Search

This book is a part of ICL new book series “ICL Contribution to Landslide Disaster Risk Reduction” founded in 2019. Peer-reviewed papers submitted to the Fifth World Landslide Forum were published in six volumes of this book series. This book contains the followings:•Four Forum lectures and one award paper•Sendai Landslide Partnerships, Kyoto Landslide Commitment, and International Programme on Landslides.•Landslide-induced tsunamis•Landslides at UNESCO designates sites and contribution from WMO, FAO, and IRDR•Education and Capacity Development for Risk Management and Risk GovernanceProf. Kyoji Sassa is the Founding President and the Secretary-General of International Consortium on Landslides (ICL). He has been the Editor-in-Chief of International Journal Landslides since its foundation in 2004.Prof. Matjaž Mikoš is the Vice President of International Consortium on Landslides and Vice President of Slovenian Academyof Engineering. He is a Professor and Dean of Faculty of Civil and Geodetic Engineering, University of Ljubljana, Slovenia.Dr. Shinji Sassa is Head of Soil Dynamics Group and Research Director of International Research Center for Coastal Disasters, Port and Airport Research Institute, National Institute of Maritime, Port and Aviation Technology, Japan.Prof. Peter Bobrowsky is the President of International Consortium on Landslides. He is a Senior Scientist of Geological Survey of Canada, Ottawa, Canada.Prof. Kaoru Takara is the Executive Director of International Consortium on Landslides. He is a Professor and Dean of Graduate School of Advanced Integrated Studies (GSAIS) in Human Survivability (Shishu-Kan), Kyoto University.Dr. Khang Dang is the Secretary General of the Fifth World Landslide Forum. He also serves as the Research Promotion Officer of ICL and a Lecturer at the University of Science, Vietnam National University, Hanoi.

This book is a part of ICL new book series “ICL Contribution to Landslide Disaster Risk Reduction” founded in 2019. Peer-reviewed papers submitted to the Fifth World Landslide Forum were published in six volumes of this book series. This book contains the followings:Part I with topics is mainly about landslides and earthquakes; landslide dams and outburst floods; catastrophic large-scale landslides in mountainous regions.Part II with topics is mainly about impact of climate change; loess landslides; mapping, monitoring and modeling of landslides; stabilization and mitigation; application of new technology in landslide studies.Prof. Vít Vilímek is the vice-president of the International Consortium on Landslides (ICL) and a member of the evaluation committee, Editor-in-Chief of the university journal AUC Geographica and Associate Editor-in-Chief of the international journal Geoenvironmental Disasters. He is a Professor of Physical Geography at Charles University,Prague, Czech Republic.Prof. Fawu Wang is the President of the International Consortium on Geo-disaster Reduction (ICGdR) and the Editor-in-Chief of the international journal Geoenvironmental Disasters. He is a Professor at the School of Civil Engineering, Tongji University, China.Dr. Alexander Strom is a chief expert at the Geodynamics Research Center LLC, Moscow, Russia. He is also an Adjunct Professor at Chang'an University, Xi'an, China, Visiting Professor at SKLGP, Chengdu, China, and an alternative representative of the JSC “Hydroproject Institute” in ICL.Prof. Kyoji Sassa is the Founding President and the Secretary-General of the International Consortium on Landslides (ICL). He has been the Editor-in-Chief of International Journal Landslides since its foundation in 2004.Prof. Peter Bobrowsky is the President of the International Consortium on Landslides. He is a Senior Scientist of Geological Survey of Canada, Ottawa, Canada.Prof. Kaoru Takarais the Executive Director of the International Consortium on Landslides. He is a Professor and Dean of Graduate School of Advanced Integrated Studies (GSAIS) in Human Survivability (Shishu-Kan), Kyoto University.

This book is a part of ICL new book series “ICL Contribution to Landslide Disaster Risk Reduction” founded in 2019. Peer-reviewed papers submitted to the Fifth World Landslide Forum were published in six volumes of this book series. This book contains the followings:•One theme lecture and one keynote lecture•Monitoring and remote sensing for landslide risk mitigation, including one keynote lecture•Landslide early warning systems, forecasting models and time prediction of landslidesProf. Nicola Casagli is a Vice President and President-elect of the International Consortium on Landslides (ICL) for 2021–2023. He is Professor of engineering geology at the Department of Earth Sciences, University of Florence, and President of the National Institute of Oceanography and Applied Geophysics – OGS, Trieste, Italy.Dr. Veronica Tofani is an Associate Professor at the Department of Earth Sciences, University of Florence, and Program Coordinator of the UNESCO Chair on Prevention and Sustainable Management of Geo-hydrological hazards, University of Florence.Prof. Kyoji Sassa is the Founding President and the Secretary-General of the International Consortium on Landslides (ICL). He has been the Editor-in-Chief of International Journal Landslides since its foundation in 2004.Prof. Peter Bobrowsky is the President of the International Consortium on Landslides. He is a Senior Scientist of Geological Survey of Canada, Ottawa, Canada.Prof. Kaoru Takara is the Executive Director of the International Consortium on Landslides. He is a Professor and Dean of Graduate School of Advanced Integrated Studies (GSAIS) in Human Survivability (Shishu-Kan), Kyoto University.

This book is a part of ICL new book series “ICL Contribution to Landslide Disaster Risk Reduction” founded in 2019. Peer-reviewed papers submitted to the Fifth World Landslide Forum were published in six volumes of this book series. This book contains the followings:•Five keynote lectures•Recent development in physical modeling of landslides•Recent development in numerical modeling of landslides•Recent development in soil and rock testing techniques, application and analysis methods•Recent advancements in the methods of slope stability and deformation analyses•Recent development in disaster risk assessmentProf. Binod Tiwari is a Vice President of the International Consortium on Landslides (ICL). He is the Associate Vice President for research and sponsored project and Professor of civil and environmental engineering at the California State University, Fullerton, California, USA.Prof. Kyoji Sassa is the Founding President andthe Secretary-General of the International Consortium on Landslides (ICL). He has been the Editor-in-Chief of International Journal Landslides since its foundation in 2004.Prof. Peter Bobrowsky is the President of the International Consortium on Landslides. He is a Senior Scientist of Geological Survey of Canada, Ottawa, Canada.Prof. Kaoru Takara is the Executive Director of the International Consortium on Landslides. He is a Professor and Dean of Graduate School of Advanced Integrated Studies (GSAIS) in Human Survivability (Shishu-Kan), Kyoto University.

