Sustainable Solutions for SCM

third one includes the roles that should be played by social groups in the process of implementation of Agenda 21, and the fourth indicates the means of implementation. It is worth noting that the document includes not only general solutions aimed at improving the environment at global level, but, at the same time, offers inspiration on how to approach local issues with relation to the global situation. In accordance with the formulated recommendations for the implementation of Agenda 21, since 1996 local authorities along with the inhabitants have been expected to take steps to draw up the so-called Local Agenda 21, i.e. local environmental programmes. The representatives of the local community will be able to take an active part in the formulation of the programme, and ultimately in its implementation. The recommendations of Agenda 21 provided a basis for the formulation of the Fifth Environmental Action Programme covering the environmental agenda, sustainability issues and several EU directives. Moreover, Agenda 21 underpins the OECD Sustainable Development Programme and several recommendations by the OECD. In the 1990s, the problem areas related to cities were specified. Statistics on European cities were included in 1992 Eurostat report, and in 1997 a study was released on the idea to establish ESPON, European Observation Network for Territorial Development and Cohesion. Territorial development is, according to the document published in 1997 Kompedium systemów i polityki planowania przestrzennego (Compendium of systems and policy of land-use planning), a decision making process by which a choice is made between meeting social, environmental and economic needs. Hence this is a control and regulatory tool which directly affects the city dwellers’ quality of life. General objectives of and common rules for development policies targeted at European cities were formulated and included in the 2004 policy statement Acquis Urban. The principles included balancing economic competitiveness, environmental protection and social cohesion. A city is assumed to be the space which integrates local communities, where the inhabitants have a sense of well-being, which makes it possible to maintain cultural identity and which offers an adequate level of quality of life. 7.1 The definition of telematics Telematics refers to the transmission of information over a telecommunication network combined with the computerised processing of this information. It is the anglicised version of the French word télématique which is a merger of the words télécommunication and informatique. Recent developments in computer and telecommunication technology have an equally important impact on society and economy today as the increasing availability of small and affordable personal computers in the seventies. As computers are becoming much smaller and less energy-hungry, computing devices are becoming mobile and pocket computers can accompany us wherever we are. Telecommunication technology can be embedded in those mobile devices enabling wireless telecommunication with stationary devices and other mobile devices. The emergence of new fields of application has resulted in new branches of computer science sometimes described with the terms mobile computing,

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