scholarly journals Local versus Global Environmental Performance of Dairying and Their Link to Economic Performance: A Case Study of Swiss Mountain Farms

2016 ◽  
Vol 8 (12) ◽  
pp. 1294 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nina Repar ◽  
Pierrick Jan ◽  
Thomas Nemecek ◽  
Dunja Dux ◽  
Martina Alig Ceesay ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Economic Performance ◽  
Environmental Performance ◽  
Global Environmental

scholarly journals Factors Affecting Global versus Local Environmental and Economic Performance of Dairying: A Case Study of Swiss Mountain Farms

2018 ◽  
Vol 10 (8) ◽  
pp. 2940 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nina Repar ◽  
Pierrick Jan ◽  
Thomas Nemecek ◽  
Dunja Dux ◽  
Reiner Doluschitz
Keyword(s):  
Economic Performance ◽  
Environmental Performance ◽  
Dairy Farming ◽  
Farm Size ◽  
Full Time ◽  
Trade Offs ◽  
Global Environmental ◽  
Farming Policy ◽  
Global And Local

Improving the sustainability of the dairy food chain requires a simultaneous improvement in global and local environmental performance, as well as in the economic performance of dairy farms. We investigated the effect of different structural, farm management, socio-demographic, technological and natural-environment-related factors on the economic and environmental performance of dairying. Our analysis relied on a case study of 56 Swiss alpine dairy farm observations, for which cradle-to-farm gate life cycle assessments and farm accountancy data were combined. The data refer to the years 2006 to 2008. The effect of the selected factors on farms’ economic and environmental performance was analysed by means of non-parametric statistical approaches. The results revealed the existence of some factors presenting synergies and several factors showing trade-offs in the enhancement of farm global environmental, local environmental and economic performance. More generally, the promotion of farm global environmental performance and farm economic performance was shown to be synergetic whereas the enhancement of farm global and local environmental performance turned out to be mostly antinomic. However, some factors, namely organic farming, higher agricultural education, silage-free milk production, and also, to a weaker extent, full-time farming, larger farm size and lower intensity of cattle concentrates use, showed a potential to bring simultaneous improvements in the global and local environmental performance as well as the economic performance of dairy farming. Policy-makers should be aware of the complexity of the joint improvement of farm economic and environmental performance and only promote factors capable of synergistically enhancing the environmental and economic performance of dairy farming.

scholarly journals Modelling Sustainable Industrial Symbiosis

Energies ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (4) ◽  
pp. 1172
Author(s):  
Hafiz Haq ◽  
Petri Välisuo ◽  
Seppo Niemi
Keyword(s):  
Life Cycle ◽  
Waste Management ◽  
Environmental Performance ◽  
Life Cycle Cost ◽  
Economic Assessment ◽  
Environmental Benefits ◽  
Industrial Symbiosis ◽  
Comprehensive Model ◽  
Network Connections

Industrial symbiosis networks conventionally provide economic and environmental benefits to participating industries. However, most studies have failed to quantify waste management solutions and identify network connections in addition to methodological variation of assessments. This study provides a comprehensive model to conduct sustainable study of industrial symbiosis, which includes identification of network connections, life cycle assessment of materials, economic assessment, and environmental performance using standard guidelines from the literature. Additionally, a case study of industrial symbiosis network from Sodankylä region of Finland is implemented. Results projected an estimated life cycle cost of €115.20 million. The symbiotic environment would save €6.42 million in waste management cost to the business participants in addition to the projected environmental impact of 0.95 million tonne of CO2, 339.80 tonne of CH4, and 18.20 tonne of N2O. The potential of further cost saving with presented optimal assessment in the current architecture is forecast at €0.63 million every year.

scholarly journals Characterisation and Life Cycle Assessment of Pervious Concrete with Recycled Concrete Aggregates

Crystals ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (2) ◽  
pp. 209
Author(s):  
Adilson C. Paula Junior ◽  
Cláudia Jacinto ◽  
Thaís M. Oliveira ◽  
Antonio E. Polisseni ◽  
Fabio M. Brum ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Environmental Performance ◽  
Treatment Plant ◽  
Recycled Concrete ◽  
Pervious Concrete ◽  
Recycled Aggregate ◽  
Recycled Aggregates ◽  
Positive Contribution ◽  
Concrete Aggregates ◽  
Recycled Concrete Aggregates

