Eco-efficiency Of Production Research Articles

Conceptual framework for Information and Communication Technology applications to enhance eco-efficiency

The quality of community decisions about the key characteristics of urban services depends on the level of involvement of local stakeholder groups. The identification of the environmental, economic and social impacts of investments to improve urban services is a critical aspect of the decision preparation phase. Assessment of the main stakeholder groups being affected by the impacts of urban services is required to understand what kind of problems they perceive. Based on their demand, different solutions can be provided to create an Information and Communication Technology (ICT) software system to facilitate environmental cooperations. The aim of this research is to propose an ICT system to support citizens’ active involvement in the transformation of the environment with access to essential information, and enable them to make more effective decisions about the investments. Most of the features of the proposed system have the potential to support eco-effective environmental policy implementations and form part of a sustainable policy toolkit. We explore the different interests and what functions should be provided to make access to information easier and more integrated. Our proposed conceptual framework would fulfill the requirements and gives practical examples how to increase eco-efficiency of products, technologies or investments in urban areas.

Increasing Sugarcane Production Eco-Efficiency: A DEA Analysis with Different Sugarcane Varieties

The development of new sugarcane varieties affects crop production positively. However, only some studies have investigated how the use of different sugarcane varieties reacts to the impact of climate change, and how to improve sugarcane production efficiency considering the use of different sugarcane varieties in the field. This research hypothesizes that it is possible to mitigate climate change’s impact on sugarcane production and improve eco-efficiency if the proper sugarcane varieties are chosen. The main objective is to analyze the influence of different sugarcane varieties on production eco-efficiency. An econometric study unveiled the main elements affecting sugarcane production in this research. Afterward, a data envelopment analysis determined the sugarcane varieties with more efficient production. The results indicated that climate impact on production was irrelevant when controlling for different sugarcane varieties. Furthermore, it was found that through correct variety choosing, it is possible to improve harvest efficiency. The outcome of this research contributes to achieving the United Nations SDGs 1, 2, 7, 9, and 15.

Upcycle strategy on tree branches to improve eco-efficiency towards a circular economy using life cycle assessment

A circular economy (CE) is considered capable of being a solution to reduce the use of natural resources and reduce waste without harm. A circular economy system uses products and materials at maximum value and function. Various strategies were developed for this purpose. However, these efforts often require additional energy and materials to create more valuable products. Does the increase in value-creation mean more than the energy consumption and materials to make it happen? This study conducted a study of efforts to increase wood branch waste, which is usually only used for firewood, which is processed into hanger products with an upcycle strategy. This study uses the eco-efficiency method to determine the increase in value in the economic aspect compared to the environmental impact it causes. The cost of environmental impact is calculated using a life cycle assessment with Simapro software. The findings from this study are that upcycle efforts can increase product eco-efficiency. The eco-efficiency index (EEI) of hanger products is 4.512 and the EEI of firewood is 3.816.

Reconciling productivity, profitability and sustainability of small-holder sugarcane farms: A combined life cycle and data envelopment analysis

CONTEXTSustainable crop production is critical to address the grand challenges of climate change and food security, and eco-efficiency is increasingly used to assess systems sustainability. Sugarcane is a major high biomass, high input sugar and bioenergy crop but with a relatively large carbon footprint. China is the third largest sugarcane producing country. However, its production eco-efficiency remains unclear. A reliable assessment of sugarcane crop production eco-efficiency is necessary to identify the most important targets and effective strategies to improve its economic and environmental outputs. OBJECTIVESThis study aimed to i) establish an eco-efficiency assessment model framework suitable for sugarcane crop production system in general, ii) quantify the eco-efficiency of sugarcane production in China, and iii) propose strategies to improve sugarcane crop productivity, sustainability and economic profit, while reducing its environmental cost. METHODSHere, based on farmer survey data, we combined life cycle assessment (LCA) and data envelopment analysis (DEA) to determine eco-efficiency and sustainability of small-holder sugarcane farm production system in southern China. Six modelling approaches, including both input- and output-oriented, were used to assess sugarcane agriculture eco-efficiency. RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONSAn output-oriented DEA model with yield and profit as desirable and carbon footprint as undesirable outputs proved to be superior to the other approaches for sugarcane production eco-efficiency assessment. The estimated average eco-efficiency of plant (first year) and ratoon (second year) crops were 0.803 and 0.869, respectively. Under this model, yield and profit were increased by 16.6% and 180% for plant crop, and 9.62% and 38.2% for ratoon crop, respectively, with a substantial reduction, up to 28%, in carbon footprint. The farm performance analysis indicated that the most eco-efficient farmers had large farms with crop rotation systems, lower fertiliser input, a relatively higher education, more acceptance of new farming practices and products, and better access to agriculture resources, compared with eco-inefficient farmers. SIGNIFICANCEAdopting the model outputs reported here will help eco-inefficient farmers to narrow their productivity gap, increase profit and make Chinese sugarcane farming more eco-efficient. This is the first report of eco-efficiency and sustainability assessment in sugarcane production using LCA + DEA framework, with potential for adopting it to other agricultural systems.

