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This document is an editorial introducing a special issue of the journal "Environmental Economics & Policy Studies" that focuses on the relationship between environmental sustainability and smart city development. The editor highlights the urgent need for transformative approaches to address environmental challenges in urban areas and emphasizes the potential of smart technologies to optimize resource utilization and catalyze sustainable urban transformations. The collection of research articles in this special issue offers diverse perspectives on the topic, examining the interconnectedness of technological innovation, policy interventions, socio-economic dynamics, and environmental outcomes. The editor hopes that this collection will inspire collaborative efforts to build smarter, more sustainable, and equitable cities. [Extracted from the article]

Climate change has considerably dominated science-policy dialogue, public debate, and subsequently environmental policies since the three "Rio Conventions" were born. This has led to practically independent courses of action of climate change mitigation and biodiversity conservation actions, neglecting potential conflicts among outcomes and with missed opportunities for synergistic measures. Transformative governance principles have been proposed to overcome these limitations. Using a transformative governance lens, we use the case of the Norwegian "Climate Cure 2030" for the Land Use, Land-Use Change and Forestry (LULUCF) sector to, first, illustrate the mechanisms that have led to the choice of climate mitigation measures; second, to analyze the potential consequences of these measures on biodiversity and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions; and, third, to evaluate alternative measures with potential positive outcomes for biodiversity and GHG emissions/removals. We point to some mechanisms that could support the implementation of these positive actions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Proponents of climate change mitigation face difficult choices about which types of policy instrument(s) to pursue. The literature on the comparative evaluation of climate policy instruments has focused overwhelmingly on economic analyses of instruments aimed at restricting demand for greenhouse gas emissions (especially carbon taxes and cap-and-trade schemes) and, to some extent, on instruments that support the supply of or demand for substitutes for emissions-intensive goods, such as renewable energy. Evaluation of instruments aimed at restricting the upstream supply of commodities or products whose downstream consumption causes greenhouse gas emissions—such as fossil fuels—has largely been neglected in this literature. Moreover, analyses that compare policy instruments using both economic and political (e.g. political “feasibility” and “feedback”) criteria are rare. This article aims to help bridge both of these gaps. Specifically, the article demonstrates that restrictive supply-side policy instruments (targeting fossil fuels) have numerous characteristic economic and political advantages over otherwise similar restrictive demand-side instruments (targeting greenhouse gases). Economic advantages include low administrative and transaction costs, higher abatement certainty (due to the relative ease of monitoring, reporting and verification), comprehensive within-sector coverage, some advantageous price/efficiency effects, the mitigation of infrastructure “lock-in” risks, and mitigation of the “green paradox”. Political advantages include the superior potential to mobilise public support for supply-side policies, the conduciveness of supply-side policies to international policy cooperation, and the potential to bring different segments of the fossil fuel industry into a coalition supportive of such policies. In light of these attributes, restrictive supply-side policies squarely belong in the climate policy “toolkit”. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

