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Petroleum activities are associated with high risks. In the 1980s, concerns arose about the environmental impacts of 'normal' petroleum activity. Regular operations go hand-in-hand with emissions to air and discharges to sea. Both have been subject to extensive regulation since the 1990s. This paper analyzes the design and implementation of the Norwegian system that regulates operational discharges to the marine environment. It analyzes the changing relationships among science, politics and the industry and describes how the turn from a prescriptive to a predominantly performance-based approach was fundamental in making progress toward less polluting practices. The article describes how risk regulation was institutionalized and highlights the benefits of involving the industry in the pursuit of environmental protection. It also cautions against a lax attitude toward control and oversight, as complexification of risk objects and the increase of institutional risks can lead to mismatches in risk management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Metropolitan planning is a fairly new practice that refers, amongst other topics, to open spaces. The objective of this research is to determine the changing role and treatment given to open spaces in successive metropolitan plans through an evolutionary analysis of Barcelona. The paper begins by providing the conceptual foundations of open space planning in metropolitan contexts and by briefly contextualising the study-area. The methodology is based on a guided analysis of 26 supra-municipal plans. In addition, other research methods are also used to obtain the results, consisting of the systematic overview of the analysed plans. The discussion examines the trajectory of the Barcelona case study with regard to international developments, showing that there is an overall consistency between them. The text concludes by recommending improvements for guaranteeing proper metropolitan open space planning, such as the need to go beyond zoning procedures and to take into account civil society and local political circumstances. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The conventional literature on urban wetlands has, over the years, focused on the effects of urbanization on the encroachment of wetlands and ecosystem services. Nonetheless, little is known about how institutions respond to the encroachments along ecologically sensitive areas within the context of the global south. A comprehensive insight into the management strategies adopted by institutions in ecosystem services governance is essential for advancing the sustainability discourse in Ghana. Using the qualitative research approach, face-to-face interviews were conducted among relevant stakeholder institutions. The findings indicate that the strategies adopted by institutions in the management of ecologically sensitive areas are top-down in nature and this has been ineffective over the years. The paper recommends the need for community-based approaches for the management and protection of ecologically sensitive areas. The community-based approach can be adopted through the integration of local knowledge in promoting ecological sustainability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Whether agricultural mechanization can drive carbon reduction in Belt and Road countries remains an unanswered question. This paper investigates how agricultural mechanization can contribute to agricultural carbon emissions reduction in countries along the Belt and Road, and to test whether technological progress can play a moderating role. The findings show that: 1) agricultural mechanization can effectively promote carbon emission reduction in countries along the Belt and Road; 2) countries with a high level of technological progress can effectively reduce agricultural carbon emissions by improving agricultural mechanization, and technological progress plays a positive regulating role; 3) agricultural mechanization is regionally heterogeneous and income heterogeneous, and its carbon-reducing effects are more pronounced in Asia, low- and middle-income countries and upper-middle-income countries. The results of the study provide lessons for climate governance and agricultural development in countries along the Belt and Road and help governments to formulate relevant policies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Questions on power exercise by natural resource actors and inherent conflicts have gained traction in scientific and policy circles in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), although there is virtual neglect of harmful convictions embedded in the exercise of power. To bridge this gap, this paper explores power and convictions around land and linked natural resources in Cameroon. Data was generated through focus group discussions (N = 14), key informant (N = 44) and expert interviews (N = 19). The analysis drew from the actor-centered power lens employing thematic and content analysis. The results indicate the following: First, while gender-based and elitism-based harmful convictions significantly shape land and linked natural resource access, region/ethnic-based and religion-based convictions were less significant. Second, actors championing gender-based convictions employ more coercive approaches, while elitist and political actors make use of incentives. This study informs the actor-centered power (ACP) approach, with emphasis on the convictions embedded in the exercise of power during natural resource acquisition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite studies on CSR, not a single research study has been conducted on leadership behavior for environmental CSR in SMEs. The CSR spending in the environment was skewed towards sectors other than the environment. In this context, this paper addresses the research gap through the Behavioral Reasoning Theory (BRT). Information was gathered through a structured questionnaire from leaders of 353 Indian SMEs. Confirmatory Factor Analysis, and Structural Equation Modelling were employed to process the data. The leadership “value” positively impacted leadership “motives”, and the “motive” positively impacted behavioral leadership “intention” for environmental CSR. The “Reason for” (improved firm performance, competitive advantage, image, and risk mitigation) had a positive association with the value and motive of SME leaders. The “Reason against” (lack of knowledge, personal commitment, and lack of time) is negatively associated with SME leaders’ “value,” “motive” (attitude, subjective norms, and perceived control), and “behavioral intention” for environmental CSR. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In Germany, heating accounts for half of the final energy consumption and is still based mainly on fossil fuels. Nevertheless, the transition to renewable heat has been widely criticized for progressing too slowly. To accelerate the heat transition, an increased use of biogenic residues and waste is discussed as a possible approach, as model calculations show considerable potential for these materials. This paper examines the barriers to an increased use of biogenic residues and waste in the context of municipal heat transition, including their use in district heating networks. The results are based on qualitative stakeholder and expert interviews and focus groups in rural municipalities in Germany. As a central finding, this study identifies the main barriers as multiple fragmentations in different areas (material, utilization paths, actor structure, framework conditions and knowledge) and their interdependencies. These findings contribute to a better understanding of structural obstacles of heat transitions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Encouraging low-carbon behavior and adopting sustainable green lifestyles are crucial to safeguarding the ecological environment. To promote the sustainable development of humans, society, and the environment, it is essential to establish a harmonious relationship between residents’ well-being and the environment. This study investigates the differences of associations in residents’ subjective well-being and multiple types of low-carbon behaviors with place attachment as a mediator using a structural equation model based on a questionnaire survey of the residents of Hangzhou, China. The findings reveal that subjective well-being has a positive and significant effect on place attachment, and place attachment has a positive and significant impact on multiple types of low-carbon behaviors. Furthermore, the mediating effect test shows that place attachment plays a partial mediation role in the influence path of subjective well-being on habitual low-carbon behavior. In contrast, it plays a full mediating role in the influence path of low-carbon purchasing and travel behavior. Based on the emotion-behavior theory, this paper highlights the positive role of subjective well-being in promoting positive human-environment interaction by focusing on microscopic individual behavior. It provides policy implications for the government to promote the adoption of residents’ low-carbon behaviors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

College students, as a new force in energy saving and emission reduction, play an important role in environmental protection. However, there is a lack of empirical research on the factors that affect college students' energy-saving behaviors at the individual and organizational levels. In this study, an extended theory of planned behavior (TPB) model is employed to narrow this gap. A total of 661 valid data points collected from 51 Chinese universities were used to test related hypotheses. The findings reveal that attitude, perceived responsibility, perceived behavior control and subjective norms are significantly related to energy-saving intention. Meanwhile, energy-saving intention is the most decisive factor for Chinese college students' energy-saving behavior. More importantly, this paper verified the positive effect of organizational factors (energy-saving climate) on students' energy-saving intentions and behaviors. Finally, implications for improving students' energy-saving intention and theoretical and managerial implications are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite adopting a mainstreaming approach to spatial adaptation, few cities actually implement it. Why this is so is disputed, as the implementation stage has been under-researched. Inspired by the "mechanism-based" strand, this paper analyses three implementation projects in the Netherlands. Mechanisms are generalizable patterns yielding more plausible explanations for phenomena than "superficial" barriers or drivers. We found one overarching mechanism: the "institutional void" – an absence of policy frameworks with clear norms and agreements on adaptation. It led to three hampering mechanisms (avoidance of administrative responsibility, aversion to innovation and avoidance of private responsibility) and three stimulating mechanisms (window of opportunity exploitation, efficient coupling and policy entrepreneurship). We demonstrate that, although hampering mechanisms constrain the solution space for mainstreaming adaptation, the stimulating mechanisms prove that room remains for committed actors to use the limited available space efficiently. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Over the last decade, much attention has been paid to the effectiveness of green reward practices in fostering employee achievement of environmental performance. The current literature reports contradictory findings and points to several gaps in our understanding. First, the effect of green rewards on individual environmental performance is mixed, at best. Second, the role of internal environmental orientation on this effect has been overlooked. Using data from two independent studies, this paper provides findings that help address these issues. The results show that organizational support for the environment conveys the effect of green reward practices on employee environmental performance and indicates that internal environmental orientation only strengthens the indirect effect at high levels. The findings are discussed in light of the literature. The findings draw on two independent samples. POSE conveys the effect of green rewards on employee environmental performance. Internal environmental orientation strengthens the mediating effect of POSE. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A scientific ecological security assessment framework is critical to regional ecological security. This paper improves the emergy ecological footprint model which optimizes the traditional emergy ecological footprint by adding the water supply service, to assess ecological security, and quantitatively analyzed the factors affecting ecological security by partial least squares regression. Zhejiang Province, one of the most developed provinces in China, was selected as a case study. The results show that (1) the emergy carrying capacity (ECC) per capita suffered a reduction from 2004 to 2018. (2) The emergy ecological footprint (EEF) per capita presented a rising trend, with a growth rate of 70.13% from 2004 to 2018. (3) The emergy ecological footprint per capita of biologically productive land has increased except for grassland and waters. (4) There was an ecological surplus in the period of 2004–2009, but an ecological deficit appeared after 2009. (5) The ecological insecurity in Zhejiang Province was increasing, which transformed from a comparably safe state to a relatively unsafe state. (6) The dominant influencing factors affecting Zhejiang's ecological security were population density, urban built-up area per capita, secondary industry output value, etc. These findings could provide valuable decision support to policy makers in formatting policies on ecological management and sustainable regional development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Participation is increasingly used to legitimize and improve environmental decision making. However, in practice participants often find the process empty and frustrating. This has adverse consequences for environmental planning and consenting processes, where participants become disillusioned, and negative feelings