Challenges of Applying Simplified LCA Tools in Sustainable Design Pedagogy

The growing recognition of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) has been integrated globally into product design and business activities. Life cycle assessment (LCA) is considered a useful tool for designers to apply in the early stages of product design to mitigate the environmental impact. The study aims to identify the challenges of applying simplified LCA tools to improve the eco-efficiency of products and achieve a higher level of sustainable innovation. The study was conducted in a sustainable design course at Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, for four consecutive years. All challenges and opportunities by using ECO-it, Eco-indicators, and the Materials, Energy use, and Toxic emissions (MET) matrix to assess the environmental impact in each phase of 11 home appliances are presented and discussed. Results show the positive potential of applying the tools to achieve function innovation in design for sustainable innovation. The needs for guided instruction, the availability of the database, the complexity of a study product, and the overlooking of social dimensions are four major challenges in applying the tools in the early stages of product redesign. Further study in testing the tools and developing a database in collaboration with industries should be conducted to compare and validate the results.

Analysis of the eco-efficiency level in the dining table production process using life cycle assessment method to increase industry sustainability

This study aims to measure the environmental costs (eco-cost) and the level of eco-efficiency of the production of the dining table in the Jepara furniture industry and formulates recommendations to improve eco-efficiency. The measurement of eco-efficiency was performed using life cycle assessment (LCA) with the eco-cost method. The furniture manufacturer produces a waste of 30 % and the product reject 15 %. The result of the data processing shows that the eco-costs of IDR 134,000 per unit product and net value IDR 208,000. The eco-efficiency index or EEI is 1.55 which means that the products categorized as affordable and sustainable. The eco-efficiency level is 35% means that the environmental performance is low and the furniture production needs improvements in the production process. Strategy to improve the eco-efficiency of production is increasing the utilization of wood waste and increasing the capability of technicians and operators to reduce the product defect.

基于水足迹的作物生产生态效率评价——以陕西省为例

传统生产函数很少考虑农业生产中自然资源的要素功能，也无法表达化肥、农药的使用对环境产生的损害。研究将绿水、蓝水和灰水足迹，分别代表降水资源、灌溉水资源和作物生产的环境影响，引入农业生产函数，采用随机前沿方法测算陕西省作物生产生态效率，并分析其影响因素。结果表明：1）1985-2018年间陕西省作物生产总水足迹呈上升趋势，作物生产单位面积用水强度不断增强。单位面积水足迹及蓝、绿、灰水占比与气候、种植结构，灌溉条件和农业污染相关。2）研究期内，陕西省作物生产生态效率以2003年为分界点呈现先降后升趋势，陕西省作物生产生态效率的U型波动对应政府对耕地资源保护和农业污染管控政策变化。3）作物生产生态效率低下的区域集中在生产落后的农业区和农业条件差的工业区，农业耕地质量差，灌溉条件匮乏，低效率（产值角度）的灌溉和化肥农药施用以及落后农业生产方式是导致作物生产生态效率低下的主要原因。4）研究期内，陕西省作物生产经历了从规模报酬递增，到规模报酬递减2个阶段，与耕地面积的变化基本对应。短期内，考虑各投入要素的产出弹性调整种植结构和化肥农药施用量是提高作物生产生态效率的有效措施，而促进农业产业升级和技术革新是推动作物生产生态效率提升的根本路径。;Traditional production functions rarely consider the role of natural resources in crop production and the damage to the environment caused by use of fertilizers and pesticides. This paper introduces green, blue, and grey water footprints representing natural water resources, irrigation water resources and the impact of crop production on the environment, and assesses crop production eco-efficiency and its influential factors in Shaanxi Province through the stochastic frontier approach. The results showed that:1) From 1985 to 2018, the crop production water footprint of Shaanxi Province presented an upward trend and the water intensity per unit area was continuously enhanced. The water footprints per unit area and the proportions of blue, green, and gray water were related to climate, planting structure, irrigation conditions and crop production pollution. 2) During the research period, the eco-efficiency of crop production in Shaanxi Province demonstrated a trend of decreasing first and then increasing, taking 2003 as a cut-off point. The ecological efficiency of crop production in Shaanxi Province fluctuates in U shape, which corresponds to the changes of the government's policy of protecting cultivated land resources and agricultural pollution control. 3) Low eco-efficiency regions are concentrated in agricultural areas with backward production mode and industrial areas with poor agricultural conditions. The main reasons for the low eco-efficiency of crop production lie in the poor quality of agricultural arable land, scarce irrigation water resources, inefficient irrigation water, fertilizer and pesticide application, and backward mode of production. 4) During the study period, crop production in Shaanxi Province experienced two stages, from increasing returns to scale to decreasing returns to scale, basically corresponding to the change of cultivated land area. In the short term, adjusting the planting structure and controlling fertilizers and pesticides applications are effective ways to improve the eco-efficiency of crop production. However, the fundamental path is the upgrading of agricultural industry and technological innovation.