One of the current topical problems is the prediction of climate change and mitigation of its consequences. All-sided analysis of ecological, economic, and social aspects of climate issues relies on interdisciplinary assessment models. This article adapts the MERGE optimization model to the current state of the world economy and introduces into the model a new component that implements a simplified procedure of 'green' GDP calculation ('green' GDP, or GGDP, provides information about the efficiency of use of environmental resources). The objective of our numerical simulations is to tests the consequences of Russia's hypothetical participation in the program for reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and to analyze the environmental indicators of Russia's GDP. The input data are mainly provided by the project of scenario conditions and main macroeconomic parameters for the forecasting of socio-economic development in Russia in the near future implemented by the Ministry of Economic Development of the Russian Federation. The calculations reveal the existence of reserves for Russia's 'painless' participation in environment-preserving initiatives that call for not exceeding the 1990 emission level in 2020-2025. At the same time, increasing the environmental efficiency of Russia's GDP is a relevant task that requires immediate attention. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The role of plants in global climate change discussions is usually considered only in terms of the albedo and sinks/sources of CO and other greenhouse gases. The main aim of this review article is to summarize the entire impact of vegetation on the climate change. It describes quantitatively the energy balance of vegetated surfaces and the effect of vegetation on the hydrological cycle. The distribution of solar energy in the landscape is dealt with in thermodynamic terms. The role of water and plants in the reduction of temperature gradients is emphasized. Papers dealing with the relationship between changes in the landscape cover and regional climates are reviewed, and the fundamental role of wetlands and forests in water cycling is outlined. Positive examples of restoration of dry landscapes, based on rainwater retention and the recovery of permanent vegetation, are described. It is recommended that the direct role of water and vegetation in cooling, reducing temperature and air pressure gradients should be included into all future recommendations for policymakers made by scientists. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In climate policy, substitutions metrics are used to determine exchange ratios for different greenhouse gases as part of a multi-gas strategy. The suitability of the metric depends on the policy goals and considerations regarding its practical use. Here, we present a multi-model comparison study to look at the impact of different metrics on the mitigation strategies and global climate policy costs. The study looks into different Global Warming Potentials (GWP) and the Global Temperature change Potential (GTP). The study shows that for all the models, varying between GWPs - from different IPCC reports, with different integration periods: 20 or 100 years - has a relatively small influence on policy costs (< 2.2 % spread across scenarios with a 2.8 W/m target) and climate outcomes. Metrics with a constant low substitution value for methane (effectively reducing its abatement), in contrast, lead to higher-cost mitigation pathways (with an average cost increase of 32.8 % in a 2.8 W/m scenario). If implemented efficiently, a time-varying GTP leads to a limited cost reduction compared to GWP. However, under imperfect foresight in combination with inertia of CH abatement options, or if implemented sub-optimally, time-varying GTP can result in higher costs than a 100-year GWP. At the same time, given a long-term radiative forcing target, a time-varying GTP results in slightly higher maximum global temperature change rates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Great Tōhoku-Earthquake and the following nuclear meltdown in Fukushima called the world's attention to Japans' energy and climate policy. Japan is one of the biggest emitters of greenhouses gases in the world and is still facing problems of reaching its Kyoto target by domestic reductions. Emissions trading has been used in Japanese climate policy since 2005. However, major emission reductions have not been achieved and a functioning market does not exist. Hence, using an advanced Public Choice approach, we ask for the political reasons for the failure of ambitious carbon markets in Japan and how the earthquake has influenced the political chances of emissions trading. Also, we evaluate Public Choice's arguments and environmental policy making. We show that in Japan, even after some positive promising developments, chances for an ambitious carbon market are still very low. We also show that a Public Choice that takes exogenous conditions into account delivers important insights into climate policy decision making. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present emissions corridors for the 21st century reducing the risk of collapse of the Atlantic thermohaline circulation (THC) while considering expectations about the socio-economically acceptable pace of emissions reductions. Emissions corridors embrace the range of CO2 emissions that are compatible with normatively defined policy goals or ‘guardrails’. They are calculated along the conceptual and methodological lines of the tolerable windows approach. We investigate the sensitivity of the emissions corridors to key uncertain physical quantities (i.e. climate sensitivity and North Atlantic hydrological sensitivity, emissions of non-CO2 greenhouse gases and sulfate aerosols) as well as to the guardrails. Results indicate a large dependency of the width of the emissions corridor on climate and hydrological sensitivity: for low values of the climate and/or hydrological sensitivity, the corridor boundaries are far from being transgressed by business-as-usual emissions scenarios for the 21st century. In contrast, for high values of both quantities already low non-intervention scenarios leave the corridor in the early decades of this century. The width of the CO2 emissions corridor is also affected by the emissions pathway of non-CO2 greenhouse gases and sulfate aerosols, but to a lesser extent. We further find that the choice of the policy goal strongly influences the shape of the emissions corridor. Pursuit of a more ambitious THC target, for instance, tightens the corridor considerably. More strict expectations concerning the socio-economically admissible pace of emissions reduction (expressed in terms of a maximum emissions reduction rate and a transition time towards a de-carbonizing economy) act in the same direction. This indicates that a trade-off between THC and socio-economic guardrails may be unavoidable in the case of very tight emissions corridors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Environmental policy, including the Kyoto Protocol, is laden with values. Recognizing this fact can help UNFCCC parties come to agreement. Much of the contention surrounding the post-Kyoto negotiations can be explained through a framework of values. This article summarizes the arguments used by proponents and critics of emissions trading of greenhouse gas emissions under the Kyoto Protocol through such a framework of values. Proponents and critics of emissions trading espouse common values, such as achievement, to work toward ameliorating climate change; there is less agreement on emissions trading seen through values such as responsibility and fairness. As non-Annex I parties are expected to take a more active role in the second commitment period, identifying values held by those working on their behalf will facilitate negotiations and help develop a discourse that is inclusive of their interests. Annex I parties can also benefit from the identification of the values to better convey their interests. All parties can use the values framework identified here to construct a more durable climate change regime. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Over the last few years, California has passed some of the strongest climate policies in the USA. These new policies have been motivated in part by increasing concerns over the risk of climate-related impacts and facilitated by the state's existing framework of energy and air quality policies. This paper presents an overview of the evolution of this increased awareness of climate change issues by policy makers brought about by the strong link between climate science and policy in the state. The State Legislature initiated this link in 1988 with the mandate to prepare an assessment of the potential consequences of climate change to California. Further interactions between science and policy has more recently resulted, in summer of 2006, in the passage of Assembly Bill 32, a law that limits future greenhouse gas emissions in California. This paper discusses the important role played by a series of state and regional climate assessments beginning in 1988 and, in particular, the lessons learned from a recently completed study known as the Scenarios Project. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The lack of significant efforts at the national level to reduce greenhouse gas emissions (GHGs) in the United States has provided the impetus for a number of state programs. This article assesses the efficiency of these programs in making real progress in GHG reductions. It also explores the effect of state programs on the eventual adoption of a strong national GHG mitigation policy. While state programs are likely to demonstrate the viability of new mitigation approaches, they are also likely to create a set of expectations and precedents that will make a strong and coherent national policy more difficult. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The United States and China are responsible for nearly 40 per cent of total annual greenhouse gas emissions. Global climatic stabilization cannot succeed without the participation of people and organizations in the PRC and the USA. Given the likelihood of continued political paralysis at the national level in both countries, it is important to assess the strengths, weaknesses, and potential of nongovernmental actors in bringing about durable reductions in GHG emissions. Consumption trajectories present one of the most intractable barriers to anthropogenic GHG-emissions reductions and to long-term climatic stabilization. Nordlund and Garvill's (2003) model is adapted and applied in assessing prospects for value change, specific problem awareness, and sustainable-consumption behavior in the PRC and USA. The contributions of nonstate actors are elucidated when issue bundling (specifically links with stress reduction and healthy futures) and principle bundling are incorporated into the explanatory framework. The involvement of transnationally competent activists in emissions mitigation projects, value change, and durable sustainable-consumption practices provides a beacon for future possibilities. Chinese transnationals are a key overlooked and underestimated piece in the current emissions-reduction puzzle because of their critical position at the intersection of values, behavior change, and nongovernmental institutions directly and indirectly involved in climatic-change mitigation. Given their special U.S./P.R.C. leverage, other actors concerned with building a sustainable-consumption movement and with climatic stabilization are likely to benefit from devoting increased attention and responsibilities to this group. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We have been developing a policy support tool, AIM/impact[policy], for use in the integrated assessment of global warming control targets including the stabilization of greenhouse gas concentrations, economically efficient emissions paths to realizing these targets, and consequent impacts and risks of these targets. In this study, a quantitative assessment was made of climate changes and global warming impacts, as well as the timing of greenhouse gas reduction policies, under greenhouse gas stabilization constraints. An energy economic model estimating the optimal emissions path for greenhouse gases and an impact assessment model estimating the impacts of global warming in various fields caused by climate changes under this optimal emissions path were used in our assessment. In contrast to the business-as-usual case, our results showed that in order to maintain greenhouse gas concentrations at less than 500 ppm (by volume), reduction volumes must be 3.0 GtCeq/year by 2020 and 12.2 GtCeq/year by 2050, indicating an urgent need for a full-scale reduction system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article studies the relation between anthropogenic global warming and economic growth. It is assumed that deviations from the preindustrial average global surface temperature negatively affect aggregate output and utility. The government levies a tax on output and a tax on greenhouse gases. Assuming a basic endogenous growth model, the effects of varying the tax rates are analyzed as concerns economic growth, economic welfare, and the rise in average global surface temperature. Using simulations, it is demonstrated that higher emission taxes may raise economic growth and welfare while reducing the extent of global warming. In addition, situations exist where a rise in emission taxes reduces economic growth but raises welfare. Furthermore, the social optimum economies with cleaner technologies have fewer emissions than economies with fewer clean production technologies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To aid climate policy decisions, accurate quantitative descriptions of the uncertainty in climate outcomes under various possible policies are needed. Here, we apply an earth systems model to describe the uncertainty in climate projections under two different policy scenarios. This study illustrates an internally consistent uncertainty analysis of one climate assessment modeling framework, propagating uncertainties in both economic and climate components, and constraining climate parameter uncertainties based on observation. We find that in the absence of greenhouse gas emissions restrictions, there is a one in forty chance that global mean surface temperature change will exceed 4.9 °C by the year 2100. A policy case with aggressive emissions reductions over time lowers the temperature change to a one in forty chance of exceeding 3.2 °C, thus reducing but not eliminating the chance of substantial warming. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Discusses the impact of the Kyoto Protocol commitments to limit greenhouse gas emissions under various assumptions about the international spillover arising from actions led by the industrialized countries. Economic analysis of international spillover; Implications of international diffusion for global emissions and concentration; Climatic impacts of international spillover.