This book is a part of ICL new book series “ICL Contribution to Landslide Disaster Risk Reduction” founded in 2019. Peer-reviewed papers submitted to the Fifth World Landslide Forum were published in six volumes of this book series. This book contains the followings:•Keynotes•Landslide detection, recognition and mapping•Landslide susceptibility assessment and modelling•Landslide size statistics and temporal modelling•Data and information for landslide disaster mitigation•Vulnerability to landslides of people, communities and the built environmentDr. Fausto Guzzetti is General Director of Office III – Technical and Scientific Activities for Risk Forecasting and Prevention, Department of Civil Protection, Italian Presidency of the Council of Ministers, on leave from the Italian National Research Council.Prof. Snježana Mihalić Arbanas is a Full Professor of the Faculty of Mining, Geology and Petroleum Engineering of theUniversity of Zagreb, Croatia. She is the Chair of ICL Network Committee.Paola Reichenbach is a Senior Researcher of the Research Institute for Geo-Hydrological Protection, an institute of the Italian National Research Council (IRPI-CNR), Perugia, Italy.Prof. Kyoji Sassa is the Founding President and the Secretary-General of the International Consortium on Landslides (ICL). He has been the Editor-in-Chief of International Journal Landslides since its foundation in 2004.Prof. Peter Bobrowsky is the President of the International Consortium on Landslides. He is a Senior Scientist of Geological Survey of Canada, Ottawa, Canada.Prof. Kaoru Takara is the Executive Director of the International Consortium on Landslides. He is a Professor and Dean of Graduate School of Advanced Integrated Studies (GSAIS) in Human Survivability (Shishu-Kan), Kyoto University.

This book is a part of ICL new book series “ICL Contribution to Landslide Disaster Risk Reduction” founded in 2019. Peer-reviewed papers submitted to the Fifth World Landslide Forum were published in six volumes of this book series. This book contains the following parts:•Impact of Large Ground Deformations near Seismic Faults on Critically Important Civil Infrastructures•Recent Progress in the Landslide Initiating Science•Earth Observation and Machine Learning in Landslide Science•General Landslide StudiesProfessor Željko Arbanas is the Vice President of International Consortium on Landslides. He is a Professor of Faculty of Civil Engineering, University of Rijeka, Croatia. He is the Assistant Editor-in-Chief of International Journal Landslides.Professor Peter Bobrowsky is the President of International Consortium on Landslides. He is a Senior Scientist of GeologicalSurvey of Canada, Ottawa, Canada.Professor Kazuo Konagai is Professor Emeritus at the University of Tokyo and Principal Researcher at the ICL Headquarters. He serves as the Secretary-General of the Fifth World Landslide Forum.Professor Kyoji Sassa is the Founding President and the Secretary-General of the International Consortium on Landslides (ICL). He has been the Editor-in-Chief of International Journal Landslides since its foundation in 2004.Professor Kaoru Takara is the Executive Director of International Consortium on Landslides. He is a Professor and Dean of Graduate School of Advanced Integrated Studies (GSAIS) in Human Survivability (Shishu-Kan), Kyoto University.

The ongoing assault on climate science in the United States has never been more aggressive, more blatant, or more widely publicized than in the case of the Hockey Stick graph—a clear and compelling visual presentation of scientific data, put together by MichaelE. Mann and his colleagues, demonstrating that global temperatures have risen in conjunction with the increase in industrialization and the use of fossil fuels. Here was an easy-to-understand graph that, in a glance, posed a threat to major corporate energy interests and those who do their political bidding. The stakes were simply too high to ignore the Hockey Stick—and so began a relentless attack on a body of science and on the investigators whose work formed its scientific basis.The Hockey Stick achieved prominence in a 2001 UN report on climate change and quickly became a central icon in the'climate wars.'The real issue has never been the graph's data but rather its implied threat to those who oppose governmental regulation and other restraints to protect the environment and planet. Mann, lead author of the original paper in which the Hockey Stick first appeared, shares the story of the science and politics behind this controversy. He reveals key figures in the oil and energy industries and the media frontgroups who do their bidding in sometimes slick, sometimes bare-knuckled ways. Mann concludes with the real story of the 2009'Climategate'scandal, in which climate scientists'emails were hacked. This is essential reading for all who care about our planet's health and our own well-being.

This DAC Reference Paper outlines key issues faced when designing Environmental Fiscal Reform (EFR). EFR refers to a range of taxation and pricing measures which can raise fiscal revenues while furthering environmental goals. The objective is to provide insights and'good practice'on how development co-operation agencies can help developing countries take advantage of EFR approaches in both their development and poverty reduction strategies. Following a review of the instruments of EFR and related technical issues, Environmental Fiscal Reform for Poverty Reduction focuses on the political economy and governance aspects of EFR. This includes an examination of the precondition for successful design and implementation, the various steps involved through the EFR Policy Cycle, the challenges faced at each stage, and the main stakeholders involved. The role of donors in supporting EFR processes is also outlined. Subsequently, these issues are reviewed in relation to sectors of particular relevance for developing countries: forestry, fisheries, fossil fuel, electricity, drinking water and industrial pollution control.

This groundbreaking volume explores new artistic forms that emerged in German-speaking Europe and Japan in the wake of the 2011 Fukushima nuclear power plant disaster. Considering the cultural specificity of post-3.11 literature, poetry, theater, and film, while also attending to moments of crossing, hybridity, and transference, Nuclear Futures in the Post-Fukushima Age offers a critical model for examining the intertwining of transnational connection and ecological contamination in a global present marked by renewed nuclear threat. Bringing together incisive readings by eminent scholars of Germany and Japan as well as a newly translated work by Yōko Tawada, the volume offers a comparative humanities approach that is essential for reframing debates about environmental crisis and nuclear risk.

Despite frequent protests and abounding discussions about the subject, climate action measures to counter human-made climate change have so far remained largely ineffective. By identifying profound climate-cultural differences, Sarah Kessler offers an explanation to this issue and shows that conventional assumptions of an implicit consensus on the need to prioritise climate action should be reconsidered. She uncovers climate-cultural variations in (implicit and explicit) denial of climate change and thus challenges existing approaches that treat the German public as a unified entity waiting to be activated by the right kind of rationally convincing information.

