An intuitionistic fuzzy Choquet integral operator based methodology for environmental criteria integrated supplier evaluation process

Supplier evaluation problems deal with selecting appropriate suppliers considering multiple criteria, which may be related with qualitative and quantitative aspects. Traditional supplier selection criteria contain criteria such as cost, capacity, delivery reliability, flexibility, and responsiveness, etc. However, due to the increasing level of environmental problems, it is a necessity to take environmental criteria into account together with the traditional decision criteria in the supplier evaluation processes of companies. Considering this necessity, this paper proposes a decision making methodology for environmental criteria integrated supplier evaluation processes. A methodology based on intuitionistic fuzzy Choquet integral operator is utilized to take into account vagueness of the decision environment and the interactions among the criteria. This methodology also provides the consideration of the satisfaction and dissatisfaction degrees of alternatives for each criterion with the help of intuitionistic fuzzy values. In addition, the effects of the criteria weights to the final ranking of suppliers are analyzed via sensitivity analyses.     

A multi-criteria decision-making approach for evaluating carbon performance of suppliers in the electronics industry

Although interest in addressing environmental perspectives in supplier management is rising, incorporating the issue of carbon management into supplier selection in green supply chain is still considerably scarce. This study presents a model for evaluating carbon performance of suppliers by utilizing multiple-criteria decision-making. Through literature reviews and expert opinions, 13 criteria within carbon performance are identified for evaluating suppliers. Subsequently, the analytic network process is utilized to determine the relative weights of each criterion. Finally, the VlseKriterijumska Optimizacija I Kompromisno Resenje technique is employed to evaluate carbon performance of suppliers and compromise solution under each of the evaluation criteria. An illustrative example in an electronics company is presented to demonstrate how to select the most appropriate supplier in accordance with carbon management. To be effective in mitigating carbon risk across the supply chain, the proposed hybrid model can help firms evaluate carbon performance of suppliers for facilitating low carbon supply chain.     

Effective environmental management through environmental knowledge management

Owing to the green revolution, environmental problems have now become some of the most important issues worldwide. Environmental knowledge management, which combines the strengths of environmental management and knowledge management, will become a popular tool for businesses in the near future. In this paper, through interviews of staff at different levels and in different departments of the business, i. e. managers and engineers and using the environmental knowledge circulation process, the authors evaluate the success of environmental knowledge management when applied to China Steel Corporation in Taiwan. From the case study, the authors found that China Steel Corporation has applied the environmental knowledge circulation process for over thirty years. The company continually improves its environmental and financial performance through environmental knowledge creation, environmental knowledge accumulation, environmental knowledge sharing, environmental knowledge utilization and environmental knowledge internalization. Water pollution and air emissions have reduced year on year and total energy consumption has reduced by 20 % from 1979 to 2006. On the other hand, China Steel Corporation also makes a profit and reduces cost through energy sold, by-products and recycling. Continuous improvement in environmental knowledge management has rendered China Steel Corporation in the most profitable steel company in Taiwan and the world’s twenty fifth largest steel producing company in 2006.     

Regional operational and environmental performance evaluation in China: non-radial DEA methodology under natural and managerial disposability

In this article, we used a non-radial DEA under natural and managerial disposability to measure the unified efficiency of 30 administrative regions in China and then evaluated their operational and environmental performances. We proposed the performance progress unified index (PPUI) based on the non-radial DEA methodology in a time horizon under natural and managerial disposability with a crossover to measure the performance variety of DMUs. The results of the unified efficiency measured under natural and managerial disposability showed that both operational and environmental performance in eastern China were the highest among the three regions during 2000–2011. The PPUIs under natural and managerial disposability indicated that the operational and environmental performance of the three regions improved during 2000–2011, and the rate of operational and environmental performance of eastern China was higher than the other two regions.     

Regional operational and environmental performance evaluation in China: non-radial DEA methodology under natural and managerial disposability

In this article, we used a non-radial DEA under natural and managerial disposability to measure the unified efficiency of 30 administrative regions in China and then evaluated their operational and environmental performances. We proposed the performance progress unified index (PPUI) based on the non-radial DEA methodology in a time horizon under natural and managerial disposability with a crossover to measure the performance variety of DMUs. The results of the unified efficiency measured under natural and managerial disposability showed that both operational and environmental performance in eastern China were the highest among the three regions during 2000–2011. The PPUIs under natural and managerial disposability indicated that the operational and environmental performance of the three regions improved during 2000–2011, and the rate of operational and environmental performance of eastern China was higher than the other two regions.

