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Environmental efficiency improvement has played a crucial role in the theory and practice of stimulating clean production. This paper analyzes the interaction between environmental efficiency and output efficiency, particularly whether they reinforce each other or compete with each other, on the basis of a data set of 137 firms in the textile industry in China's Jiangsu Province. In the first stage, generalized data envelopment analysis is applied to calculate efficiency measures of energy, waste water, waste gas, soot, and output efficiency taking capital, labor, water, and energy as inputs, industrial output value as desirable output, and waste water discharges, waste gas and soot emissions as undesirable outputs. In the second stage analysis, a structural equation model with latent variables is applied to analyze the interaction between the latent variable environmental efficiency, measured by the four observed environmental indicators, and output efficiency, taking also into account the endogenous variable profit. The main outcomes of the structural equation model are the following. Firstly, environmental efficiency negatively impacts on profit while profit positively impacts on environmental efficiency. In a similar vein, output efficiency is found to depress profit while profit increases output efficiency. Thirdly, environmental efficiency has a positive impact on output efficiency while there is no effect of output efficiency on environmental efficiency. Fourthly, taxes impair a firm's output efficiency. From the findings it follows that a swap of general taxes for an energy tax is likely to improve both output efficiency and energy efficiency. The latter outcome implies a win–win situation which will facilitate the further implementation and adoption of environmental policy. Finally, the paper illustrates the applicability of structural equation modeling in efficiency analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Even enterprises with very advanced management systems seldom monitor efficiency of energy usage and materials flows within their processes and have, therefore, difficulty to effectively manage their resource efficiency. This paper is built upon experiences from a pilot implementation of a new tool for promotion of energy management and cleaner production, developed within the Energy Management and Performance Related Savings Scheme project to promote an effective energy management system in industrial enterprises. The combination of soft managerial approaches (Monitoring and Targeting technical services) with financing provided on a no cure, no pay basis provided by Energy Service Companies, is the foundation for this new tool for promotion of energy management and cleaner production on no cure, no pay basis. It enabled us to test the introduction of cleaner production projects with no technical or financial risks for enterprises or for the need of financing from the side of the enterprises. Consequently, it removed some of the important barriers for implementing cleaner production. This paper distinguishes between auditing and accounting approaches in the promotion of cleaner production and argues that auditing approaches are not sufficient for completion of the learning needed for integration of cleaner production into the practice of an enterprise. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Literature reviewed suggests energy maturity models are in their infancy in the energy management sector, with little practical guidance for their implementation in multi-site organisations. In addressing this gap, this paper presents the development and implementation of an Energy Management Maturity Model for multi-site industrial organisations with a global presence, considered as a fundamental step towards continuous improvement and optimal energy efficiency. The developed maturity model provides a global view of the overall network readiness for engaging in energy efficiency by adapting and enhancing existing ‘site focused’ maturity models to cater for a multi-site industrial organisation. The model enables two-way communication between global and local energy management teams; not only are the individual sites benchmarked but the global energy management team receives feedback and a gap analysis on their performance from the network of sites perspective. The evaluation framework created around the maturity model supports automated prioritization of elements with larger deviations from the site and network median score. In parallel it provides the global energy management team with direction on where the organisation needs to focus central efforts to support the individual sites. The maturity model enables the evaluation of key non-technical aspects of energy management required for continuous improvement on a multi-site and global scale. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper deals with possibilities of targeting energy efficiency potentials in German companies by delivering information and support within a cooperative management system “Learning Energy Efficiency Networks” (LEEN). Information deficits are pointed out as a relevant barrier to implementing energy efficiency measures in literature that can be aimed at by energy programmes such as audits. Our concept combines aspects of cooperation, shared experiences and moderated learning processes. The programme sought to go beyond the sole provision of consultation, by qualifying companies to decide and act on implementing energy efficiency measures by delivering the individual practical know-how they need. After having analysed evaluation data of several hundred companies, our results show that the participants were mainly motivated by the need for practical knowledge and specific information. The networks could well satisfy this need. The benefit for the participants in such delivered information was also reflected in the decreasing of the barrier of imperfect information and the programme enabled companies to make informed decisions on energy efficiency measures. But the gain of the programme was not solely restricted on an increase in knowledge: The majority