Application of corporate social responsibility approach in Bulgaria to support sustainable tourism development

The rapidly developing tourism industry in Bulgaria in the last 15?years, especially at the Black sea coast, contributed to an entire change in the accommodation sector. The growth was due to unseen construction of new accommodation facilities and entire renovation of the existing ones. At the same time the tourism industry suffers from many social problems: lack of staff, shortage of qualified staff especially in the high-star hotels, very high rate of turnover, flow of Bulgarian staff abroad. The bigger mobility of the employees is facilitated by the seasonal character of the industry, knowledge of foreign languages, difference in payments, as well as in the nature of work. Overall, this leads to lost training investments, reduces the incentives for employers to provide training, causes lower quality services in hotels, and finally impacts negatively the competitiveness of the hotel sector in Bulgaria and its sustainable development. The paper presents the practical experience and conclusions from a corporate social responsibility (CSR) assessment in 25 Bulgarian hotels regarding the social issues of the CSR: human resource management, occupational safety and health, human and labour rights, stakeholder and community involvement, customer satisfaction. The most important social problems identified are: deficiency in management skills, deficiency in organised (external) stakeholder dialogue, lack of qualified staff in certain professions, lack of investment in training, high turnover, low motivation, conflicts related to wage levels, overtime, etc. A set of key performance indicators related to social responsibility is suggested and analysed. The benchmarking process is discussed and exemplary benchmarks are quoted. The most frequently proposed measures by the hotel CSR teams to improve the social responsibility in the hotels are reviewed.     

Decision support frameworks and metrics for sustainable development of minerals and metals

The Australian government-supported Co-operative Research Centre for Sustainable Resource Processing (CSRP) has undertaken a comprehensive review of sustainability metrics and decision support frameworks used by the global mining/minerals/metals sector. This paper provides a summary of that larger review. In particular, attention is given to the extent to which the plethora of current tools and approaches used by the industry are similar; the degree to which they conform with more formal approaches to decision making, as espoused by the management sciences community; and how indicators are, or should be, used to support decision making, or to set targets for achieving more sustainable outcomes from practices within the industry. We cite experience from six major companies within the sector as examples of current practice. Finally, we suggest how current best practice should be augmented by additional tools, which focus on information quality and management.     

开发推广先进燃煤发电技术支撑电力工业可持续发展\

我国正处于加快转变经济发展方式的关键时期,能源需求持续增长,生态环境保护和气候压力对社会经济可持续发展的约束日渐严重。我国一次能源的结构特点决定了我国电力供应以燃煤发电为主的格局,而燃煤发电既是用煤大户也是用水大户,同时还是污染物排放大户。优化煤电发展,向集约化、环保化发展转变是电力工业的战略调整。本文论证了我国煤电技术向清洁化发展的战略思路,简要回顾了超超临界技术和大型空冷技术的研发成果与产业化推广现状,论述了这两项先进煤电技术对电力工业发展转型的支撑作用。     

蓄能运行有利于风电等新能源的可持续发展

蓄能运行即通过不同蓄能设施利用电网低谷剩余电能储存转换,变成和再生能源一样,可周而复始更新使用,形成可持续发展的循环机制。蓄能设施涵盖抽水蓄能和其他蓄电、蓄能装置。当今水电发展受限于水能资源,在原电力开发基础上再考虑蓄能运行后可使之步入新的境界,有利于风电等新能源和整个电网的可持续发展。     

The limits of technological solutions to sustainable development

Sustainable development has been defined by political and corporate leaders as the combination of environmental protection and economic growth. As a result, the concept of eco-efficiency has been promoted as the primary tool for achieving industrial sustainability. However, there are at least four reasons why technological improvements in eco-efficiency alone will be insufficient to bring about a transition to sustainability. First, considering that the very foundations of western industrial societies are based on the exploitation of non-renewable minerals and fuels, it will be extremely difficult to switch to an industrial and economic system based solely on renewable resources. Clearly, the continuing use of non-renewables is inherently unsustainable because of finite material supplies and the fact that 100% recycling is impossible. Second, given the limited supply of non-renewable fuels, long-term sustainability can only be guaranteed if all energy is derived directly or indirectly from the sun. However, if the current U.S. energy demand would have to be supplied solely from solar sources, a wide range of serious and unavoidable negative environmental impacts are likely to result. Third, even the best of human ingenuity and the greatest technological optimism are bounded by the second law of thermodynamics, which dictates that all industrial and economic activities have unavoidable negative environmental consequences. Finally, improvements in eco-efficiency alone will not guarantee a reduction in the total environmental impact if economic growth is allowed to continue. Unless growth in both population and consumption is restrained, these technological improvements only delay the onset of negative consequences that, as a result, will have increased in severity, thereby reducing our freedom to choose satisfying solutions. Electronic Publication     

