Environmental Certification Research Articles

Инновационное развитие регионов России на основе требований «зеленого» строительства: тенденции, проблемы и направления решений

In the present work, we discuss reasons and solutions for the insufficient inclusion of sustainable con-struction standards in Russia as a factor in intensifying innovation-driven growth of regions and the entire country. A comparative analysis was conducted to assess the current level of innovative devel-opment, as well as the degree of implementation of environmental projects in the construction indus-try. It was found that "green" technologies are yet to be implemented in domestic practices. One major reason comprises undeveloped environmental certification standards, which was confirmed by compar-ing domestic and foreign practices using mathematical methods. The main directions for solving the identified problems include increasing state interest in implementing environmental projects, forming necessary staffing and resource support for transforming the construction industry as a condition for enhancing the innovation activity in regions and justifying the efficiency of "green" construction. The implementation of the above approaches will improve environmental construction in the country, at the same time as creating favourable conditions for its innovative development.

The Impact of Environmental Certificates on Office Prices in London

The Impact of Environmental Certificates on Office Prices in London

Development of GHG Emission Factors for the Life Cycle of the Animal Manure Treatment Systems

Objectives:A whole process greenhouse gas emission factor was developed considering the direct greenhouse gas emission from the decomposition of livestock manure provided by the IPCC guidelines and the energy consumption of manure management systems.Methods:Greenhouse gas generated by animal manure management is divided into direct greenhouse gas emission by decomposition of manure and greenhouse gas effect in the entire process due to energy use by operating manure management systems. By obtaining and summing them, the whole process greenhouse gas emission factor for the livestock manure treatment system was calculated.Results and Discussion:Among the pig manure management systems, the greenhouse gas emission factors for composting, purification and liquefaction were calculated as 128 kgCO2-eq./ton, 123 kgCO2-eq./ton, 119 kgCO2-eq./ton, respectively. It was analyzed that 20.7% to 24.1% of greenhouse gas emissions generated in the process of managing manure were due to electricity use. As a result of analyzing the change in the emission factor according to the change in GHG emissions of the national electric power according to the 8th Basic Plan for Electricity Supply and Demand, a change in emission of about 6% was confirmed. Based on the results of this study and analysis of direct GHG emissions from manure management in three major Western European countries, France, Germany, and the Netherlands, based on the manure management emission factor in 2017, GHG emissions of 48.9% to 70% compared to this study in all countries.Conclusions:In the greenhouse gas emission factor for the pig manure management system, the greenhouse gas emission from energy used in the manure management system operation represents a contribution of more than 20%, so improvement of energy efficiency of the manure management system in the future can contribute to the reduction of greenhouse gas emission. As the GHG emissions of the pig manure management system are expected to change substantially according to the change in the power grid composition ratio according to the 8th Basic Plan for Electricity Supply and Demand, it is necessary to study the application plan in preparation for the implementation of product environmental footprint certification for livestock products in the future. As a result of comparing direct GHG emissions by manure management with major Western European countries, the difference in emissions was found to be large, suggesting the need to develop a Tier 2 emission factor suitable for the situation in Korea.

Sustainability in the construction industry: A systematic review of the literature

Abstract The construction industry is criticized for causing adverse impacts on the environment. To minimize these impacts, the industry has been seeking to introduce sustainable practices throughout its entire production chain. Therefore, the objective of this study is to run a quantitative bibliometric research through meta-analysis methodology and, consequently, to evaluate the articles used by qualitative methods in the area of sustainability in civil construction. For this, a search was carried out on the Web of Science. Thus, a set of keywords was used, followed by a filtering method, resulting in a review of 433 articles published in 18 years. VOSviewer software was used in the quantitative analysis of documents. The results demonstrated a lack of quantitative methodologies to assess sustainability in the civil construction industry. Thus, this research presents the evolution of studies, the main areas addressed, the main certifications and methodologies for environmental assessment, and the distribution of the on-site work stages in articles. This revealed the main contributions found in the literature, presenting the article’s focus, being as main areas explored material, project management, sustainability assessment, and energy; the most used methodology (LCA) and environmental certification (LEED). It was seen that the social and economic pillars are less frequently tackled when compared to the environmental one. It was also perceived that most of the papers focus on the planning and execution stages of the on-site work, being necessary to develop more studies on operation and maintenance stages. These results serve as a source of reference for future research.

