Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of Wollongong, School of Biological Sciences. / Typescript. Includes bibliographical references: leaf 161-203.

Thesis (M.E.S.)--Evergreen State College, 2009. / "June, 2009." Title from title screen (viewed 4/8/2010). Includes bibliographical references (leaves 48-54).

Thesis (M. Sc.)--University of Hong Kong, 1999. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 89-93).

Thesis (M. Sc. (Environmental Science))--Rhodes University, 2006.

The main target of this diploma thesis is to ensure the level and the form of application of environmental management elements in commercial businesses from the view of customers and commercial businesses. The sub-objectives are to identify the environmental friendly attitudes, procuration and requirements related to commercial business environment. The diploma thesis is based on the analysis of selected companies by controlled interviews and data results analysis gained from survey.

O estudo teve como objetivo analisar as práticas sustentáveis e seus determinantes na gastronomia dos meios de hospedagem. Para tal, foram selecionados seis meios de hospedagem na Região das Hortênsias, situados nas cidades de Gramado e Canela, no Rio Grande do Sul. A técnica utilizada para a coleta de dados foi a aplicação de questionário, no qual foram utilizadas questões relacionadas à gestão da sustentabilidade; à certificação em gestão da sustentabilidade; à gastronomia sustentável; às ações sustentáveis no meio de hospedagem e no setor de alimentos e bebidas; à atratividade dos fatores ligados à gastronomia sustentável; às vantagens na adoção da gastronomia sustentável; e ao desperdício de alimentos. Os resultados permitiram concluir que os gestores consideram a redução de custos, a saúde dos hóspedes e o aumento da atratividade do meio de hospedagem como as principais vantagens da adoção de práticas sustentáveis no setor A&B, demonstrando que a gastronomia sustentável pode se manifestar como um benefício econômico para a gestão do meio de hospedagem, assim como para a segurança do turista. Os gestores destacam a preferência por produtores mais próximos do estabelecimento, alimentos da cultura regional e alimentos sazonais, definições que fazem parte também da ecogastronomia. As ações sustentáveis mais indicadas pelos gestores, adotadas pelos meios de hospedagem, são as relacionadas com a sustentabilidade do negócio e gestão de resíduos. Também é necessário considerar que o setor A&B está situado dentro do meio de hospedagem, e que, assim como os outros setores, pode adotar práticas sustentáveis além daquelas indicadas pela norma da certificação em gestão da sustentabilidade aos serviços alimentares. Conclui-se que as orientações para a sustentabilidade, no empreendimento gastronômico, precisam ser promovidas por meio da intersetorialidade, de modo que o setor da gastronomia realize ações sustentáveis de forma mais integrada. Nessa direção, a melhoria contínua na gastronomia sustentável necessita do desenvolvimento de novos saberes, construídos a partir de pesquisas científicas e da interação do conhecimento produzido com técnicas e tecnologias, que reduzam os impactos ambientais; maximizem o desempenho econômico e considerem a cultura e os valores da comunidade local. / The objective of the study was to analyze the sustainable practices and their determinants in the gastronomy of accommodation establishments. To this end, six accommodations were selected in the Região das Hortênsias, located in the cities of Gramado and Canela, in Rio Grande do Sul state. The technique used to collect data was the application of a questionnaire, in which were used questions related to sustainability management; certification in sustainability management; sustainable gastronomy; sustainable actions in the accommodation environment and in the food and beverage sector; attractiveness of factors linked to sustainable gastronomy; advantages in the adoption of sustainable gastronomy; and food waste. The results showed that managers consider cost reduction, guest’s health and the increase of attractiveness of the accommodation environment as the main advantages of adopting sustainable practices in the A&B sector, certifying that sustainable gastronomy can manifest itself as an economic benefit for the management of the hosting environment, as well as for the tourist’s safety. The managers emphasize the preference for manufacturers closer to the establishment, regional and seasonal food, definitions that are also part of ecogastronomy. The sustainable actions most indicated by the managers adopted by the accomodations are those related to the sustainability of the business and waste management. Also, it is necessary to consider that the A&B sector is located within the accommodation environment, and like other sectors, can adopt sustainable practices beyond those indicated by the certification standard of sustainability management of food services. It is concluded that the guidelines for sustainability in gastronomic enterprise need to be promoted through intersectoriality, so that the gastronomy sector performs sustainable actions in a more integrated way. In this direction, continuous improvement in sustainable gastronomy requires the development of new knowledge, built on scientific research, and the interaction of knowledge produced with techniques and technologies that reduce environmental impact, maximize economic performance and consider the culture and values of the local community.