     

Sovereignty and subterranean resources: An institutional ethnography of Repsol’s corporate social responsibility programs in Ecuador

State mandated corporate social responsibility (CSR) programs emerged in Ecuador in the 1990s, following indigenous protests rooted in social and environmental impacts of oil extraction. CSR programs aim to deflect blame for a company’s operations, by providing development or infrastructural improvements in indigenous communities, including micro-credit projects, potable water systems, and electricity. Through an institutional ethnography of CSR programs of the Spanish owned multinational oil company, Repsol, I explore how companies intervene in transformations of social life challenging the roles of the state in securing its territorial sovereignty linked to subterranean oil resources. Drawing on interviews, participant observation, and textual analysis of company and state documents, my analysis demonstrates how CSR programs allow companies to secure their presence in the region, even in the face of shifting regimes of governance. In this article, I provide more insight into Ecuador’s transition from neoliberal to post-neoliberal eras, by calling attention to social processes that seek to legitimize expansion of corporate capital in spaces of sovereignty. If state control over subterranean resources is still crucial to understanding forms of sovereignty, then the extension of that control via CSR programs represents new relationships of power that construct the company as an expert in the region. Exploring the everyday processes of these legal relationships of sovereignty through an institutional ethnography of CSR programs uncovers the programs’ impacts and effects that seek to consolidate power in the company, undermine indigenous rights, and discipline the state.     

Fertilizer using intensity and environmental efficiency for China’s agriculture sector from 1997 to 2014

Agriculture produced the largest methane emissions in China. It is of great importance to investigate effect of fertilizer using intensity on the environmental efficiency of China’s agriculture. This paper mainly investigates the determinants of environmental efficiency of China’s agriculture. First, we estimate environmental efficiency of China’s agriculture of 30 provinces from 1997 to 2014 through metafrontier SBM super efficiency with undesirable outputs, which allow for technology heterogeneity in different regions. Then, we compare environmental efficiency in different regions. Furthermore, we also analyze whether heterogeneity of environmental technology widened or decreased. Last, we also explore the determinants of environmental efficiency of China’s agriculture through bootstrap truncation regression. We find that fertilizer intensity negatively affects environmental efficiency. Urbanization has significant positive (1.454) effect on environmental efficiency under metafrontier in the east. It is significant use more organic fertilizer to decrease CO₂ (carbon dioxide) emissions. It is important to enhance environmental innovation for China’s agriculture.     

Reliable groundwater management: the continuous improvement method

Over the world, a majority of water resources are managed by small- and medium-sized companies. Despite having limited personnel and financial resources, these companies have to ensure their groundwater management contains adequate quality control. This is an objective that any company can achieve with the means at its disposal, by using the continuous improvement method. In contrast to the technical approaches mainly used, which focus on the aquifer and the groundwater, the method presented in this article is specifically geared towards the individual conditions of the company extracting the water. A method of sustainable groundwater management is steadily built up by starting with the resources a company has available. The advantage of this approach is that any company, with its financial and personal resources, can achieve suitable groundwater by doing as much as it can within the bounds of its possibilities. Instead of calling in expensive external experts for a short period, the continuous improvement method calls at first for the participation of the companys employees and others involved. The aim is, ultimately, for learning organizations to be able to actively develop their own quality assurance strategies. The method introduced also enables a number of different water suppliers to collaborate within a network. Moreover, usage of the same guidelines allows international comparison. The continuous improvement of groundwater quality covers three scopes: groundwater extraction, groundwater protection, and the groundwater management system. In the following, the management system is based on sections from the International Standardization Organization (ISO 9001:2000) international quality management standard. The method is described using the example of mineral water and spa companies, which are often subject to difficult hydrogeological conditions.     