Eco-efficiency of grain production in China based on water footprints: A stochastic frontier approach

Abstract Eco-efficiency has consistently been of interest to researchers and policy makers. Many methods have been employed to calculate eco-efficiency, with the exception of the stochastic frontier approach, which is popular in efficiency and productivity analysis. Considering the strengths of the stochastic frontier approach and the features of grain production, an integrated WF-SFA method combining water footprint assessment and the stochastic frontier approach is proposed in this work. In the method, the green, blue and grey water footprints of grain production are calculated. Then, a translog stochastic frontier production function with actual grain output value as the only output and capital, labour and water footprints as the inputs is established. Next, eco-efficiency, which is defined as the ratio of the actual output to the potential output, can be assessed. This method is developed here to analyse the eco-efficiency of grain production and its determinants in China. The main empirical results are as follows. 1) The annual average grain production water footprint in China from 1997 to 2015 was 820.37 billion m 3 . 2) The eco-efficiencies were estimated to be within the range of 0.424–0.986, with an average value of 0.807. There is potential for China to increase the environmental and ecological sustainability with its grain production system. 3) The per capita GDP, per capita water supply, proportion of government expenditure on environmental protection and proportion of non-disaster areas positively influenced the grain production eco-efficiency. In addition, the calculated output elasticities of the blue and grey water footprints of recent years were negative. These findings can help China design relevant policies of agricultural sustainability focused on crop distribution, efficient irrigation water use and nutrient and pollutant management. This research provides a basic framework for the eco-efficiency evaluation of grain production with the stochastic frontier approach which can inform policy and strategic development.

Economic sustainability of food supply chains: Life cycle costs and value added in the confectionary and frozen desserts sectors

The confectionary and frozen desserts sectors are important parts of the food industry but have received relatively little attention from a life cycle cost perspective. Thus, the purpose of the current study is to evaluate the life cycle costs (LCC) and value added (VA) in these sectors in the UK, focusing on four major product categories: biscuits, cakes (ambient and frozen), chocolates and ice cream. In total, 18 products are considered along their life cycles, including the raw materials, manufacturing, packaging, distribution, retail, consumption and waste management stages. The results suggest that cakes have the highest LCC (£1.52–2.64/kg) and the biscuits the lowest (£0.72–0.91/kg). The LCC of chocolates and ice cream fall within a similar range (£1.16–1.46/kg and £1.03–1.30/kg, respectively). Divergent trends are noted between LCC and VA: for instance, ‘premium’ ice creams have only 18% higher costs than their ‘regular’ counterparts, but a four-fold higher VA. For all the products, raw materials contribute most to the costs (43%–95%), followed by packaging (1%–29%) and manufacturing (1%–14%). The annual LCC at the sectoral level are estimated at £3.455 billion, to which biscuits contribute 42%. The share of chocolates and cakes is 24% and 19%, respectively, with ice cream contributing the remaining 15%. By contrast, chocolates contribute more than 50% of the total sectoral VA, which is five-fold higher than that of ice cream. The study also demonstrates how LCC can be used to evaluate the eco-efficiency of products and sectors. With respect to global warming potential, whole cakes are the most eco-efficient and vanilla regular ice cream the least efficient products. Overall, the confectionary sector is nearly 60% more eco-efficient than the frozen desserts sector. These results can be used for benchmarking and to drive innovation towards more economically-sustainable and eco-efficient confectionary and frozen desserts supply chains.

