Barriers to Promoting Eco‐Industrial Parks Development in China

For at least the past two decades, eco‐industrial parks (EIPs) have been promoted as policy and commercial instruments for achieving industrial sustainable development. Yet, few EIPs have seen successful operational implementation, especially if they begin as standard industrial parks. Rapid economic growth, commensurate with increasing environmental damage in China, has resulted in officials’ further pursuing EIP policy as a significant element of the broader circular economy and ecological modernization efforts. This article examines the barriers for EIP development from industrial park senior manager perspectives. Using resource dependence theory and the resource‐based view as theoretical lenses, we investigate the external and internal barriers for EIP development in 51 Chinese industrial parks. A number of barriers are identified and grouped through a factor analysis. Cluster analysis is utilized to help categorize and evaluate the perceived levels of barriers and hardships experienced by various senior officials that manage the EIPs. It is found that few respondents encounter no significant barriers. Barriers related to technological development and capacity building are the most prevalent. These results highlight the relative importance of various activities that may be necessary by policy makers and other stakeholders to overcome the barriers. For example, cooperation in developing technological solutions for EIPs seems to be a major thrust that should be pursued by EIP development stakeholders. Other policy and managerial insights based on the general findings of this study are also presented.     

产业园区温室气体排放清单

温室气体排放所导致的全球气候变化是国际社会长期关注的热点问题,它严重限制了人类社会的发展并威胁着人类的生存。产业园区通常集中了一个区域主要的生产要素与生产能力,也代表着特定产业在该区域的发展水平,理应作为发展低碳经济的基础单元和减少温室气体排放的重要控制点,也可以成为解决区域资源、环境问题的突破口。明确了产业园区温室气体排放的系统边界和内部结构,梳理了产业园区全生命周期温室气体排放行为,综合考虑产业园区能源消耗、工业生产、物质材料消耗、仪器设备投入、废弃物处理处置、景观绿化等过程,建立产业园区温室气体排放核算方法,并对案例园区进行了清单分析。结果表明:案例园区整个生命周期的温室气体排放量为1872177 t CO2-eq,其中运行管理阶段占全生命周期排放的比例最高,为95.35%。建设阶段的温室气体排放总量中建筑材料消耗引起的排放占到96.95%,主要集中在建筑工程、内部装修工程和外部装饰工程3个环节。运行管理阶段电力消耗、热力消耗和污水处理过程的排放量占到总量的98.69%。根据核算及分析结果提出了案例园区在建设和运行管理阶段实现温室气体减排的建议。     

Industrial Ecosystems and Food Webs: An Expansion and Update of Existing Data for Eco‐Industrial Parks and Understanding the Ecological Food Webs They Wish to Mimic

Cyclical industrial networks are becoming highly desirable for their efficient use of resources and capital. Progress toward this ideal can be enhanced by mimicking the structure of naturally sustainable ecological food webs (FWs). The structures of cyclic industrial networks, sometimes known as eco‐industrial parks (EIPs), are compared to FWs using a variety of important structural ecological parameters. This comparison uses a comprehensive data set of 144 FWs that provides a more ecologically correct understanding of how FWs are organized than previous efforts. In conjunction, an expanded data set of 48 EIPs gives new insights into similarities and differences between the two network types. The new information shows that, at best, current EIPs are most similar to those FWs that lack the components that create a biologically desirable cyclical structure. We propose that FWs collected from 1993 onward should be used in comparisons with EIPs, given that these networks are much more likely to include important network functions that directly affect the structure. We also propose that the metrics used in an ecological analysis of EIPs be calculated from an FW matrix, as opposed to a community matrix, which, to this point, has been widely used. These new insights into the design of ecologically inspired industrial networks clarify the path toward superior material and energy cycling for environmental and financial success.     