Environmental issues seem to be one of the most important topics in the globalised world. Organisations of all sizes are subject to pressure from suppliers, customers and governments to be more environmentally responsible. This research focuses on implementation of an Environmental Management System (EMS) in the automotive industry, both internationally and in South Africa, and examines the background and concepts of the International Organization for Standardization (ISO), as well as the key implementation phases associated with the implementation of an EMS, in accordance with ISO 14001. The problem statement of this research is to determine if it is possible to transfer, apply and sustain environmental concepts to small, medium or large organisations. The primary objectives of this research, therefore, were to determine: does implementation of an EMS provide economic benefits to organisations; what drives an organisation to first implement an EMS; does implementation of an EMS improve environmental awareness and performance; and what implementation barriers are faced by small, medium and large organisations. To achieve these objectives, a literary review and an empirical survey were conducted. The survey consisted of an electronic, self-administered questionnaire that was circulated to respondents at various automotive organisations. Data collected from completed, returned questionnaires were analysed and graphically presented to complete the research and achieve the primary research objectives toward solving the afore-mentioned problem statement. Based on the findings of this research, it can be concluded that there is much to gain from implementing an EMS.

The diploma thesis is concerned with current topics of business insurance risks. The goal of thesis is to explore actual business risks in the world and ways of protection, analyze development of business insurance market in the Czech Republic, categorize business insurance risks and in conclusion describe selected insurance products in detail, which will influence the market structure of business insurance most in future I suppose. These product are Key person insurance (Keyman), Directors and Officers liability insurance (D&O) and Environmental insurance. My analysis showed that the most important global business risks currently are economic risks, business interruption risks and risks of natural disasters. Businessmen in the following period will have to deal primarily with the threat of regulation and compliance, maintain continued access to credit and recover from economic recession. The business insurance market is growing slightly and also provides great potential for growth in the future. Major trend in the field of business insurance last years is stagnation and decline of insurance rates. It can be expected that the structure of business insurance market will be affected mostly by liability insurance.

No description available.

Land, water and natural resources are under increasing pressure due to rising demands for food and energy from the rapidly growing global population. Across a catchment there can be multiple stakeholders with conflicting opinions over how space and resources should be used and managed. Consequently, it is important to consider the suitability of a catchment for a particular purpose to optimise use of the area and minimise potential conflicts and impacts on the wider environment. Aquaculture is a significant contributor to world food supply and as fisheries are unlikely to increase it is expected that the industry will continue to grow and expand in the future to help meet food security requirements. As a result, it is essential that the sector aims for sustainable development within the most suitable locations. However, it can be difficult to assess the suitability of multiple large catchments and some issues may not be immediately apparent. This project aimed to show how spatial models could be used as decision support tools to evaluate the suitability of large catchments for sustainable aquaculture. Four large areas of importance to aquaculture were selected; covering 10,148km2, 26,225km2, 48,319km2 and 66,283km2 in Bangladesh, China, Thailand and Vietnam respectively. Asia is by far the most dominant aquaculture region in the world and each of the four study areas contribute to local, regional and global food supplies. The study area in Bangladesh was located in Khulna region in the south west of the country and the main species of focus were prawn and shrimp. The Chinese study area was located in the south eastern province of Guangdong and the main species covered were tilapia and shrimp. Similarly, in Thailand, the main species evaluated were tilapia and shrimp whilst the study area extended across the Central region. Finally, the largest study area was the Mekong Delta in Vietnam and the main species of focus in this area were pangasius catfish and shrimp. One of the challenges in modelling large catchments is model applicability and data availability. Often, the required data are not available (or accessible) and it would be difficult, time consuming and expensive to collect new information. Furthermore, when assessing multiple areas is it vital that a representative and unbiased approach is used where no one catchment is favoured over the other due to higher quality data. Therefore, this study used data that are available for almost any area in the world; allowing future application of the models and enabling effective and unbiased decision support. Four modelling stages were employed in this study to evaluate the suitability of large catchments for sustainable aquaculture development. The first stage was the classification of seasonal land use models from satellite imagery. This provides information on what the land is used for and how aquaculture could impact or be impacted by the wider environment. The second step was the development of seasonal models of site suitability using optimal values within a GIS-based multi-stage framework. These models identify which locations are best for culture and can also be used to estimate the availability of areas for food production. The next stage investigated the use of Maxent as a novel approach in site suitability modelling to evaluate the conditions experienced by existing farms. The information from Maxent can be used to identify trends, opportunities and concerns related to sustainable management and farm locations. Finally, qualitative models of non-point source pollution (NPSP) were developed which assess the risk of NPSP within a catchment. NPSP is an issue which can impact both aquaculture and the wider environment. Thus, it is important to understand the areas within a catchment where NPSP risk is higher enabling the establishment of monitoring and/or mitigation procedures. The models support the ecosystem approach to aquaculture (EAA) and enable objective planning and management strategies to enhance productivity across large catchments without negatively impacting the environment. In order to meet growing food requirements, large areas will need to be used for agriculture and aquaculture; therefore, analysis at a wider catchment level, which complements assessment at a local scale, is required as it allows a holistic view of the situation. The work presented here illustrates the potential use of spatial models across large catchments and considers the suitability of the areas for aquaculture development.