以制冷节能促进可持续发展

可持续发展是人类社会繁衍发展的一种科学的发展观.制冷技术是可持续发展的一项技术基础,也带来了严峻的能源和环境问题.我国应根据自己的特点发展制冷技术,由政府进行宏观调控推进制冷节能,促进社会和经济的可持续发展.     

第十讲:标准化与可持续发展--人类对未来的追求

一、可持续发展1.什么是发展和平与发展是当今社会的两大主题。现在可以说无处不在讲发展,无人不在谈发展,凡开会总是机遇和挑战并存,改革与发展同行。但对什么是发展?该如何发展?什么才是科学的发展?许多人以为,规模大了、数量多了、大楼高了、马路挤了、喝纯净水了、装空调了等等就是发展。应该说这是某种发展的产物或造成的结果,它们并不是发展本身,甚至还可能是人类某种愚蠢行为的结果。发展是社会学和经济学的范畴,它同时又是一个历史范畴,在不同的社会和经济背景下,会有不同的发展观。在人类文明的早期阶段,生产力水平很低,人类生活状…     

Big Data to support sustainable urban energy planning: The EvoEnergy project

Energy sustainability is a complex problem that needs to be tackled holistically by equally addressing other aspects such as socio-economic to meet the strict CO₂ emission targets. This paper builds upon our previous work on the effect of household transition on residential energy consumption where we developed a 3D urban energy prediction system (EvoEnergy) using the old UK panel data survey, namely, the British household panel data survey (BHPS). In particular, the aim of the present study is to examine the validity and reliability of EvoEnergy under the new UK household longitudinal study (UKHLS) launched in 2009. To achieve this aim, the household transition and energy prediction modules of EvoEnergy have been tested under both data sets using various statistical techniques such as Chow test. The analysis of the results advised that EvoEnergy remains a reliable prediction system and had a good prediction accuracy (MAPE  5%) when compared to actual energy performance certificate data. From this premise, we recommend researchers, who are working on data-driven energy consumption forecasting, to consider merging the BHPS and UKHLS data sets. This will, in turn, enable them to capture the bigger picture of different energy phenomena such as fuel poverty; consequently, anticipate problems with policy prior to their occurrence. Finally, the paper concludes by discussing two scenarios of EvoEnergy development in relation to energy policy and decision-making.     

Education for sustainable development: integration of sustainable development into engineering education in Ukraine

Kofi Annan, Secretary General of the United Nations.

The use of non-traditional approaches is suggested for engineering education, where the concept of SD is integrated with a systematic approach to be used not only as the theoretic foundation and philosophy of engineering education but also as a basis for future strategies and tactics. The essence of our approach not only consists of the knowledge to be obtained by the future experts of sustainable development, but the concept also became the basis of all basic disciplines and courses in the system of continuous education.     

Toolkits for regional sustainable development

Previous survey research into screening for environmental impact assessment (EIA) in England has found that few local authorities have very much experience of dealing with EIA projects. This research examined actual case files of projects that fall within the ambit of the UK's EIA Regulations and found an explanation for this lack of experience. In the majority of the cases examined they were not even screened to see if an EIA was required. This suggests that there is widespread misunderstanding of the EIA regulatory requirements by English local planning authorities. It is also suggested that there may be a culture of resistance to EIA among planners and that this can undermine both EIA effectiveness and the theories used to justify its use.     