Prioritization of disaster risk in a community using GIS

Prioritization of disaster risk was carried out for a community in Toronto, Canada. Geographic information systems (GIS) were used for spatial analysis, including spatial overlays and clipping for extracting spatial and attribute information related to people’s vulnerability, critical infrastructure and landuse. In order to determine disaster risk, the overall community vulnerability was evaluated by combining social, economic, physical and environmental vulnerabilities. This paper uses the propane explosion incident as the case in point to demonstrate the methodology and procedure used to evaluate risk using GIS techniques. City of Toronto spatial data have been integrated with the study area to gather landuse information, identify risk zones based on the propane storage facility location and evaluate risks. Statistics Canada 2006 census data have been used for area demographics and people’s social and economic status. Vulnerability indicators were determined based on the GIS-derived spatial and attribute data for the hazard and evacuation zones followed by a quantitative spatial risk estimation and ranking. The methodology of this study, based on the risk evaluation and prioritization conducted, can be applied to future decision making in effective landuse planning and the development of risk management strategies.     

Implementation of green productivity management in airline industry

Compilation and implementation of green productivity mechanism in each governmental and nongovernmental organization has several environmental, social and economic achievements.In this paper for management of green productivity in Iran Aseman Airline Company current situation are analyzed such as the consumption of energy, water, airplanes fuel and evaluating environmental pollutants. At the end of this study some applicable techniques for increasing the productivity and consideration of environmental aspects in this company are recommended. Maximum water consumption had been 7500 m3 in the year 2005 during August until September, the maximum of electricity consumption was 759300 kWh in the year 2004 during July until August, the maximum of natural gas consumption had been 83647 m³ in the year 2004 during Feb until March, Also averages of 661500 L of fuel were consumed in this company’s vehicles yearly and in the last nine month of the year 2005, amount of 60263155 liters of airplane fuel has been consumed.     

Applying a Ruggiero three-stage super-efficiency DEA model to gauge regional carbon emission efficiency: evidence from China

China’s climate change mitigation strategies and efforts are based on accurate regional carbon emission efficiency (CEE) estimates. Decision-making units which are all data envelopment analysis (DEA)-effective cannot be ranked by using the original DEA model. While previous studies omit environmental factors when gauging resources or environmental efficiency. In this study, we combine a Ruggiero three-stage model with a super-efficiency DEA model (SE-DEA) to solve these two problems. Following this method, we consider environmental factors and thereby compare provincial CEE in China in the new production frontier. The main results obtained are as follows: (1) provincial CEE values differ significantly in the first stage and the third stage; (2) in the third stage, only Eastern China reaches the SE-DEA relatively effective level, where CEE rankings in descending order are: Eastern, Central, and Western China; (3) provinces are divided into four categories in terms of provincial CEE values and per-capita GDPs, and therefore, regional climate and development policies could be oriented due to different categories. This efficiency evaluation methodology and the results obtained in our study not only contribute to understanding this issue, but also could be of specific interest to climate change policy makers in China.     

GIS-based land suitability analysis integrating multi-criteria evaluation for the allocation of potential pollution sources

The geological environment has been heavily polluted by chemical substances over the past few decades. Pollution sources located on the earth’s surface or underground have affected the quality of the environment. A significant amount of impact could be reduced if the allocation of potential pollution sources was based on an evaluation of environmental conditions. The main objective of this study was to develop a methodology for the allocation of potential pollution sources by employing GIS and multi-criteria evaluation techniques. This methodology was applied to a study area located in the eastern part of Lithuania. A GIS-based land suitability analysis was performed after identifying 16 factors concerning the geological and socio-economic environment, which were important for environmental protection, land use and spatial planning. The environmental and socio-economic factors were divided into eliminating and limiting criteria. Criteria maps based on the selected factors were compiled. Areas delineated by eliminating criteria were identified as unsuitable for development (according to national legislation). Limiting criteria were evaluated according to the suitability level, which were determined in this study considering the principles of sustainable development. The relative importance of each criterion was assessed utilising the Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP). A land suitability index (LSI) was calculated and the final result of the land suitability analysis was summarized in three suitability maps (environmental, socio-economic and composite). Four suitability classes (unsuitable, least, moderately and most suitable) for the allocation of potential pollution sources in the study area were used, and the nine most suitable candidate sites were selected according to the proposed methodology.     

