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BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Gold mining wastes have long been a significant concern in Agusan del Sur, a gold mining district in the Philippines. The region is vulnerable to climate change effects such as typhoons and flooding, which may lead to contaminated runoff or overflow that could potentially harm the local agriculture and adjacent natural ecosystems. This study aims to analyze the properties of the gold mill tailings, investigate their potential for reutilization, and identify areas that need improvement in order to promote an inclusive approach towards the valorization of mine waste. METHODS: The samples were collected randomly from a small- scale gold mill tailings storage facility. The samples underwent analysis for elemental and oxide composition, particle dimensions, potential of hydrogen, lead, mercury, free cyanide and hexavalent chromium. A gap analysis was utilized to pinpoint the methods for enhancing a socially inclusive reuse strategy for the mill tailings. FINDINGS: The characterization of the tailings reveal that some heavy metals like zinc, titanium, copper, barium, and manganese, and hazardous substances like arsenic, mercury, and lead are present. Elevated levels of mercury, lead, and free cyanide were detected in the wastewater, with concentrations of 0.029 milligram per liter, 0.40 milligram per liter, and 1.9 milligram per liter, respectively, surpassing the allowable thresholds. There is a high risk of contaminating the neighboring ecosystem during flooding events and waste overflow. The tailings also contain fine particles of about 75 percent fine sand and 25 percent clay. Adequate maintenance of tailings storage facilities, community awareness of waste-related risks and hazards, legal frameworks and financial backing to encourage waste utilization, local community empowerment, and adherence to occupational health and safety guidelines in waste management are essential strategies to bridge existing disparities and foster a socially inclusive approach to mine waste valorization. CONCLUSION: The gold mill tailings contain hazardous substances and fine dust, potentially damaging the nearby ecosystem and community. It is essential to prioritize the maintenance of a well-managed tailings storage facility in order to avoid contamination. The reuse of gold mill waste tailings can bring about economic, social, and environmental advantages. However, there are gaps that must be addressed to achieve a socially inclusive gold mill waste circularization. The utmost importance should be placed on the health and safety aspect, and it is advisable to carry out a comprehensive investigation into the degree to which hazardous substances are polluting the surrounding ecosystem, including the local community. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Gold mining wastes have long been a significant concern in Agusan del Sur, a gold mining district in the Philippines. The region is vulnerable to climate change effects such as typhoons and flooding, which may lead to contaminated runoff or overflow that could potentially harm the local agriculture and adjacent natural ecosystems. This study aims to analyze the properties of the gold mill tailings, investigate their potential for reutilization, and identify areas that need improvement in order to promote an inclusive approach towards the valorization of mine waste.METHODS: The samples were collected randomly from a small- scale gold mill tailings storage facility. The samples underwent analysis for elemental and oxide composition, particle dimensions, potential of hydrogen, lead, mercury, free cyanide and hexavalent chromium. A gap analysis was utilized to pinpoint the methods for enhancing a socially inclusive reuse strategy for the mill tailings.FINDINGS: The characterization of the tailings reveal that some heavy metals like zinc, titanium, copper, barium, and manganese, and hazardous substances like arsenic, mercury, and lead are present. Elevated levels of mercury, lead, and free cyanide were detected in the wastewater, with concentrations of 0.029 milligram per liter, 0.40 milligram per liter, and 1.9 milligram per liter, respectively, surpassing the allowable thresholds. There is a high risk of contaminating the neighboring ecosystem during flooding events and waste overflow. The tailings also contain fine particles of about 75 percent fine sand and 25 percent clay. Adequate maintenance of tailings storage facilities, community awareness of waste-related risks and hazards, legal frameworks and financial backing to encourage waste utilization, local community empowerment, and adherence to occupational health and safety guidelines in waste management are essential strategies to bridge existing disparities and foster a socially inclusive approach to mine waste valorization.CONCLUSION: The gold mill tailings contain hazardous substances and fine dust, potentially damaging the nearby ecosystem and community. It is essential to prioritize the maintenance of a well-managed tailings storage facility in order to avoid contamination. The reuse of gold mill waste tailings can bring about economic, social, and environmental advantages. However, there are gaps that must be addressed to achieve a socially inclusive gold mill waste circularization. The utmost importance should be placed on the health and safety aspect, and it is advisable to carry out a comprehensive investigation into the degree to which hazardous substances are polluting the surrounding ecosystem, including the local community.