The use of life cycle tools to support decision making for sustainable nanotechnologies

Nanotechnology is a broad-impact technology with applications ranging from materials and electronics to analytical methods and metrology. The many benefits that can be realized through the utilization of nanotechnology are intended to lead to an improved quality of life. However, numerous concerns have been expressed regarding the unchecked growth of nanotechnology and the unforeseen consequences it may bring. To address the concerns, nanotechnology must be examined under the microscope of sustainability. This work applies the life cycle perspective to provide an understanding of the challenges facing the development of sustainable nanotechnology. A discussion of the holistic tools used to assess the components of sustainability serves as the basis to examine how a harmony between policy and product development can be maintained using decision making for sustainability. This harmony will be most readily achieved using an enhanced risk management strategy for sustainability that combines sustainability assessment with sustainable chemical design.     

China社会福利制度的发展中国

先秦儒家提出了“使老有所终”、“矜寡孤独废疾者,皆有所养”（《礼记·礼运》）等思想和主张,对中国福利思想的产生有积极影响。
　　清朝末年发生的资产阶级改良主义的维新运动,宣扬西方资产阶级自由、平等、博爱、民权的进步思想,西方的福利思想和福利主张开始在中国传播。     

Decision-making support system for human resource allocation in product development projects

Recent dismal economic conditions and a ruthlessly competitive environment have forced many companies to restructure, or reorganize their priorities. For such companies, the concentration of various resources upon their particular corporate strong points has become a central strategy. Consequently, there has been a rapid increase in the importance of (1) selecting profitable projects from a wealth of possible alternatives and (2) optimizing the allocation of current resources among the selected projects. This paper proposes an optimization system for project selection that not only yields the most beneficial project set, but also the optimum allocation of human resources for the selected projects. The optimization system consists of two algorithms, namely (1) a project selection algorithm for choosing the set of projects that maximizes the total estimated profit, and (2) a human resource allocation algorithm for optimally placing human resources among the selected projects, having considered the satisfaction level provided by each employee's skills, personal motivation and career goals.     

Process algebras as support for sustainable systems of services

Process algebras are indispensable tools in modeling concurrent processes in theoretical computer science. We propose a novel use of process algebra as a back-bone in designing and maintaining complex open distributed information systems. Our π-calculus approach allows us to create and maintain service based mission oriented tasks with intended behaviors and with support for observing and maintaining mission critical systemic criteria.     

Exchanges about urban sustainable development promoted

正The third international standardization exchange meeting themed on urban sustainability and high-quality development recently took place in Beijing, attracting nearly 140 representatives from ISO/TC 268 (sustainable cities and communities), CNIS, National Energy Conservation Center, China Academy of Information and Communication Technology, etc. The event was jointly hosted by SAC/TC567 (urban sustainable develooment).Internet+Energy     

Environmental responsibility in sustainable business development

China National Bluestar(Group)Co.,Ltd.is a Chinese-foreign joint venture enterprise jointly funded by China National Chemical Corporation(ChemChina)and The Blackstone Group.The business scope of Bluestar includes research,development,manufacturing and marketing of chemical new materials,animal nutrient additives,water treatment technologies and fine chemicals,as well as the provision of a diverse range of technology and engineering services. The Company has experienced rapid development in size and internationalization in recent years and continues to invest in its business portfolio with significant emphasis on environmental responsibility as part of its commitment to Sustainable Development. Consistent with the view of the global chemical industry,as represented by the International Council of Chemical Associations (ICCA),Sustainable Development will only come about if three goals-economic,environmental and society-related-can be reconciled.The products and services offered by Bluestar ultimately touches many aspects of peoples lives on a daily basis ranging from basic needs such as food,clothing and housing to more discretionary areas such as consumer electronics and leisure activities.In addition Bluestar interacts as a solution provider to other industries for cleaning,equipment and engineering services.Through prioritizing environmental responsibility in all aspects of its technology and product development and implementing disciplined practices in operations,the Company is setting ambitious goals for improving its efficiency,reducing risks to health and the environment and making better products which,in turn,help individual and industry customers.Examples of ongoing investment in targeted portfolio expansion,a commitment to broad-based innovation and proactive efforts to reduce the environmental footprint of the business at all levels will be shown to demonstrate key measures for ensuring that the economic.environmental and societal goals associated with Sustainable Development will be met.