The article reports on the deforestation issues which will be discussed at the global carbon emission control forum. According to the report, European companies seek to offset their greenhouse-gas emissions under the Kyoto Protocol for it is generating billions of dollars into clean-energy projects in the developing world. However, the policy does not include funds to prevent deforestation, which is responsible for some 20% of global carbon emissions. Environmental experts ensures that deforestation will be part of the meeting's agenda as the international negotiators of United Nations will be gathered for climate change in Bali, Indonesia.

Examines issues to be discussed at the international meeting on greenhouse gas emissions in Kyoto, Japan, in December, 1997. Conflict between United States interests and the rest of the world; Controversy with US position; All countries acting in self-interest; Role of cost-benefit analysis; Development of US position; Role of Clinton Administration; The Clinton plan.

Examines the role of the Group of 77 developing countries in the upcoming international congress on greenhouse gas emissions, Kyoto, Japan, in December, 1997. Their opposition to the United States position; Why they are important; Per capita-based solution, with its opponents and supporters; Roles of India and China; Idea of equity-based distribution of responsibility for emissions.

The article shares the author's insights on the need of scientists to have a better Earth-monitoring tool to see whether climate policies are working. It suggests that any new international climate agreement should provide a much-enhanced carbon monitoring infrastructure to examine its effectiveness. Moreover, it points out that one key element will be satellite observations that offer a large-scale mapping of greenhouse-gas emissions and land-cover changes.

Reports that nine U.S. northeastern states have set targets for cutting back on regional greenhouse-gas emissions. Comparison of the U.S. initiative with the European Union's carbon-trading scheme; Doubt about regional solution for a global problem; Aspects of the plan that comes from the two-year-old Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI); Debate over RGGI; Number of power plants that are expected to cap their total carbon dioxide emissions at roughly 150 million tonnes starting in 2009.

Reports on the refusal of Ontario to cut its emissions of greenhouse gases as of October 2000. Acceptance of the Canadian government's plan to reduce emissions by all other Canadian provinces; Challenge by Dan Newman, Ontario's environment minister, to his counterparts in other provinces to match Ontario's achievements in cutting emissions; Criticism for Ontario's inactivity regarding the conversion of coal-fired power stations to cleaner fuels and cuts in the environmental ministry's budget.

Notes that Canada has proposed a reduction of carbon dioxide emissions to 1990 levels by 2010. Proposal in line with that of United States; Shift to being environmentally cautious by Canada; Canada's past support for environmentalist causes.

Observes that China's long-term economic and environmental interests would be best served by reducing greenhouse-gas emissions. China's motives for reducing emissions; Report on Chinese climate research; Perspective of Chinese policy-makers; Impact of increased emissions on China; China conditionally committed to reducing emissions; Priority of development over environmental protection.

Discusses issues related to the December, 1997 United Nations climate convention at Kyoto, Japan. Goal of a new legally binding treaty to reduce anthropogenic greenhouse-gas emissions; Key issue of willingness of governments to set aside differences; Perspectives of various governments; Japan's consensual approach; Developing-country participation; Idea of per-capita emissions.

Notes that Australia will lead a bloc of south Pacific countries who oppose legally binding targets for greenhouse gas emissions at the United Nations climate convention, December, 1997. Australia's call for each country to set its own goals; Australia's arguments.

Reports on the controversy surrounding the proposals by the United States calling for developing nations to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The clash at the United Nations climate convention; The critics of the US proposal.

Reports on the conclusions reached by a meeting of developing countries in New Delhi in January 1997. The lack of interest in industrialized countries to sponsor the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions; The status of the pilot phase of the plan adopted by the 1992 Earth Summit; Comments from the Ashok Khosla, the organizer of the conference.