Environmental Performance Analysis of Eco‐Industrial Parks in China: A Data Envelopment Analysis Approach

In pursuit of more sustainable development of industry, China has been actively developing eco‐industrial parks (EIPs) for more than a decade. However, the environmental value of these EIPs remains largely unverified. This study aimed to evaluate the environmental performance of national EIPs in China using data envelopment analysis. Eco‐efficiency and environmental performance indices were used to represent the static and dynamic environmental performance of EIPs, respectively. An environmental performance index was formed by combining measures of eco‐efficiency in a dynamic setting with the sequential Malmquist index approach. We obtained three main empirical findings. First, 34 national EIPs exhibited a cumulative environmental performance improvement of 89.4% from 2007 to 2010, which is primarily the result of eco‐efficiency change rather than environmental technical change. Second, compared with the trial EIPs, the demonstration EIPs had a higher average eco‐efficiency (0.611 vs. 0.446 in 2010) and experienced greater average environmental performance improvement (129% vs. 60%). Third, the EIPs retrofitted from high‐tech industrial development zones exhibited much higher average eco‐efficiency (0.798 vs. 0.440 in 2010) than those retrofitted from economic and technical development zones. The key measures supporting the performance improvement and policy implications for the development of EIPs are also discussed.     

农工共生型生态产业园的构建——以郑州经开区为例

生态产业园已成为我国循环经济建设和可持续发展的重要载体之一,但我国的生态产业园明显存在着产业结构趋同、区域特色不鲜明等问题。提出了农工共生型生态产业园的概念,这是一类以工业园区为核心,集园区周边各类型农业相关企业、合作组织、农民、乡镇及农田为一体的一种"社会-经济-自然"复合区域产业共生体系。农工共生型生态产业园可以实现核心园区与周边腹地的协同发展,可以提升区域整体的生态效率。给出了农工共生型生态产业园的发展模式、建设意义及设计原则。并以农业大省河南省中唯一的国家级经济技术开发区为研究案例,结合当地区域特色及资源优势,构建了由3条产品链及一条服务链所组成的农工共生型产业生态系统。农工共生型生态产业园是产业共生理论在区域层面的具体实现,是复合生态系统理论在产业园层次的创新性应用。     

生态产业园的复合生态效率及评价指标体系

生态产业园的建设在国内取得了丰富的成果,已成为我国循环经济建设和可持续发展的重要载体之一。与国外不同,我国的生态产业园最终将演化为生态城市,其功能也从工业生产功能发展为融生产、生活和生态为一体的复合功能。生态效率是评价一个研究对象投入产出效益的量化工具,将生态效率的理念融入生态产业园,从园区作为区域可持续发展的载体、作为生态城市演化的一个特定阶段的视角,提出了复合生态效率的概念,构建了园区复合生态效率评价指标体系,并以郑州经济技术开发区为例,说明了复合生态效率指标在产业园中的应用。     

国家级经济技术开发区绿色发展指数研究

国家级经济技术开发区是改革开放以来中国经济发展的缩影,已成为中国推动开放型经济发展,促进工业化、城镇化进程,实现区域发展战略的重要支撑。处理好经济发展与节约资源、保护环境的关系,实现绿色、低碳、循环发展,提高发展的质量和效益,是国家级经开区在新形势下面临的新挑战。为推进国家级经开区的创新驱动和绿色发展,加强对国家级经开区绿色低碳循环发展的引导,通过建立绿色发展指数方法,对国家级经开区的绿色发展水平进行评价,以期为管理决策提供参考。绿色发展水平定量评价研究运用多准则排序方法构建了绿色发展指数。首先从经济发展、资源能源消耗、生态环境和基础设施4个方面构建了国家级经开区绿色发展评价指标体系,其次对各项指标进行归一化处理,加权后得到绿色发展指数。以2007年52家国家级经开区各项指标(基于不变价格的平均值)为参照,分析了2007—2012年52家国家级经开区绿色发展指数的动态变化,采用动态气泡图直观地表征年际间经开区绩效的横向和纵向变化。比较了东中西部国家级经开区绿色发展水平的差异,及建设国家生态工业示范园区对其绿色发展指数的影响,进而对国家级经开区的绿色发展进行了展望。     

What Makes Eco‐Transformation of Industrial Parks Take Off in China?

This article focuses on the effects of policy instruments for developing viable eco‐industrial parks (EIPs) in China. We analyzed the root of China's national EIP program and inventoried the general instruments available to local authorities to shape and promote eco‐industrial development. Empirical research conducted in Tianjin Economic‐technological Development Area and Dalian Development Area led to the activities and actions conducted by local authorities. A quantitative method, technique for order of preference by similarity to ideal solution, was adopted to reveal the effects of policy instruments for comparative analysis. We conclude that the planned EIP model is useful in the early stage of EIP development, and, subsequently, it should be combined with a facilitated model to achieve long‐term goals for eco‐transformation. To this end, the policy package of economic, regulatory, and voluntary instruments should be integrated and tailored in alignment with the local situation.     