develop into active opposition, causing delays, spiraling costs, and conflict. This paper addresses the gap between participatory ideals and unsatisfactory environmental decision-making in practice. We take a fresh look at how participatory ideals can be implemented and propose a new framework based on translating participatory ideals into practice. We identified commitments and values for fair and achievable participatory environmental decision-making from science and technology studies (STS), procedural environmental justice, and deliberative democracy. These were synthesized and organized into a set of principles (inclusivity, process-orientation, empowerment, and reflection) and then translated into "practical" criteria. The result is a new framework that links participatory ideals to practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There are various explanations for the centralization of planning approval authority, but few studies focus on the explanation of selective centralization from a national governance perspective. To address this gap, this paper uses the concept of land risk to identify the reason why central government centralizes the planning approval authority of a prefectural-city in China. An econometric quantitative approach is adopted. The findings suggest that land risk from farmland protection is an important factor affecting centralization. Specifically, the probability of centralization increases by approximately 2% for each unit reduction in per capita farmland area, by 1.6% for every 1% increase in land transfer area and by 1% for each level increase in illegal land use. Furthermore, the cities with high land risk are mainly concentrated in four provinces along eastern coastal China. Additionally, the result is predicted with an overall accuracy of 93%, which proves the validity of the model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although the digital economy has emerged as a new impetus for countries to improve green innovation efficiency (GIE), existing research has thus far overlooked the direct relationship between them. Based on data from 30 provinces in China from 2011–2020, this paper investigates the impact of the digital economy on GIE by applying the spatial Durbin model, the mediation effect model, and the threshold effect model. The findings suggest that the digital economy can significantly enhance GIE directly and indirectly by promoting financial development, accumulating human capital, and optimizing industrial structure. Further research shows that non-linear characteristics exist between them at different levels of financial development, human capital, and industrial structure. Moreover, the eastern region experiences a more visible impact of the digital economy on provincial GIE. This study provides empirical evidence for an insightful comprehension of the link between the digital economy and GIE and policy suggestions for governments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Agricultural production is considered to be one of the main threats to biodiversity. Market-based wildlife-friendly farming (WFF) systems are thought to have great potential to reshape the link between biodiversity and agriculture. In this paper, we explore the potential for WFF rice production in China using choice experiment surveys of consumers and producers. Our results show that there is a significant difference in preferences between urban consumers and rural rice producers. Rice producers pay more attention to the practical concerns around quality (taste), location (ease of working) and prices, while urban consumers pay attention to whether the rice is healthy and free of contamination (e.g. organic or grown with fish). In addition, producers' price expectations for WFF rice production are not uniform due to different challenges with respect to technology, resource allocation and trust. Preference heterogeniety also exists among urban consumers, some of whom are skeptical of 'organic labeling', while others place high levels of trust in rice grown with "biological" indicators such as fish or frogs. Although WFF production systems may not be able to accommodate the full heterogeneity among growers and consumers it can strengthen the incentives to farm more sustainably for the benefit of the economy and the environment if appropriately designed. We suggest the most promising approach is to jointly produce organic rice with fish or another trusted biological indicator to overcome trust issues with existing organic labeling. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Local-level hazard mitigation plans have the potential to reduce communities' losses from natural hazards, some of which are projected to intensify with climate change, although there remain gaps in knowledge regarding the quality of these plans. This study used an established protocol to assign plan quality scores to county-level hazard mitigation plans in Washington State. Plans received higher scores in some components of quality (e.g. vision statement) than in others (e.g. specific policies), and overall quality varied with geography and plan authorship. This paper concludes with recommendations for future planning and research that may support community resilience to natural hazards. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Transfer of development rights (TDR) programs shift development intensity between land parcels. Jurisdictions, most commonly local municipal or county governments, employ TDR to protect resources such as farmland or historical properties and to encourage infill and redevelopment where deemed appropriate. However, while championed by economists and others seeking to reduce conflicts between land development and preservation, TDR program adoption has varied widely across the US. What demographic, economic, or environmental factors are associated with TDR program establishment? This paper describes a census of 375 TDR programs in the United States, documenting primary program attributes and adoption year and categorizing their functions and typology. Using logistic regression, we analyze program spatial patterns and factors predicting program implementation. We find that areas that are coastal, more liberal, have higher home values, in home-rule states, and in states with state-wide growth management programs, are all significantly more likely to implement TDR programs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

