Globalisation and environmental awareness

     Since the industrial revolution was taken place in the United Kingdom in the mid 18 century, and then spread throughout the world subsequently, industrialisation has made tremendous changes in various aspects such as agriculture, manufacturing, transportation, and technology. It has transformed our lives from an agricultural-based to an industrial-based one. Industrialisation has not only accelerated the modernisation process of human society but also has a significant effect on economic development, and has promoted the process of globalisation as a result.

 　自從工業革命在18世紀中葉於英國發生、並散布至全世界後，工業化已經在許多方面造成鉅變，像是農業、生產、運輸、與技術。工業化將我們的生活從農業基礎轉為工業基礎。工業化不僅加速人類社會的現代化流程、且對經濟發展上亦具有重大影響，並因此促進了全球化。

    As Al-Rodhan and Stoudmann mentioned in the “Definitions of Globalization: A Comprehensive Overview and a Proposed Definition”, globalisation “involves economic integration; the transfer of policies across borders; the transmission of knowledge; cultural stability; the reproduction, relations, and discourses of power; it is a global process, a concept, a revolution, and an establishment of the global market free from socio-political control.” 　

　根據Al-Rodhan與 Stoudmann在「全球化定義：綜覽與倡議」報告中所言，全球化為「包括經濟一體化；跨國政策的移轉；知識的傳輸；文化穩定性；複製（重現）；關係；與權力論述；它是全球市場不受社會－政治控制的一個全球化流程、一種概念、一場革命、以及一種發展。」

   Globalisation has made the economic and cultural activities much more inter-dependent inter-nations than before. Therefore, the United Nation has pointed out that the environmental awareness such as sustainable development has also been paid attention to in the economic globalisation cross nations. 　

　全球化已經使得經濟與文化活動在國際間較過去更為互相依賴。因此，聯合國已指出，環境意識，像是永續發展，已經在國際間的經濟發展中受到關注。

    Moreover, economic growth is accompanied with resource consumption. According to the IEA (International Energy Agency)'s Reference Scenario, for the following 20 years, global energy demand will increase by around 40%, which means an average of 1.5% a year. As a result, the industrialised world needs to pace up to arise environmental awareness, practice the sustainable development, and undertake significant changes to the natural environment.

 　此外，經濟成長伴隨著能源消耗。根據國際能源總署（ International Energy Agency, IEA）所提出的參考情境，接下來的20年中，全球能源需求會增加約40%，意即平均每年約1.5%的成長。因此，工業化世界需要加緊腳步喚醒環境意識、實踐永續發展、並為天然環境做出重大改變。


Reference:
*Al-Rodhan and Stoudmann (2006), Definitions of Globalization: A comprehensive Overview and a Proposed Definition, GCSP Occasional Papers, Geneva: Geneva Centre for Security Policy (GCSP).

CSR: Nokia's eco-friendly phone

While Apple and Samsung are fighting with each other on the problems of their patent strategy, Nokia keeps devoting to the environmental dimensions of CSR (corporate socialresponsibility). According to the Nokia Sustainability Report 2011, in order to achieve its business vision of being a leading company in environmental performance, Nokia continues seeking new approaches of reducing impact on environment, as well as developing new partnerships both inside and outside the industry. And the eco-friendly mobile that we will discuss in the following section is just one of Nokia’s efforts in environmental CSR.

當Apple與Samsung在互打專利大戰之際，Nokia持續地為CSR（企業社會責任）進行努力。根據Nokia的2011年永續經營報告，Nokia持續地尋求減輕對環境影響的方法、以及在企業內部與外部發展新的合作夥伴關係，以期能達成在環境績效上的領航企業之願景。而下文中將要介紹的生態友善手機，則是Nokia在環境CSR上的努力之一。

(source: Nokia official website)

This eco-friendly mobile was designed by a Chinese designer Daizi Zheng and was first introduced to the public in 2010. Zheng proposes the idea that a mobile could work on a bio-battery according to the glycolysis reaction.

此生態友善的手機由中國設計師Daizi Zheng所設計，於2010年首度發表。Zheng提出手機能用以糖解反應進行發電的生化電池所運作。 

(source: dezeen magazine)

Glycolysis is a process that transforms glucose to energy (and H2O and CO2) by enzymes. Zheng thought the traditional mobile battery produces a disposal problem and has adverse impact to the environment. However, this bio-battery only needs some soft drink such as cola for work. It can generate electricity for the mobile in an eco-friendly way – no need for rare metals and other materials for manufacturing and generates no disposal problem because it is bio-degradable. Zheng claimed that this bio-battery has the potential to operate 3-4 times longer than lithium batteries.

