The emergence of local planning authority policy on high-voltage electricity issues

The high-voltage distribution and transmission of electricity are associated with a range of environmental effects that are increasingly contentious and are leading to difficult land-use planning issues. In the UK, local planning authorities have been taking an anticipatory approach to such efforts by the formation of policy in statutory land-use plans; this seeks to set constraints on the location and form of high-voltage installations and nearby development. This emerging body of policy reveals a number of consistently occurring themes that focus explicitly on the protection of local environmental conditions. This is indicative of broader trends apparent throughout plan-making in the last decade, in which environmental emphases have become more central, but the policy area also indicates that local authorities are responding to structural changes in the electricity industry and to changing patterns of energy generation. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Emissions trading,equity, and sustainability: the case for allocating entitlements to “individuals-in-community”

Given the likelihood that a post-Kyoto climate change agreement will include provisions for trading greenhouse gas (GHG) emission rights (carbon credits), it is timely and important to look more closely into the merits (or otherwise) of emissions trading systems (ETS), in particular with regard to the issue of the allocation and distribution of entitlements. Thus far, ETSs and other tradable permit systems have allocated entitlements to those historically responsible for emissions or the exploitation of resources (the “grandfathering” principle). There are, however, strong reasons for challenging this practice, and for advocating the allocation of entitlements to all people, in line with the per capita distribution principle. This article argues that GHG emission rights, if they are to be granted, should be distributed on a globally determined equal per capita basis, but collectively managed by community bodies (Community Carbon Trusts) on an “individuals-in-community” basis, instead of being granted or sold by governments to (big) emitters. The approach advocated here is not only ethically more justified, but also strengthens the capacity of communities to deal with climate change and to advance sustainability. It offers an example of how a significant environmental challenge can be met in a more positive way than by the prevailing approaches based on narrow, mainly economic, considerations.     

确立生态文明观逐步建立经济与环境融合机制

新世纪即将来临的时候,应当确立生态文明观并建立持续发展的技术体制。为了达到这个目的,必须探讨环境保护和经济发展相统一,还要重新审视我国环境政策框架。     

The territorial dimension of environmental sustainability in Italy along the urban–rural continuum

Single territories contribute in different ways to the transition towards a more environmentally sustainable development (SD), according to their structural features. This study returns a multi-dimensional picture of the territorial divides of environmental sustainability across Italy, analysing how it correlates with rurality, with a focus on the urban–rural continuum. Italy represents an interesting case study because of its peculiar territorial urban–rural structure. We first assess the environmental sustainability targets across Italian NUTS 3 regions and their capital cities using two composite sustainability indexes, by referring to both standard values (i.e. conforming to legislation) and optimum values (i.e. desired values). Then, we investigate the relationship between environmental sustainability and rurality. Results suggest that a positive link between the two exists, being stronger at city level. Among major policy implications, the environmental dimensions of territorial cohesion should be integrated more strongly in key European policies to reach a more balanced SD.     

Critical reflections on the theory and practice of social sustainability in the built environment – a meta-analysis

This article presents a critical reflection on the theory and practice of social sustainability in the built environment, identifies areas of agreement and disagreement, explores theoretical and conceptual gaps and challenges, and suggests practical implications for future research and urban policy. It argues that despite revisionist approaches which challenge the tripartite structure of sustainable development, social dimension of sustainability remains an essential valid pillar. Utilising a qualitative meta-analysis methodology for undertaking critical analysis of previous research and publications on the topic, key themes of theory and practice of social sustainability are identified and critically examined. Accordingly, 10 key formative characteristics of social sustainability and their research and policy implications are introduced. The article concludes with institutional observations for policy-makers to achieve greater success in addressing largely underestimated dimensions of social sustainability in urban settings.     

环境可持续发展的指标体系

探讨了传统发展指标体系存在的弊端 ,研究了可持续发展指标体系的基本框架和具体指标的组成、模式 ,以及我国对可持续发展指标体系的研究状况 ,为实现经济、社会和环境的可持续发展提供了依据。     

中国环境法治建设的成就及建议

回顾了中国改革开放三十年来环境法治建设取得的主要成就,并对我国环境立法、环境执法、环境司法和理论研究方面提出了建议。     

环境经济政策在中国的应用与发展

环境经济政策是宏现经济政策的重要组成部分,本文首先阐述了制定环境经济政策的必要性和环境经济政策的功能,然后分析了环境经济政策体系的组成,最后对我国的环境经济政策进行了初步探讨。     

塔里木河流域开发与生态环境可持续发展对策分析

概述了由于对塔里木河的不合理开发利用,使得原已很脆弱的生境更趋势恶化,并通过分析其现状及原因,提出改善生态环境,进行保护性发展建设的建议及对策。     

Deepening A Precautionary European Policy

In regulatory practice, the principle of precaution is hardly linked to the ideal of sustainable development. In this article, we argue that it should be. We argue that sustainable development is the sense of an ethics of co-responsibility, while precaution is the attitude needed to realize this sense. From this perspective, we comment on some regulatory practices within the European context regarding authorization requests for deliberate releases of genetically modified crops and show some problems that are popping up there, for example, the difficulties in interpreting the meaning of harm” (and of benefit”), the symptomatic gap between regulatory rule and political practice. Finally, we suggest that, in order to respond to such problems, precaution should find an appropriate translation in the fields of both research and innovation policy, of authorization policy and of economic policy.     

区域政策环境影响评价研究

区域政策对一个区域的环境与发展的影响是持久的项目背后驱动力,引导和决定着该区域内的一切经济行为。对区域政策进行环境影响评价,以判定区域政策在特定时空范围内的宏观影响是实现区域综合决策的科学化、从政策源头落实环境保护基本国策、实施区域可持续发展战略的要求。本文论述了开展区域政策环境影响评价(以下简称EIA)的意义和基础以及评价的原则、程序和指标体系。     

新疆农业生态环境现状与绿洲生态农业建设探讨

新疆是以农业生产为支柱产业地处半干旱半荒漠、生态环境比较脆弱的内陆地区。随着农业生产技术的不断更新、农资产品、化学物质的大量使用的工业生产中产生的污染物日益增加,新疆农业生态环境（局部）出现了许多新的问题。本文就新疆农业生态环境现状、发展趋势,及新疆绿洲生态农业建设与农业可持续发展等方面进行了分析探讨。