scholarly journals The Circular Economy of E-Waste in the Netherlands: Optimizing Material Recycling and Energy Recovery

2017 ◽  
Vol 2017 ◽  
pp. 1-6 ◽  
Author(s):  
Laura Golsteijn ◽  
Elsa Valencia Martinez
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
The Netherlands ◽  
Circular Economy ◽  
Energy Recovery ◽  
Waste Recycling ◽  
Material Recycling ◽  
Large Household ◽  
Avoided Emissions ◽  
Over Time ◽  
Do So

In the Netherlands, waste electric and electronic equipment (e-waste) is an important point for discussion on the circular economy agenda. This paper shows the Dutch example of how “waste” can be turned into a resource, and the climate change benefits from appropriate collection and recycling. It describes the avoided emissions of CO2-equivalents due to e-waste recycling and appropriate removal and destruction of (H)CFCs contained in cooling and freezing appliances. Six different e-waste categories were included, and the results of 2016 were compared to previous years (2009–2015). In 2016, 110,000 tonnes of e-waste were collected. 80% of this was recycled to useful materials. Additionally, it resulted in 17% energy recovery. That year, the recycling of e-waste and the removal of (H)CFKs resulted in approximately 416,000 tonnes of avoided emissions of CO2-equivalents. Although the phasing out of cooling and freezing appliances with (H)CFKs led to a general decrease in the quantity of avoided CO2 emissions over time, removal of (H)CFKs still explained most of the avoided CO2 emissions. Material recycling appeared particularly beneficial for cooling and freezing appliances and small and large household appliances. The paper ends with reasons to further close the loop and ways forward to do so.

scholarly journals Climate-related reporting by publicly listed companies in The Netherlands: an attention-action mapping

2020 ◽  
Vol 94 (7/8) ◽  
pp. 285-292
Author(s):  
Jan Stolker ◽  
Bahar Keskin den Doelder ◽  
Jatinder S. Sidhu
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Cognitive Psychology ◽  
The Netherlands ◽  
Listed Companies ◽  
Annual Reports ◽  
Corporate Boards ◽  
Effective Governance ◽  
Research Findings ◽  
Insight Into ◽  
Over Time

Against the backdrop of increasing calls for mandatory and voluntary climate-related disclosures by companies, this article provides insight into how the (integrated) annual reports of companies listed on the AEX index in the Netherlands, communicated companies’ engagement with climate issues from 2016 to 2018. Drawing on research in the cognitive psychology domain, the article examines companies’ reported attention to climate change as well as their climate-related actions. It shows that although there are noticeable climate attention and action differences among AEX companies, over time the companies as a whole have started doing more in relation to climate – for example, in terms of attention, there is increase in the inclusion of climate considerations in strategy making and, in terms of action, there is increase in the inclusion of climate in material risks. The article discusses the research findings, which have implications for effective governance by corporate boards.

scholarly journals Economic valuation of climate change–induced mortality: age dependent cold and heat mortality in the Netherlands

2020 ◽  
Vol 162 (2) ◽  
pp. 545-562 ◽  
Author(s):  
W. J. W. Botzen ◽  
M. L. Martinius ◽  
P. Bröde ◽  
M. A. Folkerts ◽  
P. Ignjacevic ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
The Netherlands ◽  
Economic Valuation ◽  
Time Lags ◽  
Economic Costs ◽  
Age Classes ◽  
Statistical Life ◽  
Net Benefits ◽  
Over Time ◽  
Related Mortality

Abstract This study examines the impacts of climate change on future mortality in the Netherlands and the related economic costs. Our methods account for changes in both cold- and heat-related mortality for different age classes, the time dynamics associated with temperature-related mortality, demographic change and the urban heat island effect. Results show that heat and cold impacts on mortality vary considerably between age classes, with older people being more vulnerable to temperature extremes. The sensitivity of mortality to temperature is higher on hot (4.6%/°C) than cold (2.1%/°C) days for the most vulnerable group (≥ 80 years), and extreme temperatures have long time lags on mortality, especially in the cold. A main finding is that climate change is expected to first decrease total net mortality in the Netherlands due to a dominant effect of less cold-related mortality, but this reverses over time under high warming scenarios, unless additional adaptation measures are taken. The economic valuation of these total net mortality changes indicates that climate change will result in net benefits of up to €2.3 billion using the Value of a Statistical Life Year and €14.5 billion using the Value of a Statistical Life approaches in 2050, while this changes over time in net economic costs under high warming scenarios that can reach up to €17.6 billion in 2085. Implementing adaptation policies that reduce the negative impacts of warming on mortality in the heat can turn these net costs into net benefits by achieving a continued dominating effect of reduced mortality in the cold.

scholarly journals Cascade use indicators for selected biopolymers: Are we aiming for the right solutions in the design for recycling of bio-based polymers?

