Successful urban regeneration projects generate benefits that are realised over a much longer tim... more Successful urban regeneration projects generate benefits that are realised over a much longer timeframe than normal market developments and benefits well beyond those that can be uplifted by a market developer. Consequently there is substantial evidence in the literature that successful place-making and urban regeneration projects are usually public-private partnerships and involve a funder, usually local or central government, willing to contribute 'patient' capital. Following the 2010 and 2011 earthquakes that devastated the centre of Christchurch, there was an urgent need to rebuild and revitalise the heart of the city, and increasing the number of people living in or near the city centre was seen as a key ingredient of that. In October 2010, an international competition was launched to design and build an Urban Village, a project intended to stimulate renewed residential development in the city. The competition attracted 58 entrants from around world, and in October 2013...
As converging crises increasingly cause disruption to social-ecological systems, individuals and ... more As converging crises increasingly cause disruption to social-ecological systems, individuals and communities will need to become more resilient and proactive in ensuring their access to and use of natural resources is sustainable. Ten months after an unprecedented drinking water contamination event and public health emergency in the New Zealand town of Havelock North, interviews were conducted with the owners of twenty local small and medium businesses. We applied a transformative learning framework to explore whether the disruption increased business owners’ awareness of their dependence on and connection to natural systems, prompted them to change their water management practices, and/or led them to contemplate or initiate alternative water supply relationships, thereby reshaping the prevailing provider-user “hydrosocial contract”. We found that business owners did become more conscious of natural systems and the criticality of water to their businesses, and made temporary adjustm...
Since 2000, adaptation has been the focus of the response to climate change in many least develop... more Since 2000, adaptation has been the focus of the response to climate change in many least developed countries. However, there are recognized overlaps and tensions between mitigation, adaptation and development, and between top-down and community-based approaches to adaptation. This paper explores the approaches used to develop Local Adaptation Plans of Action (LAPAs) by three different programmes in the forest sector of Nepal. The analysis of information drawn from 37 interviews, with government, non-government and community representatives at national, district and local levels, shows that although the LAPAs in Nepal are prepared with limited external and scientific contribution, they are rich with local information. However, the limited knowledge and capacity of local people in relation to specific climate change impacts and potential solutions mean the plans bear little difference to regular development activities. Nearly all the activities identified contributed to adaptation and mitigation, as well as economic development, within a context of environmental sustainability, but appeared not to address the social equity and justice aspects of social sustainability. Moreover, this article argues that the community has greater confidence in plans prepared when donor funding is channelled through existing government mechanisms than through more directly donor funded approaches. It may continue to be necessary to keep adaptation plans separate from development plans until there is a greater understanding of the means to and need for adaptation as part of mainstream development planning.
Bioethanol fuel was introduced as a sustainable development initiative in Vietnam. This paper ide... more Bioethanol fuel was introduced as a sustainable development initiative in Vietnam. This paper identifies factors influencing Vietnamese bioethanol purchases using a modified theory of interpersonal behaviour applied through an internet survey. The modified TIB, which adds a link between habit and intention and excludes affect, is not only statistically better, but is also as parsimonious as the original TIB. Study findings indicate that habit is the strongest determinant of both intention to buy, and actual purchase of bioethanol. The overwhelming influence of habit implies that policies to encourage increased voluntary purchases of bioethanol will have little impact unless they can change habituated purchases of conventional petrol. This is consistent with the Vietnamese Government's recent decision to remove traditional petrol from the market from 2018.
a center for agricultural, Environmental and Biological sciences, Federal university of recôncavo... more a center for agricultural, Environmental and Biological sciences, Federal university of recôncavo da Bahia, cruz das almas, Brazil; b department of Environmental management, lincoln university, lincoln, new Zealand ABSTRACT A significant shift in the dominant paradigm governing the relationship of humans with nature and society is crucial in order to change the current unsustainable practices. This article describes a pilot-study based on a Masters level sustainability course, which explored what specific content, activities and resources may contribute to promoting paradigm change and action competence among university students. Paradigm change and the development of action competence were assessed by analyzing students' weekly written reflections on their learning experiences and by comparing pre-and post-course questionnaires. At the end of the course students had enhanced their beliefs regarding socioeconomic aspects of sustainability and gained an increase in awareness about local sustainability issues. Also some students showed a reframing of certain assumptions related to the dominant paradigm concerning beliefs about the environment and society at large and an increase in self-confidence about promoting change towards sustainability. The main course elements contributing to these results were the class discussions and a structured debate on green growth; an exercise that asked students to reflect on 'what does my happiness depend on?'; weekly feedbacks which stimulated reflection on what they had learnt; and guest speakers′ accounts of their experiences of putting sustainability into practice. 'creates the boundaries of perceived reality' (Johnson and Macy 2001, 322), setting the limits of what ARTICLE HISTORY
Developing basic principles for success from an understanding of the system, then systematically ... more Developing basic principles for success from an understanding of the system, then systematically planning ahead with those principles in mind (ie. backcasting from sustainability principles), allows strategic step by step progress towards a shared vision of sustainability, without risk of wasting energy addressing symptoms or exacerbating root causes. The framework for strategic sustainable development developed by the international non- profit organisation, The Natural Step, provides a means to understand, organise and manage impacts, as well as inform routines for what to do to avoid similar mistakes in the future. The paper will describe the framework and its use by a number of departments at the University of Canterbury, in particular by the Facilities Management Department and the School of Biological Sciences, in the context of a construction project. The framework was used in conjunction with an integrated sustainable design process to achieve a common understanding of the ex...