转型中工业城市的公园绿地社会公平性研究——以东莞市东城街道为例

作为城市重要的生态空间,公园绿地为城市提供环境基础及景观保障,其资源的合理分配是社会公平的重要体现。提出公园绿地社会公平性新的内涵,即无论个体所处的人居环境条件如何,其获得的城市公园绿地质量应该平等。工业城市向服务型、创新型城市的转变是中国城镇发展的典型趋势,研究其公园绿地的社会公平性为城市更新改造与公共资源分配提供重要的科学依据。以东莞市东城街道为例,构建社会-经济-自然复合人居指标体系与公园质量评价体系,基于可达性模型与Pearson相关性系数对公平性进行测度。结果表明：由于区域更新强度及顺序不同,研究区的绿地布局存在不公平现象,居民享受的公园质量与小区的自然、经济要素具有一定的关联。转型中的工业城市高质量公园聚集于风景资源优越的高端居住区,其他公园质量普遍不佳。工业园区以及旧城区为公园服务盲区的主要聚集地。     

Scaling‐Up of Industrial Symbiosis in the Korean National Eco‐Industrial Park Program: Examining Its Evolution over the 10 Years between 2005–2014

In 2005, South Korea initiated the 15‐year National Eco‐Industrial Park Development Program in three stages to gradually transform aged industrial complexes into eco‐industrial parks (EIPs) by promoting industrial symbiosis (IS). Building upon the pilot experiences from the first 5 years, the second phase of the program focused on the scaling‐up of IS at a broader regional level. Key scaling‐up strategies included the expansion of target areas by connecting multiple industrial complexes, the standardization of processes and dissemination of learning, and the development of large‐scale projects that could contribute to the regional development. In this study, we examined the evolution of IS over the last 10 years between 2005 and 2014, primarily to understand the characteristics and impact of these scaling‐up strategies. Our findings showed that the scale of IS in the second phase had increased in various aspects in comparison to that in the first phase. The number of operating projects had increased from 52 to 159, the number of participating firms increased from 90 to 596, and the average distance of IS increased from 40 to 48 kilometers. The size of economic and environmental benefits also increased along with an increase in the private investment and government research funding. We further analyzed the role of the regional EIP centers as facilitators, how their activities influenced the scaling‐up of IS, and discussed the characteristics of the Korea's approach to IS.     

Framework for Applying a Complex Adaptive System Approach to Model the Operation of Eco‐Industrial Parks

Models of eco‐industrial parks (EIPs) might help us transform our production systems by fostering the emergence of sustainable EIPs since such models have the potential to support the decision‐making processes of cooperative companies that participate and to decrease operational uncertainties. In this article, a conceptual framework for modeling the operation of EIPs is presented. The framework is underpinned by complex adaptive systems theory, industrial ecology, and an analysis of the experiences of existing EIPs. The proposed framework draws on the observed strengths of two types of industrial symbiosis models—planned eco‐industrial parks (PEIPs) and EIPs that developed through self‐organizing symbiosis (SOS)—as well as their observed weaknesses and the features of complex adaptive systems. From this analysis, five key properties to be modeled are deduced: functionality, reliability, life span, theoretical knowledge, and adaptability. It is proposed that the properties of functionality and theoretical knowledge are determined by the goals of the EIP and its member companies, while the property of adaptability is determined by the understanding that the companies in an EIP have of the environment surrounding the EIP, while the properties of reliability and life span are determined by the internal and external relationships of the companies that make up an EIP.     

Assessment of the National Eco-Industrial Park Standard for Promoting Industrial Symbiosis in China

Eco-industrial park (EIP) projects have become more prevalent in China. In order to evaluate the performance of such innovative projects, the State Environmental Protection Administration (SEPA) has set up a new national standard for EIPs, the first of its kind globally. This article examines the applicability and feasibility of the indicator system established in the standard. It first presents the details of this new standard. Then benefits and challenges in the standard's application are analyzed. The analysis shows that the new indicators are eco-efficiency-oriented and do not address the essence of the EIP. In the future, there will be a need to revise this set of indicators by considering the principles of eco-industrial development and local realities in order to ensure that the indicators are indeed used to promote sustainable development of industrial parks.     