2017 ◽  
Vol 35 (4) ◽  
pp. 367-378 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jakob Hildebrandt ◽  
Alberto Bezama ◽  
Daniela Thrän
Keyword(s):  
Life Cycle Assessment ◽  
Life Cycle ◽  
Circular Economy ◽  
Energy Recovery ◽  
Product Life ◽  
Material Recycling ◽  
Systems Perspective ◽  
Design For Recycling ◽  
Durable Products ◽  
The Right

When surveying the trends and criteria for the design for recycling (DfR) of bio-based polymers, priorities appear to lie in energy recovery at the end of the product life of durable products, such as bio-based thermosets. Non-durable products made of thermoplastic polymers exhibit good properties for material recycling. The latter commonly enjoy growing material recycling quotas in countries that enforce a landfill ban. Quantitative and qualitative indicators are needed for characterizing progress in the development towards more recycling friendly bio-based polymers. This would enable the deficits in recycling bio-based plastics to be tracked and improved. The aim of this paper is to analyse the trends in the DfR of bio-based polymers and the constraints posed by the recycling infrastructure on plastic polymers from a systems perspective. This analysis produces recommendations on how life cycle assessment indicators can be introduced into the dialogue between designers and recyclers in order to promote DfR principles to enhance the cascading use of bio-based polymers within the bioeconomy, and to meet circular economy goals.

Circular Economy

2020 ◽  
pp. 1-20
Author(s):  
José Manuel Saiz-Alvarez
Keyword(s):  
Circular Economy ◽  
Environmental Awareness ◽  
Waste Recycling ◽  
Future Generations ◽  
Scarce Resources ◽  
Over Time

Humankind wastes resources in a way that is unsustainable over time, which makes it necessary and desirable to implement waste recycling policies that benefit all of humanity. The arrival of the circular economy is strengthening the environmental awareness of the population as well as more efficient use of scarce resources on the planet. In addition to the circular economy, this chapter briefly analyzes the different models that currently exist to combat the deterioration of the environment, since it is the responsibility of current generations to leave a better world for future generations.

scholarly journals Modelling of Regional Economic Metabolism

Climate ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 8 (4) ◽  
pp. 52
Author(s):  
Afonso Silva ◽  
Bruno Augusto ◽  
Sandra Rafael ◽  
Johnny Reis ◽  
Myriam Lopes ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Environmental Impact ◽  
Economic System ◽  
Circular Economy ◽  
Urban Metabolism ◽  
Regional Economic ◽  
Amount Of Information ◽  
Future Developments ◽  
The World ◽  
Over Time

The current linear economic system has led Europe to unsustainable development, aggravating several issues, such as climate change, limitation of resources, and pollution. As a sustainable alternative, circular economy (CE) has been promoted around the world. This economic system allows for the maximization of a product’s life, thus decreasing its environmental impact and increasing its value. The main goal of this work is to scrutinise the concepts of CE over time, from the beginning of the concept, to its implementation in Europe and its application in Portugal. In addition, the requirement for strategies that led to studies on regional urban metabolism are addressed. Another goal is to examine Portugal and see how the country is dealing with the implementation of strategies for CE, moving from concept to practice. This part of the work resulted in the creation of the REMET-UA model, a tool to assess the regional economic metabolism, which also has the potential to evaluate synergies of materials in terms of fluxes between regions, maximizing the amount of information available at this scale for municipalities and enterprises to be used, having taken into account the purpose of circular economy. The results showed that REMET-UA is fully operational and corresponds to the goal for which the model was made. Future developments have been identified and are underway to improve the model and bring it as close to reality as possible.

