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How Can the Eco‐efficiency of a Region be Measured and Monitored?

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  • Jyri Seppäläa
  • Matti Melanen
  • Ilmo Mäenpää
  • Sirkka Koskela
  • Jyrki Tenhunen
  • Marja‐Riitta Hiltunen

Abstract

The concept of eco‐efficiency is commonly referred to as a business link to sustainable development. In this article, ecoefficiency is examined at a regional level as an approach to promoting the competitiveness of economic activities in the Finnish Kymenlaakso region and mitigating their harmful impacts on the environment. The aim is to develop appropriate indicators for monitoring changes in the eco‐efficiency of the region. A starting point is to produce indicators for the environmental and economic dimensions of regional development and use them for measuring regional eco‐efficiency. The environmental impact indicators are based on a life‐cycle assessment method, producing different types of environmental impact indicators: pressure indicators (e.g., emissions of CO2), impact category indicators (e.g., CO2 equivalents in the case of climate change), and a total impact indicator (aggregating different impact category indicator results into a single value). Environmental impact indicators based on direct material input, total material input, and total material requirement of the Kymenlaakso region are also assessed. The economic indicators used are the gross domestic product, the value added, and the output of the main economic sectors of Kymenlaakso. In the eco‐efficiency assessment, the economic and environmental impact indicators are monitored in the same graph. In a few cases eco‐efficiency ratios can also be calculated (the economic indicators are divided by the environmental indicators). Output (= value added + intermediate consumption) is used as an economic indicator related to the environmental impact indicators, which also cover the upstream processes of the region's activities. In the article, we also discuss the strengths and weaknesses of using the different environmental impact indicators.

Suggested Citation

  • Jyri Seppäläa & Matti Melanen & Ilmo Mäenpää & Sirkka Koskela & Jyrki Tenhunen & Marja‐Riitta Hiltunen, 2005. "How Can the Eco‐efficiency of a Region be Measured and Monitored?," Journal of Industrial Ecology, Yale University, vol. 9(4), pages 117-130, October.
    • Handle: RePEc:bla:inecol:v:9:y:2005:i:4:p:117-130
    DOI: 10.1162/108819805775247972
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    Cited by:

    1. Kytzia, Susanne & Walz, Ariane & Wegmann, Mattia, 2011. "How can tourism use land more efficiently? A model-based approach to land-use efficiency for tourist destinations," Tourism Management, Elsevier, vol. 32(3), pages 629-640.
    2. Eva Richterová & Martin Richter & Zlata Sojková, 2021. "Regional eco-efficiency of the agricultural sector in V4 regions, its dynamics in time and decomposition on the technological and pure technical eco-efficiency change," Equilibrium. Quarterly Journal of Economics and Economic Policy, Institute of Economic Research, vol. 16(3), pages 553-576, September.
    3. Hsing-Fu Kuo & Ko-Wan Tsou, 2015. "Application of Environmental Change Efficiency to the Sustainability of Urban Development at the Neighborhood Level," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 7(8), pages 1-20, August.
    4. Wentao Lu & Guixiang Zhang, 2023. "Green development efficiency of urban agglomerations in a developing country: evidence from Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei in China," Environment, Development and Sustainability: A Multidisciplinary Approach to the Theory and Practice of Sustainable Development, Springer, vol. 25(7), pages 6939-6962, July.
    5. Wei Zhang & Ying Zhan & Ruiyang Yin & Xunbo Yuan, 2022. "The Tourism Eco-Efficiency Measurement and Its Influencing Factors in the Yellow River Basin," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(23), pages 1-14, November.
    6. Wenjie Zou & Liqin Zhang & Jieying Xu & Yufeng Xie & Huangxin Chen, 2022. "Spatial–Temporal Evolution Characteristics and Influencing Factors of Industrial Pollution Control Efficiency in China," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(9), pages 1-18, April.
    7. Zhe Wang & Lin Zhao & Guozhu Mao & Ben Wu, 2015. "Eco-Efficiency Trends and Decoupling Analysis of Environmental Pressures in Tianjin, China," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 7(11), pages 1-16, November.

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