National forest roads allow access to public lands providing connections to natural and cultural heritage. Planning processes that address potential road closures or conversions can be highly contentious. Public participatory GIS (PPGIS) has been used as a tool to gather information for environmental planning and decision-making. Our PPGIS approach in a national forest in Washington (USA) incorporated workshops and online engagement with 1,810 participants to gather public input for sustainable roads planning. We identified the most important forest destinations and developed an analytical framework for assessing forest roads based on the density and diversity of use. In this paper, we summarize our PPGIS process and identify challenges faced in the application of socio-spatial data. A comparative analysis of road planning in other forests further highlights challenges in incorporating public use data. While the PPGIS process was valued for relationship-building, it is less evident how directly the socio-spatial data informed outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aims to investigate whether there are gender differences in the livelihood capital of farming households in China. A stratified random sampling technique and household surveys were used to collect data from Dazu District, China. This paper uses capital values to compute the level of livelihood capital, while the ordinary least squares model is employed to compare gender differences in livelihood capital. The results show significant gender differences in farmers' livelihood capital. Male farmers have more livelihood capital than female farmers. There are also significant gender differences in the factors that affect farmers' livelihood capital. Education and agricultural cooperatives are the major factors influencing the livelihood capital of men, while agricultural policy support and happiness are the major factors influencing the livelihood capital of women. These results imply that specific gender-based intervention programs should be implemented to maintain farmers' livelihood sustainability and to overcome gender gaps in agriculture. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Many studies in the literature examine the income inequality-environment nexus at the country level. In this paper, we argue that the impact of inequality on sectoral emissions might vary and should be examined by considering sectoral-level differences. We focus on 28 OECD economies and use DOLSMG, BA-OLS, and CUP-FM estimators. Our findings reveal that a cointegration relationship exists among the series in the long run, indicating that both income and income inequality are crucial factors in sectoral emissions. The estimates show that a 1% increase in the Gini index leads to an increase in emissions from the power and building sectors by about 1.4%. On the other hand, a 1% rise in the Gini index positively contributes to the environment in the transport, other industrial combustion, and other sectors by about 0.05%, 0.05%, and 0.02%, respectively. Policies aimed at reducing carbon emissions should be designed at the sectoral level. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Protection areas are commonly delineated in water supply watersheds to manage anthropogenic activities that pose pollution risks. These areas are frequently determined based on geographical distances that are not representative of the travel time of water. For surface waters, the total travel time for water between an anthropogenic activity and the drinking water intake is the sum of the overland travel time and the travel time in a river. In previous research, we reported methods for evaluating travel time in a river. The present paper focuses on the estimation of overland travel times. Four methods were applied, evaluated and compared based on a land use database representing anthropogenic activities that potentially release contaminants. Methods for overland travel times that provided more precise results required abundant data and expertise to be implemented, but can contribute to improved decision-making for land use planning in the context of source water protection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper develops a novel hybrid Trigonometric Envelopment Analysis for Ideal Solutions (TEA-IS) model to assess the ecological efficiency of 248 Chinese cities for a 14-year period and employs a difference-in-difference approach to reveal the mechanism of the impact of low-carbon pilot city policies on ecological efficiency from the perspective of green technology innovation. This TEA-IS approach not only combines the advantageous features that exist in each individual model, but also allows an analysis of ecological efficiency in terms of the synergistic effects that may exist among correlated positive and negative criteria. Machine learning methods are also employed to predict high-low performance and synergistic Chinese cities in terms of the socio-economic and demographic context. Results indicate that ecological efficiency is generally low in Chinese cities. The low-carbon pilot city policy does help to improve ecological efficiency, which results from the mechanism of green technology innovation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The pace of urbanization in the world will very quickly become a major problem for development in all its dimensions. This dynamic, also observed in Africa, could have serious consequences for macroeconomic and environmental balances. This paper examines the relationship between urbanization and the intensity of CO2 emissions on a panel of 48 African countries over the period 1980–2016. Using an augmented STIRPAT model, we found that if urbanization is a highly significant factor for pollution in Africa, the effect is heterogeneous for different levels of pollution. This effect is more pronounced in resource-rich countries; the difference in the quality of institutions helping to reinforce the heterogeneity. Additional tests reveal the existence of simultaneous threshold effects of pollution concerning urbanization and the level of development. Finally, the overall effect of urbanization on global warming is positive and significant. Based on these outcomes, we suggest a set of policies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Financial agglomeration and green economic growth have become a trend in global financial and economic development. This paper analyzes the impact mechanism of financial agglomeration on green economic growth from two angles: growth promotion and energy conservation/emission reduction. Based on the Slacks Based Model-Data Envelopment Analysis (SBM-DEA) of undesired outputs, the green economic growth efficiency of 30 regions in China from 2008 to 2017 was measured. The study uses a spatial measurement model and finds that financial agglomeration has a significant positive effect on green economic growth. The specific manifestation is that with a 1% increase in the level of financial agglomeration, the productivity of green total factor increases by about 0.1837% and 0.0964% green economic growth in neighboring areas. Further analysis shows that this improvement in green total factor productivity is mainly achieved through technological advancement that promotes coordinated economic growth, energy saving and emission reduction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The author reflects on the offering of landscape management to the rural economy. He states the effect of climatic changes, resources scarcity and raised international competition to landscapes in rural economies. An overview on the objectives of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) and its agricultural impact on landscape, is given. The author also emphasizes the major role of food production, sustainable management of natural resources and climate action to agricultural ecosystems.

