure
social environment that facilitates the wellbeing
of its inhabitants. However, given the
overexploitation of shared resources, also
known as the “tragedy of the commons,”
companies often find it difficult to address
global sustainability challenges and invest
in enabling environments. All sustainability
challenges face this tragedy: Although each
societal actor ought to have an interest in creating
or ensuring the viability of these common
goods, the incentive to “free ride” on the
efforts of others and let them bear the costs
is exceedingly high. As a result, short-term
profit maximization often damages the longterm
growth prospects of companies. Since
governments lack the capacity to address the
complexity and global scope of sustainability
challenges alone, a “strategy for the commons”
is needed that allows companies, governments
and other actors to overcome the
free rider dilemma and invest in sustainable
development
Recommended from our members
Applying the lessons learnt: community involvement in regeneration
Community involvement is now seen as central to regeneration policy and practice. Yet it is by no means easy to achieve. This article explores the popularity of community involvement and points to some of the key lessons that can be drawn from recent, and past, research on the topic. I suggest that many of these lessons are not being applied and provide some suggestions for why this may be the case. I conclude that central government could do a lot more to enable the application of both individual and organizational learning
APFIC Regional Workshop on "Mainstreaming Fisheries Co-management"
This is the report of the APFIC regional workshop on "Mainstreaming fisheries co-management" held in Siem Reap, Cambodia from August 9-12, 2005 . The goal of the workshop was to provide a forum to learn from past experience and to promote devolved management of fisheries. Participants at the workshop had the opportunity to be exposed to a range of coastal and inland fisheries co-management interventions and the elaboration of approaches needed to make fisheries co-management a "mainstream" activity in developing countries. The objective of the workshop was to develop summary conclusions on the status of co-management in the region and provide some concrete recommendations for action towards mainstreaming fishery co-management in the Asia-Pacific region. The report contains the action plan and recommendations of the workshop. Many agencies (both governmental and non-governmental) are striving to improve the livelihoods of poor people that are dependent on aquatic resources by including these stakeholders in the planning and implementation of fisheries management. Many states have adopted decentralization as the way to implement future fisheries management, especially in developing countries, which often involves a partnership between government and the local communities, i.e. a co-management approach. The challenge is to find a way for co-management to become a mainstream practice of both government and non-government organizations and communities
Policy document and brief for engagement with government and private sector in Cocoa: A case of Ghana
There is a gap today in funding for investment in developing countries. A recent assessment of financing in the agriculture sector in Ghana based on existing financial sector laws showed that, there is currently no distinct policy to enable lending to the agricultural sector. However, with an ever increasing need to address the challenges of climate change, the need for such policies and resulting finance opportunities for smallholder farmers and other supply chain actor will only increase and become more urgent. Unchanged, most needed investments to address the growing challenges will be made by the private sector or by the farmers themselves. Therefore, public actors, including COCOBOD, need to play a key role in building an enabling environment, including the development of supportive policies, institutions and making matching-funds available. Reducing supply chain risk and improving resilience through such efforts that signal a more secure and favourable framework is key to enabling private actors, especially the more financially vulnerable, to invest. Existing policy initiatives and programs geared towards creating an enabling environment for finance to the sector are currently led by the Ministry of Food and Agriculture (MOFA) and other sector agencies and financial NGO’
- …