Commissioned background paper for the Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment"s Revie... more Commissioned background paper for the Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment"s Review of New Zealand Progress to Sustainable Development. This article provides an overview of sustainability in New Zealand, covering where we are now, what a sustainable New Zealand would look like, and the steps we need to take to get there. It then discusses how this overview could be the basis for a future process to develop a national consensus and enthusiastic backing for a common vision of a sustainable future. It uses the science-based systems framework developed by The Natural Step 1 to: A: define the conditions for a sustainable society; B: assess New Zealand"s current national sustainability by assessing it against the system conditions; C: develop a vision of what NZ society could look like at some time in the future when it was functioning in accordance with the sustainability conditions; and D: by backcasting from the desired future condition to our present situation, set...
Pest status of Alternanthera philoxeroides in New Zealand, Background, Importations, releases and... more Pest status of Alternanthera philoxeroides in New Zealand, Background, Importations, releases and recoveries, Evaluation of effectiveness of biocontrol agents, Conclusions
Pest status Of Chrysodeixis in New Zealand, Background, Importations, releases and recoveries, Ev... more Pest status Of Chrysodeixis in New Zealand, Background, Importations, releases and recoveries, Evaluation of effectiveness of the biological control agents, Conclusion
Overview of the challenge of the throughput economy and the need to develop more cyclic systems a... more Overview of the challenge of the throughput economy and the need to develop more cyclic systems and steps dietiticans can take at the design stage (eg in design of kitchens and menus), when developing a contract, and in operation (purchasing; energy, water and raw material use, packaging waste minimisation and disposal, maintenance) to minimise their impact on the environment.
SUMMARY Between 5—14 January, 1980, 57 species of fishes were recorded in the waters around Urupu... more SUMMARY Between 5—14 January, 1980, 57 species of fishes were recorded in the waters around Urupukapuka Island, Bay of Islands, Northland, New Zealand. Conversion to a comparative checklist following the method of Willan et al (1979), reduces the total to 49 ...
The distribution, life history, food plants, and parasites of Chrysodeixis eriosoma in New Zealan... more The distribution, life history, food plants, and parasites of Chrysodeixis eriosoma in New Zealand are detailed and laboratory rearing methods described. At 23.5"C the majority of larvae pass through 6 instars, with a smaller proportion having 5 or 7 instars. Females may lay over 2000 eggs.
ABSTRACT Seventy three species of fish were recorded from coastal waters off northeastern Great B... more ABSTRACT Seventy three species of fish were recorded from coastal waters off northeastern Great Barrier Island and neighbouring Rakitu Island. The diversity of the fauna, plus the presence in low numbers of several subtropical species, is characteristic of an island off northeastern New Zealand which is weakly influenced by the East Auckland Current. Larger fish were counted along 50 m transects, and tripterygiids and bIen nics were counted in 1 m quadrats
Is the adoption of currently accepted best practice in business associated with improved environm... more Is the adoption of currently accepted best practice in business associated with improved environmental performance by companies? What methods can be used to assess and compare the environmental practices and performance of different companies? In this pilot study, the business and environmental practices and performances of five companies in the metal working sector were examined and scored. The business practices and performances were assessed using the best practice model adopted in the Australian Manufacturers Council study (AMC, November 1994, Melbourne, 112pp.). The environmental practices and performance of the companies were assessed based on a five stage framework of business response to environmental issues presented here. A strong correlation was observed between environmental performance and business practices (correlation coefficient, r = 0.85, p < 0.05). The company closest to best practice had a strong focus on quality, efficiency and elimination of waste, well-developed strategy, good teamwork and a high level of commitment and also had the highest score for environmental performance. The company with poorest score for its business practices had the poorest environmental performance, with the remaining companies lying between on both scores. There was no significant correlation between business performance outcomes and environmental performance.