of participants reported implementation of suggested measures, which would not have been implemented without the programme. Hence, LEEN can be indicated as a policy instrument enabling informed decisions on efficiency measures and supporting their implementation. Possibly tailoring the programme to different target groups and aiming at dismantling other barriers directly in addition to tackling information deficits could be undertaken to improve the process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nowadays, industrial enterprises are facing up to new challenges to well optimize their performances, with regards not only to conventional performances (e.g. reliability or productivity) but also to emerging ones as those related to sustainability issues. Indeed, sustainability indicators have to be considered now in the decision-making process of the plant to better control and maintain it to be consistent with Green Production requirements. In that way, indicators such as Energy Efficiency or Energy Consumption are promoted for the impact they have on these requirements in a Life Cycle Cost vision. Thus the core idea defended in this paper is addressing the necessary evolution of conventional maintenance decision-making process in industry for considering the energy efficiency indicator. To support the idea, the first objective is to define the concept of energy efficiency indicator which materializes the energy efficiency performance at a specific time. The definition is done for different abstraction levels such as component, function, system which are subjected to time-dependent degradation behaviors. So, the energy efficiency indicator concept is expressed as the amount of energy consumed per unit of useful output, which has to be seen as a sustainable performance measure of industrial system. Then a mathematical formulation is proposed to calculate energy efficiency indicator at any time of the performance by considering dependent factors (static and dynamic ones) impacting inputs and outputs of the system. The second objective is to propose a new concept named REEL (Remaining energy-efficient lifetime) for tracking the energy efficiency performance evolution. The REEL is defined by the time left before the system loses its energy efficiency property considered as a specific EEI value (EEI threshold) not to be exceeded. This specific value is technically and/or economically fixed in advance, given the current condition, past and future operation profiles. The REEL could be used as an appropriate indicator for maintenance decision-making process in a proactive vision. The third objective is to formalize a generic approach in the way assess the REEL value. The assessment requires to forecast the evolution of energy efficiency indicator (whatever the abstraction level is) by taking into account the static and dynamic factors. Finally, the feasibility and added value of our proposals are illustrated on a manufacturing platform named TELMA (TELeMAintenance). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For economic activities, energy is a necessary component of production. As the world's largest energy consumer and carbon emitter, China faces greater resource constraints and environmental pressure in the background of global climate change, improving energy efficiency is the inevitable path for long-term development. However, the energy efficiency in China at this stage is relatively low, thus improving energy efficiency is urgent. Based on the panel data from the database of Chinese industrial enterprises and the database of Chinese industrial enterprises' pollutant emissions between 2003 and 2012, this paper empirically conducts a thorough investigation on the nonlinear impact of spatial agglomeration and enterprises' energy efficiency, and further examine its heterogeneity and mechanisms. The results show that: (1) There is a significant U-shaped link between spatial agglomeration and enterprises' energy efficiency. (2) Based on agglomeration externalities, scale effect, learning effect, competition effect, and policy effect are the internal mechanisms through which spatial agglomeration impacts on enterprises' energy efficiency. (3) The effects of spatial agglomeration on enterprises' energy efficiency are influenced by technology level, energy consumption level, agglomeration patterns, and enterprise characteristics. Based on the empirical findings, we suggest that enterprises take full advantage of the benefits brought by spatial agglomeration, and that the government encourage the growth period of spatial agglomeration to become more profound, more synergetic, and more diverse. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For economic activities, energy is a necessary component of production. As the world's largest energy consumer and carbon emitter, China faces greater resource constraints and environmental pressure in the background of global climate change, improving energy efficiency is the inevitable path for long-term development. However, the energy efficiency in China at this stage is relatively low, thus improving energy efficiency is urgent. Based on the panel data from the database of Chinese industrial enterprises and the database of Chinese industrial enterprises' pollutant emissions between 2003 and 2012, this paper empirically conducts a thorough investigation on the nonlinear impact of spatial agglomeration and enterprises' energy efficiency, and further examine its heterogeneity and mechanisms. The results show that: (1) There is a significant U-shaped link between spatial agglomeration and enterprises' energy efficiency. (2) Based on agglomeration externalities, scale effect, learning effect, competition effect, and policy effect are the internal mechanisms through which spatial agglomeration impacts on enterprises' energy efficiency. (3) The effects of spatial agglomeration on enterprises' energy efficiency are influenced by technology level, energy consumption level, agglomeration patterns, and enterprise characteristics. Based on the empirical findings, we suggest that enterprises take full advantage of the benefits brought by spatial agglomeration, and that the government encourage the growth period of spatial agglomeration to become more profound, more synergetic, and more diverse. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The cement industry is one of the most important industries worldwide and the world cement production is projected to grow by 0.8–1.2% per year, reaching between 3700 and 4400 megatonnes in 2050. This industry is facing important challenges in the context of restrained use of raw materials and need of optimization of energy consumption. The aim of this paper is to assess environmental impacts of using wastes as a partial replacement of fossil fuels in a representative cement plant in Southern Europe. Refuse derived fuel and scrap tires were employed as alternative fuels. The environmental profile of the cement manufacturing was presented through a cradle-to-gate life cycle assessment approach based on primary data collected in the plant. The functional unit was 1 tonne of ordinary Portland cement and the impact assessment was based on indicators that comply with the ISO 14040. The impact categories studied were abiotic depletion, acidification, eutrophication, photochemical oxidant formation and global warming. The processes that most contributed to these impact categories were the atmospheric emissions in the kiln, the consumption of fossil fuels, and the consumption of electricity in the mills. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: This paper analyzes financial, informational and organizational barriers to energy efficiency investments for small-and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in China. Its findings are based on a survey of 480 SMEs in Zhejiang province, and complemented by semi-structured interviews with enterprises contained in the survey sample. Responses reveal that only a minority of SMEs in China actively perform energy saving activities at a significant level. The survey data suggest, further, that informational barriers are the core bottleneck inhibiting energy efficiency improvements in China's SME sector. Financial and organizational barriers also influence a company's energy saving activities, with interview-based evidence stronger than statistical evidence. The interviews point out three additional barriers to energy saving activities: the role of family ownership structures, lax enforcement of government regulations and the absence of government support as well as a lack of skilled labor. More than 40% of enterprises in the sample declared themselves unaware of energy saving equipment or practices in their respective business area, indicating that there are high transaction costs for SMEs to gather, assess, and apply information about energy saving potentials and relevant technologies. One policy implication of the study is that the Chinese government could play a more active role in fostering the dissemination of energy-efficiency related information in the SME sector. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Independent third party certification has been proposed as a governance mechanism to control for unobservable practices of firms, such as green practices. Although showing some promise, it has been also argued that the challenge of independent third party certification is to force firms to embrace certifications in substance (hence to internalize the certifications in daily practice) not only to adopt certifications in a symbolic manner. This paper investigates whether the pressure from secondary stakeholders can assist with this challenge. We study this problem in the context of ISO 14001 certification. Based on a study of a sample of 328 Australian and New Zealand firms, we found that ISO 14001 certificate is being accepted by secondary stakeholders as a sufficient signal of firms' environmental efforts. In other words, firms, which experience pressure from secondary stakeholders to adopt the standard, find reputational benefits from the mere fact that they are certified. At the same time, the study also shows that the pressure from secondary stakeholders is not contributing to the internalization of ISO 14001. Firms do not put extra effort into the management of their environmental systems just because they experience stakeholders' pressure to get certified. In line with the findings from other studies, we found that firms that internalize ISO 14001 do also report environmental benefits such as reduced pollution or reduced energy consumption yet the pressure from secondary stakeholders is not contributing to such improvements. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

In order to keep pace with the global trend of controlled and proper energy usage, the Korean government has enforced its energy-related regulations. However, the firms under these regulations are of the view that this approach may threaten their financial performance. In response to the growing interest of industry in Korea, this paper investigates whether energy efficiency has a positive relationship with firms' financial performance. For the purpose of accommodating various factors for measuring energy efficiency, we extended an existing two-stage network DEA (Data Envelopment Analysis) model that distinguished pure-energy efficiency and economy efficiency by developing a multi-period model with the aim to identify any change in efficiency during each period. An empirical analysis on Korean firms reveals interesting findings; First, while it is true that energy efficiency has changed over time, there is a difference in the magnitude of changes by industry. Firms in more energy-intensive industry have experienced more changes in their energy efficiency performance. Second, it is impossible to improve both categories of efficiency (i.e., pure-energy and economic efficiencies) at the same time. Thus, a firm should understand its current position in order to determine the extent and direction of efficiency improvements. Third, the energy efficiency has been found to have a significant relationship with financial performance. However, firms whose pure-energy efficiency was found to be relatively high did not always achieve better financial performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]