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China has become the world largest paper and paperboard producer. However, pulp and paper industry has involved high resource consumption and severe pollution especially for water. This research has assessed the eco-efficiency of China's pulp and paper industry at the national level and provincial level. An overview regarding the cleaner production of China's pulp and paper industry was presented to reveal the measures for reducing environmental impact in the last two decades. Slacks-based measure was used to analyze the efficiency levels of 16 provinces' pulp and paper industries. To uncover the underlying causes of eco-efficiency performance, Malmquist–Luenberger index was calculated to discover the drivers of productivity growth of pulp and paper industries. Our results showed that the pollution treatment of China's pulp and paper industry has made progress in terms of water consumption and water pollution, although the absolute amount of pollution discharge is still large. Chemical oxygen demand emissions are still the first critical influencing factor of pulp and paper industry's inefficiency. Furthermore, efficiency progress was the dominating contribution of the industry's productivity growth between 2010 and 2013. The policies for adjusting the industrial structure of pulp and paper industry have resulted in the scale effects through eliminating backward production capacity and accelerating merger and acquisitions. Moreover, the productivity of pulp and paper industry was underestimated when the undesirable outputs were ignored. It indicates that the stricter environmental regulations have positive effects on paper companies to internalize environmental pressures in the production activities through environmental management. In the future, pulp and paper companies should further internalize the cost of pollution treatment through scale effects and technology improvement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: There has been much debate on the topic of whether stricter environmental regulations can promote environmental performance and economic performance at the same time. Different researchers have used different indicators to measure environmental performance and economic performance in their empirical studies. However, it is a surprise that few studies have checked the relationship between environmental regulation and eco-efficiency, as the latter is widely regarded as a quite powerful tool of considering ecology and economy together. In this study the background is the implementation in 2003 of the Stricter Discharge Standard (SDS) in Shandong Province’s Pulp and Paper Industry (SPPI), compared to the national standards of China. The stricter regulations were intended to promote corporate change from passive management to active control and from end-of-pipe treatment to cleaner production. This study investigated the eco-efficiency trends of SPPI from 2001 to 2008 in three fields: water efficiency, energy efficiency and environment efficiency. A “de-linking” and “re-linking” tool was used to attain a further evaluation. The study showed that with the implementation of stricter regulation most of the efficiency indicators (except CO2 emission and energy consumption) had achieved significant improvements, and the overall environmental performance trends of SPPI showed it to be more sustainable. However, the study also found that it was not enough to address a single indicator in the environmental regulation of the pulp and paper industry. More holistic eco-efficiency indicators need to be further considered and introduced to the industry as the next step to create true sustainable development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The transition to a circular economy can be undermined by rebound effects, which could mean secondary production does not fully displace virgin raw materials. So called 'circular economy rebound' is under examined in the academic literature and thus requires greater attention if it is to be successfully estimated and mitigated by decision and policy makers. Accordingly, this paper undertakes a systematic review of the methods that have been deployed to measure rebound effects of all types and identifies those quantitative tools that have yet to be utilised in the nascent area of circular economy rebound but which could have application in this context. In so doing, the paper also reflects on the data needs of different methods, as well as the magnitude of the different rebounds identified and potential mitigating strategies. Findings suggest clear research gaps within the rebound literature and identify areas in which estimation of the circular economy rebound specifically could benefit from this wider body of work on rebound assessment. • Circular economy rebound is underexamined in the academic literature. • A review of applied methods for estimating rebound effects is conducted. • Methods that could be used to estimate circular economy rebound are identified. • Data needs, rebound effect sizes and mitigation options are discussed/classified. • Major gaps in the rebound effect literature are synthesised in a research agenda. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper presents a set of situations regarding eco-efficiency. It is built on both environmental and economic performances. Those performances are computed respectively from LCA and from WLC. The present eco-efficiency procedure considers both matrix and ratio methods. This paper investigates different alternatives for refurbishment insulation of a single-family house located in the North of France. The analyzed refurbishment scenarios consider different insulating materials: standard glass wool, hemp concrete, cellulose fiber, expanded polystyrene (EPS), extruded polystyrene (XPS), and rigid foam polyurethane. The different alternatives are compared using the eco-efficiency procedure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Modular design which enables exchange or upgrade of only failed components or components with insufficient performance, is a traditional idea to increase eco-efficiency of products and to enhance sustainability of production. Although some products are moving towards the opposite strategy to enclose all the product lifecycle and exclude the possibility of repair and upgrade id individual users, some product concepts are still alive and making efforts to realize the modular concepts. This paper focuses on a such modular design concept of smartphones and proposes a eco-efficiency index that considers users preference on the upgradability of functions and environmental impact of upgradable components which correspond to the functions. Through this effort, the paper clarified which of the smartphone components are suitable for parts exchange and upgrade, in the aspect of eco-efficiency. Finally, the paper concluded that the proposed index is helpful in determining suitable modular design concepts of products. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights • An energy saving and emission reduction policy is analyzed in this paper. • This policy has a significant and positive effect on sustainable development. • Policy effect emerges three years later after the implementation of this policy. • Long-term mechanism for energy saving and emissions reduction should be established. Abstract " National Comprehensive Demonstration of Energy Saving and Emission Reduction Fiscal Policy" (ESER policy) is an important measure for urban pollution control and energy conservation in China. A reasonable evaluation of this policy can provide a reference to further promote energy saving and emissions reduction work. Using the panel data of 114 Chinese cities, this paper explores the effect of ESER policy on urban sustainable development. We first construct a sustainable indicator, which is defined as eco-efficiency, by using the non-directional distance function method. Then we evaluate the effect of ESER policy on eco-efficiency by adopting the Difference-in-differences method. The conclusions based on the findings include: (1) The eco-efficiency of Chinese cities has been effectively improved during the study period. (2) The baseline estimate reveals that the ESER policy has a positive and statistically significant effect on eco-efficiency, while the event study corroborates that ESER policy is ineffective in the short term, but the policy effect emerges three years later after the implementation of ESER policy. (3) A series of identification tests prove that the results are robust and credible. Our findings contribute to the understanding of energy saving and emissions reduction policies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It is possible to create value with less environmental impact through the adoption of Lean and Green manufacturing concepts and tools. This paper proposes a Lean-Green model based on the application of the Single Minute Exchange of Die (SMED) combined with Carbon Footprint (CF) to analyze eco-efficiency of a machining center in a case study in Brazil. The novelty of this paper was the proposal of a Lean-Green model based on ecoefficiency indicators to measure performance of production systems toward a cleaner production. The developed Lean-Green model should be used by companies with low-capacity of production due to restrictions of machine availability. The case study was organized in five different scenarios by varying machine tools, workers and workpieces. First, the SMED tool was applied in the setup activities and gains of reduced idle times were up to 88%. CF results were reduced up to 81% after applying the SMED tool on each scenario. Lastly, an eco-efficiency set of indicators were used to combine results of SMED and CF, and results of eco-efficiency were 3% higher even with higher CF values after converting setup saved time into productive time. To achieve such results simple improvements were performed in the machining center, through the standardization of work and the study of time and methods for setup activities, showing that the proposed Lean-Green model could be also adopted by other companies to create value with less impact. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Eco-efficiency is an important index to measure the degree of sustainable development, and is now attracting emerging attentions from both academia and industry. Based on previous data envelopment analysis (DEA) studies on environmental performance, this paper combines the big data environment, specific environmental issues in recent years, and related environmental policies. This study illustrates a more specific production process for pursuing higher environmental performance (it is not possible to further reduce undesired outputs by remodelling the process) and proposes a dynamic environmental performance evaluation model that considers the use of environmental inputs multiple times based on DEA. Our model can achieve dynamic and forward-looking evaluations of environmental performance in all stages based on real-time data that contains environmental protection inputs in sustainable cycles. Due to the dynamic and forward-looking results of the model evaluation, our model can also assist DMUs (decision-making units) in selecting schemes to enable them to have higher eco-efficiency from numerous schemes of environmental protection and achieve scientific decisions in the era of big data. This paper also demonstrates an illustration of real-world data of China's major coal-fired power plants. Besides quantitatively showing how the power plants to adjust their production plans and environment protection plans, the results imply that there exists a positive correlation between the redundant inputs and the scales as well. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Crop residues represent more than half of the world’s agricultural phytomass. Residual biomass, from agriculture or forestry, can be converted into synthesis gas (syngas) to generate energy (electrical or thermal) or chemicals. The paper uses eco-efficiency as a tool to compare these two options. A basis of 1000 kg/hour of residual pecan nut shell residue was considered to estimate the material flow of chemicals that can be produced, as well as the power that can be generated through residual biomass gasification. This study compares two alternate routes: (1) gasification with air, which renders a gas stream with hydrogen, carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, methane and other hydrocarbons, as well as nitrogen; and (2) gasification with steam, where a residual biomass amount is used as fuel, rendering a gas stream like the first route, but without nitrogen. The eco-efficiency index shows that a decrease of environmental influence leads to a high output material flow for the alternative process with higher economic values, thus a higher proportion of input raw materials can be transformed into chemical products. The paper highlights that eco-efficiency can be used as a decision-making tool to choose between transformation processes by combining scientific and technical issues with economic ones. This can help to move towards a better and more sustainable use of natural resources through the utilisation of residual biomass. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sustainability concerns have increasingly gained importance among organizations and their stakeholders around the world. In this context, eco-efficiency has become a consistent tool towards the transition to sustainable development and the efforts of eco-efficiency indicators have been used for comparative studies and decision-making tasks, providing better financial, environmental, and social performance. The aim of this paper is to provide a systematic literature review on the theme of sustainable development from the perspective of eco-efficiency, with the adaptation of the Knowledge Development Process intervention instrument - constructivist (ProKnow-C). The paper identifies and structures the state-of-the-art between Eco-Efficiency and Sustainable Development with a view to: (i) selecting a Bibliographic Portfolio (BP) that is aligned with the perception of the researchers on the theme; (ii) performing a bibliometric analysis of the selected BP; (iii) performing a thematic synthesis; (iv) finding the integration of eco-efficiency and sustainable development with other approaches; (v) proposing an innovative framework to achieve sustainable development through eco-efficiency indicators; and (vi) finding paths for further research. This research makes multiple new contributions, providing both academics and practitioners a better panorama to achieve sustainable development through eco-efficiency by expanding the literature review, highlighting the synergies and barriers between eco-efficiency and sustainable development and by comparing and analysing them, showing its relevant features. In addition, we synthesized the contributions of the BP according to the BASF indicators, sustainable dimensions and four measurement levels: industry, organization, project and process to better describe the current academic scenario on the subject. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper uses directional distance function DDF in order to analyze a group of environmental performance indicators (EPIs) in doing so, selecting desired and undesired inputs and outputs and taking as variables the analyze of glass, paper, cardboard, light packaging and other waste. In a second phase an analysis is generated with five socioeconomic factors (Built for this paper); population density, tourism, the economic activity of the municipality, the economic level per inhabitant and education. As a result, we are able to observe the influence and effects of ecoefficiency on urban waste management (EUWM) in 143 Spanish municipalities. The result panel data is generated via a “Tobit Model” regression analysis showing that tourism and education are the significant independent variables in model. The study shows that a local administration does not need to have a high economic level or be highly populated to reach a good level of eco-efficiency. It is not the money that causes a level of eco-efficiency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The typical membranes for building are polymer-based materials, which have origin from fossil fuel. Nevertheless, they are supposed to become very lightweight building components, compared with other typical ones, and, due to their lightness, involve fewer stiffening structural materials (bio-based or not) than other traditional massive components. The need of understanding their real potentials and limits in terms of eco-efficiency is declared. The paper presents the research results about the eco-efficiency principles in the field of membrane architecture, based on the application of Life Cycle Assessment methodology to membrane structures. The paper presents a systematic review of the state of the art, with the aim to demonstrate the advantages of the Life Cycle Design strategy answering to the environmental sustainability. A comparison matrix about existing environmental data on membranes (environmental impacts, EPD, Recycling and up-cycling processes) and the LCA studies are part of the shown research output. On the need of harmonization of the research about the availability of LCA data for membranes and on the basis of the collected information, a first set of eco-design principles for membranes structures is proposed. Concluding, the authors reveal the current gap between the research studies and the real praxis in architectural design referred to a specific context and envisage further improvements of the application of the eco-efficiency principles starting from the early design phases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper investigates the use of the eco-efficiency measurement. It also analyses whether environmental planning, business strategies, operational practices, environmental management system certification and environmental management accounting influence eco-efficiency. The five organisational factors express formal elements of the organisational structure. The research design consists of a mixed method approach with a set of information composed of a survey of 65 companies plus 14 interviews. The results show a poor use of eco-efficiency measurement and the positive influence of just environmental planning and environmental management accounting. What stands out is the urgency to encourage companies to have more articulated measurement and evaluation tools for analyse the interplay between environmental and economic performance (i.e. eco-efficiency). The paper extends empirical studies on environment-related management accounting tools. This study also underlines the importance of analysing the organisational dimension which is fundamental for promoting the integration of environmental issues into management control. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Eco-efficiency is becoming an increasingly important organisational performance measure. Currently manufacturers rely on reactive methods such as auditing for assessment. There are still significant theoretical and practical barriers including a lack of knowledge regarding data granularity, model results quality and split incentives between facilities and manufacturing asset management. The purpose of this paper is to show the application of an eco-efficiency modelling framework in the case of a furniture-manufacturing factory. The framework composes resource and production data. These are analysed with respect to three data granularity factors, asset subdivision, time-step, and resource magnitude. Modelling is used to represent asset eco-efficiency across available subdivisions using performance indicators. This paper contributes to industrial sustainability literature by applying a factory eco-efficiency modelling framework in a comparative study of the case company's cursory and detailed data. Facility, utility and manufacturing assets are modelled and analysed from logged data granularity factors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Organisations are exploring new sustainable business models to prepare for a fundamentally different operating environment. Eco-efficiency and eco-technology in eco-factories has been the actions taken by most firms. Beyond this the next steps appears to be the complete reconfiguration of the industrial system and business models. Organisations currently lack understanding of possible futures and where to focus efforts to inform planning. There is a need to develop the know-how to enable changes across the whole industrial system and to identify system-wide opportunities. This paper aims to rethink how manufacturing industry can perform sustainably in a changing world. The paper presents competencies needed to enable business to look beyond eco-efficiency to plan for a sustainable & resilient future. The results of exploratory case studies observed through document analysis and interviews provide insights on organisations transforming from eco-efficiency to eco-effective system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The move towards greener operations and products has forced companies to seek alternatives to balance efficiency gains and environmental friendliness in their operations and products. The exploration of the sequential or simultaneous deployment of lean and green initiatives is the results of this balancing action. However, the lean-green topic is relatively new, and it lacks of a clear and structured research definition. Thus, this paper's main contribution is the offering of a systematic review of the existing literature on lean and green, aimed at providing guidance on the topic, uncovering gaps and inconsistencies in the literature, and finding new paths for research. The paper identifies and structures, through a concept map, six main research streams that comprise both conceptual and empirical research conducted within the context of various organisational functions and industrial sectors. Important issues for future research are then suggested in the form of research questions. The paper's aim is to also contribute by stimulating scholars to further study this area in depth, which will lead to a better understanding of the compatibility and impact on organisational performance of lean and green initiatives. It also holds important implications for industrialists, who can develop a deeper and richer knowledge on lean and green to help them formulate more effective strategies for their deployment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In previous work, we presented a web-based graph database engine to enable companies to find pathways to convert their wastes to resource to enable industrial symbiosis (IS). In this paper, we extend the database to include water streams, and cost and carbon footprint (CFP) of pathways for waste-to-resource conversion. To support companies' decision making for waste-to-resource conversion pathways, we enhanced the database query processor based on a graph algorithm to identify eco-efficient pathways to convert waste to resource based on user's preference. We demonstrate the application of this methodology using a case study of wastewater to water resource. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Technology has an important role to play in the development of a sustainable society, and technical research is fundamental to ensure the advancement of technologies that is required to achieve the needed progress in eco-efficiency and social performance of future technologies. Sustainability contributions should thus be an important consideration in the development and assessment of technical research but how can we assess the sustainability implications of technical research projects? The paper presents a new methodology taking a life cycle perspective on the potential technological and societal changes resulting from research projects and assessing their sustainability implications against the United Nations' 17 sustainable development goals (SDGs). It provides information about both positive and negative contributions to the SDGs and support identification of improvement potentials as input to the research project. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Obtaining the most economic benefits while using the least resources and causing the least environmental damage is an urgent and key problem in achieving sustainable development. The concept of eco-efficiency provides a comprehensive perspective for observing and solving this problem. This paper proposes an extended data envelopment analysis model, named the WIN-US-SBM, as a comprehensive eco-efficiency evaluation method that can accommodate undesirable outputs, all the identification problems of decision-making units (DMUs), possible slacks of variables, and the problems of an insufficient number of available DMUs and intertemporal comparability. China's Western Taiwan Straits Economic Zone (WTS Economic Zone) is an important regional economic growth center. By applying WIN-US-SBM and ArcGIS software, we investigated data on the temporal and spatial evolution characteristics of eco-efficiency in the WTS Economic Zone for the years 2009–2016. Later, the global Malmquist–Luenberger index was used to decompose the sources of growth in eco-efficiency. Finally, the main driving factors of eco-efficiency were explored through a Tobit regression analysis. The empirical results show that: (1) The overall eco-efficiency of the WTS Economic Zone had greatly improved, increasing by 11.46% annually, and the cumulative growth rate of eco-efficiency was 110.84% from 2009 to 2016. (2) The eastern area had the highest average eco-efficiency, followed by the western area and the middle area in that order. Also, the growth rate of the middle area ranked first (16.68%), whereas the eastern area had the slowest growth in eco-efficiency (7.22%). (3) On the whole, the growth of eco-efficiency was driven mainly by technological progress and was restricted by the decrease in management level, which implies that policy makers should focus on improving management and technical levels. (4) High levels of economic development, population density, market openness, and industrial structure had positive effects on the eco-efficiency of the WTS Economic Zone, whereas energy intensity and expenditure on science and technology had negative impacts. • An extended DEA model is proposed to measure eco-efficiency more comprehensively. • The proposed model can be widely applied to input-output efficiency evaluations. • The eco-efficiency of the WTS Economic Zone was evaluated based on a novel model. • The growth of eco-efficiency was driven mainly by technological progress. • The eco-efficiency level is negatively related to energy intensity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Northeastern Thailand is an essential production area for high-quality fragrant rice for both domestic use and export. While rain-fed conditions still largely prevail, plans to extend irrigation are being drafted. This paper compares the advantages of rice production under irrigation and rain-fed conditions in both environmental and economic terms. Indicators of techno-economic performances were combined with environmental impact indicators based upon life cycle assessment, energy and water use analyses. Data were collected in 2010 at the farm level in 43 households of Lam Sieo Yai Basin in North-Eastern Thailand, according to 3 cropping systems, namely wet-season rain-fed (Rw), wet-season irrigated (Iw) and dry-season irrigated (Id) systems. Eco-efficiency indicators were calculated as per impact category. Wide-ranging techno-economic performances and environmental impacts were observed, while cropping practices were found to be homogeneous. Differentiation of systems originated mostly from differences in yield, which were mostly impacted by water supply. Yields vary from 2625 kg/ha in the Iw system to 2375 in the Rw system and 2188 in the Id system. The results highlight the low performances of Id systems in both techno-economic and environmental terms. Id systems require mostly blue water, while the two other systems rely primarily on green water. Id systems also require more energy and labour, due to increased water management needs. Overall, the productivity of most production factors was found to be higher in Rw and Iw systems; this results in return on investment being slightly higher in the Iw system compared to the Rw system (0.12 kg/THB and 0.11 kg/THB, respectively) and is lowest in the Id system (0.1 kg/THB) where THB is Thai baht, currency of Thailand. In Id systems, farmers need to produce twice as much rice (0.41 kg) to obtain 1 THB of net income, compared to 0.23 and 0.25 kg for Iw and Rw respectively. Emissions proved relatively similar across all 3 systems, with the exception of CH4, which was markedly lower in Rw systems due to specific water and organic residue management. Id systems systematically emitted more nitrates, phosphates and pesticides into water sources. Rw systems showed the lowest environmental impacts per ha and per kg of paddy rice produced. GWP100 was higher in Id systems (5.55 kg CO2-eq per kg of rice) compared to Iw (4.87) and Rw (2.97). Finally, Rw systems were found to be more eco-efficient in most impact categories, including Global Warming Potential. The total value product per kg of CO2-eq emitted is 4, 2.5 and 2.2 THB in Rw, Iw, and Id systems respectively. This paper further discusses the results in view of contrasting perspectives, including societal objectives, farmer income and environmental integrity, and possible irrigation development in Northeastern Thailand. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