Cultivating Ice over Time: On the Idea of Timeless Knowledge and Places in the Himalayas

1969 ◽  
Vol 58 (2) ◽  
pp. 193-210 ◽  
Author(s):  
Karine Gagné
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Sense Of Community ◽  
Local Knowledge ◽  
Local Communities ◽  
International Organisations ◽  
Change Over Time ◽  
Local Populations ◽  
Close Study ◽  
Indian Himalayas ◽  
Over Time

Assumptions that local communities have an endogenous capacity to adapt to climate change stemming from time-tested knowledge and an inherent sense of community that prompts mobilisation are becoming increasingly common in material produced by international organisations. This discourse, which relies on ahistorical and apolitical conceptions of localities and populations, is based on ideas of timeless knowledge and places. Analysing the water-place nexus in Ladakh, in the Indian Himalayas, through a close study of glacier practices as they change over time, the article argues that local knowledge is subject to change and must be analysed in light of changing conceptions and experiences of place by the state and by local populations alike.

Earnings Management and Capital Resource Allocation: Evidence from China's Accounting-Based Regulation of Rights Issues

2004 ◽  
Vol 79 (3) ◽  
pp. 645-665 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kevin C. W. Chen ◽  
Hongqi Yuan
Keyword(s):  
Resource Allocation ◽  
Earnings Management ◽  
Listed Companies ◽  
Return On Equity ◽  
Rights Issue ◽  
Rights Issues ◽  
Over Time ◽  
Do So

From 1996 to 1998, listed companies in China were required to achieve a minimum return on equity (ROE) of 10 percent in each of the previous three years before they could apply for permission to issue additional shares. As a result of this rule, there was a heavy concentration of ROEs in the area just above 10 percent. We show that the Chinese regulators appear to have scrutinized firms using excess amounts of nonoperating income to reach the 10 percent hurdle. In addition, their ability to do so seems to have improved over time, which allows them to be better able to identify firms that subsequently performed better. However, many firms were still able to gain rights issue approval through excess nonoperating income. We show that these firms subsequently underperformed other approved firms that did not use the same practice, indicating that the Chinese regulators' objective of guiding capital resources toward the well-performing sectors is partially compromised by earnings management.

Protecting Natural Resources

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jérémie Gilbert
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Human Rights ◽  
Natural Resources ◽  
Environmental Law ◽  
Legal Framework ◽  
Human Rights Law ◽  
International Environmental Law ◽  
Conservation Of Natural Resources ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Do So

This chapter focuses on the connection between the international legal framework governing the conservation of natural resources and human rights law. The objective is to examine the potential synergies between international environmental law and human rights when it comes to the protection of natural resources. To do so, it concentrates on three main areas of potential convergence. It first focuses on the pollution of natural resources and analyses how human rights law offers a potential platform to seek remedies for the victims of pollution. It next concentrates on the conservation of natural resources, particularly on the interconnection between protected areas, biodiversity, and human rights law. Finally, it examines the relationship between climate change and human rights law, focusing on the role that human rights law can play in the development of the current climate change adaptation and mitigation frameworks.

scholarly journals Green Deal as a Climate Changes Dam on the Road to Health

2020 ◽  
Vol 30 (Supplement_5) ◽  
Author(s):  
M Jevtic ◽  
C Bouland
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Climate Change ◽  
Circular Economy ◽  
Clinical Medicine ◽  
Health Sector ◽  
The Public ◽  
The Road ◽  
National Public Health ◽  
On The Road ◽  
The Impact

Abstract Public health professionals (PHP) have a dual task in climate change. They should persuade their colleagues in clinical medicine of the importance of all the issues covered by the GD. The fact that the health sector contributes to the overall emissions of 4.4% speaks to the lack of awareness within the health sector itself. The issue of providing adequate infrastructure for the health sector is essential. Strengthening the opportunities and development of the circular economy within healthcare is more than just a current issue. The second task of PHP is targeting the broader population. The public health mission is being implemented, inter alia, through numerous activities related to environmental monitoring and assessment of the impact on health. GD should be a roadmap for priorities and actions in public health, bearing in mind: an ambitious goal of climate neutrality, an insistence on clean, affordable and safe energy, a strategy for a clean and circular economy. GD provides a framework for the development of sustainable and smart transport, the development of green agriculture and policies from field to table. It also insists on biodiversity conservation and protection actions. The pursuit of zero pollution and an environment free of toxic chemicals, as well as incorporating sustainability into all policies, is also an indispensable part of GD. GD represents a leadership step in the global framework towards a healthier future and comprises all the non-EU members as well. The public health sector should consider the GD as an argument for achieving goals at national levels, and align national public health policies with the goals of this document. There is a need for stronger advocacy of health and public-health interests along with incorporating sustainability into all policies. Achieving goals requires the education process for healthcare professionals covering all of topics of climate change, energy and air pollution to a much greater extent than before.

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