Climate change is prompting an unprecedented questioning of the fundamental bases upon which society is founded. Businesses claim that technology can save the environment, while politicians champion the role of international environmental agreements to secure global action. Economists suggest that we should pay developing countries not to destroy their forests, while environmentalists question whether we can solve ecological problems with the same thinking that created them. As the process of steering society, governance has a critical role to play in coordinating these disparate voices and securing collective action to achieve a more sustainable future. Environmental Governance is the only book to discuss the first principles of governance, while also providing a critical overview of the wide-ranging theories and approaches that underpin policy and practice today. It places governance within its wider political context to explore how the environment is controlled, manipulated, regulated and contested by a range of actors and institutions. This book shows how network and market governance have shaped current approaches to environmental issues, while also introducing approaches such as transition management and adaptive governance. In so doing, it highlights the strengths and weaknesses of the different approaches currently in play, and considers their political implications. This second edition has been comprehensively updated to build upon the success of the acclaimed first edition, with a new chapter on the environmental governance of outer space and updated analysis of international climate change summits. It provides a ground-breaking overview of dominant and emerging approaches of environmental governance, forging critical links between them. Each chapter has been updated with new case studies, key debates and figures, and includes questions for discussion and further reading. It is essential reading for students of the environment, politics and sociology, and, indeed, anyone concerned with changing society to secure a more sustainable future.

This academic book critically examines the concept of sustainable futures and its interdependence with the policy framework of Green New Deals. We emphasize the inherent link between the two concepts by highlighting how Green New Deals can pave the way for a sustainable and just future in key areas such as environmental policy, economic development, and social equity. Taking a multidisciplinary approach, the book draws on insights from fields such as environmental studies, sustainable development, political ecology, and climate policy to explore the intricacies of these interconnections. The revised description underscores the importance of understanding the Green New Deal's historical and political contexts, as well as its implications for sustainable futures. The book delves into the theoretical perspectives that shape our comprehension of sustainable futures, the diverse strategies employed by countries and regions in implementing Green New Deals, the role of technological innovation and social movements in fostering sustainable transitions, and the political dynamics surrounding the Green New Deal. Through an analysis of the Green New Deal's role in sustainable development, climate policy, and environmental justice, the book provides a necessary and timely contribution to ongoing debates. The chapters offer detailed explorations of the interrelationships between these key areas, emphasizing how the Green New Deal can serve as a transformative policy framework for achieving sustainable and equitable futures.'Sustainable Futures and Green New Deals'is intended for scholars, policymakers, activists, and students interested in understanding the complex and interconnected issues surrounding sustainable development, climate policy, and environmental justice.

This contributed volume presents an attempt to understand climatic variability and induced risk to livelihood of communities and to offer insights on how catastrophic conditions and crises can be mitigated through public policy interventions. The case studies herein offer insights into different spheres and domains affected by climate change and present models of adaptation possibilities. The book is divided into three thematic sections. The first contains chapters that deal with assessing the effects of climate change. The second section offers perspectives on adaptation and governance, vulnerability in the context of sustainable livelihoods. The third and last section looks at Policy and Governance, with respect to climatic change adaptation and mitigations. The lessons contained in this volume are useful to a wide audience including research scholars, students, policymakers, and planners.

This book argues that social transformation is both necessary and possible if democracies are to respond effectively to the climate crisis without social collapse.Climate transformation and social transformation are intimately connected. Understanding how to address climate change requires a historical approach both to the climate and to our collective institutions of humanity. Drawing on the works of Karl Polanyi and Thomas Piketty, Nicholas Low traces the course of historic social transformations from Britain, Russia, and Australia to highlight key commonalities: social crisis, the widespread sense by those in power that ‘something has to change', the shift in ideology, and the political champions that drove the change. Within its international scope, the book delves deeper into specific instances of inequality and poverty from Britain, the USA, Australia, and the Global South. It shows how these examples are connected with the current climate emergency. Finally, the author draws together all the evidence from past transformations to outline how a new social democratic transformation could generate a better future, creating the social solidarity necessary to cope with the climate crisis.This book will be of great interest to students and scholars of climate change, environmental politics and policy, political ecology, environmental sociology, and environmental studies more broadly. Its argument is also highly relevant for political actors working towards social and economic transformation.

This book will cover the basic principles and salient features of EIA. The authors attempt to cover the shortcomings observed in EIA reports, the manner of conducting EIA for proposed projects, and also to facilitate the preparation of good quality EIA reports. The book is written in a straightforward format avoiding long descriptive texts to enhance the reader experience Although the focus is on the Indian context, the concepts and techniques of EIA described in this book are applicable universally. An Environmental Management Plan (EMP) is also discussed, and this is an essential aspect of EIA in countries where priority is on economic development by way of development projects and when the EIA process has inherent weaknesses. For the continual improvement of EIA reports, EIA consultants maybe assigned the task of implementing and operationalizing the suggested EMP in addition to conducting an EIA study and in preparation of an EIA report. The system of peer review of EIA reports is also expected to improve EIA quality. “Environmental Impact Assessment: A Journey to Sustainable Development” is an attempt to cover EIA according to new knowledge acquired through research and experiences which will make this tool more versatile and dynamic. The authors recognise that since EIA is continuously expanding and developing there will always be potential for improving the scope of this book to make it more useful to the users as per their requirement. This book will be of interest to academics, EIA professionals and consultants, EIA review/appraisal authorities and particularly stakeholders in emerging economies where major developmental work is being undertaken and which is expected to continue in decades to come.

Environmental and Natural Resource Economics is one of the most widely used textbooks for environmental economics and natural resource economics courses, offering a policy-oriented approach and introducing economic theory and empirical work from the field. Students will develop a global perspective of both environmental and natural resource economics and how they interact. This 12th edition provides updated data, new studies, and more international examples. There is a considerable amount of new material, with a deeper focus on climate change and coverage of COVID-19, social justice, and the circular economy. Key features include: Extensive coverage of major contemporary issues including climate change, water and air pollution, resource allocation, biodiversity protection, sustainable development, and environmental justice. Four chapters specifically devoted to climate economics, including chapters on energy, climate mitigation, carbon pricing, and adaptation to climate change. Introductions to the theory and method of environmental economics, including externalities, benefit-cost analysis, valuation methods, and ecosystem goods and services and updates to the social cost of carbon. New examples and debates throughout the text, highlighting global cases and major talking points. Environmental and Natural Resource Economics supports students with end-of-chapter summaries, discussion questions, exercises, and further reading in the book, and the companion website offers additional learning and teaching resources.

