Indicators, Green Accounting and Environment Statistics— Information Requirements for Sustainable Development

Since the "Earth Summit" in Rio de Janeiro 1992 the term "sustainable development" determines the third and current phase of environmental policy. A precise and commonly accepted definition of sustainable development (s.d.) is still missing. There are, nevertheless, some elements in the philosophy of sustainable development which–even if they are still vague–could be used as guidelines for a framework of "green" accounting and sustainability indicators. Based on theoretical considerations, the German Federal Statistical Office has developed a framework for an Environmental Economic Accounting System. The objective is to add meaningful modules to the traditional System of National Accounts which are designed to quantify the external (environmental) effects of economic activities. The framework could already be realised and published to an extent that is relevant for actual policy making in Germany.     

Business-oriented environmental regulation: Measurement and implications for environmental policy and business strategy from a sustainable development perspective

Business-oriented environmental regulation is expected to have a fundamental role in mitigating the adverse effects of human activity on the natural environment. However, its effectiveness and efficiency are not well established. A systematic literature review reveals validity and reliability problems in the measurement of business-oriented environmental regulation. From a sustainable development perspective, we develop a theoretical framework that aims to enhance the measurement and assessment of this kind of regulation. Our theoretical framework proposes that the goals of business-oriented environmental regulation must articulate a measurement system in a 3 × 3 matrix: three measurement levels (stringency, response, and outcome—in this cause–effect order) and three sustainability dimensions (environmental, social, and economic—in this constraint order). For each cell, we propose a combination of objective and subjective indicators. This theoretical framework expands existing approaches to business-oriented environmental regulation measurement by integrating a sustainable development perspective into a measurement framework in a structured theory-driven manner. Not only will this measurement system be useful for improving environmental policy, but it will also allow companies to improve their business strategy and come closer to complying with environmental regulations in order to effectively contribute to solutions for current environmental problems and help achieve a sustainable development.     

Disentangling economic crisis effects from environmental regulation effects: Implications for sustainable development

With climate change becoming more severe, policy makers must impose environmental regulations that will lead firms to adopt sustainable corporate models. According to the Porter hypothesis, environmental regulation can favour the implementation of business strategies that improve economic and environmental performances. In this study, we examine how one such form of regulation, the European Union Emission Trading Scheme (EU ETS), impacts firm performance, and we subsequently widen the examination beyond the regulation to evaluate an economic crisis which could potentially confound regulation effects. We estimate a panel model with time- and firm-fixed effects for different subsamples that disentangle the effect of the EU ETS policy from the 2008 economic crisis. The results indicate that the EU ETS policy in its third phase can activate the Porter hypothesis and is effective in fuelling the implementation of sustainable corporate models by firms. However, we also find that the economic crisis neutralises the effects of the regulation on firm performance, precluding the triggering of the Porter hypothesis in severely affected firms.     

京津冀环境可持续发展的影响因素

随着京津冀经济的发展,对环境造成的破坏日益严重。论文在环境库兹涅茨曲线的理论基础上分析了环境可持续发展的影响因素,得出环境可持续发展的主要影响因素有经济发展水平、产业结构、能源消费结构等,最后提出了一些关于环境治理问题的政策建议。     

企业生态效率指标研究

环境会计管理的目的是使环境成本投入所达到的环保效果与环保经济效益最大化,以实现可持续经营。选择适当的环境业绩指标和财务业绩指标,并把它们很好地结合起来,能够充分反映和恰当评价企业的财务和环境效益,有利于使企业业绩评价更加全面、合理。本文根据国内外生态效率指标的研究状况,结合环境业绩指标和财务指标,探讨生态效率指标的重要作用,并试图构建出更为合理和有效的生态效率指标。     

水电开发对区域水能资源可持续发展影响评价研究

本文以某电站所处区域为例进行分析,按照水电开发、环境保护和社会经济发展复合系统进行分析,探索性研究并建立水能开发对应的区域可持续发展指标体系;用统一的尺度度量发展指标,合理的测度和评价水能资源的可持续利用性。     

区域发展生态转型的理论与实践

可持续发展从概念上为解决环境与发展问题指明了方向,但是如何妥善处理环境与发展的关系,从而推进社会经济环境可持续发展仍然是一道世界性难题.区域发展的生态转型是对于如何实现可持续发展在理论和方法上探索,力图通过政策、产业、管理、技术、文化等层面的变革,培育和建设生态产业、生态人居、生态文化,从而促进区域发展的转型.作者通过对国内外可持续发展的理论及实践案例的分析,论述了以生态转型推进区域发展的模式与方法.     

