Indirect benefits of P2 technical assistance estimated using fuzzy set theory
Abstract Twenty small-to-medium sized business clients who had been previously provided pollution prevention (P2) technical assistance were studied to account for four difficult to quantify indirect benefits. The difficult to quantify benefits studied were reduced operational costs, regulatory burden, future liabilities and time saved from the research or technical assistance provided. Many (70%) clients who implemented new technologies realized operating cost reductions. Frequently (70%) clients who implemented P2 suggestions that reduce the disposal of hazardous waste realized reductions in regulatory burden and future liabilities. Most (90%) clients perceived that the research assistance saved their staff time. On average, clients in this study realized indirect savings of similar magnitude to their direct savings regardless of the scale or type of assistance. This study illustrates the value realized by a business of indirect benefits from pollution prevention implementation, which is particularly important now that publicly traded U.S. companies must disclosure financially significant environmental liabilities.
Perspectives on the Municipal Role in Effectuating Sustainable Industrial Park Development and Operations: The Hamilton, Ontario Case
Within the greater movement of sustainable development, industrial practices have been identified as a key area in which much improvement is both necessary and possible. The development and operation of industrial parks have become a focus of these efforts. The basic premise of this thesis is that a sustainable industrial park should function in an economically competitive manner that provides for human needs through market mechanisms while doing so in alliance with the local community, in congruence with the local ecosystem and within the carrying capacity of the planet. From a municipal planning and economic development perspective, this thesis focuses upon the development of a municipal strategy to effectuate sustainable industrial development and operations. Utilizing a blended theoretical approach incorporating general systems theory and planning theories, the proposed industrial park surrounding the Hamilton International Airport, in the City of Hamilton, Ontario, Canada, has been analyzed to develop a viable sustainability vision for the park, identify barriers to implementing and achieving that vision, and formulate a municipal strategy to promote and enable the pursuit and realization of that vision. It was found that there is an important role for the municipality to assume and numerous opportunities for concrete municipal action throughout the planning, development and operational stages of the industrial park. Upon reflection of the research process, the findings were extrapolated to garner wider applicability and relevance to other municipalities provincially, nationally, and internationally, as well as to the professional and academic community involved in industrial sustainability.
Implementation of Tourism Satellite Account: Assessing the Contribution of Tourism to the Croatian Economy
Compiling the indicators of tourism consumption and the output of tourism industries, Tourism Satellite Account (TSA) provides a framework for internationally harmonized measurements of direct macroeconomic contribution of tourism. Ivandic and Marusic provide a detailed methodological approach for the transfer of TSA theoretical concepts to the assessment of tourism economic contribution on the case of the Croatia. Giving that the TSA compilation is still characterized by a surprisingly wide range of ‘styles’ used, the chapter contributes to a better understanding of the issues related to measurement of direct tourism impacts. It also gives a set of baseline criteria for resource allocation within tourism policy and the further evaluation of its effectiveness.