Eco-efficiency Evaluation of Modular Design Smartphones

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.

Eco-efficiency Analysis of Furniture Product Using Life Cycle Assessment

Furniture is one of Indonesia’s main commodities strategically role in economic growth and employment in Indonesia. In their production process there many wastes resulted, such as such as sawdust, cuttings - pieces of wood, components that do not conform to specifications and the edges of wood from a log. Contrast with requirement of timber for furniture industries, availability of raw material sources decrease because of limited forest areas. Beside that, using electricity and chemical material in furniture production process have impact to environment. This study aim to assess the eco-cost and eco-efficiency ratio of the product so strategic recommendations to improve the eco-efficiency of products can be designed. The results of data processing showed the environmental costs of the furniture production process amount Rp 30.887.84. Eco-efficiency index of furniture products studied was 4,79 with the eco-efficiency ratio of 79,12%. This result means that the measured furniture products already profitable and sustainable, as well as its production process is already fairly efficient. However, improved performance of the production process can still be done to improve the eco-efficiency by minimizing the use of raw materials.

Eco-efficiency indicator framework implemented in the metallurgical industry: part 1—a comprehensive view and benchmark

The purpose of this work was to develop an indicator framework for the environmental sustainability benchmarking of products produced by the metallurgical industry. Sustainability differentiation has become an important issue for companies throughout the value chain. Differentiation is sometimes not attainable, due to the use of average data, lack of comparative data, certain issues being overshadowed by others, and a very narrow palette of indicators dominating the current sustainability assessments. There is a need for detailed and credible analyses, which show the current status and point out where improvements can be made. The indicator framework is developed to give a comprehensive picture of eco-efficiency, to provide methods that enable relevant comparisons as well as the tools for communicating the results. In this way, the methodology presented in this study aims to make differentiation easier and thus aid companies in driving the development toward more sustainable solutions. The framework is based on the existing indicator framework Gaia Biorefiner, which is primarily intended for bio-based products. In this work, the framework was further developed for application in the metallurgical industry. The indicator framework is built by first looking at the issues, which are critical to the environment and global challenges seen today and which the activities of the metallurgical industry may have an impact on. Based on these issues, suitable indicators are chosen if they exist and built if they do not. The idea is that all indicators in a group form a whole, showing areas of innovation while refraining from aggregating and weighting, which often compromise a comprehensive and objective view. Both qualitative and quantitative indicators are included. The indicators are constructed following the criteria set by the EU and OECD for building indicators. Each indicator further has a benchmark. The rules for building the benchmark are connected to the indicators. Suitable data sources and criteria for the benchmark and the indicators are gathered from literature, publicly available databases, and commercial LCA software. The use of simulation tools for attaining more reliable data is also studied. The result is a visual framework consisting of ten indicator groups with one to five indicators each, totaling up to 31 indicators. These are visualized in a sustainability indicator “flower.” The flower can be further opened up to study each indicator and the reasons behind the results. The sustainability benchmark follows a methodology that is based on utilization of baseline data and sustainability criteria or limits. A simulation approach was included in the methodology to address the problem with data scarcity and data reliability. The status of the environment, current production technologies, location-specific issues, and process-specific issues all affect the result, and the aim of finding relevant comparisons that will support sustainability differentiation is answered by a scalable scoping system. A new framework and its concise visualization has been built for assessing the eco-efficiency of products from the metallurgical industry, in a way that aims to answer the needs of the industry. Since there is a baseline, against which each indicator can be benchmarked, a sustainability indicator “flower” can be derived, one of the key innovations of this methodology. This approach goes beyond the usual quantification, as it is also scalable and linked to technology and its fundamental parameters. In part 2, a case study “A case study from the copper industry” tests and illustrates the methodology.