Embodied carbon emissions research is an important branch of climate change study. Some scholars have noted the value-added chains associated with the carbon emissions embodied in international trade. But they have not covered the global scale and the entire demand-supply chains. This paper tries to investigate this issue and answer how much value-added is gained by countries, especially developing regions that are the main carbon emissions suppliers in the world, and how this value-added changed during 2000–2014, based on the multi-regional input-output table. The conclusions are, on a global average, the value-added gained per unit of carbon emissions embodied in the global demand-supply chain had increased, but it had not brought net value-added to developing regions but instead caused them a net loss of wealth, mainly because developing regions should pay more value-added for their increasingly external demand. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper undertakes a critical review of the solution approaches, methods and techniques applied to model municipal solid waste (MSW) management systems over the last decade (2007-2018). Sustainability and integration concepts are explored to evaluate the effectiveness of advanced models in achieving sustainable MSW management practices. Papers published are categorized into three main classes with respect to the methods applied to evaluate the operational efficiency and performance of IMSW systems. These include System Assessment (SA), Multi-Criteria Decision Making (MCDM) and Operation Research (OR) techniques. Each class is then analyzed by reviewing the key studies as the representatives of the class and potential improvements are suggested to achieve a sustainable Integrated Solid Waste Management (ISWM) system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

While accounts of urban climate change governance and planning are growing, there is a need for further conceptual and empirical work to better understand processes of change and uptake across a range of local responses. This paper uses the Council Alliance for a Sustainable Built Environment (CASBE) as an urban experiment seeking to influence development and planning decisions to improve sustainability outcomes in the built environment in the State of Victoria, Australia. The evaluation is structured using Luederitz et al.'s tentative evaluative scheme for sustainability transition experiments. This paper also seeks to test, reflect, and further develop the scheme by highlighting the challenge of evaluating unbounded and not necessarily purposefully designed experiments. Finally, this paper calls for developing an approach to better reveal the political, social, and institutional complexities influencing the potential of experiments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper focuses upon the role that science-based interventions allied to effective regulatory regimes can play in reducing the threat posed by inappropriate harvesting of wild flora. A Vulnerability Index (VI) has been developed for 150 natural fynbos species that exist on South Africa's Agulhas Plain, where intensive wildflower harvesting occurs. The methodology underpinning the generation of the VI is outlined and justified in this paper. The VI comprises a range of characteristics relating to species distribution and biology that are likely to influence vulnerability to harvesting. The VI is proving to be an important tool for regulating the harvesting of wild fynbos and maintaining the resilience of natural ecosystems threatened by climate change. Furthermore, economic development and livelihood stability are promoted by protecting the resource base of marketable species. The paper discusses issues that have arisen relating to the application and rollout of the VI in practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The servicising approach in vineyard protection is considered a valid alternative to achieve decoupling between the economic and environmental performance of viticulture. In this paper, a policy package is designed to promote the uptake of a servicised model of vineyard protection in an area of smallholding viticulture. In doing so, a specific methodology based on a step by step protocol has been followed that aims to come up with a package that is effective, implementable and socially as well as politically acceptable. The paper concludes on the importance of combining several policy instruments in a policy package to realise the political objective. The proposed viable policy package includes incentives that support the companies’ shift towards offering crop protection solutions, further development of IPM solutions and instruments that encourage farmers to reduce the use of pesticides and collectively hire crop protection services. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Flexibility and collaboration are a common prescription for complex, transboundary problems such as nonpoint source (NPS) water pollution. This paper examines the case of the United States Coastal Nonpoint Pollution Control Program (CNPCP), under which all 28 coastal states must develop comprehensive NPS management programs. The CNPCP allows states to satisfy requirements using voluntary, non-regulatory measures, and grants considerable flexibility in terms of institutional coordination and public participation. Thus, it is unclear whether compliance – which is incentivized with Federal funds – should be associated with improved environmental outcomes. Using a remotely sensed land cover census of 800 coastal counties from 1996 to 2010, this paper tests whether compliant programs – and particular participation and coordination mechanisms – are associated with different rates of forest and wetlands conversion. Approved states are associated with decreased rates of forest and wetlands conversion, but minimal differences are found with respect to specific participation and coordination strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper clarifies the competing discourses of sustainability and climate change and examines the manifestation of these discourses in local government planning. Despite the increasingly significant role of sustainability and climate change response in urban governance, it is unclear whether local governments are constructing different discourses that may result in conflicting approaches to policy-making. Using a governmentality approach, this paper dissects the contents of 15 Canadian local governments' sustainability plans. The findings show that there are synergies and tensions between discourses of sustainability and climate change. Both share discursive space and shape local governance rationalities, though climate change response logics are not necessarily highlighted even where the action could result in greenhouse gas (GHG) emission reductions. In some cases, existing GHG intensive practices are being rebranded as 'sustainable'. This suggests a tension between