Successful urban regeneration projects generate benefits that are realised over a much longer tim... more Successful urban regeneration projects generate benefits that are realised over a much longer timeframe than normal market developments and benefits well beyond those that can be uplifted by a market developer. Consequently there is substantial evidence in the literature that successful place-making and urban regeneration projects are usually public-private partnerships and involve a funder, usually local or central government, willing to contribute 'patient' capital. Following the 2010 and 2011 earthquakes that devastated the centre of Christchurch, there was an urgent need to rebuild and revitalise the heart of the city, and increasing the number of people living in or near the city centre was seen as a key ingredient of that. In October 2010, an international competition was launched to design and build an Urban Village, a project intended to stimulate renewed residential development in the city. The competition attracted 58 entrants from around world, and in October 2013...
As converging crises increasingly cause disruption to social-ecological systems, individuals and ... more As converging crises increasingly cause disruption to social-ecological systems, individuals and communities will need to become more resilient and proactive in ensuring their access to and use of natural resources is sustainable. Ten months after an unprecedented drinking water contamination event and public health emergency in the New Zealand town of Havelock North, interviews were conducted with the owners of twenty local small and medium businesses. We applied a transformative learning framework to explore whether the disruption increased business owners’ awareness of their dependence on and connection to natural systems, prompted them to change their water management practices, and/or led them to contemplate or initiate alternative water supply relationships, thereby reshaping the prevailing provider-user “hydrosocial contract”. We found that business owners did become more conscious of natural systems and the criticality of water to their businesses, and made temporary adjustm...
Since 2000, adaptation has been the focus of the response to climate change in many least develop... more Since 2000, adaptation has been the focus of the response to climate change in many least developed countries. However, there are recognized overlaps and tensions between mitigation, adaptation and development, and between top-down and community-based approaches to adaptation. This paper explores the approaches used to develop Local Adaptation Plans of Action (LAPAs) by three different programmes in the forest sector of Nepal. The analysis of information drawn from 37 interviews, with government, non-government and community representatives at national, district and local levels, shows that although the LAPAs in Nepal are prepared with limited external and scientific contribution, they are rich with local information. However, the limited knowledge and capacity of local people in relation to specific climate change impacts and potential solutions mean the plans bear little difference to regular development activities. Nearly all the activities identified contributed to adaptation and mitigation, as well as economic development, within a context of environmental sustainability, but appeared not to address the social equity and justice aspects of social sustainability. Moreover, this article argues that the community has greater confidence in plans prepared when donor funding is channelled through existing government mechanisms than through more directly donor funded approaches. It may continue to be necessary to keep adaptation plans separate from development plans until there is a greater understanding of the means to and need for adaptation as part of mainstream development planning.
Bioethanol fuel was introduced as a sustainable development initiative in Vietnam. This paper ide... more Bioethanol fuel was introduced as a sustainable development initiative in Vietnam. This paper identifies factors influencing Vietnamese bioethanol purchases using a modified theory of interpersonal behaviour applied through an internet survey. The modified TIB, which adds a link between habit and intention and excludes affect, is not only statistically better, but is also as parsimonious as the original TIB. Study findings indicate that habit is the strongest determinant of both intention to buy, and actual purchase of bioethanol. The overwhelming influence of habit implies that policies to encourage increased voluntary purchases of bioethanol will have little impact unless they can change habituated purchases of conventional petrol. This is consistent with the Vietnamese Government's recent decision to remove traditional petrol from the market from 2018.
a center for agricultural, Environmental and Biological sciences, Federal university of recôncavo... more a center for agricultural, Environmental and Biological sciences, Federal university of recôncavo da Bahia, cruz das almas, Brazil; b department of Environmental management, lincoln university, lincoln, new Zealand ABSTRACT A significant shift in the dominant paradigm governing the relationship of humans with nature and society is crucial in order to change the current unsustainable practices. This article describes a pilot-study based on a Masters level sustainability course, which explored what specific content, activities and resources may contribute to promoting paradigm change and action competence among university students. Paradigm change and the development of action competence were assessed by analyzing students' weekly written reflections on their learning experiences and by comparing pre-and post-course questionnaires. At the end of the course students had enhanced their beliefs regarding socioeconomic aspects of sustainability and gained an increase in awareness about local sustainability issues. Also some students showed a reframing of certain assumptions related to the dominant paradigm concerning beliefs about the environment and society at large and an increase in self-confidence about promoting change towards sustainability. The main course elements contributing to these results were the class discussions and a structured debate on green growth; an exercise that asked students to reflect on 'what does my happiness depend on?'; weekly feedbacks which stimulated reflection on what they had learnt; and guest speakers′ accounts of their experiences of putting sustainability into practice. 'creates the boundaries of perceived reality' (Johnson and Macy 2001, 322), setting the limits of what ARTICLE HISTORY
Developing basic principles for success from an understanding of the system, then systematically ... more Developing basic principles for success from an understanding of the system, then systematically planning ahead with those principles in mind (ie. backcasting from sustainability principles), allows strategic step by step progress towards a shared vision of sustainability, without risk of wasting energy addressing symptoms or exacerbating root causes. The framework for strategic sustainable development developed by the international non- profit organisation, The Natural Step, provides a means to understand, organise and manage impacts, as well as inform routines for what to do to avoid similar mistakes in the future. The paper will describe the framework and its use by a number of departments at the University of Canterbury, in particular by the Facilities Management Department and the School of Biological Sciences, in the context of a construction project. The framework was used in conjunction with an integrated sustainable design process to achieve a common understanding of the ex...