Prioritizing Sustainability Indicators: Using Materiality Analysis to Guide Sustainability Assessment and Strategy

Despite the growing awareness of complexity in sustainable development, the practical implementation of sustainability assessment through the use of sustainability indicators requires prioritizing the myriad indicators available. This study identifies the highest priority sustainability indicators for the New Zealand wine industry using materiality analysis. Thirteen information sources representative of different stakeholder perspectives considered to drive the need for sustainability assessment are analysed to provide a measure of sustainability issue salience and risk. Based on a meta‐analysis of relevant information, it is found that environmental issues make up the highest priority issues, followed by social issues relating primarily to worker wellbeing. Significantly, economic and governance issues were not found to be high priorities. These findings are discussed in the context of the common bias in agricultural sustainability assessment towards environmental issues, and the broader business implications for sustainability assessment, strategy and policy. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and ERP Environment     

城市现代化发展及演进规律研究

从城市可持续发展的角度看 ,现代化的城市是一个由经济、社会和环境等子系统组成的复合系统 ,同时产生经济效益、社会效益和环境效益。城市现代化管理水平的高低将对城市的经济、社会、环境发展及区域综合竞争力提升产生重要的影响。入世为我国经济的跨越式发展和城市的现代化发展提供了广阔的舞台 ,我国以城市为极点的区域发展将面临日益激烈的国际化竞争。如何充分发挥城市现代化管理的作用 ,通过城市管理来提升区域综合竞争力 ,是中国城市现代化发展的重要课题。本文梳理了世界城市现代化发展的演进过程 ,提出城市现代化演进的四阶段论和五维决定论 ,为工业化后发国家推动城市现代化发展跨上新的台阶提供了决策依据 ,为有关研究奠定了理论基础。     

浅议如何开展节能减排工作

节约资源,保护环境是我国的基本国策,关系经济社会可持续发展,关系广大人民群众切身利益。本文结合学校开展节能减排工作的实践与探索,就深入开展此项工作在组织领导、宣传教育、项目建设、考评体系方面的一些成功经验进行交流,以期推动节约型校园的建设。     

Investigating the role of emissions trading policy to reduce emissions and improve the efficiency of industrial green innovation

Rapid economic development usually leads to serious environmental pollution problems. In order to solve the problem of pollutant emission in sustainable industrial development, it is urgent to examine the implementation effect of emissions trading policy (ETP) and its impact on green industrial development. This study adopts China's ETP as a case study and selects provincial panel data from 2004 to 2018. We first use a non-radial, non-directed, slack-based measure-directional distance function (SBM-DDF) to measure industrial green innovation efficiency. Then we use a difference in differences (DID) model to empirically test the emissions reduction effect of China's policy and whether it promotes industrial green innovation. Thereafter, results show that: (1) the ETP reduces sulfur dioxide (SO₂) emissions indicating the effectiveness of the policy; (2) the policy significantly improves industrial green innovation efficiency, meaning it promotes the sustainable development of the economy; (3) heterogeneity analysis highlights that ETP produces greater benefits for the most polluted regions of China which have more strict environmental regulations. The study examines the effect of emissions trading policy implementation from a new perspective. The study also provides a reference point for China to further refine its policy mechanisms and for other countries to formulate suitable ETP.     

A new sub-national multi-region input–output database for Indonesia

ABSTRACT

As a large archipelago with significant geographical variation and economic diversity, Indonesia requires detailed regional information when subjected to economic modelling. While such information is available, it however has not been integrated and harmonised into a comprehensive input–output database, thus preventing economic, social, and environmental modelling for investigating sub-national regional policy questions. We present the new IndoLab, a collaborative research platform for Indonesia, enabling input–output modelling of economic, social, and environmental issues in a cloud-computing environment. Within the IndoLab researchers are for the first time able to generate a time series of regionally and sectorally detailed and comprehensive, sub-national multi-region input–output (MRIO) tables for Indonesia. By integrating a multitude of economic, social, and environmental data into a single standardised processing pipeline and harmonised data repository, the IndoLab is able to generate MRIO tables capturing up to 1148 sectors, and 495 cities and regencies. Researchers can freely choose from this detail to construct tables with customised classifications that suit their own research questions. First results from the IndoLab clearly demonstrate the unique characteristics of regions in terms of their sectors’ employment intensity. Thus, the IndoLab has great potential for investigating policy questions that cannot be comprehensively addressed using a single national database.     

European Structural Indicators,A Way Forward

At the 2000 Lisbon summit, the European Union formulated the ambition to transform itself into "the most competitive and dynamic knowledge-based economy in the world capable of sustainable economic growth with more and better jobs and greater social cohesion'. It is remarkable that, until recently, European statisticians were hardly involved in the design of a statistical information system and related "structural' indicators for this important policy purpose. Instead, indicators have been designed that do not measure what they intend to measure, are based on incomparable data and give the impression of a fairly incoherent shopping list of numbers without an underlying vision on the use of these numbers in policy making. This paper argues that indicators can best be based on a coherent accounting system, such as the national accounts, and that the SESAME- system, which is an extension of national accounts and so-called Social Accounting Matrices, offers promising perspectives in this regard.     