discourses of sustainability and climate change that may complicate attempts to address climate change through local sustainability planning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Shale Network is a group of stakeholders collating, publishing, and conducting research on water quality data collected in the northeastern United States experiencing natural gas extraction from shale using hydraulic fracturing. In developing the Shale Network, we have experienced reluctance to share data from all participating sectors. This paper explores this reluctance, identifying barriers to greater collaboration among multiple stakeholders in natural resource management projects. Findings are derived from participant observation of the Shale Network team, surveys conducted during Shale Network workshops, interviews with water quality stakeholders, and participant observation of water quality monitoring training sessions. The barriers identified include perceptions about data problems and quality, technical capacity, regulatory and legal limitations, competition for resources, and resource allocation decisions. This paper identifies strategies the Shale Network has used to overcome data-sharing barriers to expand a culture of data sharing that supports enhanced nature resource management and citizen engagement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sectoral planning on water, agriculture and urban development has not been able to prevent increased flood risks and environmental degradation in many deltas. Governments conceive strategic delta planning as a promising planning approach and develop strategic delta plans. Such plans are linked to actions and means for implementation in the short-term, in line with long-term strategic choices. This paper introduces an analytical framework that focuses on the role of actors, innovative solutions and participatory planning tools in negotiating consent for the strategic choices in a delta plan and its implementation. Cases of Bangladesh, the Netherlands and Vietnam are discussed as a plausibility probe to explore the framework's potential. The probe reveals that the framework is promising to explain the process and outcomes of strategic delta planning in urbanizing deltas. The paper ends with an initial research agenda to stimulate research and discussion on this new delta planning approach. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study sheds light on the perception of corporate environmental management (CEM) in the lending business from the lenders' perspective. The importance of the implementation of the CEM practices of borrowing companies indicated by bank managers is used to measure the bank managers' perceptions of CEM in lending decisions. In addition, this paper examines the influence of institutional motivations – coercive, mimetic and normative – on the perception of CEM. A survey was conducted among 110 bank managers in France and Luxembourg in 2019. Through factor analysis and regression modeling, we found that banks' CEM requirements for borrowing firms are mainly determined by pressure-type motivations, such as coercive and mimetic, rather than benefit-type motivations, such as financial and reputational. Our results offer new insights into how bank managers perceive the importance of CEM in lending decision-making and explain the perceptions that have been less studied in the existing literature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A growing body of literature indicates that the impacts of natural disasters and resilience vary among individuals and groups, with gender becoming a critical defining factor. However, the influences of gender on resilience at the household level remain largely unexplored. Using data gathered from households in informal settlements in Accra, Ghana, this paper examines the varying effects of flooding on male and female-headed households, gendered differences in resilience, as well as factors influencing these gendered differences. The research revealed that female-headed households had reduced capacities to prepare, cope and recover from the impacts of flooding due to their expected gender roles, relatively larger family sizes, care responsibilities, lower levels of employment, and limited access to resources. These findings show that gender sensitivity to recovery and resilience are key to disaster planning and management programmes, and so the driving forces should be considered in policymaking. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Natural capital accounting requires exchange rather than welfare values, but lack of data and standards have encouraged practitioners to use different approaches (e.g. simple lookup table vs spatial modeling approaches). In this paper, we demonstrate how choice modeling data can provide simulated exchange values which are more robust than simple (fast track) valuation approaches for natural capital accounting. A survey of East of England residents collected the preferences for saltmarsh management and simulated exchange values, coherently linked with the ecosystem conditions. This approach is more informative for environmental local planning purposes. We claim that expanding the set of tools available for natural capital accounting can enhance management of ecosystem services and policy decision making. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The feasibility and efficiency of public policies aimed at decarbonizing tourism also depend on tourists' attitudes and acceptance. This paper investigates tourists' preferences and willingness to pay (WTP) for decarbonizing strategies applied to transportation and hotel accommodation. Two discrete choice experiments were conducted in the Dolomites area in Italy using direct and indirect question formats. The combination of question formats is proposed as an instrument to reduce hypothetical bias and obtain conservative WTP-range estimates. Results suggest low to zero willingness to pay for the two key attributes: the use of electric trains that produce lower amounts of carbon emissions and the possibility to offset the carbon emissions associated with tourists' hotel stays. These results indicate the need for new policy interventions to promote forms of public-private partnerships to support public and private investments, increase tourists' awareness of decarbonizing strategies and foster a move toward more sustainable behaviors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper investigates whether government regulation crowds out intrinsic motivation to improve environmental performance of small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). Motivation crowding is the phenomenon by which external pressures reduce intrinsic motivation. Literature on motivation crowding effects of environmental regulations exhibits two gaps. First, previous studies have focused on households while neglecting business organizations, even though businesses account for a major part of industrial pollution