We seek to understand how copper and cadmium act on leaf litter decomposition by their effects on microbial conditioning and litter fragmentation by invertebrates. In this study, we evaluated, in an integrated manner, different biological elements responsible for functioning of streams. Thus, we performed a microcosm assay with different concentrations for the two metals and their combination, evaluating their effects on fungi sporulation rate, consumption rate by shredders, and, consequently, the leaf litter decomposition rates. Sporulation rates were affected by all copper concentrations tested 10 × = 16 µg L−1 and 25 × = 40 µg L−1) but significantly reduced only at the highest concentration of cadmium (25 × = 22.5 µg L−1). Increased copper and cadmium concentrations reduced the consumption of leaf litter by Phylloicus at 60%. The concentrations (10 × and 25 ×) of both metals resulted in a reduction in decomposition rates. When combined, copper and cadmium negatively affected microbial conditioning, consumption by shredders, and leaf litter decomposition. Increases in concentrations of copper and cadmium directly affected organic matter decomposition in aquatic environments. Thus, the presence of a high concentration of heavy metals in aquatic environments alters the functioning of ecosystems. As trace-elements occur in a combined manner in environments, our results show that the combined effects of different metals potentiate the negative effects on ecosystem processes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Springs are a major source of freshwater, which ensures widespread water availability to humans and other microhabitats. There are numerous seasonal and perennial springs with significant changes in discharge. Water quantity and quality of springs depend upon the health of the springsheds. Spring discharge is reportedly declining due to increased water demand, changing climate and ecosystem degradation. Therefore, springs need to be managed responsibly to maintain drinking water supplies as well as to guarantee agricultural, ecological and environmental integrity. This article discusses the threats and management of springs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Accelerated global human population growth and the corresponding increased urbanisation and industrialisation have resulted in increased manufacturing of goods, and production and loading of domestic and industrial wastewater overwhelming conventional wastewater treatment plants (CWTPs). The net result has been the release of untreated and partially treated domestic wastewater into water systems posing human health hazards and disturbing aquatic habitat integrity. Considering the severe challenges of wastewater treatment not only in Zimbabwe but in Africa and the world in general, it is prudent to assess the microbial fuel cells (MFCs) as an alternative wastewater treatment method for the CWTPs that have failed to operate efficiently. This purposive literature scoping review aimed to: (a) Examine the concept design and operational efficacy of microbial fuel cells (MFCs), (b) Examine the MFC operational system (c) Outline in brief the evolutionary history and assess the existent prototypes and (d) Establish the drivers and barriers for the uptake of microbial fuel cells (MFCs) from a global and local, Zimbabwe, context. Few prototypes have been utilized in real-world systems; with the majority of them being laboratory-scale based. Although MFCs are effective at treating wastewater, scaling them up is still difficult due to their low power generation. Nonetheless, MFCs' simultaneous wastewater treatment and power generation, low carbon footprint, and reduced sludge production are the main drivers behind their adoption. However, capital and maintenance costs and upscaling remain the major challenges in adopting MFC technology. If MFCs are to be used in developing nations like Zimbabwe, further studies should focus on low-cost materials that guarantee maximum power generation and effective wastewater treatment. To ensure effective wastewater treatment, MFCs should be compatible, and integrated with currently utilized sustainable wastewater treatment systems.

In-stream conditions can affect the distribution of the Ephemeroptera, Plecoptera, and Trichoptera orders (EPT) because they require specific food resources and good quality water. Therefore, we evaluated the association between the different facets of the EPT diversity (genera richness, beta diversity, and abundance of individuals) and an environmental gradient in Cerrado streams from the State of Maranhão, Brazil. We tested the hypothesis that macrophyte coverage is the most important predictor of the EPT communities. We sampled EPT communities and a set of ten environmental variables in 20 streams with different proportions of macrophyte cover. We sampled over 3700 macroinvertebrate specimens representing 36 genera and 14 EPT families. Our results show that the overall habitat conditions are important for the EPT communities. Macrophyte coverage, particularly, drives the biggest changes in beta diversity. Thus, we suggest that macrophyte cover should be considered in ecological studies of aquatic assemblages, especially in Cerrado regions, where streams naturally have a greater light input. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The competitive business environment has made it imperative for organisations who desire to remain relevant put forward survival strategies. This study explores the effect of succession management on three dimensions of organizational sustainability among insurance industry employees in Nigeria. Data was collected from a sample of employees from selected companies. The study utilised structural equation modelling (SEM) to test the hypothesized model of succession management and organisational sustainability as separate but related processes. Looking at the three dimensions of sustainability (environmental integrity, economic prosperity and social sustainability) and how they impact succession management, the findings indicate that succession management has a significant relationship with organisational sustainability across all three dimensions. The study concludes that insurance companies comprehend the inherent potential of a robust and active succession management programme in the drive for organisational sustainability. The study further discusses the theoretical implications of the relationship. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sustainability assessment of agri-food-systems is becoming increasingly important due to growing negative environmental, social, and economic impacts of food production. Organic agriculture is often considered to play a key role in improving the sustainability of agri-food systems. This study contrasts the results of a comprehensive sustainability assessment of Austrian organic farms with those predicted by a sustainability assessment model of conventional production. A stratified random sampling procedure was applied to select 245 organic farms for sustainability assessment using the SMART farm tool based on the SAFA guidelines of the FAO. Comparison data from conventional production were based on expert interviews, statistical data, and scientific literature and calculated using a Monte Carlo uncertainty simulation. The achievement of the sustainability goals was measured in percentages—between 0 and 100%. The results highlight the consistently good ecological sustainability performance of organic farms in the areas of atmosphere, water, soil, biodiversity, materials and energy, and animal welfare. For the relevant sub-themes, 85.3% of the median values were rated above 60% of goal achievement. Conversely, results from the comparison highlight the significantly lower ecological sustainability performance of conventional farms in most of the ecological sub-themes. The most significant differences were evident for poultry production, pig fattening production, and storable vegetable production. The consistently better ecological sustainability performance of the surveyed organic farms in Austria points to their potential for reducing the negative ecological impacts of agriculture and food production while enhancing ecological sustainability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The way species respond to environmental changes depends on several factors, but mainly on their niche breadth in the face of habitat variability and changes. Our study evaluated, over a six-year period, how the abundance and richness of generalist and specialist genera of Ephemeroptera, Plecoptera and Trichoptera (EPT) respond to mining activities in the Carajás National Forest, Pará state, Brazil. We hypothesized that the abundance and richness of specialist genera would be lower in streams impacted by mining. We collected 49,822 individuals, distributed in 31 genera classified as specialists and 28 as generalists. Using Generalized Linear Mixed Models (GLMM) we found that there was a negative effect of mining on the estimated richness of specialists and, contrary to what we expected, there was a positive effect of mining on the abundance of specialists. On the other hand, the generalists negatively responded to the mining in the estimated richness and abundance. Specialists in streams affected by mining may increase their abundances due to habitat homogenization. Therefore, partitioning the assemblage into generalist and specialist groups has important applications in monitoring and better understanding assemblage patterns and how they are affected by anthropogenic effects, specifically mining. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The competitive business environment has made it imperative for organisations who desire to remain relevant put forward survival strategies. This study explores the effect of succession management on three dimensions of organizational sustainability among insurance industry employees in Nigeria. Data was collected from a sample of employees from selected companies. The study utilised structural equation modelling (SEM) to test the hypothesized model of succession management and organisational sustainability as separate but related processes. Looking at the three dimensions of sustainability (environmental integrity, economic prosperity and social sustainability) and how they impact succession management, the findings indicate that succession management has a significant relationship with organisational sustainability across all three dimensions. The study concludes that insurance companies comprehend the inherent potential of a robust and active succession management programme in the drive for organisational sustainability. The study further discusses the theoretical implications of the relationship.