Traditional Versus Contemporary Dwellings in a Desert Environment: The Case of Bechar, Algeria

Traditional architecture has always demonstrated a strong relationship between the buildings and their environment, as these are designed with the climatic conditions and socio-cultural values in mind. However, multiple challenges facing traditional buildings are linked to the ability of communities to sustainably preserve themin an ever changing and very different urban fabric. At a time of great socio-economic change and technological progress, sustainability, both tangible and intangible, means preserving as much heritage as possible, would be an important factor in restoring and preserving the city’s identity. The traditional “ksour”settlements have proved their environmental and socio-cultural credentials. Given that this dwelling typology is fast disappearing and being replaced by villas and apartments using contemporary production methods and materials, this work aims to compare the two dwelling typologies with a view to test to what extent the latter ones do fulfil their environmental and socio-cultural roles and to identify what lessons, if any, can be learned from traditional settlements. The research presented here, which was undertaken using a qualitative approach based on case study analysis, is likely to contribute to a better understanding of the design and functioning of the“ksar”, which is a fast disappearing urban dwelling typology.

The Impact of Credit Constraints on International Quality and Environmental Certifications: Evidence from Survey Data

Environmental and quality management practices are extremely relevant for a firm’s development and international recognition. However, dealing with the standards required and obtaining an international standards certification involves costs for employee training, procedure documents, and third-party audit fees that must be paid in advance by companies. This paper attempts to analyze the impact of difficulties in accessing external financing on the likelihood of possessing the standards and the certification, for firms based in 64 countries. A crucial aspect in uncovering such a causal effect is the potential endogeneity of financial constraints with respect to international standards certification. I address this issue by adopting a bivariate probit model and a set of firm-level instrumental variables. The empirical results showed that financially constrained firms were less likely to possess the standards required and the associated international certification, and that this impact was more relevant for small and young firms.

Does green public procurement encourage firm's environmental certification practice? The mediation role of top management support

AbstractThe environmental certification acts as a sustainable practice for firms to improve their competitive advantage and its motivation has been widely discussed. However, existing researches ignore the important market driving force of green public procurement (GPP) as a policy tool. To fill this gap, this study, focusing on manufacturing firms in China and three typical environmental certifications, explores the relationship between GPP market pressure and firm's environmental certification practice based on institutional theory. Additionally, from a strategic perspective of green human resource management, this study unveils the influence mechanism of top management support in this relationship by using upper echelons theory. According to the empirical results, we find that GPP market pressure is positively associated with environmental certification practice, and top management support partially mediates this relationship. This study provides new insights into the explanation of firm's environmental certification practice, and provides practical implications for firm managers and government administrator.

BIOTESTING AS A METHOD OF SOIL TOXICITY STUDY

Problem Statement and Purpose. In the conditions of economic crisis, significant reduction of funds for scientific research on the one hand, and deterioration of the eco­logical state of the natural system environment-man on the other, there is an urgent necessity to use less expensive but modern methods of research of man-made soils with the aim of doing its ecotoxic assessment. One of the most common methods that meet these needs are biotesting methods. In today's conditions, they are used by biolo­gists, ecologists, geologists, soil scientists, physicians. Such popularity of biotesting methods is caused by their simplicity of performance, wide possibilities of researches, considerable informativeness concerning pollution of practically all components of environment. The purpose of this study is to analyze and summarize existing methods of biotesting in order to use them in determining the ecological status of soils.Data & Methods. As a methodological basis used the developments that are out-lined in scientific papers published by R. Kabirov, K. Kozeev, J. Didukh, A. Gorova, A. Bubnov, O. Baghdasaryan and own research concerning biotesting of soils of the city of Odessa were used. Both general scientific methods (analysis and synthesis, system­atic approach, induction and deduction) and specific scientific methods were used in the work: historical-geographical, comparative- geographical.Results. The current system of environmental pollution control is based on a quantita­tive comparison of the component composition of samples with the maximum allow­able concentrations of bulk forms of pollutants. This approach does not allow taking into account all possible interactions between chemical compounds; is time-consum­ing in research and does not determine the effect of mobile forms, the most toxic to living organisms. To determine the degree of toxicity of soils and other components of the bioenvironment is possible through biotesting. Modern methods of biotesting make it possible to obtain an integrated toxicological characteristic of complex con­tamination of both soils and other components of the bioenvironment by the reaction of living organisms.Various test systems, from bacteria to mammals, are used to assess the state of the environment. However, the most common methods of biotesting are tests with using plants. With the help of plants bioindication of various components of the natural environment is conducted. Indicator plants are used in assessing the acid composition of soils, their fertility, waterlogging and salinization; the degree of mineralization of groundwater and the degree of air pollution by various gaseous compounds, etc. In recent decades, special attention has been paid to the study of the ecological condition of urban and suburban areas. A feature of soil pollution (especially urban) with chem­icals is their multicomponent nature. Currently, biotesting methods are widely used in soil research due to oil pollution, heavy metal pollution of urban areas, anthropogenic pollution of rural areas, pollution by fluoride compounds and other toxic substances that degrade not only the environment but also significantly affect human health.Despite some disadvantages of biotesting, the prospects of controlling anthropogenic soil pollution with biotests are justified by numerous studies by scientists from dif­ferent countries. Biotesting methods can be recommended for continuous rapid mon­itoring of the environment of industrial areas and natural and economic complexes, control of harmful emissions of enterprises, environmental certification of enterprises and individual areas. The ecological status of bioindicators can be used as additional information in assessing of public health.