worldwide. Second, previous literature neither measured intrinsic motivation nor tested how government regulation affects this motivation. Empirical evidence of motivation crowding by environmental regulations is therefore still lacking. This paper fills both research gaps. Using a dataset of 2,373 SMEs from 12 European countries, we show that government regulation enhances environmental performance directly but harms it indirectly by crowding out intrinsic and extrinsic motivations of business leaders. It only stimulates environmental performance for companies exhibiting low motivation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite South Africa's transition to democracy and policy vocabularies of co-governance, inclusivity and fairness in decision making that underpin both the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa and national coastal policy – the White Paper on Sustainable Coastal Development – these principles remain elusive in the day-to-day governance of coastal risk and vulnerability. A basic quantitative investigation into the representation of civil society on government-led 'collaborative' forums and the application of an Argumentative Discourse Analysis (ADA) reveals that a state-centric mode of governance dominates. This mode of governance is being stimulated and reinforced by isolationistic provisions contained within South Africa's principal coastal legislation and policy instrument: the Integrated Coastal Management Act (No. 36 of 2014 as amended). This mode of governance is, in return, amplifying coastal risk and vulnerability in South Africa more broadly. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The government of the Netherlands actively promotes Dutch delta planning to other deltaic countries. This paper describes and analyzes the Dutch–Vietnamese interactions and relationships around the development of the Mekong Delta Plan as a case of policy transfer. The paper uses an approach that regards policy transfers as processes of translation. It draws attention to the work that goes into making Dutch delta expertise and knowledge useful elsewhere. The paper shows that the financial and political support for Dutch Delta Planning expertise in Vietnam needed to be actively and continuously wielded to keep the process going. We conclude that there is merit in understanding policy transfer as a process of translation between many actors, all of whom change, learn, and influence not just each other but also what is transferred. Such an understanding allows better acknowledgement of the deeply dialogic and relational character of policy transfer processes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Under the goal of dual-carbon, promoting the industrial transformation of resource-based cities is an important measure to achieve carbon emission reduction. As a result, this paper chooses the panel data for 108 resource-based cities spanning 2010 to 2019, systematically evaluates the effects of Industrial Transformation and Upgrading Demonstration Zones (ITUDZ) policy on the carbon emission intensity using the difference-in-differences (DID) method. The research results reveal that the establishment of ITUDZ significantly reduces the carbon emission intensity of resource-based cities. Robustness tests confirm the accuracy of these results. The intermediary mechanism suggests that the establishment of the ITUDZ suppresses carbon emission intensity through green technology innovation and resource allocation efficiency. The heterogeneity analysis demonstrates that both the eastern and western regions of resource-based cities exhibit a greater ability to reduce carbon emission intensity and the effect of regenerative cities is more pronounced. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The goal of this paper is to investigate the coupling coordination relationship between the digital economy and the green economy, as well as to analyze possible ways to improve the coupling coordination degree. By using panel data for 280 cities from 2011 to 2018, this study has made outstanding contributions in the following areas: (1) reintegrating and constructing the evaluation index system of the digital economy and green economy; (2) utilizing the modified coupled coordination degree model to analyze it; (3) adopting the fixed effect model to test the influencing factors. The findings revealed that the current level of coupling coordination between the digital economy and the green economy in China is generally low, with significant regional differences. In terms of influencing factors, industrial structure upgrading has a U-shaped influence on coupling coordination, and government attention has an inverted U-shaped influence on coupling coordination. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite the urgent need to take action on climate adaptation, public engagement remains relatively low. This low engagement poses significant challenges to the effective adaptation process, highlighting the need for innovative approaches in governance. In this paper, we explore the importance of the affective dimension in enhancing citizen engagement in climate adaptation. Drawing from a review of recent literature, we identify the primary challenges of fostering citizen engagement by integrating research on climate adaptation with the exploration of the affective dimension and the conceptualization of affective practices. We aim to identify specific “affective facilitators’’ that have the potential to enhance citizen engagement and drive actionable outcomes. We advocate for the use of Citizen Science as a means to support citizen engagement, due to its potential to harness the identified facilitators. We illustrate the practical application of our conceptual framework with the Citizen Sensing Project. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Web-based multilingual tools to facilitate communication between Local and Indigenous Communities is an environmental technology approach emerging under the United Nations Biodiversity Global Agenda. To better address present climate resilience-building challenges in the current smart world, this contribution presents innovative avenues leading to the development of the « e-GIS Smart, Inclusive, and, Climate-resilient Indigenous Peoples Landscape and Community Clearing-House Mechanism Solution » which is meant to be used in the mobile-friendly website environment and the e-app environment. This technology policy paper shows that digital GIS, remote sensing products of observation satellites, and smartphone applications products derived from telecommunication satellites can help facilitate Indigenous Peoples' contribution to climate resilience-building within their territories in terms of biodiversity and within their communities in terms of poverty eradication throughout the implementation of the United Nations Indigenous Peoples' Affairs Global Agenda. The methodology used consists, therefore, of a plural technology interface