Over the past two decades, the emergence of multiple carbon market segments has led to fragmentation of governance of international carbon markets. International baseline-and-credit systems for greenhouse gas mitigation have been repeatedly expected to wither away, but show significant resilience. Still, Parties to the Paris Agreement have struggled to finalize rules for market-based cooperation under Article 6, which are still being negotiated. Generally, there is tension between international top-down and bottom-up governance. The former was pioneered through the Clean Development Mechanism under the Kyoto Protocol and is likely to be utilized for the Article 6.4 mechanism, while the latter was used for the first track of Joint Implementation and will be applied for Article 6.2. Voluntary carbon markets governed bottom-up and outside the Kyoto Protocol by private institutions have recently gained importance by offering complementary project types and methodological approaches. The clear intention of some Parties to use market-based cooperation in order to reach their nationally determined contributions to the Paris Agreement have led to an ongoing process of navigating the alignment of these fragmented carbon market instruments with the implementation of nationally determined contributions and Paris Agreement’s governance architecture. We discuss emerging features of international carbon market governance in the public and private domain, including political and technical issues. Fragmented governance is characterized by different degrees of transparency, centralization, and scales. We assess the crunch issues in the Article 6 negotiations through the lens of these governance features and their effectiveness, focusing on governance principles and their operationalization to ensure environmental integrity and avoid double counting.

Under Article 6.2 of the Paris Agreement, countries have the option to use existing crediting schemes, including schemes serving voluntary carbon offset markets, as a basis for trading “mitigation outcomes”. Parties to the Paris Agreement engaged in such trading must seek to ensure its environmental integrity, an essential component of which is ensuring the quality of units (or “credits”) transacted. In deciding whether to rely on existing crediting schemes, therefore, countries must be able to assess the relative quality of the credits these schemes issue. Assessing unit quality can be a complex undertaking involving analysis at multiple levels (e.g. institutions, methodologies, and mitigation activities). An essential requirement, however, is for crediting schemes to have robust standards and practices in place for ensuring unit quality. This paper presents a framework for assessing the standards and practices of crediting schemes on aspects related to unit quality, and road tests this framework on six existing schemes. A key finding is that all six schemes have weaknesses in their standards and practices, suggesting the need for ongoing improvement as carbon market institutions continue to evolve under the Paris Agreement.

World natural heritage sites (WNH) are those areas recognised for their unique natural resources and/or processes. The main objective of this study was to investigate the living conditions and diversity of livelihoods of coastal communities of the world natural heritage site of the Dungonab Bay-Mukkawar Island Marine National Park (DMNP-WNH). The fishing communities at Dungonab and Mohamed Gol villages were found to be deprived in water, electricity, education, health care, sanitation, flooring, cooking fuel and other livelihood assets. The expenditure of 82.9% of Dungonab and 91.2% of Mohamed Gol households exceeded their income. Accordingly, DMNP-WNH fishers were not able to invest in their livelihood assets and they used hook and line as the sole fishing gear. These conditions have restricted the access of respondents to fishing grounds. About 95% of Dungonab and 93.7% of Mohamed Gol respondents were experiencing extreme poverty. The quality of life at study sites was discouraging for human settlement, therefore, limiting the population growth and consequently the consumption of natural resources at DMNP-WNH. This has positively contributed to the environmental integrity. Access to clean water, electricity and diversification of fishermen livelihoods are of key importance to stimulate blue economy and sustain the environment of the DMNP-WNH.