糖解是葡萄糖經由酵素催化產生能量（以及水與二氧化碳）的過程。Zheng認為傳統的手機電池造成廢棄處理問題、且對環境有負面影響。然而此生化電池僅需一些軟性飲料，例如可樂，即可運作。它能以生態友善的方式產生手機所需的電力－不需要貴金屬或其他製造所需的原物料、且因為它是生物可分解的，所以不會有廢棄處理的問題。Zheng宣稱此生化電池的續航力有望較傳統鋰電池高上3-4倍。

(source: dezeen magazine)

(source: dezeen magazine)

(source: dezeen magazine)

(source: dezeen magazine)

Some rumours said this technology could be commercialised within years. It is admirable that Nokia keeps concerning environmental issues in business operations. It has shown its ambition on promoting a more sustainable lifestyle in this cola mobile case. We expect more innovative and eco-friendly products available in the future.

　有傳聞說此技術數年內即可商業化。諾基亞在其企業營運上持續關切環境議題是很教人激賞的。在這個可樂手機的例子中，它已顯現在推動更為永續發展的生活方式上的雄心壯志。我們期待在未來能有更多創新且生態友善的產品能問世。

Reference:

*Nokia Sustainability Report 2011

*Daizi Zheng: Nokia "green" phone

*dezeen magazine: Eco-friendly phone for Nokia by Daizi Zheng

Sustainability - 2

   As introduced in the article “Sustainability - 1”, sustainability is defined as the development meets the present needs without compromising the future needs by the United Nations World Commission on Environment and Development (WCED). Today environmental awareness has become a general consciousness worldwide, and international governments such as OECD (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development) and EU (European Union) have devoted to sustainability with the worries about the future, as described in the following paragraph. 

   誠如前文”Sustainability - 1”所述，聯合國世界環境與發展委員會（WCED）將永續發展定義為滿足當前需要、但也無損於下一代需要的發展。今日，環境意識已經成為全球化的共識，基於對未來的憂慮，國際政府像是OECD與歐盟已致力於永續發展，如下所述。

   OECD is a forum that 30 democratic governments work together on the economic, social and environmental challenges of globalisation. The OECD Environmental Performance Reviews Programme helps member countries improve their performances in environmental management. Take Finland as an instance, according to the reviews on Finland in 2009, OECD strongly suggested Finnish government to strengthen its environmental management efforts (e.g. for waste and nature protection), further integrate environmental concerns into economic decisions, and reinforce international co-operation on environmental issues, in order to meet its challenges on environment, such as water quality of the Baltic Sea and the biodiversity in forests.

   OECD是由30個民主國家共同為全球的經濟、社會、與環境挑戰所努力的論壇。OECD的環境績效回顧計畫協助會員國改善其環境管理的績效，以芬蘭為例，根據2009年對芬蘭所進行的回顧，OECD強烈建議芬蘭政府強化其環境管理的努力（例如，在廢棄物與自然保護方面）、將環境考量進一步整合至經濟決策中、並加強環境議題上的國際合作，以期能滿足所面臨的環境挑戰，像是波羅的海的水質與森林的生物多樣性。

   The EU LIFE programme is the EU’s funding instrument for the environment. The objective is to contribute to the implementation, updating and development of EU environmental policy. The programme began in 1992 and there have been 3 complete phases of the programme (LIFE I: 1992-1995, LIFE II: 1996-1999 and LIFE III: 2000-2006). The current phase of the programme is LIFE+ (2007-2013). LIFE programme has co-financed 3104 projects across the EU, contributing approximately €2.2 billion to the protection of the environment.

   歐盟LIFE計畫是歐盟對環境議題進行資金挹注的工具。其目的為促進歐盟環境政策的執行、更新、與發展。此計畫始於1992年，迄今已完成了三個階段（LIFE I: 1992-1995, LIFE II: 1996-1999 and LIFE III: 2000-2006）。現在計畫所進行的階段為LIFE+（2007-2013）。LIFE計畫在歐盟已經共同資助了3104件專案，為環境保護帶來約22億歐元的資金貢獻。

Sustainability - 1

     The concept of sustainable development can be traced back to the United Nations Conference on the Human Environment in 1972. It pointed out the possibility to achieve economic growth and industrialisation without environmental damage. Today sustainability is most recognised by the definition in the Brundtland Report published by the United Nations World Commission on Environment and Development (WCED) in 1987: 

   "Sustainable development is development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs." 

   Such concept was further noted by the United Nations 2005 World Summit that it requires the reconciliation of environmental protection, social equity, and economics demands, which are the “3 pillars (3 E’s)” of sustainability. 

   Many international and national organisations and business have joined their efforts on the sustainable development and relative green issues. For instance, the World Economic Forum is running a foresight programme, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) runs an Environmental Performance Reviews Programme to help its member countries improve their performances in environmental management, and the European Union has funded a LIFE+ programme to address relative issues. For business, take IBM as an example, IBM has run a Global Innovation Outlook Programme for years. Additionally, some academic institutions and non-governmental organisations have led a way toward the future thinking of sustainable development as well, the Institute for the Future (IFTF) in Palo Alto is the most widely known one.