Applying a network data envelopment analysis model to quantify the eco-efficiency of products: a case study of pesticides

With the increasingly obvious constraint on resources and the environment that results from the growth of the population and the economy, promoting the eco-efficiency of products has become a critical component of achieving sustainable development. This research developed a network data envelopment analysis (DEA) combined with life-cycle environmental impacts of products for eco-efficiency evaluation. Taking pesticides as a case study, the eco-efficiencies of ten comparable pesticides were examined. The results show that Deltamethrin is the only eco-efficient pesticide and that Dichlorvos and Chlorpyrifos have lowest eco-efficiency scores. Pyrethroid pesticides are generally more eco-efficient than organophosphorus pesticides at the usage stage due to lower environmental impact. The results also find out that the network DEA method for evaluating eco-efficiency of products can distinguish differences in the eco-efficiency of products at the different stages which could provide a better discrimination among pesticides while compared to single-stage DEA model and present a relatively lower eco-efficiency score. Finally, since organophosphorus pesticides have a lower market price in China, new policies (such as subsidies or a pollution tax) should be designed to encourage the use of pyrethroid pesticides instead of organophosphorus pesticides.

Possibilities and Problems in Applying Decision Support Systems for Special Challenges in the Design of Building Constructions

The objective of this study is to examine the possibility of using DSS in the engineering design of a special group of building constructions: 'cladded roofs'. These are roofs whose cladding is the same as the façade’s, giving buildings a homogeneous appearance. For architectural impression the roof is made of unusual materials and complex structures thus cannot be designed with traditional guidelines. The goal of using DSS is to facilitate and simplify the range of possible materials and structures, to assist and expedite finding the optimal version and to reduce the likelihood of design flaws. In addition to eco-efficiency in production, transportation, and energy consumption of buildings, we hold it to be important to reduce the amount of materials used to a necessary minimum. [1] To achieve this all materials should be used at places where their specific characteristics prevail most effectively. The criteria for applying DSS for ‘cladded roofs’ is the successful structuring of the necessary constructional data and variations. We propose a method to generate numerous proposed solutions and rank them based on their technical performance and value. The result is a kind of 'guided decision-making' which may be an important aid in the design of nonstandard structures.

New Aspects of Ecomaterials from the Viewpoints of the Consumer and Regional Communities

Presently, materials security and production of environmentally conscious materials (ecomaterials)1) are of concern to the global community, which needs to recognize the challenges that both present. As a nation, Japan has focused on better management of natural resources and materials, and has developed a framework to advance a move towards a closed-loop economy through advancing and implementation of its knowledge of the 3Rs (reduce, reuse, recycle). Ecomaterials also make an important role in ecodesign. Ecodesign is an approach to design of a product with special consideration for the environmental impacts of the product during its whole lifecycle. Substantial progress has been made in ecodesign and high-performance fabrication for sectors such as living, automotive, electrical, machinery, building, etc., where a need to improve resource productivity and adopt ecomaterials are a key priority for progress.2) The concept of ecomaterials, defined as an ecosphere with three basic paths (i.e., frontier, environmental protection, and amenity), was originally proposed in Japan in 1992 and became the preferred area of focus in materials engineering through the 1990s.1) In the beginning of the 21st century, Halada et al.3) attempted to classify ecomaterials into three categories as follows: (1) Functional materials for environmental protection, (2) Energy-saving materials and materials supporting lowemission systems, and (3) Materials designed by means of life-cycle assessment or analysis (LCA), and selected based on a lower environmental impact. This is why not only materials selection is important, but also novel process technologies for synthesizing high-performance materials with a low environmental burden. Both are also dependent on product design to achieve coexistence of societal economic health and reduced environmental burden. Therefore, general guidelines for ecomaterial selection and development were discussed and proposed,2) in which ecoefficiency was defined by an equation.4) We have developed and standardized the indices of this equation, and its framework for disclosing information on environmental impact of materials traded under international collaboration.5) The six environmental information indices are demonstrated in the eco-star system.6) The specific challenges facing ecomaterials have played an important role in the global recognition of environmentally conscious concepts since 1993, and have served motivators for the development of an eco-friendly world. In fact, the ecomaterials concept has already been widely accepted in the fields of material production and product manufacturing, in addition to being accepted by the academia and various governments. This is especially true in Japan, where adoption of ecomaterials that are less hazardous, or have a higher resource productivity, has noticeably increased. Despite all the importance attached to ecomaterials, its concept has now become outdated, and a new categorization of ecomaterials is therefore being sought. Through the declaration at Ishigakijima,7) and at the round table conference at ICEM9,8) we have discussed the breakdown and rebuilding of the ecomaterials concept for a sustainable society. The point at issue, and the direction of technological advancement of the world, has remained confused, and it is this that we seek to correct. Moving from high eco-efficiency of products to consumer orientation and regional community adaptation is focused upon as a part of the “amenity”, one of three basic paths in achieving an ecosphere. A new concept, the robust design of materials, is also proposed as part of new range of activities focused on ecomaterials.

