Abstract
The consumption of fossil fuels has been gradually exhausting resources and deteriorating the environment on a global scale. There are two ways to resolve these problems: The application of green energy and new materials; and the development of energy efficiency techniques such as green design and material flow cost accounting. Material flow cost accounting does not create new sources of energy, but its implementation can encourage the effective use of resources or reduce the consumption of resources, and hence reduce the impact on the environment. The International Organization for Standardization has enacted material flow cost accounting as an international standard, and this will have a profound impact on multinational firms. This paper examines material flow cost accounting in the context of grounded theory, and conducts a case study on the companies which have implemented material flow cost accounting. The purpose of this research is to identify the relationship between material flow cost accounting and green design, and to provide a reference for the production design of the enterprise. After analysis, material flow cost accounting can generate detailed waste data, and provide a green design reference in actual energy conservation. These two outcomes complement each other, and will support achievement of the goal of mutual financial and environmental protection.
Highlights
The deterioration of the global environment has led to the rise of corporate social responsibility
This paper grounds its research in the International Standards Organization (ISO)-14051 standard, as it is becoming the guideline for material flow cost accounting, and energy efficiency and environmental protection for corporates
Whether the resource waste discovered by MFCA can be improved by green design is confirmed by the implementation results released by the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI), Japan [18], based on the achievements in energy efficiency obtained by 32 companies, which have implemented material flow cost accounting
Summary
The deterioration of the global environment has led to the rise of corporate social responsibility. It is necessary to incorporate other methods or techniques (such as green design), and leverage the information provided by material flow cost accounting, so as to devise measures to reduce waste and spoilage. This paper seeks to explore the context of MFCA by referring to the articles of ISO-14051, a comprehensive international standard of MFCA The purpose of this is to examine whether the essence of this standard contains the expectations for green design, and the intention to introduce other techniques or methods to achieve energy efficiency. Case studies are conducted on selected companies to analyze whether their improvement measures are related to green design techniques and methods If both answers are yes, as expected by this paper, it can be concluded that MFCA and green design are complementary in promoting the effective utilization of resources
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
