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There is much debate and conjecture over how participation in agri-environment schemes (AESs) (re)shapes farmers’ environmental actions, understandings and associated identities. This paper develops a unique, temporally sensitive, qualitative approach of revisiting farms—which acts as a corrective to the current, speculative, understandings of how farmers’ relationships with AESs change over time. The paper advances Bourdieusian-inspired ideas of the cultural construct of ‘good farming’ and ‘knowledge cultures’, bringing in the notion of hysteresis in order to develop a temporally-inflected consideration of farmers and their AES involvement. The findings reveal how, over the 10 year period, constructive interchanges have taken place between farmers and conservation officers, and stress the need, when thinking about the cultural sustainability of AESs, to recognise the multiple forms of capital that farms may produce. Conceptually, the paper reshapes the concept of the good farmer to: (1) recognise the geographically-contingent nature of the term; (2) redefine the concept away from the hitherto predominant focus on farming individuals; (3) give closer appreciation of the multiple forms of capital which constitute the good farmer identity (as well as how these intersect with each other); (4) and offer clearer recognition of how the good farmer ideals may evolve and be redefined over time. The paper moves on to make practical recommendations for those developing and administering AESs. Beyond the consideration of farmers, the paper has implications for wider understandings of environmental behaviours and associated identities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Land affected by contamination from human activities has been identified as a major environmental problem in developed countries and there are established mechanisms for identifying, prioritising, characterising, assessing and remediating the land so that risks to human health and environmental receptors are minimised. However, comparative mechanisms and approaches for sustainable land management are often lacking in developing countries such as Cameroon. This paper presents a critical review of the existing policy framework in Cameroon in relation to environmental management, particularly land contamination. It is established that in Cameroon, there is an acute lack of comprehensive information on land contamination from economic development and industrialisation, inadequate legal and institutional framework, weak enforcement capacity and unsatisfactory coordination between various stakeholders towards sustainable land management practices. The coastal town of Douala, which has the highest level of industrial activity in the sub region is used to demonstrate how dealing with land contamination is a public health priority and requires attention in the context of sustainable development. The United Kingdom (UK) regulatory policy framework on land contamination risk management is used to show how land contamination issues and risk management approaches, including conceptual site models, could be introduced into the sustainability discourse in Cameroon. A number of recommendations including proposals for a radical overhaul of the current regulatory policy framework are formulated and presented. Specifically, the creation of an independent Cameroon Environment Protection Agency (CEPA) that will be the main regulatory body responsible for developing and implementing the policy proposals in this paper is advocated. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The literature on environmental champions emphasises the effective action of environmentally committed individuals. This paper draws on case studies of process technology investment projects in chemical and dairy companies in the UK and Sweden. The analysis is based on a political process perspective on organisations. By analysing the career histories of environmental champions as well as their behaviour in the investment projects, the paper shows how their championing behaviour is shaped by dynamic interaction with the organisational context, as well as a broader range of motivations and interests, including career opportunities and private life concerns. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The effectiveness of institutional arrangements and policies for governance has become a key question within the sustainability paradigm, not least in coastal areas which have unique issues and jurisdictions across the land–sea interface. In the UK, approximately 60 non-statutory coastal management initiatives have been established at the local/regional level since the 1990s, based on a variety of programmes and projects. Proposals for a UK Marine Bill have raised questions about the role of non-statutory initiatives in the system of governance. The traditional sectoral approach to management and planning is being modified due to the pressure of increased human activities, but doubts exist about what effective contribution local and regional partnerships can make. The paper reports extensive examples of Integrated Coastal Management initiatives engaging institutions and society to produce outputs which have transformed management, promoting long-term, collaborative, participatory and ecologically sustainable approaches. The paper concludes that there are demonstrable benefits in taking a partnership approach to coastal management at a local level, yet these forms of planning and management are not widely accepted or embedded within the current system of governance. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Many factors can conspire to limit the scope for policy development at the national level. In this paper, we consider whether blockages in national policy processes − resulting for example from austerity or small state political philosophies − might be overcome by the development of more polycentric governance arrangements. Drawing on evidence from three stakeholder workshops and fifteen interviews, we address this question by exploring the United Kingdom’s recent retrenchment in the area of climate change policy, and the ways in which its policy community have responded. We identify two broad strategies based on polycentric principles: ‘working with gatekeepers’ to unlock political capital and ‘collaborate to innovate’ to develop policy outputs. We then empirically examine the advantages that these actions bring, analysing coordination across overlapping sites of authority, such as those associated with international regimes, devolved administrations and civic and private initiatives that operate in conjunction with, and sometimes independently of, the state. Despite constraining political and economic factors, which are by no means unique to the UK, we find that a polycentric climate policy network can create opportunities for overcoming central government blockages. However, we also argue that the ambiguous role of the state in empowering but also in constraining such a network will determine whether a polycentric approach to climate policy and governance is genuinely additional and innovative, or whether it is merely a temporary ‘sticking plaster’ for the retreat of the state and policy retrenchment during austere times. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As nations develop policies for low-carbon transitions, conflicts with existing policies and planning tools are leading to competing demands for land and other resources. This raises fundamental questions over how multiple demands can best be managed. Taking the UK as an empirical example, this paper critiques current policies and practices to explore the interdependencies at the water-energy-food nexus. It considers how current land uses and related policies affect the UK’s resilience to climate change, setting out an agenda for research and practice relevant to stakeholders in land-use management, policy and modelling. Despite recent progress in recognising such nexus challenges, most UK land-related policies and associated science continue to be compartmentalised by both scale and sector and seldom acknowledge nexus interconnections. On a temporal level, the absence of an over-arching strategy leaves inter-generational trade-offs poorly considered. Given the system lock-in and the lengthy policy-making process, it is essential to develop alternative ways of providing dynamic, flexible, practical and scientifically robust decision support for policy-makers. A range of ecosystem services need to be valued and integrated into a resilient land-use strategy, including the introduction of non-monetary, physical-unit constraints on the use of particular services. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Spending time in natural (green/blue) environments offers multiple benefits to individuals. • Disparities exist between population groups in frequency of visits to natural environments. • Analysis of the gender gap amongst subgroups highlights further (intersectional) inequalities. • Key population subgroups for green health policies and programmes to target are identified. Spending time outdoors in natural environments is associated with an array of benefits to individuals' health and wellbeing, as well as being implicated in the development of connections to the natural world, attachment to place, and environmental stewardship behaviours. Disparities between population subgroups in relation to frequency of nature contact may, however, shape the extent to which natural environments deliver benefits to marginalised population subgroups. In this paper we examine disparities in contact with nature amongst the adult population of Scotland, UK using cross-sectional data from the Scottish Household Survey (N = 19,441). The analysis proceeds to explore whether the observed 'gender gap' between men and women in nature contact persists across the intersections of population subgroups and geographies. The findings point to inequalities in contact with nature which should be considered in public policy agendas to promote use of natural environments across urban and rural areas. The findings also highlight the value of adopting intersectional perspectives in the consideration of environmental justice issues surrounding access to natural environments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Maritime supply chain sustainability has not been widely studied to date. This paper investigates the sustainability performance of five major UK ports. The UK port system is one of the largest and busiest port systems both in Europe and worldwide. The scope of sustainability narrows down to economical and environmental dimensions. A questionnaire is developed to collect data from port managers and logistics experts. The AHP method is utilized to rank the ports using the collected data. Sensitivity analysis is conducted on the obtained data to verify the consistency among data and outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: In this paper we employ rhetoric culture theory, and a case study of upland channel truncation in the UK, to explore the nuanced processes of negotiation associated with environmental decision-making. In contrast to much of the literature on rhetoric in environmental management, which focuses on the means by which decisions are communicated and justified to an external audience, we focus on the dynamics of interaction and persuasion in and amongst a small group of decision-makers, and how, despite initial misgivings and conflict, they arrived at a decision consensus. We reflect on the importance of the rhetorical situation as a determinant of action and demonstrate how antagonisms were caused by competing moral notions of environmental restoration. We show that consensus was finally achieved through a process of divergent reframing, as individuals reframed the problem according to their own prior values. The outcome, therefore, was a consensus of action but a divergence of opinion, which sheds new light on the role of reframing in environmental management. Finally, we argue for a better understanding of how nuanced interactional processes influence not only small-scale interventions, but all environmental decision processes. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Peatlands provide a wide range of ecosystem services, the most important of which are terrestrial carbon storage, maintenance of biodiversity and protection of water resources. Exploitation of UK peatlands may be detrimental to these services, but scientific understanding and quantification of the effects is currently limited. This paper considers the possibility of imposing a levy on the exploitation of peatland, which would be used to fund high-quality prioritised research into the impacts of such human interventions, thereby enabling improvements to environmental management during the development process. The viability of the concept was explored with a group of peatland stakeholders. The group included most of the significant stakeholders with an interest in development on peatland, including regulators, developers and consultants. Qualitative and semi-quantitative responses were gathered by direct consultation with individuals and using a questionnaire to determine group responses. The latter were generally positive. Offered a choice of research funding mechanisms, stakeholders responded most positively to a levy. Whilst other funding mechanisms were also viewed positively a levy (in the form proposed or with some modification) was regarded as equitable by a large majority and workable by a smaller majority. Developers were reluctant to pledge full support to the proposal but recognised the importance of a number of the concerns that it was designed to address. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: This paper examines how environmental resources are measured and quantified as objects of environmental science and management and how lay knowledge-producers participate in this process, alongside the state. Using a case study of recreational angling, I show how fish in English rivers and lakes are counted and anglers act as lay or amateur knowledge-producers in the state’s metrological knowledge-practices. As embodied measurement instruments, anglers create data about themselves (as ‘effort data’) and about fish (as ‘catch returns’). These data are combined with other forms of data produced by the Environment Agency in England and Wales and used for fisheries management, thus shaping water bodies and fish ecology. I show how, to support environmental measurement, the state manages not only the environment and fish, but also anglers as lay knowledge-producers, using both regulation and economic incentives; in response, anglers also use data reflexively and strategically. I therefore emphasise the heterogeneous co-productions of environmental measurement as amateur–professional, human–animal and organic–technological, and show how measuring and managing water ecologies also involves measuring and managing humans. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The case for taking action to tackle climate change is now persuasive. It is developed countries that must reduce GHG emissions most and this paper focuses on one such country – the UK. We address issues associated with the decarbonisation of the built environment and the housing stock in particular. We demonstrate the potential for significant unintended consequences and discuss the complexity involved in attempting to understand such processes. We argue the urgent need for the formation of multi- and inter-disciplinary teams with the diverse range of skill sets required to think together and to address these issues. Such teams must involve (at least) Building Physicists, Engineers, Economists, Epidemiologists, Statisticians, Behavioural Scientists, Complexity Scientists and Policy Makers. Without a coordinated and concerted programme of relevant research it is difficult to imagine how the necessary policy will be formulated and implemented effectively without the potential for enormous and irreversible mistakes. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Food and drink waste is a significant problem for economic, environmental and food security reasons. Government efforts have focused on diverting waste away from landfill through regulation, taxation and public awareness. However, efforts to understand why waste occurs have been limited, particularly in the interface between retailers and suppliers. This research aims to address this problem by identifying the main root causes of waste in the supplier–retailer interface. The research is exploratory in nature as there is a paucity of studies focusing on food waste across the supply chain. Data were collected through 43 interviews with managers in food manufacturing, wholesaling and retailing in two countries: the UK (24) and Spain (19). Data from the interviews and supplementary documentation were analyzed using causal maps. This approach helped to identify the main root causes of waste which were categorized into three groups: (1) mega-trends in the marketplace, (2) natural causes related to the products and processes, and (3) management root causes on which practitioners have a direct impact. The paper discusses the root causes of food waste and good practices identified from the interviews. Differences between the UK and Spain are discussed, presenting potential learning opportunities for practitioners in these countries and highlighting opportunities for further research. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

This paper introduces the method of decomposition analysis, and briefly discusses how it has been used in relation to patterns of energy consumption. It then uses decomposition analysis to discuss two radically different scenarios of UK energy use through to 2050, both of which result in a 60% reduction in emissions of carbon dioxide. The ratios of the decomposition analysis are discussed in relation to the social and economic drivers of energy use, and the kinds of changes in these drivers which would be necessary to bring the ratios about. In this way decomposition analysis is shown to be a useful technique both to generate quantitative scenarios of this kind, and to cast light on the socio-economic conditions which they imply. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Policy makers are increasingly recognising the role of environmental valuation to guide and support the management and conservation of biodiversity. This paper presents a goods and services approach to determine the economic value of marine biodiversity in the UK, with the aim of clarifying the role of valuation in the management of marine biodiversity. The goods and services resulting from UK marine biodiversity are detailed, and 8 of the 13 services are valued in monetary terms. It is found that a decline in UK marine biodiversity could result in a varying, and at present unpredictable, change in the provision of goods and services, including reduced resilience and resistance to change, declining marine environmental health, reduced fisheries potential, and loss of recreational opportunities. The results suggest that this approach can facilitate biodiversity management by enabling the optimal allocation of limited management resources and through raising awareness of the importance of marine biodiversity. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Past studies separately show internal/external collaboration and different green practices can create different performance outcomes. By extending these studies, this paper hypothesizes that the performance effects of different green practices (that emphasize operations and product/market innovation) depend on the types of internal and external collaboration. The hypotheses are tested through a survey of manufacturers in China (Hong Kong) and the United Kingdom. As expected, green product design and packaging practices (emphasize innovation) create environmental and cost benefits when there are high levels of internal and external collaboration. Instead, green production, sourcing, and logistics practices (emphasize operations) create performance when the levels of internal and external collaboration are low. Only green production creates financial/market performance at a high level of stakeholder collaboration. These results show that it is important to distinguish the types of collaboration when implementing various green practices. Image, graphical abstract [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines the relationship between environmental management and SMEs performance. The study adopts General Methods of Moments (GMM) on a sample of 201 quoted Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) on the United Kingdom (UK) Alternative Investment Market (AIM) from 2011 to 2016. Consistent with our prediction based on contradictory results of existing studies, the study documents that corporate investment channelled through efficient environmental management translates into superior SME performance. In particular, we find a non-monotonic (inverted U-shaped) relationship between environmental management and financial performance, which suggests that SMEs have an optimal environmental management level that maximises their performance. We find the predictability to be stronger among medium and larger firms, where both ROA and Tobin's q revealed a significant relationship with environmental performance. The implication of the findings and recommendations are discussed. Image 1 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• We successfully applied voting methods from political science to environmental forest management. • After a voting among specialists the methods led to an improved representation of selected trees. • The novel interdisciplinary approach reduces the risk of inappropriate management. • Such crowdsourcing is an excellent way to define new ways of forest management. Climate change, biodiversity losses, global health threats, changing recreation patterns are but a few of the many challenges that currently, and for some time to come, the world has to cope with. To address these challenges and to mitigate some of them, ecosystem and particularly conservation management increasingly have to adopt strategies never considered before. One such new possibility is crowdsourcing, a variant of public consultation, where a number of experts are invited and, for example, asked to mark trees that – in their opinion – should be removed in order to improve or restore a forest ecosystem. This type of crowdsourcing has recently been carried out in many European countries and overseas as part of what commonly is referred to as marteloscope. In this paper, we addressed the question of how the rating or voting of such a crowd of experts is best aggregated to obtain one final, consolidated list of trees to be evicted. Standard approval voting often leads to a domination by the majority of voters and important contributions by minority experts are largely ignored. To avoid this and to better represent the pluralism of expertise and opinions in matters, where currently no best-practice guidelines exist, we analysed the effects of three proportional multiwinner rules used in political science by applying them to 50 marteloscope experiments in Great Britain. Our results indicated that proportional rules – particularly in situations where the invited expert markers disagree – achieved a better representation of different opinions than standard approval voting. Proportional rules also act as a safety mechanism reducing risks when the majority decisions prove inappropriate and as a consequence forest development could completely go astray. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The recent Haven, Braer, Aegean Sea and Sea Empress incidents have highlighted the need for protective measures against the risks posed by the shipping industry to the UK coast. This is particularly the case in the vicinity of environmentally sensitive areas. The principal objectives of this paper are to investigate the state of environmentalmanagement of tanker traffic in the UK by putting the geography of shipping into its environmental context. Regional traffic levels, accident rates, oil spills, and their potential consequences upon the environment have been summarised via a risk assessment which also considers coastal sensitivity. An assessment of measures available at international level then sets the scene for a review of marine traffic management schemes in operation around the UK. The state of management and its approaches are also discussed and a number of recommendations put forward during marine conferences in the last twelve months are considered. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]