中国生态工业园区发展现状与展望

综述了中国生态工业园区的发展,主要内容包括:(1)中国工业园区的发展历程和面临的挑战;(2)中国生态工业园区的发展历程与发展模式;(3)3个角度分析中国生态工业园区建设取得的环境绩效,即基于生态工业示范园区验收及规划基准年绩效变化,基于数据包络分析法的生态工业示范园区环境绩效和基于环境绩效指数方法的生态工业园区环境绩效评价;(4)国内外关于生态工业园区的研究现状和热点;(5)中国生态工业园区发展和研究面临的难点及未来发展展望。面向中国工业园区绿色低碳循环发展需求,以期通过对生态工业园区发展的回顾和评述,为园区实践者和决策者及后续研究提供参考。     

中国生态工业园区发展的环境绩效指数构建方法

运用多目标排序方法构建了中国生态工业园区发展环境绩效指数,以量化比较生态工业园区间的环境绩效。首先基于《综合类生态工业园区标准》筛选构建环境绩效评价指标体系,包括经济发展、资源能源消耗、污染排放3个准则层;其次应用标准化方法和正态分布的累积分布函数NORMDIST依次对各项指标原始数据进行2次数据处理;最后准则层、指标层均等权重进行归一化得到环境绩效指数。应用所构建的环境绩效指数方法以2010年为基准年,分析了24家综合类国家生态工业示范园区的绩效,并将《综合类生态工业园区标准》作为虚拟的"标准园区"进行比较。分析了环境绩效指数的影响因素,并基于环境绩效指数方法对中国生态工业示范园区发展的管理决策提出了建议。     

Effects of Using Heterogeneous Prices on the Allocation of Impacts from Electricity Use: A Mixed‐Unit Input‐Output Approach

Economic input‐output life cycle assessment (IO‐LCA) models allow for quick estimation of economy‐wide greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions associated with goods and services. IO‐LCA models are usually built using economic accounts and differ from most process‐based models in their use of economic transactions, rather than physical flows, as the drivers of supply‐chain GHG emissions. GHG emissions estimates associated with input supply chains are influenced by the price paid by consumers when the relative prices between individual consumers are different. We investigate the significance of the allocation of GHG emissions based on monetary versus physical units by carrying out a case study of the U.S. electricity sector. We create parallel monetary and mixed‐unit IO‐LCA models using the 2007 Benchmark Accounts of the U.S. economy and sector specific prices for different end users of electricity. This approach is well suited for electricity generation because electricity consumption contributes a significant share of emissions for most processes, and the range of prices paid by electricity consumers allows us to explore the effects of price on allocation of emissions. We find that, in general, monetary input‐output models assign fewer emissions per kilowatt to electricity used by industrial sectors than to electricity used by households and service sectors, attributable to the relatively higher prices paid by households and service sectors. This fact introduces a challenging question of what is the best basis for allocating the emissions from electricity generation given the different uses of electricity by consumers and the wide variability of electricity pricing.     

An Exploration of the Relationship between Socioeconomic and Well‐Being Variables and Household Greenhouse Gas Emissions

This research reports on a multivariate analysis that examined the relationship between direct greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and socioeconomic and well‐being variables for 1,920 respondents living in Halifax Regional Municipality, Nova Scotia, Canada, using results from the Halifax Space‐Time Activity Research Project. The unique data set allows us to estimate direct GHG emissions with an unprecedented level of specificity based on household energy use survey data and geographic positioning system–verified personal travel data. Of the variables analyzed, household size, income, community zone, age, and marital status are all statistically significant predictors of direct GHG emissions. Birthplace, ethnicity, educational attainment, perceptions of health, life satisfaction, job satisfaction, happiness, volunteering, or community belonging did not seem to matter. In addition, we examined whether those reporting energy‐efficient behaviors had lower GHG emissions. No significant differences were discovered among the groups analyzed, supporting a growing body of research indicating a disconnect between environmental attitudes and behaviors and environmental impact. Among the predictor variables, those reporting to be married, young, low income, and living in households with more people have correspondingly lower direct GHG emissions than other categories in respective groupings. Our finding that respondents with lifestyles that generate higher GHG emissions did not report to be healthier, happier, or more connected to their communities suggest that individuals can experience similar degrees of well‐being regardless of the amount of GHG emissions associated with his or her respective lifestyle.     