Net-zero pledges have become a paradigm of ambitious climate change action for companies, governments, and other organisations. However, there is no international standard or criteria to assess whether those commitments are feasible or truly represent a landmark in low carbon performance. In this paper, a methodology is proposed against which those statements can be quantified and assessed. The methodology was applied to Spanish companies that report to the Carbon Disclosure Project and showed that the biggest areas for improvement are the design of action plans, calculation, and offsetting. From a sectoral perspective, the energy sector, finance, and other services stood out as those with the highest scores. The food, beverages and tobacco, industry, and the entertainment industry obtained the lowest results. From a technical standpoint, strategy and commitment, calculation and scope, and communication are the areas where companies had the highest average scores. On the contrary, offsetting and action plans are the areas with the greatest room for improvement. Still, actual commitments are not enough to meet international climate neutrality objectives in the long-term and companies should continue to work in this direction. An enabling regulatory framework would be very useful to align private and public action in this area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Over the past two decades, the emergence of multiple carbon market segments has led to fragmentation of governance of international carbon markets. International baseline‐and‐credit systems for greenhouse gas mitigation have been repeatedly expected to wither away, but show significant resilience. Still, Parties to the Paris Agreement have struggled to finalize rules for market‐based cooperation under Article 6, which were only finalized at COP26 in 2021. Generally, there is tension between international top‐down and bottom‐up governance. The former was pioneered through the Clean Development Mechanism under the Kyoto Protocol and is utilized for the Article 6.4 mechanism, while the latter was used for the first track of Joint Implementation and will be applied for Article 6.2. Voluntary carbon markets governed bottom‐up and outside the Kyoto Protocol by private institutions have recently gained importance by offering complementary project types and methodological approaches. The clear intention of some Parties to use market‐based cooperation in order to reach their nationally determined contributions to the Paris Agreement has led to an ongoing process of navigating the alignment of these fragmented carbon market instruments with the implementation of nationally determined contributions and the Paris Agreement’s governance architecture. We discuss emerging features of international carbon market governance in the public and private domain, including political and technical issues. Fragmented governance is characterized by different degrees of transparency, centralization, and scales. We assess the crunch issues in the Article 6 negotiations through the lens of these governance features and their effectiveness, focusing on governance principles and their operationalization to ensure environmental integrity and avoid double counting. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Under the Paris Agreement, most countries have communicated Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) with mitigation targets for a single year. Single-year targets present considerable challenges when countries use international carbon markets to achieve their NDCs. This paper assesses the environmental integrity implications of the two options that countries with single-year targets can use to account for internationally transferred mitigation outcomes (ITMOs) under Article 6 of the Paris Agreement: averaging and multi-year approaches. To assess the implications of these options, the paper considers a variety of scenarios for how two countries might engage with Article 6 and assesses how the choice of the accounting approach may affect aggregated emissions from the two countries. The paper finds that aggregated emissions could increase, decrease or remain unaffected, depending on: which of the two accounting approaches is chosen by the transferring and the acquiring country; whether the generation or use of ITMOs decreases, increases, or keeps constant over time; whether the countries' emissions in the target year are representative for the countries' emissions trend; and what course of action countries take in the case of a possible over- or under-achievement of their NDC targets. While averaging is simple to implement and does not require countries to establish multi-year trajectories or budgets, it can lead to higher or lower aggregated emissions from the cooperating countries, compared to the situation in which the countries achieved their targets without using Article 6. By contrast, under multi-year approaches, aggregated emissions do not change, as long as multi-year targets or trajectories are credibly defined. As countries have a free choice between averaging and multi-year approaches, they can strategically pick for each NDC implementation period the accounting approach which requires less effort to achieve a given NDC target. In aggregate, this can undermine environmental integrity. Accounting for ITMOs is most robust if all countries moved over time towards robustly defined multi-year targets or trajectories. The risk that countries may inflate multi-year trajectories could be addressed through international guidance and review on the establishment of such trajectories. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Under Article 6.2 of the Paris Agreement, countries have the option to use existing crediting schemes, including schemes serving voluntary carbon offset markets, as a basis for trading "mitigation outcomes". Parties to the Paris Agreement engaged in such trading must seek to ensure its environmental integrity, an essential component of which is ensuring the quality of units (or "credits") transacted. In deciding whether to rely on existing crediting schemes, therefore, countries must be able to assess the relative quality of the credits these schemes issue. Assessing unit quality can be a complex undertaking involving analysis at multiple levels (e.g. institutions, methodologies, and mitigation activities). An essential requirement, however, is for crediting schemes to have robust standards and practices in place for ensuring unit quality. This paper presents a framework for assessing the standards and practices of crediting schemes on aspects related to unit quality, and road tests this framework on six existing schemes. A key finding is that all six schemes have weaknesses in their standards and practices, suggesting the need for ongoing improvement as carbon market institutions continue to evolve under the Paris Agreement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