QEFD를 활용한 제품 환경효율성 측정 사례 연구

Purpose: This study proposed a systematic approach to measure eco-efficiency of products based on the concept of quality function deployment(QFD). QFD method has been used to convert customer's subjective requirements to design specifications. A extension of QFD to environmental issues is known as quality environmental function deployment(QEFD). QEFD includes environmental requirements into customer's demand for quality, and incorporates them to design specifications of a product. Methods: In this study, we compared eco-efficiency of old and new models through application of QEFD. Results: The result revealed that the new model's eco-efficiency improved 24% better than the old model. Also, we found that user's Factor X of the new model has been improved to 1.178, which is about 18% better than that of the old model. Conclusion: This study implied that we can systematically use QEFD to determine eco-efficiency of two comparable products in any industries.

Tourist Destination Integral Product Eco-Efficiency

The main objective of this article is to illustrate the accounting methodology for eco-efficiency measurement, which allows for inclusion of the economically-orientated component in the processes of environmental reporting on tourist destination integral product, while examining the interrelation of eco-costs and values found in the classic LCC and particular tourist destination SBU (Strategic Business Unit). The process of tourist destination integral product eco-efficiency measurement calls for development of environmental accounting methods suitable for presentation of economically-orientated sustainability information. In the complex process of integral product eco-efficiency measurement, LCA (Life Cycle Assessment) and LCC (Life Cycle Costing) take important roles. Interpretation and presentation of the data includes detailed cradle-to-grave environmental impact assessment of direct and indirect tourist activity and different products of tourist destination SBU’s. Eco-costs represent the monetary component in the processes of environmental accounting and reporting on environmental impact of tourist destination integral product.

2404 材料開発/設計における物性向上の評価方法に関する研究(GS1-2 一般セッションII,GS1 一般セッション)

To evaluate eco-efficiency of products, the authors have proposed a new evaluation method named 'total performance analysis (TPA),' which can consider cost, environmental impact and value, simultaneously. The authors have applied it to manufacturing processes. However, in the first example, since the value of the manufacturing process was constant, the method only evaluated process improvement in the aspect of cost and environmental impact. In this paper, the authors apply the method to another manufacturing process in which enhancement of the material characteristics of the product is expected. By considering value enhancement through these aspects, the method becomes able to evaluate 'real' eco-efficiency of manufacturing processes.

Is Eco-Efficiency a Sufficient Strategy for Achieving a Sustainable Development? The Norwegian Case

A split review of the environmental impact of Norwegian consumption and production over the last decade illustrates that rising consumption is eliminating the bonus of eco-efficiency in production. Two key drivers behind this situation are the large increase in person and goods transportation and an increase in wealth that has allowed Norwegians to spend more on purchasing products and services. To achieve a sustainable development in rich countries, two major adjustments to the prevailing environmental policy are suggested: (1) The environmental impact of consumption should also be monitored as part of the official sustainability indicator monitoring system, e.g., by calculating the ecological footprint. (2) A specific consumption focus in environmental policy should be developed, beginning with the consumption categories with the largest footprint (volume) and the most negative development (change).

Dynamic environmental performance analysis: A Malmquist index approach

This article presents a general framework for dynamic environmental performance analysis by generalizing the approach proposed by Kuosmanen and Kortelainen [Kuosmanen, T., Kortelainen, M., 2005. Measuring Eco-Efficiency of Production with Data Envelopment Analysis. Journal of Industrial Ecology 9(4), 59–72.] from a static to a dynamic setting. For this purpose we construct an environmental performance index (EPI) by applying frontier efficiency techniques and a Malmquist index approach. Compared to other dynamic environmental productivity and efficiency analysis approaches based on these methods, our approach builds on the standard definition of eco-efficiency as it is presented in the ecological economics literature. Recognizing the importance to analyze the sources of environmental performance changes, we show how changes in overall environmental performance can be decomposed into changes in relative eco-efficiency and shifts in environmental technology, respectively. We apply the presented technique at the macro level to dynamic environmental performance analysis of 20 member states of the European Union in 1990–2003. According to the results, environmental technical change mostly explains the improvement in overall environmental performance, while relative eco-efficiency change has been minor for most countries during the sample period.