Evaluation of transfer functions in spatially structured environments

Transfer function training set sites close to each other tend to have similar species assemblages and environmental conditions in both oceanic and terrestrial data sets. This is unremarkable, but as this lack of independence between sites violates the assumptions of many statistical tests, it has severe consequences for transfer function evaluation, possibly resulting in inappropriate model choice and misleading and over-optimistic estimates of a transfer function's performance. In this paper, we develop a simple graphical method to test if spatial autocorrelation affects a training set, develop a Monte Carlo geostatistical simulation as a null model to test the significance of transfer functions in autocorrelated environments, and introduce a cross-validation scheme that is more robust to autocorrelation. We use these tests to show that some recently-published transfer functions have no predictive power, and strongly recommend the use of these tests to make transfer functions more robust to autocorrelation.     

The contribution of leading firms in environmental sustainability: dampening the detrimental effect of political capital ties

As a possible determinant of environmental sustainability, innovation management has grasped the attention of researchers. In the present research, we investigated the effect of political capital ties on firm’s contribution to environmental sustainability. We also examined how observed government support, an indicator of the inherent dependencies among political capital ties, moderates the effects of changes on innovation performance which plays a mediating role in the relationship of political capital ties and firm’s contribution in environmental sustainability. We got empirical data of 4807 listed firms of China (2010–2015) and diffused political capital ties to form a two-dimensional matrix on analysis of 36 interviews. Our study suggests that political capital dampens inputs for innovation resulting in a proliferation of innovation performance. This paper also guides that how moderation of enabling the effect of political capital ties is explained and measured through important dimensions of project initiation, high-tech accreditation and government subsidies in the context of government support.The present study also sheds light on new ways in which upper echelons theory, transaction cost and resource dependence theory can be integrated for more advanced research on political capital ties to evolve an optimal corporate strategy for environmental sustainability.     

An extended fuzzy TOPSIS–GRA method based on different separation measures for green logistics service provider selection

In this paper, first, the criteria that make logistics service providers more “green” are determined as: cooperation with customer’s company and its customer, green government regulations, environmental management system, green process design, reduction in energy consumption and green network design. The criteria weights are determined by fuzzy AHP, based on expert opinions. Then, a new method is proposed, which is the combination of fuzzy TOPSIS and GRA, and used to evaluate green 3PLs based on different separation measures, as an extension, using trapezoidal fuzzy numbers. Five Turkish 3PLs serve in Istanbul are selected in order to apply a case study to show the applicability of the proposed method. Finally, the proposed method is verified with respect to different resolving coefficient values and separation measures and also compared with fuzzy TOPSIS and fuzzy VIKOR method results. Different multi-criteria decision-making methods can be applied and compared to check validity of our results for future studies. The proposed method can also be implemented to 3PLs in other countries.     

Environmental management and open-air experiments in Brazilian Amazonia

In this article, I ethnographically examine “the biggest experiment in tropical conservation history,” an environmental management approach designed in Brazilian Amazonia. I focus on research conducted by scientists who support this approach using the results of their work at an open-air experiment. Drawing on this ethnographic study I critically revisit Bruno Latour’s deservedly influential ethnography of an open-air laboratory in Brazilian Amazonia. I also engage with his claim that open-air experiments constitute spaces in which scientists can avoid seeing the world as “Nature”—a gigantic collection of inert objects that experts sense they have to bring into order on their own. Latour shows that while working in their Amazonian open-air laboratory scientists perceived the forest as a network comprising human and non-human entities bearing creative capacities. He suggests that such experimentation enables humans to envision environmental management strategies based on human/non-human collaborations. In the open air, experts could thereby transcend the pervasive fatalism that plagues environmental policy circles and rekindle a more optimistic and enthusiastic stance toward environmental management. I argue that Latour’s is a visionary ethnography that anticipates contemporary trends in environmental management approaches. However, I also argue that his celebratory conclusions regarding open-air experimentation are misguided. I show that, while working in the open air, the scientists situated their work within capitalist experiments wherein humans and non-humans creatively collaborate in the construction of new, less inhabitable worlds.     