This accessible book provides the first comprehensive analysis of environmental crime victims within criminal prosecutions in the United States. By combining empirical analysis of criminal investigations undertaken by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency from 1983-2022 with narrative discussion of numerous related criminal prosecutions, it provides novel insights to help advance a stronger empirical understanding of how the administrative state protects victims of environmental harm, punishes environmental offenders, and aids in furthering the development of an environmental victimology.

This scholarly work discusses the historical, contemporary, and prospective dimensions of environmental activism and its intersection with global media. It provides a comprehensive view of the pivotal role played by the media in shaping awareness concerning environmental challenges and catalyzing actions to address them. Drawing upon the insights of an interdisciplinary cohort of scholars, the book systematically examines the diverse aspects of the nexus between media and environmental activism. Chapter contributions establish the foundational framework for comprehending how media as a whole lend support to activism; delineate the historical trajectory of environmental activism; the construction of narratives within the political, economic, and social domains of society; scrutinize the function of mass media within the context of globalization, digitization, and social media; and elucidate how governance structures influence the environmental activism process. By introducing readers to the basic narrative in environmental activism, globalization, and media, this book will be an important source of information for researchers, academicians and students engaged in various interdisciplinary studies linked to media, environment and activism.

This book focuses on the frontier issues in climate finance and aims to develop a general framework to understand the financial pathways towards a successful energy transition. It builds upon the general descriptions of the current status and future challenges towards carbon neutral targets, and then bring forward a combination of theoretical and empirical analysis on the critical issues related to climate finance. Estimated by the International Energy Agency (IEA), trillions dollars of investment in energy sector are needed to achieve net-zero emission scenario. It provides a huge opportunity for our economies, meanwhile creates considerable challenges to the existing system. Both financing and investment in such an unprecedented scale cannot possibly be satisfied by the current financial architecture, which creates demands for restructuring in the financial sector, developing innovative financial instruments, building mechanisms to attract private investment, and establishing human resources to facilitate climate financing and investment. This area is essentially interdisciplinary, which requires a fundamental reconsideration of standard approaches. Aiming to satisfy the broad interests from both academia and policymakers, the contents of this book range from general discussions on critical issues to advanced statistical analyses on key topics. Authors hope to bring forward a general picture about climate finance and facilitate the demands for both academic research and policymaking. It should also provide a good guidance for graduate students interested in this subject. The main contents of this book are based on solid research outcomes but with clear policy relevance. The book combines finance theory and practices in both financial markets and energy sectors to reflect the complex nature of financing for energy transition. While the materials can provide useful knowledge to policymakers, the book can also inspire new research ideas in the relevant area.

The book presents the experiences, complexities, and contradictions of the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals in Brazil so far. Through chapters from a variety of stakeholders, the book examines national, regional, and local aspects of development in Brazil. The chapters here draw from scientific knowledge and practical experience to take a critical look at what the SDGs mean in a Global South country and what the implications of this are for global development. The book is divided into three sections. The first section addresses the critical political and institutional aspects related to the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals in Brazil, highlighting advances as well as pitfalls and setbacks. The chapters look at broad questions related to the role of civil society in defining political priorities and strategies to move forward with the SDGs as well as issues involved in incorporating the SDGs at different levels of government and other institutions. The chapters in this section critically address the political and institutional advances as well as barriers to the progress of the SDGs in Brazil. The second section directly addresses progress made toward the SDGs in the context of the political, economic and social variables specific to Brazil. The chapters address critical shortcomings and demands for Brazilian society: the need for improvements in education and employment policies to reduce poverty, the urgent need to increase gender equality and reduce violence, as well as the imperative to strengthen institutions and policies to mitigate climate change and protect the environment. The final section focuses on critically assessing the 2030 Agenda itself and drawing from a Global South IR perspective. The chapters here dialog with decolonial and post-developmentalist perspectives to highlight problems with the agenda and lift up sidelined priorities, presenting yet-unexamined policy solutions and innovations that are currently absent from the global institutional agenda. The Brazilian case is a perfect illustration of how underdevelopment and political instability can constrain the paths to sustainable development, while at the same time social innovations, leverages based on regional dynamics, and strength from social and cultural diversity can drive sustained progress.

This book presents an integrated theory of firms'strategies and two types of policies, namely environmental policies, and merger control policies. It develops a framework to examine the intricate relationship between merger and acquisition (M&A) incentives, merger control policy, environmental policies, and firms'sustainability practices. The chapters highlight the importance of policy coordination to underscore the link between M&A and environmental externality, and the link between merger policy and environmental policy. Drawing together related fields that are seldom linked in the literature, this volume offers a comprehensive and authoritative reference for scholars, graduate students, and policymakers.

This book offers a comprehensive analysis of infrastructure insecurity issues in the historic Niger Delta, drawing on empirical fieldwork involving host communities, regulators, and multinational oil and gas operators. It introduces innovative models and theories, such as a pipeline life cycle model focusing on community development, community neglect aggression displacement theory, social aggression theory, stakeholders'policy development model, contemporary poor governance cycle model, and an infrastructure insecurity nexus model, linking governance, socio-economic conditions, and infrastructure insecurity in resource-rich regions of the Global South. The book bridges gaps left by previous publications, providing depth and applicability of data. It employs the Frustration- Aggression Displacement theory to explain underlying triggers of violence and uses real-world case studies, diagrams, and charts to facilitate understanding. Suitable and engaging for individuals, communities, or regulators involved in oil and gas activities alike, this book offers valuable insights into onshore pipeline infrastructure insecurity in Nigeria, West Africa, and the broader Global South, addressing regulation, compliance, environmental concerns, social aspects, and technological innovations.