On the one hand, a large number of companies have committed to achieve net zero emissions and many of them foresee to offset some remaining emissions with carbon credits, suggesting a surge of future demand. Yet, the supply side of the voluntary carbon market is struggling to align its business model with the new legal architecture of the Paris Agreement. This article juxtaposes these two perspectives. It provides an overview of the plans of 482 major companies with some form of neutrality/net zero pledge and traces the struggle on the supply side of the voluntary carbon market to come up with a viable business model that ensures environmental integrity and contributes to achieving the objectives of the Paris Agreement. Our analysis finds that if carbon credits are used to offset remaining emissions against neutrality objectives, these credits need to be accounted against the host countries' Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) to ensure environmental integrity. Yet, operationalizing this approach is challenging and will require innovative solutions and political support. Key policy insights There is a growing mismatch between the faith placed in carbon credits by private sector companies and the continued quest for a common position of the main suppliers of the voluntary carbon market. The voluntary carbon market has not yet found a way to align itself with the new legal architecture of the Paris Agreement in a credible and legitimate way. Public policy support at the national and international level will be needed to operationalize a robust approach for the market's future activities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With Article 6.2, the Paris Agreement offers its parties the possibility to engage in cooperative approaches to import mitigation outcomes that have been generated on the territory of another party and use these international transferred mitigation outcomes (ITMOs) for compliance purposes. While this possibility seems to pave the way to more—and presumably new forms of—climate cooperation outside the UN climate regime, this paper asks whether Article 6.2 is also likely to spark disagreement among states. It is suggested that it bears as much a potential to generate cooperation as to generate conflict. To illustrate that point, the paper explains how Article 6.2 could lead to conflict between developed and developing states over the legality of unilateral restrictions on the admittance of ITMOs and discusses what such conflict may look like, as well as its possible legal and political implications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper empirically evaluates how policy to mobilize climate finance works in practice. It examines the performance of nine types of climate finance policies, namely target lending, green bond policy, loan guarantee programmes, weather indexed insurance, feed-in-tariffs, tax credits, national development banks, disclosure policies and national climate funds, through a literature review and case studies. Both successful and unsuccessful country cases are examined. Criteria are established to evaluate climate finance policy, factors which lead to effective climate finance policy in practice are identified, current knowledge gaps are clarified, and policy implications provided. Key Policy insights The effectiveness of climate finance policies depends on the criteria being used. Strengths and weaknesses exist for each of the climate finance policies. Feed-in tariffs, tax credits, loan guarantees, and national development banks are all effective at mobilizing private finance, but evidence to date is weak or thin on the effectiveness of national climate funds, targeted lending, disclosure, and green bonds. Significant data and research gaps exist regarding the empirical impacts of climate finance policies, especially their environmental and equity impacts. In selecting climate finance policies, a balance should be struck between mobilization effectiveness, economic efficiency, environmental integrity, and equity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Land use influences the biodiversity of stream systems by changing the chemical composition of the water and the physical structure of the habitat. The present study evaluated the influence of these processes on the diversity metrics of Odonata at regional and local scales, testing the hypothesis that the two odonate suborders Anisoptera and Zygoptera will respond differently to habitat and landscape variables. The study focused on 13 sites in the municipality of Barcarena, Pará, Brazil. We found no significant impact from regional factors, although anisopterans were more affected by water temperature and Habitat Integrity Index (HII). The HII indicated that the local forest was stable, but anisopteran richness was negatively correlated with HII. It was indicating that these species favoured open areas with less riparian cover. Even though zygopterans did not exhibit a similar systematic pattern, the reduced abundance of Chalcopteryx rutilans, a species associated with better-preserved habitats, may indicate that some sites lack the habitat integrity necessary to establish populations of this species. These findings highlight the importance of preserving the riparian forest to maintain the health of the stream systems. We recommend more studies that focus on the broader geographic and temporal scales to account for factors such as the anthropogenic gradient and historical land use patterns. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Coastal wetlands are sensitive ecosystems of high productivity due to ecological services they provide: water purification, flood reduction, and protection of marine coasts. In addition, these zones are places of great biological diversity. The objective of the present study was to determine the community structure of the aquatic macroinvertebrates in relation to the spatial variations in the littoral zone of the Santa Rosa coastal wetland in Lima, Peru. The study was carried out during six bimonthly periods from August 2015 to June 2016. We established eight sampling sites: three sites in the main lagoon, three sites in the lagoon arm and two sites in isolated small pools. We carried out the sampling with a D-frame of 250 ^m mesh aperture with three replicates for each site. The eight evaluated sites were environmentally characterized, and the physicochemical parameters of the water were recorded for each sampling site. We collected 28 655 macroinvertebrates distributed in 76 genera. Diptera and Coleoptera were the orders with the greatest richness: 24 and 19 genera respectively. The most abundant genera were: Buenoa (Hemiptera: Notonectidae), Ischnura (Odonata: Coenagrionidae), Chironomus and Goeldichironomus (Diptera: Chironomidae); these four represented 62.43 % of the total abundance. In the spatial variation, most sites shared the same structure and composition of macroinvertebrates. This was expected because they are connected to the main water body temporarily or permanently, which consequently gives them greater stability and resilience. The sites with shallow depth, smaller extension, scarce aquatic vegetation and greater anthropogenic impact were the only ones with results separated from the general set. Due to the variety of environmental impacts produced by agriculture, livestock, and urban activity on the wetland, it was observed that the sites with deeper and more abundant vegetation were more resilient than the areas exposed to environmental impacts and with less water and vegetation. On the other hand, the physicochemical parameters of water at one site (E1) differentiate the community in the absence of impact. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Paris Agreement establishes provisions for using international carbon market mechanisms to achieve nationally determined contribution (NDCs). In international negotiations on the rules governing the Agreement, an important question is whether and under which conditions mitigation outcomes that are not covered by the scope of NDCs should be eligible for international transfer and use by another country to achieve its NDC. Allowing the transfer and use of outside-scope mitigation could facilitate the identification of mitigation potential and reduce the costs of achieving NDCs. It could, however, also provide disincentives for countries to enhance the scope of their NDCs, be perceived as unfair towards countries with similar circumstances and economy-wide targets, reduce countries' incentives to ensure the quality of carbon market units generated, and lead to double counting. To address these concerns, international rules could: require transferring countries to account for such transfers by applying 'corresponding adjustments' even though the emission reductions occur outside the scope of NDCs, or to bring relevant sectors and greenhouse gases into the scope of their next NDCs; adopt safeguards for unit quality, e.g. through international oversight or strict additionality tests; impose other restrictions; and/or require countries to quantify and specify the scope of their NDC in terms of sectors and greenhouses gases covered. Key policy insights: Not allowing the transfer of outside-scope mitigation outcomes, or allowing such transfers without a corresponding adjustment by the transferring country, would both require determining whether a mitigation outcome occurs within or outside the scope of NDCs, which can be difficult in some instances. Requiring corresponding adjustments for outside-scope mitigation is more easily implemented than other options seeking to address possible disincentives for broadening the scope of NDCs but could discourage countries from engaging in outside-scope transfers. Providing temporary exemptions, accompanied by other safeguards such as international oversight and strict additionality tests, may therefore be an appropriate means of giving countries time to build capacity and gather data and to expand their NDCs in the future. Which exemptions apply, and for how long, are important policy choices when balancing different goals, perspectives and practical implementation challenges. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Paris Agreement requires mitigation contributions from all Parties. Therefore, the determination of additionality of activities under the market mechanisms of its Article 6 will need to be revisited. This paper provides recommendations on how to operationalize additionality under Article 6. We first review generic definitions of additionality and current approaches for testing of additionality before discussing under which conditions additionality testing of specific activities or policies is still necessary under the new context of the Paris Agreement, that is, in order to prevent increases of global emissions. We argue that the possibility of 'hot air' generation under nationally-determined contributions (NDCs) requires an independent check of the NDC's ambition. If the NDC of the transferring country does contain 'hot air', or if the transferred emission reductions are not covered by the NDC, a dedicated additionality test should be required. While additionality tests of projects and programmes could continue to be done through investment analysis, for policy instruments new approaches are required. They should be differentiated according to type of policy instrument. For regulation, we suggest calculating the resulting pay-back period for technology users. If the regulation generates investments exceeding a payback period threshold, it could be deemed additional. Similarly, carbon pricing policies that generate a carbon price exceeding a threshold could qualify; for trading schemes an absence of over-allocation needs to be shown. The threshold should be differentiated according to country categories and rise over time. Key policy insights Without additionality testing, market mechanisms under the Paris Agreements might lead to an international diffusion of 'hot air'. To avoid this, an independent assessment of NDC ambition is in order. Otherwise, activities under the mechanisms need to undergo specific additionality tests. Additionality testing of projects and programmes should build on the experience developed under the Kyoto Protocol mechanisms. Bold approaches are needed for assessing additionality of policies. To avoid cumbersome assessment of all activities triggered by such policies, highly aggregated approaches are suggested, ranging from payback period thresholds for technologies mandated by regulation to minimum price levels triggered by carbon pricing policies. Over time, the stringency of threshold values should increase. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The role of market mechanisms was far from certain in the lead up to the 2015 Paris Climate Conference. The use of 'constructive ambiguity' led to Article 6 of the Paris Agreement, with Article 6.2 specifying a mechanism with limited international oversight, and Article 6.4 establishing a 'Sustainable Development Mechanism' (SDM) subject to detailed rules. Clear operationalization of these mechanisms remains a challenge, especially regarding the critical accounting issue that could not be resolved at the 2018 Katowice Climate Conference (COP24) – how to apply corresponding adjustments, especially regarding sectors not covered by targets under nationally-determined contributions (NDCs). By using fictitious examples, we explain two possible approaches to using Internationally Transferred Mitigation Outcomes (ITMOs) under Article 6.2 for achieving NDCs: a 'target-based' one where the acquiring Party adds the ITMO amount to the target level of its NDC; and a 'tally-based' one where the acquiring Party removes the ITMO amount from the final tally of its NDC. We discuss how these approaches influence the way to make corresponding adjustments and to avoid 'double counting'. The first one leads to 'target/budget-based accounting', the second one to 'emission-based accounting'. For mitigation outside the scope of the host Party's NDC, we propose using a tally-based interpretation of ITMO use, as opposed to the target-based variety used in the 1997 Kyoto Protocol, and stress the need for additionality testing. This interpretation allows for mandatory corresponding adjustments for all ITMO usage, while the host Party NDC level remains unchanged. A buffer registry is created for corresponding non-NDC adjustments of the selling party. Key policy insights Under the Paris Agreement, transfers of emissions units between two countries through the Article 6 mechanisms need a corresponding adjustment on both sides to prevent double counting. Corresponding adjustments can be applied either to emissions targets under NDCs or measured emissions levels. The transfer of emissions reduction credits generated outside an NDC should lead to a corresponding adjustment of a buffer registry of the selling country, but not its emissions level/NDC target. Such credits should only be generated if additionality of the reductions is shown. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

International carbon markets can be an important tool in achieving countries' mitigation targets under the Paris Agreement, but they are subject to a number of environmental integrity risks. An important risk is that some countries have mitigation targets that correspond to higher levels of emissions than independent projections of their likely emissions. If such 'hot air' can be transferred to other countries, it could increase aggregated emissions and create a perverse incentive for countries not to enhance the ambition of future mitigation targets. Limits to international transfers of mitigation outcomes have been proposed to address this risk. This article proposes a typology for such limits, explores key design options, and tests different types of limits in the context of 15 countries. Our analysis indicates that limits to international transfers could, if designed appropriately, prevent most of the hot air contained in current mitigation targets from being transferred, but also involve trade-offs between different policy objectives. Given the risks from international transfer of hot air and the uncertainty over whether other approaches will be effective in ensuring environmental integrity, we recommend that countries take a cautious approach and pursue a portfolio of approaches to ensure environmental integrity, in which case limits could provide for additional safeguards. Key policy insights Limits to international transfers involve trade-offs between different policy objectives, in particular reducing the risk that countries transfer hot air and enabling participation in carbon markets. Under 'relative' limits a country may transfer mitigation outcomes to the extent that its actual emissions are below the limit. Relative limits derived from historical emissions data have significant limitations, and none of the tested approaches was found to be effective for all countries. Relative limits based on emission projections could be a more valid approach, although they are also technically and politically challenging. Under 'absolute' limits a country could only issue, transfer or acquire a certain amount of mitigation outcomes. Absolute limits set at sufficiently low levels could prevent countries from transferring large amounts of hot air, but are bluntly applicable to all countries, whether or not they have hot air. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Paris Agreement establishes provisions for using international carbon market mechanisms to achieve climate mitigation contributions. Environmental integrity is a key principle for using such mechanisms under the Agreement. This paper systematically identifies and categorizes issues and options to achieve environmental integrity, including how it could be defined, what influences it, and what approaches could mitigate environmental integrity risks. Here, environmental integrity is assumed to be ensured if the engagement in international transfers of carbon market units leads to the same or lower aggregated global emissions. Four factors are identified that influence environmental integrity: the accounting for international transfers; the quality of units generated, i.e. whether the mechanism ensures that the issuance or transfer of units leads to emission reductions in the transferring country; the ambition and scope of the mitigation target of the transferring country; and incentives or disincentives for future mitigation action, such as possible disincentives for transferring countries to define future mitigation targets less ambitiously or more narrowly in order to sell more units. It is recommended that policy-makers combine several approaches to address the significant risks to environmental integrity. Key policy insights Robust accounting is a key prerequisite for ensuring environmental integrity. The diversity of nationally determined contributions is an important challenge, in particular for avoiding double counting and for ensuring that the accounting for international transfers is representative for the mitigation efforts by Parties over time. Unit quality can, in theory, be ensured through appropriate design of carbon market mechanisms; in practice, existing mechanisms face considerable challenges in ensuring unit quality. Unit quality could be promoted through guidance under Paris Agreement Article 6, and reporting and review under Article 13. The ambition and scope of mitigation targets is key for the incentive for transferring countries to ensure unit quality because countries with ambitious and economy-wide targets would have to compensate for any transfer of units that lack quality. Encouraging countries to adopt ambitious and economy-wide NDC targets would therefore facilitate achieving environmental integrity. Restricting transfers in instances of high environmental integrity risk - through eligibility criteria or limits - could complement these approaches. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Oil palm monoculture is the most rapidly increasing large‐scale crop in Amazonia due to favourable environmental conditions and incentives from executives and governing authorities. In this study we assessed the effects of oil palm plantations on Odonata assemblages in Amazonia streams. We hypothesized that (1) the expansion of oil palm plantations over the natural landscape affects the habitat structure and physicochemical properties of streams at different scales (50 m, 500 m and 1000 m) and (2) oil palm plantations affect the species composition of Odonata assemblages, leading to the replacement of forest specialist species by non‐forest specialists. A total of 22 streams were sampled which were distributed throughout a landscape comprising areas of oil palm plantations Elaeis guineensis Jacq. to streams located inside large forest remnants. The expansion of oil palm monoculture affected the physicochemical properties of the water and habitat of the streams. A larger amount of woody debris was observed within streams surrounded by a greater amount of forest, whereas streams with a greater area of surrounding oil palm had higher pH values and anthropogenic infrastructures (e.g. roads). As expected, the Odonata community was affected by a replacement of forest specialist species with non‐forest specialist species. To mitigate this impact, we suggest increasing the area of native riparian corridors along streams that flow through oil palm plantations. Orthemis discolor (photo) is a species of the family of dragonflies known as Libellulidae. It is found in Central America, North America and South America. In general, the organisms of this species are considered habit generalist, as it presents a wide range of living conditions. The IUCN status of the O. discolor is less worrying, with no immediate threat to the species' survival and the population is stable. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Reducing deforestation and forest degradation presents a climate-change mitigation opportunity that is critical to meeting the Paris Agreement goals, and to achieving reductions in the atmospheric concentrations of greenhouse gases (GHGs). Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation (REDD) provides developing countries with results-based financial incentives for reducing deforestation and forest degradation through either non-market payments (payments without generation of carbon credits), or market-based mechanisms (carbon credits). REDD credits have been recently accepted to be used in offsetting programs (e.g., CORSIA) and are being considered under Article 6. However, various publications have questioned whether carbon credits from REDD should be accepted under market-based mechanisms, and have identified issues regarding their environmental integrity and their ability to offset emissions from other sectors. In recent years, REDD implementation has moved from the project level to the national or subnational (jurisdictional) level, and is addressing some of the concerns that have been raised for project-level interventions regarding the robustness of baselines and leakage, for example. In this paper we compare the environmental integrity of credits from REDD programs with that from on-grid renewable energy projects by examining aspects related to permanence, additionality, baselines, uncertainty, and leakage. We show that the environmental integrity of emission reductions sourced from REDD programs has unique strengths, and that those sourced from renewable energy projects have weaknesses of their own. Probably due to a lack of understanding of the respective weaknesses and strengths of these two sources of credits, the emission reductions from REDD programs have been historically questioned and subjected to a level of scrutiny that has not been made with emission reductions from other sectors, such as renewable energy projects. Recognizing the strengths and weaknesses of emission reductions from both types should help decision makers and carbon standards recognize the high quality of emission reductions from REDD programs, and rationalize the current requirements or restrictions imposed.