that promises, among many other benefits, to facilitate Indigenous Peoples' participation in decision-making processes. This research reminds us of the importance of state responsibility in these matters. It shows the importance of Indigenous Peoples' participation in the implementation of global instances' agendas through national reporting. It highlights the key role of Indigenous information decolonization and governance as principles of Indigenous Peoples' sovereignty over Indigenous information. The results of this research are illustrated with case studies, when possible, to show the potential of the Solution to achieve its goals in climate resilience-building in Indigenous Peoples Landscapes and Communities with Indigenous Peoples and the financial support of state governments and inter-governmental institutions. In Canada, the use of the Solution to move forward in the Indigenous Peoples Affairs' agenda, has the potential, among others, to enhance the expected outcome of the Canadian First Nations Data Governance Strategy (FNDGS) which is adopted as a response to an evolving smart planet to ensure no First Nation is left behind. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The establishment of ecosystem accounts helps to promote and practice sustainable development. In China, the establishment of ecosystem accounts based on the System of Environmental-Economic Accounting–Ecosystem Accounting (SEEA EA) facilitates government decision-making regarding the ecological transformation of economic and social development. There have been attempts to develop ecosystem accounts in some southern Chinese provinces and cities, but little has been done to develop an ecosystem account for northern China. This study examined the potential and challenges of constructing ecosystem accounts in methods and policies in northern China and promoted the practice of EA accounts by constructing ecosystem extent, condition, ecosystem services supply and use accounts, and biodiversity accounts in Liaoning Province. The testing accounts cover provisioning, water supply, air filtration, water purification, global climate regulation (carbon storage), soil erosion management, and recreation services in 2019. The results show that due to the difference in climate between northern and southern China, there is no accounting for temperature regulation and flood regulation services, but water supply services are considered; Policy, demographic, and socioeconomic factors affect the extent and condition of ecosystems. This study illustrates how ecosystem accounts can contribute to policy and decision-making, foster sustainable development, and inform the application of ecosystem accounts in northern China and other countries and regions. In this paper, we identify difficulties, including data availability and quality, that limit the integration of ecosystem accounting into policy. Future research is suggested to address these gaps and facilitate the implementation of ecosystem accounting. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Innovation is the primary driving force for high-quality development. How can we effectively leverage the role of environmental regulation to force enterprises to innovate and promote high-quality development? This paper breaks through the single dimension of environmental regulation and innovation, and examines the impacts of performance-based environmental regulation stringency (PBR) on high-quality and low-quality innovation responses (HQI and LQI). Analyzing a European country on-road vehicle emissions dataset with Heckman two-stage models, the study demonstrates that performance-based environmental regulation has different impacts on two types of innovation responses. The research results are as follows: (1) Stringent PBR has a significant negative effect on HQI decisions and corresponding magnitude, while PBR promotes the occurrence and magnitude of LQI. (2) The impact of stringent PBR on innovation responses is different among automakers with different corporate governance. Specifically, the inhibitory effect of PBR on HQI and the positive effect on LQI can be alleviated when corporate governance is effective. (3) For transmission mechanisms, stringent PBR promotes HQI through differentiation strategic positioning and leads to LQI through cost leadership strategic positioning. (4) Further discussion found that the shorter implementation timescale of PBR and fewer resources within the automaker can strengthen the adverse impact of PBR on HQI and the promoting effect on LQI. These results provide references for the decision making of scientific environmental policy and the reasonable planning of policy stringency to improve environmental quality and social welfare. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Understanding of strategic environmental assessment's (SEA) influence on low-carbon development (LCD) is critical as societies strive to decarbonize without jeopardizing economic growth. As best practice perceptions are still evolving, plausible conceptual and analytical frameworks are needed. This paper offers a conceptual clarification and proposes a framework for analyzing environmental reports. We employed a multi-phased, mixed-methods approach. The first phase involved an integrative literature review that combined theoretical insights from LCD and transition management with SEA's procedural aspects. The extracted data was used to develop an initial framework in the second phase. The third phase utilized an international case study and expert consultations to illustrate, validate and refine the framework. The resulting framework comprises five review areas to be verified by a series of review questions reflecting good practice. It could assist SEA researchers, practitioners, responsible authorities, policymakers and environmental agencies better understand, prioritize and address the issue of LCD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper uses a double difference method to examine the impact of civilized city policies on urban green total factor productivity and its mechanism of action using Chinese city-level data from 2005 to 2021. The study finds that the civilized city policy promotes urban green development. The mechanism test finds that the civilized city policy achieves urban green development by strengthening government investment in environmental governance, optimizing industrial structure upgrading, and promoting urban innovation. The moderating mechanism finds that economic growth targets and environmental regulations influence the green growth effect of civilized city policy. Heterogeneity analysis found that the green growth effect of civilized cities has an asymmetric relationship in the east-central region, in areas with lower population density, and was more pronounced in cities with high human capital, high local government financial autonomy, and high levels of information technology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]