Geological resources and environmental carrying capacity evaluation review,theory, and practice in China

Evaluations of resources and environmental carrying capacities (GRECC) are the premise of land space planning and use control. Resource allocations and environmental capacity are the basic conditions that restrict development in a region. In this paper, based on a systematic review of China’s geological environment, groundwater resources, mineral resources, other geological resources and the environmental carrying capacity research status, the relationship between the natural resource environmental system and the socio-economic system is studied. Then a “coordination theory of resources and environmental carrying” is proposed. Next, on the basis of an evaluation experiment performed at different scales and for different types of regions, the technical methods for an evaluation of the geological resources and environmental carrying capacity at the regional (inter-provincial) and provincial scales in China are established for the first time. This paper presents a standardized method based on technical ideas, evaluation methods, and index systems for geological resource and environmental carrying capacity evaluation. Finally, an evaluation of the groundwater resource carrying capacity in China is used as an example for the demonstration of the groundwater resource background and use of state evaluation methods.     

Workplace environmental demands and energizers at two Kuwait oil companies

The Work Compatibility Improvement Framework was developed and used to assess the environmental and ergonomic work conditions at two oil companies in Kuwait: One is a government-owned company, while the other is a private subcontractor of the government-owned company. The work compatibility presents demand–energizer environmental factors that act upon the individuals in the workplace. The reliability coefficients were tested and considered good (0.752) and excellent (0.855) for two domain conditions environment and ergonomics, respectively. Results reveal that in all of the three regions of the government-owned company (north, southwest, east) the ‘overall’ compatibility data for the ‘environment’ is perceived to be poor. The ‘ergonomics’ compatibility data seem to be average in the southeast and west, while it is considered to be poor in the north. As for the private subcontractor, the perceived ‘environment’ is considered to be poor for two departments out of four (slickline and wellhead maintenance), while considered moderate for the remaining two (maintenance and crude/chemical handling). The ‘ergonomics’ compatibility is reported to be poor for crude/chemical handling and wellhead maintenance jobs; while the conditions seem to be moderate for the maintenance and slickline jobs. The major conclusion extracted from this study is that the oil sector organizations in Kuwait are not managed as ergo-environmental enterprises where there is disharmony in the ergonomics system, environmental system, and the ergo-environmental interface interaction. These gaps in the enterprise-wide systems have a significant impact on work productivity and the environment conditions.     

DRASTIC模型评价地下水系统脆弱性中的GIS应用——以河北沧州地区为例

地下水是水资源的重要组成部份,地下水污染危害人的健康,影响人们的生产和生活,查明某一地区地下水容易受污染的可能性即地下水脆弱性,能为管理决策部门提供合理开发地下水资源,防治地下水污染的科学规划和管理依据。在脆弱性评价工作中,应用GIS技术完成地下水系统脆弱性编图,并进行地下水环境保护功能分区,是查明某一示范区地下水脆弱性的可靠手段和科学依据。本文以河北省沧州地区为例,以DRASTIC模型的七项评价因子为脆弱性评价指标,利用MAPGIS为平台实现地下水脆弱性编图,方便从事地下水工作的管理人员及时掌握地下水污染动态、空间分布及演化趋势。     

What local people? Examining the Gállok mining conflict and the rights of the Sámi population in terms of justice and power

The global extraction of minerals is commonly located in areas populated by indigenous people; and while conflicts between multinational corporations and local activists and indigenous people are widespread today, the understanding of their dynamics are lacking. The Swedish government’s encouragement to an expanding mining industry has caused resistance due to environmental and social implications, particularly its effect on Sámi reindeer husbandry. The resistance to a mine in Gállok is based on the belief that the right to decide about land use historically falls on the Sámi people, and the right to affect land use is detrimental for the survival of Sámi culture and reindeer husbandry. Although the conflict may be perceived as concerning access to natural resources, we argue that the perceived environmental conflict can be viewed as part of a larger struggle over social status and recognition. Data have been collected using qualitative methods such as observations, interviews and documents. The subsequent analysis relies on a meta-theoretical framework of justice as recognition using a typology of relations of power. Our findings suggest that relations of power constitute different categories of social actors. Stakeholders like the Sámi population are subordinated to more dominant stakeholders such as the government, the company and media, who have ‘more’ power or ‘different’ kinds of power ‘over’ others. Through these asymmetric power relations, historical state-Sámi relations are continuously reproduced within prevailing institutions, and also in this mining conflict. Interviewees from business and the municipality testified to the discourses driven by a neoliberal and profit-focused worldview. Challenging the neoliberal discourse, other stakeholders, namely civil society and Sámi, expressed an alternative discourse based on a local, traditional, cultural, environmental and anti-neoliberal worldview.