ESG Indicators as Organizational Performance Goals: Do Rating Agencies Encourage a Holistic Approach?

Offering environmental, social, and governance (ESG) assessment and certification can invite organizations to adapt their activities to accommodate environmental, social, and governance concerns. Prior research points to shortcomings in accurately monitoring and assessing organizational sustainability performance. This contribution aims to highlight the role of ESG indicators as motivating organizations to prioritize sustainability goals. Theory and research elucidate that the definition of specific goals guides the degree of effort organizations invest, the priorities they set, and the persistence they display in pursuing targeted outcomes. The extent to which performance assessments of rating agencies specify and integrate ESG concerns thus impacts the likelihood that organizations will address each of these sustainability targets. The likely impact of ESG indicators was examined by consulting ratings, rankings, and indexes from 130 rating agencies included in the Reporting Exchange Platform. We identified and categorized 237 unique indicators in over 600 corporate ESG indicators. Results reveal that themes covered are less well specified in the governance domain than in the environmental and social domain. Further, different dimensions are emphasized depending on which stakeholder is addressed (investors, consumers, companies). Taken together, we conclude that this makes it more difficult for organizations to adopt a holistic approach to the achievement of sustainability goals.

Marx, population and freedom

Marxists have long moved beyond a perception of Marx as a Promethean ecological vandal. Yet those disputing his environmental credentials are generally united in deploring the unhappy history of population control. They implicitly accept the idea of currently forecast future population levels as consistent with a Marxist view of human emancipation. This assumption should be challenged, on the basis of what resources a truly unalienated future may require in order to achieve real freedom for each future individual.

How environmental certification can affect the value of organizations? The case of Forest Stewardship Council certification

Forest certification appeared in the 1990's as a way to deal with forest deterioration. Currently, however, public opposition can limit its effectiveness. Business policy makers should analyze how Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certification can affect the value of companies. Yet, the relation between financial performance and forest certification systems is a subject which has not been explored to a great extent, and the measures used for evaluating financial performance in published studies are not based on business valuation. In this study, Spanish companies with FSC certification are valuated under the premises of implementation and non-implementation of FSC certification. Given the uncertainty inherent in the second option, the use of fuzzy mathematics has been considered a suitable tool. According to the results obtained, it can be concluded that regardless of size or business sector, FSC certification is effective in increasing the value of companies. The pap er offers economic arguments for managers to become more environmentally responsible.

Green Manufacturing Practices as a Tool for Improving Competitiveness in the Light of Egypt's Vision 2030 “An Empirical Study on Egyptian Ceramic Industry

This paper aims to investigate the impact of green manufacturing practices on the competitiveness factors of ceramic manufacturing companies in the Arab Republic of Egypt. Design / Methodology / Approach - A tentative list of green manufacturing and competitiveness factors has been developed based on a comprehensive and detailed analysis of the relevant literature. The survey questionnaire contained 27 items, which were developed based on the literature and interviews with three industry experts, specifically representatives of the supply chain, foreign production and sales department. 166 questionnaires were distributed to the sample under study, which is a group of 7 factories that obtained integrated environmental management certificates, and 166 questionnaires were returned. Using the data collected, a specific analysis was carried out via factor analysis to demonstrate reliability and validity. Finding -The results showed that there is a positive impact of green production practices and increasing competitiveness factors represented in reducing (cost - reducing delivery time) and increasing (quality - flexibility) of products and services. Originality / value -This paper presents an empirical investigation of green production practices and fills a gap in the literature related to green production practices to achieve competitiveness factors by applying to the ceramic industry in the Arab Republic of Egypt.

