Carla Smink

Forests and Recreation – New Functions of Afforestation as Seen in Denmark

In this chapter, attention will be paid to the recreational functions of forests. This is important, since green spaces affect human health in a positive direction. Forests are actually the prevalent leisure facility for Danes. The pattern of recreational use of forests by Danes is described. It is stated that people who live in close proximity to a green space use it frequently, whereas those who live further away do so less frequently in direct proportion to the distance involved. Data from other countries show similar results. It is recommended that the pattern of recreational use should be elaborated upon, i.e. who is visiting the forest (here: who is “the” Dane)? Do socio-economically advantaged people more often visit the forest because they live closer to the forest? Are exposed areas in the city located too far from the forest (green spaces) so that people living in these areas will not visit the forest (regularly)? The Danish Forest and Nature Agency has developed a checklist which contains guidelines for “good national afforestation”. These guidelines might be a good national strategy; but to what extent can these guidelines contribute to increase the number of potential visitors to the forest?

Partnerships for environmental technology development in the shipping industry : two Danish case studies

The shipping industry faces huge challenges with regard to improving its environmental performance. The current regulatory approach has not been successful. Public and private actors increasingly rely on partnerships. The literature on partnerships for sustainability has contributed to a better conceptualisation of the subject. However, less is known about the processes and the outcomes of the partnerships as well as interactions between partnerships. This paper aims to improve the understanding of how partnerships contribute to developing cleaner technologies in the Danish shipping industry. Two partnerships have been analysed: Partnership for Cleaner Shipping and the Green Ship of the Future. Participation, scope and division of roles among partners have influenced both partnerships. Furthermore, both partnerships have developed organisational forms that proved to overcome the tensions in traditional partnerships, between open and information-based networking on the one side and closed and development-oriented collaboration on the other side.