中国产业共生发展模式的国际比较及对策

产业共生和生态工业园区已经成为世界范围内产业生态化转型的重要手段之一。在厘清产业共生发展模式内涵的基础上,借鉴商业模式的划分准则辨识了世界范围内6种产业共生模式:丹麦卡伦堡模式、美国模式、英国模式、日本模式、韩国模式和中国模式。从关键参与者、核心能力以及资金流3个维度对这些模式进行了辨识,重点比较了我国产业共生与其他模式的差别。研究表明,我国产业共生实践数量众多,在关键参与主体、核心能力培育和资金流等方面存在丰富的多样化,虽然形成了一定的中国特色,但并没有形成固定的"中国模式"。可以说,我国的产业共生实践还停留在初级阶段,下一步可持续的发展必须要建立合理的管制架构、形成稳定的资金支持机制和培育核心竞争能力。初级提出了我国产业共生和生态工业园区建设的政策建议。     

Synergy Management Services Companies: A New Business Model for Industrial Park Operators

The concept of industrial symbiosis (IS) was introduced decades ago and its environmental and economic benefits are well established, but the broad acceptance of IS still faces significant barriers. This article provides a new approach to capture synergies within industrial parks by suggesting a new business model. Building on findings from a survey conducted by the authors and on literature, we first identify potential barriers to low‐carbon synergistic projects. Economic concerns of technically feasible synergies and financial issues turn out to be the largest barriers, because of long payback periods and fluctuating raw material and by‐product market prices. Existing business models do not offer easy ways to overcome or relax these barriers. We therefore introduce the concept of a synergy management services company (SMSCO), a synergy contractor and third‐party financing model, to overcome these barriers. This model shifts the financial risk of the synergistic project from collaborating firms to the SMSCO. We posit that this attribute of the SMSCO model makes it attractive for industrial park operators who seek long‐term solutions to secure future viability of their park.     

Greenhouse Gas Emissions Payback for Lightweighted Vehicles Using Aluminum and High‐Strength Steel

In this article we consider interactions between life cycle emissions and materials flows associated with lightweighting (LW) automobiles. Both aluminum and high‐strength steel (HSS) lightweighting are considered, with LW ranging from 6% to 23% on the basis of literature references and input from industry experts. We compare the increase in greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions associated with producing lightweight vehicles with the saved emissions during vehicle use. This yields a calculation of how many years of vehicle use are required to offset the added GHG emissions from the production stage. Payback periods for HSS are shorter than for aluminum. Nevertheless, achieving significant LW with HSS comparable to aluminum‐intensive vehicles requires not only material substitution but also the achievement of secondary LW by downsizing of other vehicle components in addition to the vehicle structure. GHG savings for aluminum LW varies strongly with location where the aluminum is produced and whether secondary aluminum can be utilized instead of primary. HSS is less sensitive to these parameters. In principle, payback times for vehicles lightweighted with aluminum can be shortened by closed‐loop recycling of wrought aluminum (i.e., use of secondary wrought aluminum). Over a 15‐year time horizon, however, it is unlikely that this could significantly reduce emissions from the automotive industry, given the challenges involved with enabling a closed‐loop aluminum infrastructure without downcycling automotive body structures.     

Fuel Economy and Greenhouse Gas Emissions Labeling for Plug‐In Hybrid Vehicles from a Life Cycle Perspective

Fuel economy has been an effective indicator of vehicle greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions for conventional gasoline‐powered vehicles due to the strong relationship between fuel economy and vehicle life cycle emissions. However, fuel economy is not as accurate an indicator of vehicle GHG emissions for plug‐in hybrid (PHEVs) and pure battery electric vehicles (EVs). Current vehicle labeling efforts by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and Department of Transportation have been focused on providing energy and environmental information to consumers based on U.S. national average data. This article explores the effects of variations in regional grids and regional daily vehicle miles traveled (VMT) on the total vehicle life cycle energy and GHG emissions of electrified vehicles and compare these results with information reported on the label and on the EPA's fuel economy Web site. The model results suggest that only 25% of the life cycle emissions from a representative PHEV are reflected on current vehicle labeling. The results show great variation in total vehicle life cycle emissions due to regional grid differences, including an approximately 100 gram per mile life cycle GHG emissions difference between the lowest and highest electric grid regions and up to a 100% difference between the state‐specific emission values within the same electric grid regions. Unexpectedly, for two regional grids the life cycle GHG emissions were higher in electric mode than in gasoline mode. We recommend that labels include stronger language on their deficiencies and provide ranges for GHG emissions from vehicle charging in regional electricity grids to better inform consumers.