Influence of sustainable construction aspects and quality of public space on the price of houses in the Czech Republic

The construction industry produces 25 to 30 % of greenhouse gases and consumes 40 % of globally required energy. The construction industry and buildings contribute significantly to the climate change. Also the buildings are the cornerstone to the public space and affect its quality. One of the approaches to reduce greenhouse gas production (especially carbon dioxide) is the construction and operation of buildings according to the principles of sustainability. Houses are mostly not certified (environmental certification programs as LEED or BREEAM) because it is uneconomical to certify. However, the houses can fulfill sustainable construction aspects like using natural or recycled materials, design of energy efficient buildings, using alternative energy sources, connection to public transport, etc. The influence of using basic sustainable principles and quality of public space as an important part of sustainability to a price was tested through a database. The database consists of 98 samples of houses sold over the year 2017 in Brno - venkov district. Significant price settings factors were identified. Due to the number of variables, testing by multivariate regression analysis was performed on submodels, individual variables could be correctly identified. Tested database confirmed basic price setting factors for houses, such as the technical condition of the house, distance from the city of Brno, as well as the useable area of the house and the factor of liquidity. The influence of sustainable principles like using renewable energy, low energy demand, solar panels for hot water or photovoltaic panels was rejected. Some kind of sustainable principle was detected at 10 % of samples. Material base, especially using natural materials like timber, was not found as a price setting factor. One of the submodels was focused on the social part of the sustainability given to the location and public space. The possibility of using public transportation or car park close to the house was not confirmed as price setting factors affecting the price. Also the danger of flooding, index of criminality and noise level were considered and were rejected as price affecting. This paper presents results aimed at exploring the importance of the basic aspects of sustainable construction and quality of public space on the price of houses in the database of 98 houses in Brno - venkov district, Czech Republic.

Dinámicas de legitimidad en la instrumentación de la Marca Colectiva Chackay, en las reservas de la biósfera de Sian Ka’an y Banco Chinchorro, Quintana Roo, México

Este artículo analiza las diversas formas de legitimidad (cognitiva, moral, pragmática) que se articularon en la organización de la Marca Colectiva Chackay, en la pesca de langosta espinosa que se desarrolla en las reservas de Sian Ka’an y Banco Chichorro, Quintana Roo. Con base en 36 entrevistas semiestructuradas a los miembros de las seis cooperativas pesqueras que operan en el área de estudio, fue posible analizar la legitimidad, representación y dificultades de inclusión de los pescadores locales, en el diseño e instrumentación de esta iniciativa de certificación ambiental. El trabajo muestra que el predominio de los intereses económicos sobre los argumentos conservacionistas de la asociación civil que impulsó la iniciativa, condicionó su relación con los actores que definen la gobernanza local (cooperativas de pescadores, ONG, instancias gubernamentales). Concluimos que los instrumentos de gestión ambiental deben prestar especial atención a la gran heterogeneidad de prácticas sociales y económicas de los actores que participan en una actividad productiva, en un contexto territorial específico.

Beyond building certification: The impact of environmental interventions on commercial real estate operations

Abstract We extend the commonly-studied definition of investment in sustainable and energy efficient real estate beyond environmental building certification to include three additional types of environmentally-focused building interventions: environmentally-focused capital expenditure (capex); monitoring; and, tenant engagement. Appealing to behavioral economics and finance theory, we test for a connection between changes in tenant and property management behavior and electricity consumption. Through a partnership with a global institutional investment manager, this study examines ten years of asset-level operating statement and electricity consumption data in Canadian and U.S. office buildings, measuring both the initial impact of such interventions as well as any adjustments observed over time. Analysis of the proprietary intervention data allows us to better understand the impact of varied environmental interventions on the electricity consumption of commercial real estate. We find that all four intervention categories, including building certification, are associated with decreased electricity consumption, with tenant engagement providing an immediate decrease that is maintained over time. Environmentally-focused capex is also associated with decreased electricity consumption in both Canada and the U.S. Taken together the results indicate that utility consumption and its associated costs are only minimized when multiple environmental interventions are implemented.

Societal awareness of environmental certifications in Costa Rica

The effectiveness of voluntary environmental programs and certifications to render social and private benefits depends on how aware consumers are, so that they can consider such initiatives when making their decisions. Consumers’ awareness has been mostly addressed in developed countries, although the benefits of companies’ environmental actions also take place in developing countries. This study is conducted in a developing country, such as Costa Rica. Using a large sample (n = 1191), consumers’ awareness of environmental certifications is studied at a general level (being able to name some environmental certification or program) and at a specific level (ability to name certified firms). The results show that consumers who are younger, with higher household income, with a university or technical degree and those participating in environmental or community groups are more likely to be aware of environmental certifications on both levels. Moreover, aware consumers tend to be more willing to pay for a certified coffee or a coffee produced by a certified company.