科学发展观下如何开展企业计划生育工作

人口问题,是经济社会可持续发展的首要问题。计划生育是我国的一项基本国策,在人口领域坚持科学发展观,对社会进步、经济发展有着十分重要的作用。文章对如何运用科学发展观开展企业计划生育工作进行了分析阐述。     

科学发展观下如何开展企业计划生育工作

人口问题，是经济社会可持续发展的首要问题。计划生育是我国的一项基本国策，在人口领域坚持科学发展观，对社会进步、经济发展有着十分重要的作用。文章对如何运用科学发展观开展企业计划生育工作进行了分析阐述。     

Corporate Environmental and Economic Performance of Japanese Manufacturing Firms: Empirical Study for Sustainable Development

This study examines the relationship between environmental performance and economic performance in Japanese manufacturing firms. The environmental performance indicators include CO₂ emissions and the aggregate toxic risk associated with chemical emissions relative to sales. Return on assets (ROA) is used as an indicator of economic performance. We demonstrate that there is a significant inverted U‐shaped relationship between ROA and environmental performance calculated by aggregated toxic risk. We also find that the environmental performance increases ROA through both returns on sales and improved capital turnover. However, we observe a significant positive relationship between financial performance and environmental performance based on CO₂ emissions. These findings may provide evidence for the consequences of firms' environmental behavior and sustainable development. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and ERP Environment.     

MODELING THE NEXUS BETWEEN SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT AND RENEWABLE ENERGY: THE AFRICAN PERSPECTIVES

Motivated by the gained momentum of the sustainable development goals (SDGs) under the umbrella of the United Nations organization, in the light of the SDG‐7, which stipulates the access to affordable, sustainable, and modern energy, this paper explores the dynamic relationship between renewable energy and the pillars of sustainable development. Its insights are driven using a simultaneous equation model based on a panel of 25 African economies covering the period 1990–2014. The results show that renewable energy is important for sustainable development and that higher levels of renewable energy can increase sustainability. The findings also confirm the positive influence of renewable energy on the economic, environmental, social, and institutional dimensions. These positive effects stem from investment in clean energy in the whole of Africa, combined with structural changes promoting the use of clean energy and the achievement of the millennium development goals. The findings should be useful for policymakers in Africa. Aggressive renewable energy policies will be crucial for achieving energy‐policy goals and the “multiple benefits” of renewable energy, such as reducing climate change and air pollution, improving energy security, and increasing access to energy.     

税收政策如何促进低碳经济发展

随着经济的迅猛发展,工业化建设步伐仍然占据着重要地位,随之而来的就会遇到环境污染、资源枯竭等问题。其中大气中二氧化碳浓度升高带来的全球变暖已成为国际社会关注的焦点。低碳经济是一种可持续的发展模式,是能达到碳排放量、生态环境代价以及社会经济成本共赢的一种经济发展模式。文章在剖析我国发展低碳经济现有税制存在的问题的基础上,结合实际状况,提出解决问题办法,充分发挥税收政策对促进低碳经济发展的重要作用。     

Choice Modelling Approaches: A Superior Alternative for Environmental Valuatioin?

In this paper, we examine some popular 'choice modelling' approaches to environmental valuation, which can be considered as alternatives to more familiar valuation techniques based on stated preferences such as the contingent valuation method. A number of choice modelling methods are consistent with consumer theory, and its focus on an attribute‐based theory of value permits a superior representation of many environmental management contexts. However, choice modelling surveys can place a severe cognitive burden upon respondents and induce satisficing rather than maximising behavioural patterns. In this framework, we seek to identify the best available choice modelling alternative and investigate its potential to 'solve' some of the major biases associated with standard contingent valuation. We then discuss its use in the light of policy appraisal needs within the EU. An application to the demand for rock climbing in Scotland is provided as an illustration.     

区域环保投资与经济可持续发展研究——基于我国区域面板数据比较分析

低碳环保下,环保投资对区域经济可持续发展影响存在差异。本文采用面板数据研究我国东中西部环保投资与经济可持续发展关系。研究结果表明,城市环境基础设施建设投资(CSHJ)是当前环保投资的关键,其在东中西部对经济增长影响度远大于工业污染源治理投资(GYWR)及新建项目"三同时"环保投资(XJXM);但是环保投资政策受到区域差异化影响而不同,在东部加强城市环境基础设施建设投资(CSHJ)和工业污染源治理投资(GYWR),其效果要好于中部,中部好于西部;在西部,要加强新建项目"三同时"环保投资(XJXM),其效果要好于中部,中部好于东部。因此,政府应实施区域差异化投资战略。