Lotic ecosystems are altered at various spatial scales leading to the simplification of water bodies and the dominance or exclusion of certain organisms. In streams, species may have limitations generated by the environment that result in a more abundant or rare occurrence. Thus, the aim of this study was to evaluate the influence of water physical-chemical variables and land use in the drainage basin on the composition of Ephemeroptera, Plecoptera and Trichoptera (EPT) assemblages in the streams of Atlantic Forest. We collected water samples and aquatic insects from 18 streams in Atlantic Forest in southern Brazil. We evaluated the relationship between physical-chemical variables of water and land use and the dissimilarity of EPT assemblages in three different situations: (i) matrix with all organisms collected, (ii) matrix containing only common genera and (iii) matrix containing only the rare genera. We collected 6 023 EPT larvae from 41 genera; 62 % of the individuals belonged to the order Trichoptera, 32 % to the order Ephemeroptera and 6 % to the order Plecoptera. The most common organisms (10 genera) accounted for 86 % of the total abundance of identified individuals. On the other hand, rare genera corresponded to 76 % of the total richness, but only 6 % of the total abundance. For the three matrices studied, the pH, electrical conductivity and riparian vegetation were correlated with the dissimilarity matrix of the three biological datasets used. In our study, we observed that the pH, electric conductivity, exposed soil and riparian vegetation variables were the most important for the dissimilarity of the EPT assemblages. In addition, our results demonstrated that variables at different scales (stream and riparian zone) structure stream insect assemblages. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The increased awareness of contemporary consumers towards environmental issues has led to a proliferation of regulations that companies must comply with. In such a dynamic business environment, companies must look beyond the profit-maximisation paradigm, and move towards a sustainable development model for their survival in the long run. The concept of corporate sustainable development (CSD) encompasses the dimensions of environmental integrity, social equity, and economic prosperity. The present study analyses the extent of CSD and its driving factors in the Indian cement industry. The study finds that CSD has been increasing in importance in the Indian cement sector, in terms of increased emphasis on environmental integrity and on economic prosperity. However, there is no significant change in emphasis on social equity, particularly in large companies, though profitability does not play much of a role. The study also finds that media exposure related to environmental issues and liquidity was the significant determinant of CSD in the Indian cement sector. Each CSD dimension was found to have distinct determinants: environmental integrity was determined by incurrence of fines/penalties/court cases; economic prosperity by media attention and liquidity; and social equity by diversity of exposure, media attention, and capital intensity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigated the effects of activities carried out by traditional populations on aquatic ecosystems using the assemblages of Ephemeroptera, Plecoptera, and Trichoptera insect orders, and identified fluvial habitat characteristics modified by the disturbances. We surveyed two groups of streams-17 streams representing control conditions (CON) and 17 streams influenced by traditional population settlements (TPO). Genera richness and abundance of individuals did not vary between groups. With regard to physical habitat metrics, the percentage of leaf litter, amount of woody debris in the channel, proximity to farming, percentage of slow water in the channel, and the mean riparian vegetation cover all influenced benthic macroinvertebrate assemblages. Considerable differences were found in genera composition between the two groups. The genera Ulmeritoides, Miroculis, and Brasilocaenis were associated with the CON group, and Macronema and Campsurus with the TPO group. We conclude that even small-scale impacts, such as those performed by traditional Amazonian populations, can have major effects on aquatic biota, which reiterates the fragile nature of these ecosystems and emphasizes the need for adequate management of these activities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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AIM: Here we assess the effects of habitat degradation on individuals of the two suborders of Odonata community of Borecaia river sub-basin. More specifically, we tested the hypothesis that Anisoptera richness would be positively affected by removal of vegetation; on the other hand, Zygoptera richness would be adversely affected by virtue of their ecophysiological requirements; METHODS: We selected 10 streams of similar orders, six preserved and four degraded. Streams characterized as preserved had values of Index of Habitat Integrity (HII) above 0.70 (0.77 ± 0.07, mean ± SD) and continuous forest on both sides with a minimum width of 70 meters. Each site was sampled three times on different days. The effect of vegetation removal on richness was assessed using richness estimated by first order Jackknife; RESULTS: Decreased physical integrity (measured with IIH) of streams had no significant effect on the estimated richness to Odonata in general. However, the estimated richness of Anisoptera showed an inverse relationship with the integrity (r² = 0.485, P = 0.025), i.e., there was a reduction in their species richness with increasing integrity; DISCUSSION: As a general pattern, Anisoptera presents higher richness in an altered site; on the other hand, Zygoptera presents higher richness in a preserved one. This pattern suggests that Odonata needs to be considered at the sub-order level to access the effects of habitat degradation on these insects. Because of its restrictions ecophysiological Odonata varied widely in their composition and species richness between the two types of environments, it reinforces the potential of the order of studies and environmental monitoring also shows that Zygoptera be more affected by changes in habitat. However, further studies including more samples and different streams are need to confirm this pattern, being an interesting line of research for future works.

Incorporating carbon offsets in the design of cap-and-trade programs remains a controversial issue because of its potential unintended impacts on emissions. At the heart of this discussion is the issue of crediting of emissions reductions. Projects can be correctly, over- or under-credited for their actual emissions reductions. We develop a unified framework that considers the supply of offsets within a cap-and-trade program that allows us to compare the relative impact of over-credited offsets and under-credited emissions reductions on overall emissions under different levels of baseline stringency and carbon prices. In the context of a national carbon pricing scheme that includes offsets, we find that the emissions impacts of over-credited offsets can be fully balanced out by under-credited emissions reductions without sacrificing a significant portion of the overall supply of offsets, provided emissions baselines are stringent enough. In the presence of high predicted business-as-usual (BAU) emissions uncertainty or low carbon prices, to maintain the environmental integrity of the program, baselines need to be set at stringent levels, in some cases below 50 percent of predicted BAU emissions. As predicted BAU emissions uncertainty declines or as the carbon market achieves higher equilibrium prices, however, less stringent baselines can balance out the emissions impacts of over-credited offsets and under-credited emissions reductions. These results imply that to maintain environmental integrity of offsets programs, baseline stringency should be tailored to project characteristics and market conditions that influence the proportion of over-credited offsets to under-credited emissions reductions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]