Climate tech is critical for averting planetary chaos. Half the greenhouse gas reductions required to reach “net-zero” climate targets in 2050 will need to come from technologies that have not yet been invented. Without effective government interventions, market incentives alone will not produce a rapid transition to a low-carbon economy. The commercial value of innovative climate technology, especially in its early phases, remains underpriced—far below its social value. The good news is that smart policies can change these dynamics and catalyze the necessary creativity and investment in clean technology, and its deployment. The key question is: which approaches can lead us to future carbon neutrality, and which are likely to fall short? In Making Climate Tech Work, environmental policy expert Alon Tal demystifies climate innovation programs around the world—no policy background needed. Beginning with a review of government's general role in technology policy development, Tal assesses each policy alternative, describing eye-opening experiments in diverse countries, presenting a range of case studies, interviewing leading decarbonization experts, and interpreting new empirical data. Discover how Germany incentivized renewables; Denmark became a wind energy superpower; Australia phased out incandescent bulbs; California's prisons pioneered low-carbon menus; and why carbon taxes have failed around the world—but could be designed for success. Tal distills the benefits and drawbacks of each policy, along with related ethical questions and public perceptions. He concludes by addressing two commonly overlooked issues in climate policy: disruption of workers'livelihoods from the clean energy transition; and integrating the Global South into the planet's new low-carbon economy—as the region that has contributed least to climate change but which must be part of a global solution. Tal not only evaluates which policy strategies effectively reduce emissions but also how they can promote climate tech innovation. Humanity is ultimately in a race against time and effective climate policies are critical to ensure a sustainable future. Making Climate Tech Work serves as an essential primer for policymakers, academics, activists, and anyone interested in climate solutions.

The book delves into the intricate relationship between India's forest governance, laws, and policies over time, examining their effects on the quality and coverage of the country's forests. Historically, especially during the British era and the initial phase following independence, forests were valued for timber, leading to increased deforestation to fulfill the rising demands of shipbuilding, railways, residential construction, and industry. The economic benefits derived from converting forest land for developmental purposes were a key factor in this trend. However, recent statistics indicate that except Maharashtra, most of the forest rich states including MP and Chhattisgarh have lagged in economic development. The history of overexploitation and diversion for non-forestry use has also led to less forest area per capita. India has lost tree biomass much more than its productivity potential, and the average biological productivity of Indian forest is much below the global average. It is extremely important to restore the health of natural forests which are, by far, the best and a highly cost-effective carbon sequestering machine provided by nature. The book also provides research data, both at national and global scales to convincingly put forward the contention that natural forests are sine qua non and under no circumstances can farm and roadside plantations, tea and coffee plantations, and orchards be a substitute for natural forest for three important reasons: (1) the influence of natural forest on rainfall, (2) the complexity in maintaining energy flow, and (3) the impact of natural forest or deforested sites on soil.

​Wie lässt sich Policy-Wandel in der Europäischen Union erklären? Tobias Rammel beantwortet diese Frage erstmals für die Gesamtheit des ordentlichen Gesetzgebungsverfahrens zur EU-Energiepolitik von 1992 bis 2019 im Rahmen einer Blended-Reading-Diskursanalyse. Rekurrierend auf eine Analyse des Forschungsstandes zur EU-Energiepolitik wird in diesem Buch argumentiert, dass eine theoretische Synthese der Arbeiten zur Diskursanalyse und zum Policy-Wandel die bisherigen Defizite der klassischen Theorieschulen ausgleichen kann. Methodisch wird in einem innovativen dreistufigen Forschungsdesign auf eine Blended-Reading-Kombination von Close-Reading in Form von unüberwachten Text-Mining-Verfahren (Topic Modeling) zur induktiv-explorativen Vorstrukturierung der Analyse und Distant-Reading in Form einer qualitativen Feinanalyse zur Interpretation und Kontextualisierung der Daten zurückgegriffen. Damit liefert das Buch eine bislang einzigartige und differenzierte Erklärung für Policy-Wandel und die dazugehörigen diskursiven Dynamiken zwischen den EU-Institutionen im COD der EU-Energiepolitik von 1992 bis 2019.

This book explores the theoretical contribution of peace ecology to the understanding and practice of environmental and conventional peacebuilding. It integrates environmental questions and factors that drive socio-political violence and climate change-induced violence in Sub-Saharan Africa in the Anthropocene.· It demonstrates how international peace and global security are no longer solely grounded in conventional peacebuilding that has evolved from liberal to democratic peace theories, but rather in the complex, critical and synergic relations between peace studies and environmental studies.· It provides a pluridisciplinary body of knowledge that emphasises the need for food security, social climate, social good, social capital and sustainable development at the age of climate change and climate wars.· It underscores the potential of peace ecology to reduce the Earth systems'vulnerability, to mitigate anthropogenic global warming's consequences on humanity, the ecosystem and biodiversity.· It yields various models of peacebuilding, conflict-sensitive and climate-sensitive adaptation strategies to enhance the African Region's security and stability.Finally, this volume argues that planetary boundaries framework remains the safer space within which human and sustainable development can be pursued and attained, and future generations to thrive. A comprehensive and international response to socio-political violence and climate-change induced violence should take into account the vulnerability of individual countries, regions and the global world in order to achieve the dreams of a better future; that makes this book a cutting-edge scholarly work.

What is environmental virtue? Is developing good habits enough? What does climate justice require? Is ecological restoration just another form of the human domination of nature?Exploring these questions and more, this book provides an up-to-date and balanced introduction to environmental ethics. It first examines ethical theory, then ties theory to practice, showing how values guide environmental policies, but also how policies and institutions shape environmental values. Updated and expanded to engage with the latest scholarship, scientific findings, and societal challenges, this 2nd edition features: New sections on food ethics, multispecies justice, intergenerational ethics, and the Anthropocene Contemporary case studies focusing on the rights of nature, the use of biotechnology in ecological restoration, and just climate transitions Expanded coverage of diverse philosophical traditions, including Confucian, Daoist, and Indigenous ethical perspectives Updated discussion questions, further reading sections, and online resourcesExploring the possibilities and limitations inherent in both classical ethical models and modern theoretical approaches to the environment, this is a key resource for teaching students to think ethically about the world we live in.

This book examines the extent to which the regulatory design of the emissions permit system in China, taking into account the EU's regulatory experience with integration and from the perspective of the specific Chinese situation, provides opportunities for or hinders the implementation of integrated pollution prevention and control. It was found that China's permitting system provides regulatory opportunities for integrated control of emissions to air, water, and land, but that some challenges remain, particularly in terms of environmental effectiveness and environmental trade-offs. This book is not only aimed at the academic community, but may also benefit policy makers by providing an explanation of the rationale for integrated environmental permitting, together with a critical reflection on the current state of emissions permitting in China. It may also be helpful to the ENGOs that focus on and are willing to comment on the choices of regulatory instruments to be made by the Chinese government, particularly in the light of achieving a high level of environmental protection as a whole.

