Suchergebnisse

n/a ; Global Cleaner Production & Sustainable Consumption Conference http://www.cleanerproductionconference.com/ ; Transformation of education for sustainable development (ESD) programmes to meaningful action within society presents significant challenges including systemic integration, consistency of methods, and ensuring relevance and quality. Programmes like Eco-Schools, intended initially as an international environmental educational initiative, have developed, through thematic implementation processes and extensive collaboration with governmental agencies and NGOs, to embrace both development education and ESD. The Eco-Schools Programme, developed from the Blue Flag Programme for beaches and marinas, is coordinated at an international level by the Foundation for Environmental Education. The Programme has operated in Ireland since 1997 with over 93% of all primary and second level schools currently participating. Students from Eco-Schools progressing further through the education system demanded ESD action on reaching university, which lead to the development of the Green- Campus Programme. All Irish Universities and more than half of Institutes of Technology are registered on the programme with many awarded Green-Campus status, meaning that these sites engaged with the Eco-Schools programme, committed to continual improvement and elected for verification through detailed assessment processes. The Green-Campus Programme has been successfully implemented in Cork University Hospital, Ireland's largest teaching hospital. Likewise, early years educators used relevant aspects of the Green-Schools Programme in the kindergarten. Evolution and progression of the Eco-Schools Programme in Ireland was largely an organic process, however, evaluation of this case study reveals a flexible, dynamic framework which international policy makers and NGOs can imitate in order to champion enduring ESD programmes that are responsive as well as responsible.

peer-reviewed ; While significant focus has been placed on the environmental and health impacts of waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) treatment, a gap exists with respect to job creation in WEEE treatment. The creation of employment opportunities, and especially of decent work, is an important factor in the growing green and circular economies. This research investigates potential job creation in the Irish WEEE pre-treatment sector by examining the labour requirements at a certified e-recycling facility which conducts all necessary pre-treatment processes, as detailed in the WEEE Directive, and is currently treating 75% of Ireland's WEEE. The study developed and executed a method of estimating the mass of WEEE associated with full-time job equivalencies per category treated. Through observation and measurement of the methods and time required for each of the pretreatment steps and using categorisations of WEEE established by United Nations University to assign weights per unit, it was determined that between 338 and 1,967 tonnes were required to equate with one full-time job for the categories large household appliances (LHA), CRT/LCD/LED screens, microwave ovens, and mixed waste. Subsequently, the results were applied in order to estimate the foregone jobs due to untreated WEEE arising in scrap metal collections. It was found that diversion of this waste to a WEEE pre-treatment facility would result in the creation of more than 12 jobs. This research opens doors to further investigate job creation across European Union (EU) member states and globally using the straightforward and consistently applicable and adaptable methods developed here.

peer-reviewed ; The provision of healthcare creates significant environmental impacts, and their mitigation is being attempted in a variety of ways which vary from nation to nation in line with differing policy priorities and resource availability. The environmental performance of hospitals has been enhanced through, for example, green building, waste and energy management, and product design. However, unpredictable occupant behaviour, new research outcomes and evolving best practice requires healthcare to react and respond in an ever challenging and changing environment, and clearly there is no one set of actions appropriate in all jurisdictions. Many authors have pointed up negative environmental impacts caused by healthcare, but these studies have focused on particular aspects of mitigation in isolation, and are for this reason not optimal. Here it is argued that tackling impact mitigation through a whole system approach is likely to be more effective. To illustrate what this approach might entail in practice, an evaluation of a systematic implementation of impact mitigation in Ireland's largest teaching hospital, Cork University Hospital is presented. This approach brings together voluntary initiatives in particular those emanating from governmental and non-governmental organisations, peer supports and the adaptation of programmes designed originally for environmental education purposes. Specific measures and initiatives are described, and analysis of results and planned future actions provides a basis for evaluation of successes achieved in achieving mitigation objectives. A crucial attribute of this approach is that it retains its flexibility and connectivity through time, thereby ensuring continual responsiveness to evolving regulation and best practice in green healthcare. It is demonstrated that implementation in Cork resulted both in mitigation of existing impacts, but also a commitment to continual improvement. For such a systems approach to be widely adopted, the healthcare sector needs both ...