In two papers, the concept and the performances of a new continuous intensified reactor named RAPTOR® (French acronym for Reactor with Polyvalent Rectilinear Stirred Reactor with Optimised Transfer) are presented. Based on flow, heat and mass transfer characterisations and real hydrogenation experiments, Paper I presented a simple analytical model based on characteristic times that enables to explain the intensified performances compared with a semi-batch stirred reactor and to generalise the operability, rapidity and the flexibility of this minireactor. In Paper II (this article), the model is used to evaluate in a comparative study the eco-efficiency and the techno-economical advantages of a continuous process involving a RAPTOR® versus a classical batch process equipped with a stirred reactor. Economical, environmental aspects are considered as well as productivity, safety and process control. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: It is widely acknowledged that China’s economic miracle has been achieved at the expense of its natural capital and environment. In order to deal with this problem, the circular economy (CE) has been chosen as a national policy for sustainable development. National laws and regulations have been enacted to facilitate the implementation of CE and national CE demonstration projects have been initiated such that national benchmarking activities could be completed. China is the first country to release nationally focused CE indicators so that objective and credible information on the status of CE implementation can be recognized. These CE indicators are valuable metrics for policy and decision-makers and can help achieve CE goals and outcomes. This unique indicator system has not been communicated to international communities. This paper aims to more broadly introduce this unique national CE indicator system. China’s CE efforts are first detailed with various provisions of the national indicator system. A critical analysis of such an indicator system is presented. We show that certain benefits can be gained, but substantive revision is also needed due to the lack of a comprehensive set of sustainability indicators which should include social, business indicators, urban/industrial symbiosis, absolute material/energy reduction, and prevention-oriented indicators. Concerns related to barriers on implementation are also presented in this paper. The knowledge gained from Chinese efforts on CE indicators are valuable to both developed and developing nations seeking to implement sustainable development measures within their regulatory policies. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Food production and transformation have an increasing impact on the environment. Tools to help the agri-food industry improving its environmental performance whilst increasing the value of the products are highly needed. The present study proposes a new approach to calculate eco-efficiency that goes beyond the production costs, but accounts for the functional value of the foodstuff. Instead of using the monetary unit as the product value, we propose value-based metrics closer to consumer interests, such as content of functional nutrients, taste and abatement of harmful substances. The approach was applied to evaluate the eco-efficiency of de-acidified cranberry juice by two alternative technologies in Quebec: ion-exchange resin process and de-acidification by electrodialysis with a bipolar membrane. Both are compared to non-de-acidified cranberry juice. The parameters chosen to quantify cranberry juice are polyphenol content, product taste, and percentage of harmful acid removed. Results show ion-exchange resin de-acidified juice is less eco-efficient than non-de-acidified cranberry juice for polyphenol content and product taste indicator but shows better results for the removed harmful acid parameter. The electrodialysis with a bipolar membrane technology allows the extraction of organic acids in a usable form. We evaluated their re-utilization in four different contexts showing that this context choice might have a key impact on the eco-efficiency conclusion. The most eco-efficient scenario is the utilization of the removed acid in dried cranberry production with the addition of sugar beet. By using an approach closer to consumers' interests, eco-efficiency results can be more relevant for decision making in the context of cleaner production, particularly when the monetary value is not reliable. • This paper compares two deacidification processes for cranberry juice production. • Environmental performances are evaluated with life cycle assessment analysis. • Functional value is assessed in terms of taste, organic acid, polyphenol content. • The electrodialysis process is more eco-efficient compared to the resin process. • Using functional value allows overcoming the shortcomings of the cost analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It is important to investigate the sustainability nexus using composite ecological efficiency (eco-efficiency) indicators from quantitative and computational modeling perspectives. To provide a more comprehensive measure of eco-efficiency, this paper develops three data envelopment analysis (DEA) models incorporating metafrontier and undesirable outputs into a slacks-based measure (SBM), an epsilon-based measure (EBM), and minimum distance to weak efficient frontier (MinDW), respectively, named Meta-U-SBM, Meta-U-EBM, and Meta-U-MinDW. We show theoretically: if a decision-making unit (DMU) is being Meta-U-SBM-efficient, it is also being Meta-U-EBM-efficient and Meta-U-MinDW-efficient, and vice versa. For each DMU, its score measured by Meta-U-MinDW is the highest, while its score measured by Meta-U-SBM is the lowest. Using the proposed models, we make a first empirical attempt at measuring the eco-efficiency of the Key Environmental Protection prefecture-level cities in China from 2003 to 2015. The results show that: (1) the eco-efficiency of eastern cities performs the best, followed by central cities and western cities. Cities not listed as resource-based (RB) outperform RB cities; (2) eastern cities are closer to metafrontier than central and western cities; and (3) efficiency change and technological progress dominate the basic trend of the eco-efficiency growth. Results derived from the proposed methodologies can help managers and policymakers in the city to assess sustainability development quantitatively and comprehensively, they can also provide implications for the environmental management of sustainability development at city level. Policy implementations are presented based on the empirical results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Eco-efficiency can be defined as an aspect of sustainability relating the environmental performance of a product system to its value, within Life Cycle Thinking perspective, as proposed by ISO 14045:2012. This international standard deals with the quantitative management tool called eco-efficiency assessment, in which environmental impacts under the Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) perspective (as prescribed by other International Standards ISO 14040, ISO 14044), and the value of the product system are both assessed. In this sense, value can be understood as the worth or desirability ascribed to a product system and may encompass different aspects including, among others, the functionality of the product system. However, the vast majority of publications found in the literature describe the relation observed between environmental aspects and economic ones. With the perspective of encouraging a broader framework in eco-efficiency assessment, this article aims at proposing to research and development areas the combined use of technical and environmental information derived from the early stages of development of new products and/or processes. In this paper, the relevance of evaluating the combination of technical properties and environmental aspects related to the development of distinct formulations of a Poly (lactic acid) (PLA)-Starch-Cotton composite with high natural cotton fiber content, under the eco-efficiency perspective is emphasized. Those composites in which natural cotton fibers were used as fillers exhibited a reduced environmental impact in comparison to exclusively PLA or PLA/Thermoplastic Starch (TPS) based thermoplastics. Moreover, higher contents of natural