This book presents a comprehensive and actionable framework for individuals and leaders seeking to promote human dignity within healthy environments. Rooted in the policy sciences approach, it equips readers with the essential concepts, tools, and skills necessary to address indignity and unhealthy conditions collectively. Despite international commitments and domestic laws advocating for human dignity, a glaring'human dignity gap'persists in numerous regions and problem contexts. This book sheds light on this disparity, examining its manifestations in global environmental change, development efforts, water insecurity, wildfires, human-wildlife conflict, access to public health, and much more. While existing scholarship often focuses on legal rights, the authors emphasize untapped opportunities for everyday citizens and leaders to foster human dignity within their communities and beyond. By offering fresh perspectives, practical concepts, and exercises, this book empowers readers to bridge the performance gap, ultimately enabling the realization of human dignity from the grassroots level. It provides innovative strategies and frameworks to address this pressing global issue, making it an invaluable resource for scholars, policymakers, and concerned citizens alike.

This book explores how China's media narrate climate policy and climate change. With the rapid growth of economy and carbon emissions, China has been seen as having a key role in addressingclimate change and receives substantial attention from the media. In theChinese coverage, climate change issues can be interpreted as various concernsand ideas involving the dimensions of the economy, energy and emissions, publicinvolvement, science and ecology, and responsibility. In this sense, a discourseapproach can be used to understand how the newspapers construct the climatechange discourse and discourse networks in the coverage. This study selectsthree different newspapers in China, namely People'sDaily, China Daily and Southern Weekend. This book will interest scholars of Chinese politics, environmentalists, and media studies scholars.

This book summarises the recent, and future, sustainable, low-cost, environment-friendly and efficient systems for clean water production, to solve clean water crisis. We cover production of water the dew and rain or via desalination, Fenton processes or electrocoagulation; nanomaterial-based water purification methods including adsorption, catalysis, smart-sensors for pollutants detection and removal. We also cover environmental management, environmental policy aspects, and review recent patents and industrial processes to produce clean water. Written by experts in the domain of wastewater treatment, production of clean water and environmental management, this new book will be a unique tool for experts and students. We anticipate it open new horizons in clean water production and will be a source of inspiration for next generations of clean water technologies researchers

Dieses Buch umfasst die wesentlichen Grundlagen einer praxisorientierten Mobilitätsplanung. Im Gegensatz zur Verkehrsplanung fokussiert sich die Mobilitätsplanung auf den Menschen als zentrale Figur der Verkehrsentwicklung und entwirft daraus neue Perspektiven für die Planung. Mobilitätsplanung löst damit die Abhängigkeit vom technischen Artefakt des Verkehrs und zielt stattdessen darauf ab, direkt die Möglichkeiten der Menschen zu verstehen und zu beeinflussen. Das Buch richtet sich somit an alle Akteure, welche die Mobilität der Menschen in unterschiedlicher Weise beeinflussen. Klassischerweise gehören hierzu alle Ebenen der Planungspraxis, von Ministerien bis hin zu kommunalen Verwaltungen und Planungsbüros. Aber auch politisch Entscheidungstragende, Unternehmen und zivilgesellschaftliche Akteure gehören zu den Adressaten dieses Buches, da sie maßgeblich an der zukünftigen Entwicklung von Mobilität und Verkehr mitwirken.

Der Schutz von kritischen Infrastrukturen spielt eine entscheidende Rolle bei der Aufrechterhaltung täglicher Dienstleistungen und schützt sowohl die Bevölkerung als auch die nationale Wirtschaft eines Landes. Bisher ist die Policy zum Schutz Kritischer Infrastrukturen freiwillig. Ihre Implementation hängt vom Betreiber der Kritischen Infrastruktur ab. Im Zuge der Corona-Pandemie wurden Maßnahmen ergriffen, die zu Veränderungen der Policy-Inhalte geführt haben. Zudem führt das (aktuell im Entwurf befindliche) KRITIS-Dachgesetz zu einer grundlegenden Novellierung der Policy. Dies macht eine eingehende Analyse des Status quo der Implementation durch die Betreiber erforderlich. Die qualitative Untersuchung dieser Arbeit vergleicht anhand von drei Fallstudien die Umsetzung der Policy zum Schutz Kritischer Infrastrukturen an deutschen Verkehrsflughäfen. Die Kernfragen sind dabei: Wie wird die Policy implementiert und wie lässt sich dies erklären?

Als die Autoren – über die Grenzen zweier Wissenschaftskulturen hinweg – Anfang der 90er Jahre begannen, über die wissenschaftliche und populäre Wahrnehmung und Konstruktion des Phänomens Klima, Klimawandel, Klimapolitik und die Auswirkungen des Klimas auf die Gesellschaft nachzudenken, stießen sie auf erheblichen Widerstand, insbesondere als sie über die dringende Notwendigkeit einer gesellschaftlichen Anpassung an den Klimawandel schrieben. Die Autoren sehen sich als Pioniere in diesem Politikfeld. Viele, wenn nicht die meisten Maßnahmen für den Klimaschutz und gegen die Klimafolgen erfordern die Innovationskraft aller Wissenschaften und der Technik. Die künftige Umsetzung wissenschaftlicher Erkenntnisse in der Klimapolitik ist Schlüssel des erfolgreichen Umgangs der Gesellschaft mit den Folgen des Klimawandels. Dies geschieht jedoch nicht automatisch. Die Umsetzung von Wissenschaft in die Gesellschaft unterliegt ökonomischen, politischen und kulturellen Zwängen, und kann insbesondere durch den Mehrwert interdisziplinärer Zusammenarbeit von Wissenschaftlern, wie sie in diesem Band praktiziert wird, erreicht werden.

This Compendium was conceived as a “pocket compass”, a practical guide that may help readers to orientate themselves while they explore global affairs and attempt to make sense of the highly interconnected, multidimensional challenges of contemporary human development. The book is intended to be an accessible, concise, yet comprehensive reference for anyone who hopes to better understand today's world and its dramatic complexity. The aim is to highlight a relevant selection of the demographic, socio-economic, geo-political, and environmental macro-dynamics that define our time, and to explore in a practical way the indicators that can be used to monitor their evolution over time. In general, this project stems from the need to apply “systemic thinking” to the study of the world and to develop a holistic perspective that can bridge the gap that for too long has existed across academic disciplines and their respective focuses. The macro-trends featured in the book shed light, in particular, on the change that has been occurring over time in the vast Global South – a portion of the globe that accounts for over 80% of the world's total population. The book's ultimate – although not exclusive – target audience is undoubtedly composed of undergraduate students of subjects such as political science, international affairs, international development, human geography and the like. In addition, the Compendium may benefit professionals in both public and private organisations as well as members of the general public seeking to acquire'global development literacy'in manners that are academically sound, but also accessible and concise.