The search for environmental preservation and conservation of natural resources gives rise to new concepts and viable technical solutions on the path to sustainable development. In this context, this study’s main objective is to analyse the influence of recycled concrete aggregates (RCAs) on the development of pervious concrete, whose use as a floor covering represents an excellent device to mitigate the urban soil sealing phenomena. For this, mechanical and hydraulic tests were carried out, in addition to microstructural analyses and the assessment of its environmental performance. The results obtained were compared to reference studies also involving the incorporation of recycled aggregates. A pilot-scale case study was conducted, involving a parking space lined with pervious concrete moulded “in situ”. In laboratory tests, permeability coefficients and mechanical strengths compatible with the literature and above the normative limit for light traffic were found. The case study demonstrated higher permeability than in the laboratory, but the flexural strength was lower, being indicated only for pedestrian traffic. The environmental assessment showed that the RCA represents a positive contribution to the environmental performance of pervious concrete. Still, attention should be given to the recycled aggregate transport distance between the concrete plant and the RCA treatment plant.

scholarly journals work all the time- He just waits for the animals to come back” Social impacts of climate changes: A Greenlandic case study

2009 ◽  
Vol 2 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Roanne Van Voorst
Keyword(s):  
Climate Changes ◽  
Social Research ◽  
Participant Observation ◽  
Global Environmental Change ◽  
Policy Makers ◽  
Research Issues ◽  
Global Environmental ◽  
To Come ◽  
And Gender

Understanding human adaptation to climate changes is one of the most important research issues within the area of global environmental change, accounting for the fact that people worldwide are currently adapting to their changing environment (Adger and Kelly 2000: 253; Smit et al. 2008). The Greenlandic case study as presented in this paper is mainly based on a literature analysis and ethnographic data obtained during the Greenlandic winter of 2008, with emphasis on the latter. Participant observation and interviews were combined with a discursive analysis of climate change-related policies. The empirical findings as presented in this paper suggest that an exclusive and gender-neutral focus of policy makers on economic aspects of adaptation to climate changes may increase socio-economic inequality as well as male domestic violence over women. Social research can help to identify such chains of reactions resulting from climate changes and related policies, by focusing on individual adaptation strategies of male and female actors in vulnerable societies.

The use of environmental performance indicators in “the greenest city in Europe”

2019 ◽  
Vol 14 (1) ◽  
pp. 122-140 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jan Alpenberg ◽  
Tomasz Wnuk-Pel ◽  
Philip Adamsson ◽  
Johannes Petersson
Keyword(s):  
Performance Indicators ◽  
Environmental Performance ◽  
Environmental Indicators ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Study Approach ◽  
External Stakeholders ◽  
Municipal Managers ◽  
Environmental Performance Indicators

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to examine why and how municipal managers and CEOs for municipally owned companies use the environmental performance indicators. Design/methodology/approach A case study approach as a research design was used. In total, 18 semi-structured interviews were conducted among managers for administrative departments and municipal company CEOs. Findings This study found that the environmental performance indicators are used by department managers mainly for resource allocation, control and for teaching the employees. The CEOs of the municipal companies use the environmental indicators for communicating with external stakeholders and see the indicators primarily as marketing tools. The main reason why the environmental performance indicators are used in the municipality can be the strong demand from the local politicians to push the “green agenda,” and therefore the managers have to comply. Research limitations/implications As in any case study, generalizations from the research should be made with care, but since this is only one municipality, further research is needed to find additional evidence. Practical implications The findings of this study have a number of implications for future practice, and it is worth mentioning that clear guidelines for how the information could be made more useful for managers at the managerial level in Växjö municipality (VM) are requested for both the municipal managers and the CEOs. Social implications Overall, this study strengthens the idea that environmental performance indicators could be used to a larger extent for communicating with external stakeholders both for municipal departments and companies. Originality/value The research adds to the literature by examining different patterns of using environmental performance indicators in a unique setting – in VM, which is called “the greenest city in Europe” and is one of the “pioneers” in environmental work and extensively uses performance indicators.

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