cotton fibers led to a better overall performance, under the point of view of eco-efficiency. Graphical abstract Image 10472 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract In recent years, the search for innovative pathways towards sustainability has been brought to the forefront of international agenda settings. While international organisations and institutions, such as the United Nations and the European Union (EU), mobilised around the grand challenge of sustainability, on both a local and a global scale, eco-innovation as a key concept (or buzzword) started emerging and consolidating in policy documents and funding schemes. By focusing on the European context, this paper aims to explore how the discourse of eco-innovation has been framed by the EU research funding programmes Horizon 2020 since the introduction of the 2011 Eco-Innovation Action Plan. The review was conducted by using content analysis methods designed to disclose the framing of eco-innovation in the EU programmes. The article presents three main findings: the eco-innovation discourse in the EU programmes has mostly become constructed around the notion of eco-efficiency; eco-innovation is overwhelmingly framed as a dialectic between the state vs private actors whereas stakeholders in the third sector such as cooperatives, non-governmental organisations, social enterprises, and community-based initiatives are largely neglected; eco-innovation as a buzzword has been losing relevance through the years in favour of the new rising discourse of the 'circular economy'. The article concludes by suggesting that the construction of a new discourse on circular economy may provide opportunities to embrace more eco-centric and inclusive approaches to economics, towards stronger sustainability and the more systematic inclusion of not-for-profit organisations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract The use of friction drilling technique for hole making in tube dual phase steels was presented in this paper as an alternative to conventional drilling techniques. Due to the higher environmental consciousness growing up in the last years in different industrial environments, the feasibility of the proposed alternative must be analyzed taking into account both, technical and environmental aspects. In order to perform a complete environmental approach for conventional drilling, different lubri-cooling technologies were tested: dry drilling, wet drilling and minimum quantity of lubrication (MQL) drilling using high-oleic sunflower oil. From the technical point of view, results show that using friction drilling, the surface quality obtained was more appropriate. The deformed material provides a perfect base for future threading or joining operations and, moreover, the thermal affected layer observed in micrographies provides a 20 μm hardened layer which reduce surface wear and damages, improving hole zone life. From the environmental point of view, a life cycle assessment (LCA) was carried out for both drilling techniques and different lubricooling environments. Results show that friction drilling presents an ecologic improvement, obtaining a notable reduction in all impact categories. Analyzing both points of view, friction drilling is presented as a solution that improves current drilling processes of metal sheets. Highlights • Friction drilling is presented as a new technology to drilling tubes without cutting fluids. • A technical comparison with conventional drilling shows the suitability of friction drilling. • The LCA performed shows the eco-efficiency benefits of the proposed solution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Sustainability concerns emphasise the importance of identifying eco-efficient supply chain configurations which balance economic and environmental chain objectives. The applied modelling approaches for this purpose often assume the availability of raw materials and full coordination within the supply chain studied. Some or all actors in the chain can however pursue individual objectives, making the obtained solutions unfeasible in practice. Economic incentives support aligning the objectives of the different supply chain actors. This paper explores the design of eco-efficient biomass supply chains and economic gain allocation between the supply chain partners. A case study is developed for the sugar beet processing chain in the Netherlands, in which farmers can also choose to produce other competing crops. We observe that higher yields often lead to lower carbon emissions per ton of produce. Hence, eco-efficient solutions are found to have production and processing locations in the most productive regions. Additionally, margin sharing above the minimum sugar beet price is necessary to ensure the production of the desired quantity of sugar beet. Realistic sugar beet prices are determined using a Shapley-value approach, leading to a fair distribution of margin among the farmers and processor in the supply chain. Highlights • We design eco-efficient biomass supply chains using multi-actor optimisation models. • Competing crops, production dependent prices, and regional features are considered. • We use the sugar beet processing chain in the Netherlands as an example. • Fair distribution of benefits is needed to make optimal designs attractive. • Locating refineries in regions with productive soils leads to eco-efficient chain designs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Improving the eco-efficiency of the circular economy system in mining areas has been recognized as the most effective way to reduce the greenhouse effect and achieve sustainable development. Based on the emergy theory and on data envelopment analysis (DEA), this paper adopts the SBM-Undesirable model to evaluate the eco-efficiency of the circular economy system in China's largest coal mining area, Shanxi Province, during the period 2006–2015. Emergy flow indices are treated as input and output indices. Eco-efficiency is factorized into economic efficiency and environmental efficiency. The potential for improvement of the circular economy system is analyzed based on input redundancy and output deficiency. The results for the period 2006–2015 indicate the following: (1) both the input and the output of the circular system increase during this period; (2) the increased input relies on mostly imported emergy, and the increase in waste emergy is lower than the exported emergy; (3) eco-efficiency is invalid except for 2011 and 2012 and exhibits a decreasing trend beginning in 2013; (4) environmental efficiency is invalid over the entire period, and the eco-efficiency level is positively related to the economic efficiency score; and (5) the circular economy system has a larger energy saving space, and the key to achieving sustainability of the circular economy system is output growth. Highlights • We assess the circular economy system eco-efficiency of coal mining in China using emergy and DEA. • We decompose eco-efficiency as economic efficiency and environmental efficiency. • The circular economy system is an energy-intensive system with high input and output. • The eco-efficiency level is positively related to economic efficiency. • The circular economy system has huge potential to save energy and reduce emissions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Emergy theory has its unique advantage in the research of regional economic system''s ecological efficiency. Namely, it can integrate ecological system and social economic system into one body so as to conduct unified statistical measurement and analysis on the real value of natural environment and human kind''s production activities, and therefore overcoming the shortcoming of only focusing on economic analysis. Based on the reference of previous researchers’ research literatures , this paper utilizes the relevent economic, social and environment statistics of Hunan province''s Agro-ecological system for the year of 2008, and carries out the computation and data processing of the input and output emergy for this system. And in the meantime, the authors also have analyzed the current situation of the input-output structure , the system''s load capacity , and the system''s operation efficiency among with other problems. This paper intents to lay a solid foundation for the future further research on the sustainable development of Hunan province''s Agro-ecological system. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Eco-efficiency links economic efficiency with environmental efficiency. The main purpose of the concept is to identify and implement activities to enable production that is both economically more efficient and cleaner. This means that parameters with a high indicative value have to be used. Since both the environmental and the economic performance of industries must be described concurrently, environmental intensity appears to be a good indicator of eco-efficiency. Environmental intensity is environmental impact per unit of economic performance. In this paper, the environmental impact of industry classes is derived from emission data, released by the European Pollutant Emission Register (EPER), and then aggregated and assessed using Eco-Indicator 99, a single-score life-cycle impact assessment (LCIA) method. The calculated ratio is thus an accurate description of the environmental–economic state of industry classes. The main advantage of this approach is the underlying consistent statistical framework, that permits, on a disaggregated level, economic data to be correlated with ecological data and to be frequently updated. This single indicator facilitates a comparison of environmental intensity of different industry classes. The paper shows that it is possible to deduce a disaggregated eco-efficiency indicator, which is exemplified using German data, however could be analysed for different European countries. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract With increasing growth of electricity consumption in developed and developing countries, the necessity of constructing and developing of power plants is inevitable. There are two main resources for electricity generation includes fossil and renewable energies which have some different characteristics such as manufacturing technology, environmental issues, accessibility and etc. In developing plans, it is important to consider and address the policy makers' indicators such as environmental, social, economic and technical criteria. In this paper, an integrated multi response Taguchi-neural network-fuzzy best-worst method (FBWM) -TOPSIS approach is applied to find an optimal level of five different power plants including: gas, steam, combined cycle, wind and hydroelectric. Taguchi method is used to design combinations and calculate some of the signal to noise (S/N) ratios. Then, neural network is applied to estimate the rest of S/N ratios. Finally, FBWM and TOPSIS methods are used for weighing sub-indicators and selecting the best combination, respectively. To illustrate the usefulness of the proposed approach, a case study on the development of power plants in Iran is considered and the results are discussed. According to the results, in general, small size power plants for fossil resources are preferable. In contrast, medium and larger size power plants for renewable resources are preferable. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Environmental problems are increasingly impacting society and nature. For this reason, companies are expected to become aware of the importance of seeking strategies and measures to mitigate and prevent environmental impacts. The growing concern about the availability of natural resources for future generations and their survival has been the premise for decision making in the industrial sector to improve the quality of life and preserve the environment. In this domain, important concepts such as sustainable development and eco-efficiency have been developed. They represent the trend to achieve a balanced use of resources and a reduction of environmental pollution by preventing waste and establishing economic returns. The aim of this paper is to present a conceptual framework for evaluating the eco-efficiency of small and medium-sized enterprise (SMEs) through four main factors: analysis, identification and evaluation, integration, and an action plan. As a result of the analysis, sustainability strategies are proposed to decrease the negative impact and increase the cost-effectiveness and the competitiveness of the SMEs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract This paper develops a new paradigm to analyze the eco-efficiency of Yangtze River Economic Belt (YREB) in China and makes a first empirical attempt at examining whether the eco-efficiency in urban agglomerations (UA-s) outperform Non-urban agglomerations (Non-UA-s), or driving the Non-UA-s in promoting eco-efficiency using a dataset of 108 prefectural-level cities during 2003–2014. The main findings are as follows. First, the eco-efficiency of YREB gradually increases during the study period. Cities in UA-s with higher eco-efficiency experience an increasing spatial agglomeration while those in Non-UA-s show a slight downward shift. Second, in terms of eco-efficiency, both statistical test and econometrical test confirm that cities in UA-s outperform those in Non-UA-s. Third, the global and club convergence of eco-efficiency in YREB is ascertained. Forth, the eco-efficiency of UA-s exerts backwash effects on those in Non-UA-s, along with decreasing the convergence speed of eco-efficiency. Special issues are briefly discussed, lastly. Highlights • A new analysis paradigm is developed to explore the YREB's eco-efficiency. • Temporal-spatial evolution and empirical tests are conducted, indicating a proof that eco-efficiency in urban agglomerations outperform that in Non-urban agglomerations. • Urban agglomerations have backwash effects and slight constraints to Non-urban agglomerations in terms of eco-efficiency. • Some special issues are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper studied agricultural eco-efficiency in the Amazon, using hyperbolic distance functions with a stochastic frontier based on the classical variables of the multi-product production function and internalization of two externalities (one positive and one negative). The study allowed the contrast among various specifications of production functions and estimation of the opportunity costs of externalities, marginal rates of substitution and transformation, as well as an index of environmental sustainability and its determinants. The main results of the study indicate that the opportunity cost of preserved areas is between US$ 82.39 and US$ 170.37 per ha/year, and it is possible to increase the desired outputs by 19.5%, simultaneously reducing the degraded areas and inputs by 16.36%, and this only referring to the best practices in the region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Industrial symbiosis encourages the establishment of a broad eco-industrial network so that more synergy opportunities can be identified. By linking municipal solid waste management (MSWM) with local industries, i.e., urban symbiosis, new symbiotic opportunities can be generated from the geographic proximity of urban and industrial areas, transferring physical resources from urban refuse directly to industrial applications and improving the overall eco-efficiency of the city as a whole. Using a case study of Kawasaki, this paper simulates and evaluates an innovative waste management initiative in Kawasaki by an scenario simulation model based on the LCA approach. Results show that recycling mixed paper, mixed plastics, and organic wastes and utilizing the recycled materials in industrial production will potentially reduce about 69 kt CO2(e) emissions and 8 kt incineration ashes to be landfilled in 2015. To achieve these outcomes, the total additional cost compared with the current practice is about 1.2 billion JPY. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Frontier-based models are an alternative to traditional eco-efficiency ratio indicators. This paper considers two different types, environmentally adjusted production efficiency models and frontier eco-efficiency models, and tries to find justification for incorporating the materials balance principle (MBP) in them. Similar importance is attached to the economic and environmental outcomes of a production process. Like economic outcomes can be derived from inputs and outputs and respective prices, some cases allow for deriving environmental outcomes from the production function with the MBP. After an overview of attempts to incorporate environmental issues in production efficiency models and some reflections why MBP has been neglected in environmental economics and production efficiency analysis, the paper gives basic principles to incorporate the MBP in conventional production efficiency methods and shows how this adjustment leads to a more diversified diagnosis of eco-efficiency. Finally, potentialities and bottlenecks are discussed. Exploiting the MBP in production efficiency and eco-efficiency analysis will facilitate more pro-active eco-efficiency research. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: This paper discusses the findings of a small scale research project which explored the possibility of adopting eco-design techniques. The paper focuses on identifying how eco-design techniques can be determined as being compatible with new product development processes. Via the development of a five stage ‘applicability framework’, this study demonstrates how a compatible suite of tools can be identified for application to product development processes. Testing and validation of this ‘applicability framework’, which was used to identify three key eco-design techniques; namely checklists, guidelines, and a material, energy and toxicity (MET) matrix, is shown to have taken place in relation to the development of a lightweight chemical detector product. It is established that checklists, guidelines and the MET matrix can be used both on a specific product, and also more generally in the design process. In particular, the MET matrix is shown as being used to successfully identify key environmental aspects of the product during its lifetime. The paper concludes by arguing that eco-design techniques may not have been more widely adopted by businesses because such methods are not necessarily generic and immediately applicable, but instead require some form of process-specific customisation prior to use, which can in turn act as a barrier to adoption. It is also highlighted that the shear diversity of pressures that come to bear during the product development process can also act as a barrier to adoption, and that the full integration of eco-design techniques will have to encompass approaches which overcome such pressures. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: This paper provides an introduction to the special issue of the Journal of Cleaner Production on “The Sustainability of Seafood Production and Consumption”. The purpose of the special issue is to bring together a series of papers that will form a nucleus for the growth of an emerging area of scholarship. Overfishing and marine habitat damage have generated a global crisis in the production of seafood. In order to respond to this crisis we need systems for the management of seafood production and consumption that will comprehensively reduce and eventually eliminate wastefulness in both capture fisheries and aquaculture systems. Thirteen papers address these issues, with focuses on: seafood harvesting practices, fish processing, life cycle assessment, eco-efficiency, management of wastes, seafood distribution and consumption, total energy costs, eco-labeling, and the conservation of resources and biodiversity. We conclude that major changes are required in our approaches to the management of both the marine environment and our seafood capture and production systems. We also conclude that steps have been taken in this direction, but there is still far to go. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Issues related to the unsustainable use of natural resources are currently high on the policy agenda both in Europe and in other world regions. A large number of studies assessed past developments of material use and resource productivities. However, little effort has so far been devoted to forecasting future patterns of natural resource use and to provide ex-ante assessments of environmental and economic effects of different resource policies. This paper presents results from the international research project “MOSUS” (Modelling opportunities and limits for restructuring Europe towards sustainability), which was designed to fill some of these research gaps. In this project, a global economy–energy model system was extended by a worldwide database on material inputs, in order to run three scenarios for European development up to the year 2020: a baseline scenario without additional policy intervention and two so-called “sustainability scenarios”, simulating the implementation of six packages of policy measures geared towards decoupling economic activity from material and energy throughput. These measures included, amongst others, taxes on CO2 emissions and transport, measures to increase metal recycling rates, and a consulting programme to raise material productivity of industrial production. This paper presents the evaluation of the three scenarios with regard to the extraction of natural resources on the European and global level. In the baseline scenario, used domestic extraction within the EU remains roughly constant until 2020, while unused domestic extraction decreases (particularly overburden from mining activities). The stabilisation of domestic extraction, however, is accompanied by growing imports of material intensive products. This indicates that the material requirements of the European economy will increasingly be met through imports from other world regions, causing shifts of environmental pressures related to material extraction and processing away from Europe towards resource-rich countries. The implementation of the six sustainability policy measures applied in the sustainability scenarios results in a slight absolute reduction of domestic extraction in all European countries and significantly increased resource productivities. The results suggest that policy instruments aimed at raising eco-efficiency on the micro level can be conducive to economic growth. To limit rebound effects on the macro level, these instruments must, however, be accompanied by other policies influencing the prices of energy and materials. With regard to global resource use trends, the baseline scenario forecasts a significant growth of resource extraction, particularly in developing countries, reflecting the growing demand for natural resources of emerging economies such as China and India. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Although it had been about 10 years since eco-efficiency and Factor X were proposed, these concepts were not actually utilized in companies. Accordingly, the author proposed eco-efficiency (Factor X) indicators and has actually utilized them since 2001 in companies, and has conducted many case studies of eco-efficiency and Factor X using these indicators. However, there remains an argument: the improvement of eco-efficiency (Factor X) is due to an improvement in functions and there is still a possibility that environmental impacts increase. So, this paper begins with a brief explanation of the proposed eco-efficiency (Factor X) indicators and the case studies. Next, eco-efficiency and ecodesign are discussed. This paper analyzes the relationship between functions and environmental impacts using results of quantitative evaluations and verifies the argument quantitatively. From this analysis result, the author found that most products improved the product''s functions while reducing environmental impacts. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: This paper explores the links between environmental management accounting and measures of eco-efficiency in Japanese business. Environmental management accounting is a relatively new environmental management tool initially designed to trace and track environmental costs and physical environmental flows. In the paper, first, the recent development of environmental management accounting is considered; second, the links between environmental management accounting and eco-efficiency measurement are examined. Recent case studies in environmental management accounting from Japan are used as a basis for the analysis. It is concluded from the analysis that the practice of linking eco-efficiency measurement with environmental management accounting information is underutilised, diverse and in need of further promotion if EMA is to help Japanese business move production processes and consumption of its products towards sustainability. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The potential environmental benefits of moving from a product-based economy to a functional economy involving greater use of services is a subject of increasing interest and debate in the field of eco-efficiency. This paper provides a typology and fuller analysis of eco-efficient producer services than hitherto reported. Three broad classes of service are described and assessed: product based including product results, product utility and product extension; electronic substitution and information based. Examples of each are drawn from a major study on the successes and barriers of eco-services in Europe. The paper concludes that while there are a number of areas of success, there are considerable barriers to wider development and uptake of such services, and that many of the more successful service applications are not necessarily driven by environmental considerations. The paper warns that the shift from products to services cannot be assumed to be eco-efficient and there are a number of rebound effects which need to be carefully analysed. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The paper presents on the experience of the first year of implementation of the UNEP project ‘Strategies and mechanisms for promoting cleaner production (CP) investments in developing countries’. An insight into the experience gained in two developing countries, Guatemala and Zimbabwe is given in separate cases.The paper attempts a preliminary—by no means exhaustive—analysis of the current status of CP awareness among the financial community in selected developing countries and the main barriers to funding CP from a financial sector perspective. The experience gained in five developing countries allows to better investigate the ways whereby the financial community could, and perhaps should, more effectively promote financing of CP, thus contributing to the spread of the CP concept and measures at the macro (government), medium (industry associations, chambers of commerce) and micro (enterprises) levels. In doing so, the paper indirectly emphasises the role of other key stakeholders.Suggestions and recommendations expressed in the paper have to be taken clearly with a pinch of salt, as each country in the developing world has its distinct economic, political, social and cultural features. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