This book explores the role of law and policy in circular economy transitions and their impacts on justice, including on distributional equity and recognition and procedural rights, especially for people already marginalised under the current dominant economic system.Amid increasing demand for virgin raw materials, and unsustainable consumption and waste disposal that are driving the global ecological and climate crisis, there are growing calls to urgently transition to circular economies. Despite an increasing number of circular approaches being adopted, implemented, and integrated in national and local laws and policies, the number of commercially successful business stories remains isolated. Moreover, questions about whether circular economy laws and policies are delivering fair and just global outcomes need to be addressed. This book examines this significant knowledge gap to understand legal experiences, including justice and equity issues in the global context, so that these can inform wider design and implementation. The book begins by explaining the concept of a circular economy and its context within wider issues of sustainable development and justice. The first part of the book then examines the legal context of the circular economy by analysing legal forms in practice and those recommended in wider scholarship before considering how these could impact on existing inequity and injustices globally. The second part delivers an empirical understanding of the implications of the law on circular economy approaches and the global equity and justice dimensions through two case studies on solid waste management and forestry. The final part addresses legal opportunities and challenges for wider implementation of circular economy approaches that incorporate justice into its framing.This book will be of great interest to students, scholars, and practitioners of environmental and natural resource law and policy, circular economy, industrial ecology, natural resource management, and sustainable development more broadly.

This book engages with the implications of an expanding Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) of Transnational Corporations in their supply chains. Taking the case of a cocoa sustainability certification project in Ghana, the study examines the implementation process of such a transnational CSR intervention and its outcomes regarding the local governance and institutional environment of the cocoa sector in Ghana. The study deploys a theoretical framework based on Global Value Chain Analysis and a neo-Gramscian approach to Global Governance to assess transnational CSR as a concept and strategy that reflect power struggles in global production fields.

Analysing the juxtaposition of two trends in universities – corporatisation and environmental sustainability – this book explores how they are more contradictory than compatible.Hans A Baer argues that this contradiction is unavoidable because of the capitalist parameters in which they operate, including a commitment to on-going economic growth which contributes to social inequality, environmental degradation, and greenhouse gas emissions. Drawing on archival sources and Baer's experiences in university sustainability forums, the book exposes how what universities claim to do in relation to environmental sustainability compares with their research, educational, operational and institutional activities.Presenting a critique of and a radical alternative to the status quo, this book is suitable for academics and students of anthropology, environmental studies and higher education.

Im Frühjahr 2023 gingen in der Bundesrepublik Deutschland die letzten Kernkraftwerke vom Netz. Es war das politisch beschlossene Ende einer Technologie, die vor rund 50 Jahren noch als unumstrittene Zukunftshoffnung zur Sicherung von Wachstum und Wohlstand gegolten hatte und dann als Gegenstand der Kernenergiekontroverse eine ganze Generation begleitet und teilweise sogar nachhaltig geprägt hatte. Christian von Falkenhausen unternimmt in diesem Buch den Versuch, anhand einer Multiple Streams Analyse der politischen Prozesse der Jahre 1975 bis 1997 zu zeigen, dass die Grundlagen für die späteren politischen Atomausstiege in dieser Frühphase gelegt wurden.

The complexities and scope of environmental issues have not only outpaced the capacities and responsiveness of traditional political actors but also generated new innovations, constituencies, and approaches to governing environmental problems. In response, comparative environmental politics (CEP) has emerged as a vibrant and growing field of scholarly inquiry, embracing new questions and methods even as it addresses enduring questions in the broader field of comparative politics. Utilizing a range of methodological approaches, The Oxford Handbook of Comparative Environmental Politics delves into more traditional forms of CEP--the political economy of natural resources and the role of corporations and supply chains--while also showcasing new trends in CEP scholarship, particularly the comparative study of environmental injustice and intersectional inequities. Moving beyond the field's earlier work that focused on cross-national comparisons of political institutions, regulatory styles, and state-society relations, the Handbook includes approaches from political science, anthropology, sociology, geography, gender theory, law, human rights, and development studies. Moreover, the chapters highlight scholarship from a broader range of regions, and analyze the construction and diffusion of norms, rights, ethics, and ideology across the globe and through various social movements (with a focus on approaches from the Global South). Including 42 chapters, organized across 9 sections, The Oxford Handbook of Comparative Environmental Politics explores some of the most important environmental issues through the lens of comparative politics, including energy, climate change, food, health, urbanization, waste, and sustainability.

Der Sammelband verfolgt das Ziel, eine erste umfassende Bilanz zur Rezeption und Wirkung der'Fridays for Future'-Bewegung vorzunehmen. Im ersten Teil stellen die Autor•innen in verschiedenen Kapiteln den Stand der sozialwissenschaftlichen Forschung zur Bewegung dar. Im zweiten Teil des Bandes widmen sich die Autor•innen den Wirkungen, die'Fridays for Future'auf unterschiedlichen Dimensionen der Gesellschaft hat. Die Beiträge in diesem Teil gehen der Frage nach, wie die Bewegung u.a. politische Parteien, lokale und regionale Akteure oder auch die Wissenschaft insgesamt beeinflusst hat, bzw. welche Impulse sie setzen konnte.

Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs) are a class of chemicals that are persistent, bio accumulative and toxic (PBT), which are restricted for use under the Stockholm Convention. They adversely impact the environment, human and animal health. Most of the POPs are semi-volatile organic compounds (SVOCs) and known to have a long-range transport potential and are often deposited in colder climate and found in places away from the regions they are produced. POPs are usually hydrophobic (i.e., “water-hating”) and lipophilic (i.e., “fat-loving”) chemicals, due to which they bind to solids, particularly organic matter, and fatty tissues in both marine and terrestrial environments. As a result, POPs may move up the food chain. This book focuses on determining the sources, fate, analytical techniques of detecting POPs as well as their health impacts. It further dwells on the regulatory aspects, management of POPs, best environmental practices (BEPs), Indian and international case studies, gaps in understanding the regulatory aspects. A few key recommendations for the way forward form the concluding chapters of this book.