Projecting the carbon footprint of tourist accommodation at the 2030 FIFA World CupTM

FIFA World Cup™ (FWC) is the world’s largest sporting event in a single sport. Due to its popularity, starting with its 2026 edition, FWCs will accommodate 48 participating teams instead of the current 32. This will provide an estimated profit of one billion US dollars. However, the expansion of FWC will also accelerate its carbon footprint due to increased use of transportation and tourist accommodation. This carbon footprint has not been considered by FIFA when deciding on the number of FWC participants. To showcase the carbon implications of the FIFA decision, this study assesses the carbon footprint of tourist accommodation during possible future staging of the 2030 FWC in South America. To this end, two scenarios are assessed: in Scenario 1 the current structure of 32 teams is maintained and in Scenario 2 an expansion to 48 teams is considered. A comparative analysis of these two scenarios shows that, only due to increased demand for tourist accommodation, the FIFA’s decision to increase the number of FWC participants will accelerate its carbon footprint by 24%. To reduce this carbon footprint, FIFA should consider choosing host countries on the basis of their national energy use matrices. FIFA should further prioritise those countries with the largest number of climate-friendly tourist accommodations exemplified, for example, by the award of reputable environmental certifications.

A certification scheme for operation of buildings with well-planned and ambitious environmental improvements

The development of environmental certification schemes has increased rapidly during the last twenty years and are often used as benchmarks during design of new buildings or reconstruction. However, for management of our existing buildings the members of Sweden Green Building Council request for clear guidelines and a certification scheme. Therefore, a new certification scheme called Miljöbyggnad in Operation has been developed within close cooperation with branch actors through interviews, workshops and suggestions for consideration. The scheme will be launched in summer 2020. The new scheme act as a guidance tool for the property sector to meet the environmental quality objectives. Today many of our existing buildings do not even meet the requirements within the Swedish Environmental Code and many tenants are suffering with health problems due too low indoor environment qualities in their homes, in schools or at work. Therefore, high focus is on indoor environment and occurrence of dangerous substances but also aspects that consider improved health. Use of energy and resources are considered to reduce the impact of global warming. Building’s status is evaluated in order to make deliberate environmental improvements. Eighteen environmental aspects are assessed with about 250 statements that should be answered with yes in order to give one score. With the scores the building owner will get a good identification of the worst parts of the building and which measures that directly will give substantial results. The aim is to give a clear presentation of the building’s status, irrespective of building category or age, and to inspire for a well-planned and ambitious environmental improvement with gamification.

Marketing ambiental: o apelo verde de produtos certificados e a percepção dos consumidores

Considerando a expansão do nicho do consumo sustentável a nível global, e a importância do marketing ambiental conseguir transmitir para os consumidores sustentáveis a imagem de uma empresa engajada com a sustentabilidade, bem como de que seus produtos são sustentáveis, para o êxito nesse mercado, diversas estratégias de promoção podem ser adotadas para tal finalidade. Dessa forma, o objetivo deste estudo foi identificar as estratégias de marketing ambiental praticadas, e a percepção dos empresários em relação ao comportamento dos consumidores frente a essas estratégias, na cidade de Natal-RN. O estudo partiu de uma abordagem qualitativa, com amostragem por conveniência e não probabilística por meio da qual profissionais da área de gestão participaram de entrevistas em profundidade, escolhidos por estarem associados ao trabalho com produtos certificados e estratégias de marketing ambiental nas respectivas atuações no município de Natal-RN. Quanto aos resultados e conclusões, as entrevistas evidenciaram que entre as principais estratégias de marketing ambiental adotadas pelas empresas representadas ou assistidas pelos entrevistados, a mais utilizada é de fato a certificação ambiental, ou a adoção de selos verdes. Quanto a percepção dos empresários, gestores e consultores entrevistados, em relação ao comportamento dos consumidores frente a estratégia da certificação ambiental, de acordo com estes, por mais que esta seja importante para comunicar a procedência dos produtos e ações da empresa, no sentido da sustentabilidade, segundo sua visão, os consumidores ainda não percebem a certificação como um diferencial de relevância para influenciar a sua decisão de compra, isso por ainda não possuírem uma adequada compreensão da importância de tal selo.

Environmental certification in a differentiated duopoly

The articleaims to explore the role of horizontal product differentiation in promoting/hindering firm’s participation in environmental certification. To this purpose, we consider a differentiated duopoly model where firms compete in both prices and environmental qualities. The result shows that when the level of horizontal differentiation relative to the degree of vertical differentiation is sufficiently high, only the symmetric equilibrium where both firms choose to or both choose not to certify their products exists. Asymmetric equilibrium (vertical dominance equilibrium) occurs when the level of horizontal differentiation relative to the degree of vertical differentiation is sufficiently low.