• We analysed the influencing factors of urban eco-efficiency in Western China. • The US-SBM model and spatial econometric models were used for 84 cities' data. • Urban eco-efficiency showed a fluctuating upward trend during 2004–2017. • Economic development and urbanization had U-shaped impact on urban eco-efficiency. • Four explanatory variables showed a positive impact on urban eco-efficiency. Improving eco-efficiency can promote sustainable development. This study first evaluated the urban eco-efficiency of 84 cities in Western China from 2004 to 2017 by the undesirable-super-slack-based measure (US-SBM) and analysed their spatiotemporal characteristics, and then investigated its influencing factors using spatial econometric models. The results indicated that the urban eco-efficiency in Western China was at a relatively low level and showed a fluctuating upward trend with the highest average value of 0.65; however, capital cities of Western China have improved their eco-efficiency rapidly. Furthermore, there were obvious spatial spill-over impacts of the urban eco-efficiency in Western China. This paper also found that both the economic development level and urbanization level have "U" shaped impacts on Western China's urban eco-efficiency, which decreases at first and then rises. Similarly, increasing the proportion of secondary industry promotes urban eco-efficiency, and FDI, trade activities, improved environmental regulations as well as technological innovation capabilities have a positive impact on urban eco-efficiency in Western China. This paper also put forward corresponding policy suggestions to promote Western China's urban eco-efficiency. The present study may be helpful for policy-makers to balance economic development and environmental protection in Western China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The rapid development of urbanization has had a dramatic impact on the ecological environment in China. In this paper, we first measure the urban eco-efficiency of 281 prefecture-level cities in China during 2006–2013 using the super-efficiency data envelopment analysis (SEDEA) model. We then propose a new comprehensive index system to assess urbanization. Finally, we quantitatively explore the relationship between urbanization and urban eco-efficiency based on a spatial econometric analysis. The results showed that China's average urban eco-efficiency and comprehensive level of urbanization of 281 prefecture-level cities had shown increase during 2006–2013. However, distinct spatial disparities exist among different cities. China's urbanization has significant characteristics of spatial agglomeration and spatial convergence during 2006–2013, with a high-to-low spatial distribution from eastern China to western China. Spatial effects play an important role in the changes of urban eco-efficiency in China through spatial spillover effects and regional replication and competition. Evidence from spatial econometric analysis reveals that an N-shaped relationship exists between urbanization and urban eco-efficiency, indicating that with the improvement of urbanization, urban eco-efficiency first increases, then declines and then increases again. The improvement of the level of technology and the formulation of effective environmental policies will promote the increase in urban eco-efficiency. The results provide significant references for urban ecological management and sustainable urban transformation in China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) is a well-established tool to analyze environmental aspects and impacts of products and processes. However, there are few studies available regarding LCA of automotive components such as the small parts used by vehicle engines, e.g., intake and exhaust valves. This paper showed a cradle-to-grave LCA of exhaust valves produced in Brazil for automotive use. Based on environmental hotspots of the case study, cleaner production scenarios were developed to reduce environmental burdens and to improve manufacturing eco-efficiency. Thirteen midpoint impact categories were evaluated and more than 90% of all the impacts were due to fuel consumption into the internal combustion engine during the valves use phase. Regarding the valves manufacturing phase, the machining processes applied on the valve stem represented 63% of all the impacts, and they were strongly influenced by the consumption of electric energy, raw materials used in the valve stem and cutting fluid. For this reason, cleaner production scenarios were evaluated and tested in a centerless grinding process of the valve stem. The best cleaner production scenario showed a potential impact reduction up to 72% in the stand-by grinding mode followed by up to 44% less impacts in the dressing mode. Simple changes on grinding parameters produced a huge potential of minimizing environmental burdens in a life cycle perspective, especially in terms of impacts for resources (fossil and minerals) depletion (RD). A comparison between the environmental profiles before and after adopting the proposed cleaner production measures showed a significant reduction of 27% on the RD impacts. Therefore, improvements of the exhaust valve's manufacturing parameters can generate a better environmental life cycle performance towards cleaner production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The need for circularity assessment tools to prevent undesirable effects (e.g. recycling processes requiring more energy) is gaining recognition. Preserving resources and relieving pollution reservoirs are both necessary conditions to achieve a sustainable circular economy (CE), and the corresponding assessment tools should be selected accordingly. We chose life cycle assessment (LCA) and the Material Circularity Indicator (MCI). In this paper, we tested the tools through two case studies from the tire industry. The Brazilian case proposes three scenarios to process used tires: baseline, retreading and regrooving. The European case suggests collecting secondary material from end-of-life (EoL) tires to produce recycled content (RC) at 4% and 10% rates. These rates were chosen to illustrate the change in tire performance in the use phase. We propose an approach to discuss MCI and LCA results that identifies four pathways toward or away from the CE goal: coupling, decoupling, trade-off on resources or trade-off on reservoirs. The case studies reveal that extending lifetime through retreading and introducing recycled material improves the MCI of a tire but do not necessarily improve impacts on human health and ecosystems. Also, discrepancies in the results between the MCI and the LCA's resource indicator highlight relevant issues for new CE experts seeking to design assessment tools. Even though LCA provides a broader scope than the MCI, it still reflects a relative contribution to environmental sustainability while the MCI focuses on micro-scale improvements in resource use efficiency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is a belief that sustainability-certified coffee production helps increase economic benefits to farmers and reduces negative environmental impacts. However, the international empirical evidence is not conclusive. Also, there is a lack of empirical evidence for Vietnam - the world's second-largest coffee producing country. This paper provides the first empirical examination of the differences in eco-efficiency between conventional and sustainability-certified coffee-growing farms in Vietnam. Data of 726 farms in Vietnam over three crop years from 2012/13 to 2014/15 are analysed. Environmental pressures measured by the level of consumption of nitrogen, phosphorus, irrigation water, pesticides, herbicides, fungicides, and land are investigated in relation to the value-added of coffee production. Empirical results show that in each crop year, coffee farms could reduce environmental pressures by more than 50% while holding the value-added of outputs constant. On average, sustainability-certified farms are found to be more eco-efficient than conventional farms, but efficiency differences appear to converge over time. This convergence may be due to positive externalities of certification, less compliance to certification standards or the combination of these effects. Higher eco-efficiency levels are also correlated with farms located in higher elevation locations, having wind-break trees, and using drip or spray irrigation systems. These should be taken into account as policy options to sustain and improve the positive effects of certification in regard to both economic and environmental aspects, rather than rapid expansion of certified production. Further, one could incorporate ecological and environmental dimensions and welfare into eco-efficiency models and a stochastic production environment may be a useful modeling approach. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Eco-efficiency is an indicator that is tied to economic activities and ecology; it serves as a useful instrument for sustainability analysis. Based on a panel data set for the period 2005–2014, this paper estimated the eco-efficiency of 21 cities in Guangdong province, China by applying a super-slack-based measure (Super-SBM) model that considers undesirable output indicators and a Topsis model. Using a panel data model with fixed effects, the influencing factors on eco-efficiency were also explored. The results indicate that during the study period, the three indexes—resource inputs (RI), economic benefits (EB) and environmental impacts (EI)—showed obvious spatiotemporal differentiation with high values mainly being located in the core region of Guangdong (the Pearl River Delta, PRD) and low values being primarily distributed in the northern area of the province. Influenced by inputs and outputs, the eco-efficiency presented significant disparities among four areas and 21 cities. The highest eco-efficiency was in the eastern area and then in the PRD, areas whose eco-efficiency averaged around 1.16 and 1.10, respectively, while the north had the lowest value, averaging below 1.00. Regional disparity was found to increase and spatial autocorrelation to decrease gradually between 2005 and 2014. The results of the panel data analysis indicate that technical innovation had the greatest positive influence on eco-efficiency, followed by government regulation, openness and population density. Conversely, land-use intensity was identified as the main inhibiting factor among the negative influencing factors, which also included industrial structure and per capita GDP. Interestingly, the study found that a high level of per capita GDP would not necessarily lead to high eco-efficiency. The findings of this study hold important implications for both policy makers and urban planners. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]