This Handbook aims to provide a unique and convenient one-volume reference work, exhibiting the latest interdisciplinary explorations in this urgently burgeoning field of intellectual and practical importance. Due to its immense range and diversity, environmental politics and theory necessarily encompasses: empirical, normative, policy, political, organizational, and activist discussions unfolding across many disciplines. It is a challenge for its practitioners, let alone newcomers, to keep informed about the ongoing developments in this fast-changing area of study and to comprehend all of their implications. Through the planned volume's extensive scope of contributions emphasizing environmental policy issues, normative prescriptions, and implementation strategies, the next generation of thinkers and activists will have very useful profiles of the theories, concepts, organizations, and movements central to environmental politics and theory. It is the editors'aspiration that this volume will become a go-to resource on the myriad perspectives relevant to studying and improving the environment for advanced researchers as well as an introduction to new students seeking to understand the basic foundations and recommended resolutions to many of our environmental challenges. Environmental politics is more than theory alone, so the Handbook also considers theory-action connections by highlighting the past and current: thinkers, activists, social organizations, and movements that have worked to guide contemporary societies toward a more environmentally sustainable and just global order. Chapter “Eco-Anxiety and the Responses of Ecological Citizenship and Mindfulness” is available open access under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License via link.springer.com.

In Climate Obstruction: How Denial, Delay and Inaction are Heating the Planet, Kristoffer Ekberg, Bernhard Forchtner, Martin Hultman and Kirsti Jylhä bring together crucial insights from environmental history, sociology, media and communication studies and psychology to help us understand why we are failing to take necessary measures to avert the unfolding climate crisis.They do so by examining the variety of ways in which meaningful climate action has been obstructed. This ranges from denial of the scientific evidence for human-induced climate change and its policy consequences, to (seemingly sincere) acknowledgement of scientific evidence while nevertheless delaying meaningful climate action. The authors also consider all those actions by which often well-meaning individuals and collectives (unintendedly) hamper climate action. In doing so, this book maps out arguments and strategies that have been used to counter environmental protection and regulation since the 1960s by, first and foremost, corporations supported by conservative actors, but also far-right ones as well as ordinary citizens.This timely and accessible book provides tools and lessons to understand, identify and call out such arguments and strategies, and points to actions and systemic and cultural changes needed to avert or at least mitigate the climate crisis.

Diese Studie interessiert sich für einzelne Personen oder kleine Gruppen und deren Möglichkeiten und Grenzen der Steuerung der lokalen Energiewende. Wie funktioniert dieser grundlegende Prozess der Steuerung, bei dem einzelne Personen bestimmte Kompetenzen, Leistungen und Ressourcen für ihre Intervention in das Energiesystem bündeln? Auf diese Frage bieten die Governance-Perspektive und auch die Transformationsforschung unterschiedliche Erklärungsansätze. Zentrales Anliegen dieser Studie ist es, zu zeigen, unter welchen Bedingungen es zu gelingender Steuerung der Energiewende und zu intendierten Veränderungen im Energiesystem kommen kann. Hierfür greift die Studie das Konzept der Agenten des Wandels auf und bringt es mit der soziologischen Systemtheorie in Verbindung. Aus systemischer Perspektive ergibt sich die größte Problematik daraus, dass sich komplexe Systeme wie die Energiewirtschaft nicht einfach steuern, sondern nur unter ganz bestimmten Bedingungen beeinflussen lassen. Mit der Analyseperspektive eines systemischen Agenten des Wandels-Konzepts und dessen Operationalisierung anhand zweier empirischer Fallstudien in Baden-Württemberg werden theoretische Grundlagen erarbeitet, mit denen erklärt werden kann, wie gesellschaftliche Transformationsprozesse gestaltet und beschleunigt werden können.

This book provides an in-depth insight into the ecological perspective on a number of ongoing issues pertaining to security, the economy, the state, global environmental governance, development, and the environment. The chapters critically compare and analyze the role of global eco-politics in understanding and sorting out issues linked with climate change. Furthermore, it presents a contemporary and accessible description of why we need to embrace eco-politics in order to address the various ecological challenges that we face in the current changing climate scenario.

This innovative Handbook provides a comprehensive treatment of the complex relationship between inequality and the environment and illustrates the myriad ways in which they intersect.Featuring over 30 contributions from leading experts in the field, it explores the ways in which inequality impacts three of the most pressing contemporary environmental issues: climate change, natural resource extraction, and food insecurity. Laying the conceptual foundations for its analysis of key inequality–environment intersections, the Handbook covers theoretical traditions employed in the environmental inequality literature and examines different approaches to the concept of rights and how these influence scholarship on environmental justice. Chapters further investigate the multifaceted relationships between the natural environment and common forms of social inequalities, including race, ethnicity, gender, sexuality, social class, the economy, and the state.Bringing together cutting-edge research on diverse inequality–environment intersections, this comprehensive Handbook will be relevant to both students and researchers in the social sciences and environmental sociology, politics, and geography. Its empirical insights will also prove valuable to public and social policymakers with access to mechanisms that can shape environmental protection policies.

Deliberative Governance for Sustainable Development argues that governance has become the core problem of sustainable development and identifies deliberative democracy and governance as a path forward for Western societies. In this book the author puts forward three messages. Firstly, while sustainable development theoretically is a common good of all people, it is in practice constantly associated with a multitude of smaller and larger conflicts. These conflicts arise repeatedly because, in practice, the benefits, costs and risks of sustainable development are unequally distributed and therefore form a massive barrier to sustainable development. As a result, sustainable development depends on the ability of the social and political institutions of societies to accommodate these conflicts. Second, within the framework of their established institutional structures, Western societies do not have the sufficient tools for conflict resolution that are adequate to the conditions of modern diversified societies and the complex challenges of sustainable development. They need to implement institutional reforms that switch institutional structures towards deliberation. Third, by switching to deliberation, Western societies can reach the high level of governance that enables them to achieve environmentally sustainable development that will bring them significant economic and social benefits and, as a result, may reach far beyond their borders. This volume offers a novel, transdisciplinary approach to sustainable development and governance in Western societies. It will be of great interest to students and scholars of sociology, economics, politics, environmental studies and philosophy, as well as professionals and policymakers working in the area of sustainable development.