Commissioned background paper for the Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment"s Revie... more Commissioned background paper for the Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment"s Review of New Zealand Progress to Sustainable Development. This article provides an overview of sustainability in New Zealand, covering where we are now, what a sustainable New Zealand would look like, and the steps we need to take to get there. It then discusses how this overview could be the basis for a future process to develop a national consensus and enthusiastic backing for a common vision of a sustainable future. It uses the science-based systems framework developed by The Natural Step 1 to: A: define the conditions for a sustainable society; B: assess New Zealand"s current national sustainability by assessing it against the system conditions; C: develop a vision of what NZ society could look like at some time in the future when it was functioning in accordance with the sustainability conditions; and D: by backcasting from the desired future condition to our present situation, set...
Pest status of Alternanthera philoxeroides in New Zealand, Background, Importations, releases and... more Pest status of Alternanthera philoxeroides in New Zealand, Background, Importations, releases and recoveries, Evaluation of effectiveness of biocontrol agents, Conclusions
Pest status Of Chrysodeixis in New Zealand, Background, Importations, releases and recoveries, Ev... more Pest status Of Chrysodeixis in New Zealand, Background, Importations, releases and recoveries, Evaluation of effectiveness of the biological control agents, Conclusion
Overview of the challenge of the throughput economy and the need to develop more cyclic systems a... more Overview of the challenge of the throughput economy and the need to develop more cyclic systems and steps dietiticans can take at the design stage (eg in design of kitchens and menus), when developing a contract, and in operation (purchasing; energy, water and raw material use, packaging waste minimisation and disposal, maintenance) to minimise their impact on the environment.
SUMMARY Between 5—14 January, 1980, 57 species of fishes were recorded in the waters around Urupu... more SUMMARY Between 5—14 January, 1980, 57 species of fishes were recorded in the waters around Urupukapuka Island, Bay of Islands, Northland, New Zealand. Conversion to a comparative checklist following the method of Willan et al (1979), reduces the total to 49 ...
The distribution, life history, food plants, and parasites of Chrysodeixis eriosoma in New Zealan... more The distribution, life history, food plants, and parasites of Chrysodeixis eriosoma in New Zealand are detailed and laboratory rearing methods described. At 23.5"C the majority of larvae pass through 6 instars, with a smaller proportion having 5 or 7 instars. Females may lay over 2000 eggs.
ABSTRACT Seventy three species of fish were recorded from coastal waters off northeastern Great B... more ABSTRACT Seventy three species of fish were recorded from coastal waters off northeastern Great Barrier Island and neighbouring Rakitu Island. The diversity of the fauna, plus the presence in low numbers of several subtropical species, is characteristic of an island off northeastern New Zealand which is weakly influenced by the East Auckland Current. Larger fish were counted along 50 m transects, and tripterygiids and bIen nics were counted in 1 m quadrats
Is the adoption of currently accepted best practice in business associated with improved environm... more Is the adoption of currently accepted best practice in business associated with improved environmental performance by companies? What methods can be used to assess and compare the environmental practices and performance of different companies? In this pilot study, the business and environmental practices and performances of five companies in the metal working sector were examined and scored. The business practices and performances were assessed using the best practice model adopted in the Australian Manufacturers Council study (AMC, November 1994, Melbourne, 112pp.). The environmental practices and performance of the companies were assessed based on a five stage framework of business response to environmental issues presented here. A strong correlation was observed between environmental performance and business practices (correlation coefficient, r = 0.85, p < 0.05). The company closest to best practice had a strong focus on quality, efficiency and elimination of waste, well-developed strategy, good teamwork and a high level of commitment and also had the highest score for environmental performance. The company with poorest score for its business practices had the poorest environmental performance, with the remaining companies lying between on both scores. There was no significant correlation between business performance outcomes and environmental performance.
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Papers by Lin Roberts