The Precautionary Principle and Chemicals Regulation: Past Achievements and Future Possibilities (8 pages)

Background, Aim and Scope

The paper investigates the development of the institutional basis of the present modes of chemicals regulation and management, with special attention to interrelations with the precautionary principle. Main Features: The paper elucidates on how the precautionary principle has been shaped in relation to chemicals regulation and management since Carson's Silent Spring (years before the principle was confirmed as a policy-principle in German and European legislation. Furthermore, it is examined how the precautionary principle interacted with the development of the present chemicals regulatory regime, in a complex interplay within the OECD and Member Countries. The present modes of precaution in the new EU chemical legislation – REACH – are investigated with respect to the precautionary principle, and tested against two contemporary problems; brominated flame retardants and endocrine disrupting substances. Results: The analysis demonstrates the changing character of the integration of the precautionary principle. The main tendencies are from implicit to more explicit precaution and from a closed expert-orientation towards a more deliberative approach to scientific knowledge and uncertainty. The results demonstrate that the precautionary principle is manifest in both the design of the testing strategy and in policy provisions. In particular, the substitution of hazardous substances with less hazardous is important. Discussion: Despite explicit attention to the precautionary principle, is the present reformulation of the European Chemicals policy in danger of falling into loop-holes that equal problems related to the present regulation of existing chemicals? 'Precaution' has been reduced virtually to an abstract concept that is more or less devoid of practical meaning in the regulatory process. Conclusions: It is concluded that the role of the precautionary principle in chemicals regulation will require continued scrutiny in the future shaping of the REACH strategy. Perspectives: Continued development of robust and precaution-based chemicals regulation will have to involve both new data-generation strategies and new forms of political decision-making, with special attention given to transparency and deliberative policymaking.     

Strategic pollution control and capital tax competition

In an analytical model of symmetric countries with mobile capital and local or transboundary pollution we investigate whether competition in emissions taxes (or emissions caps) and capital taxes leads to efficient outcomes when governments act strategically. When they have capital taxes and emissions caps at their disposal, they refrain from taxing capital and set their caps inefficiently lax [efficient] for transboundary [local] pollution. When they have the option to tax capital and emissions, capital is subsidized [untaxed] and emissions taxes are inefficiently low [efficient] for transboundary [local] pollution. In case of transboundary pollution emissions caps are Pareto-superior to emissions taxes. That holds regardless of whether the environmental policy is applied as stand-alone policy or combined with capital tax competition.     

Can public engagement democratize environmental policymaking in a resource-dependent state? Comparative case studies from Alberta,Canada

What factors shape the democratic potential of public consultation in environmental policymaking? Here, the motivations, purposes, designs, and outcomes of recent public engagement on land use planning, climate change policy, and water resource management in Alberta, Canada are reviewed in order to show how the power dynamics of the political and economic context shape the democratic potential of public and stakeholder consultations, especially where dominant resource interests are at stake. At the same time, political leadership, interactions between civil society actors and key design elements are shown to be important to democratization.     

Farm animal welfare policymaking in the European Parliament – a social identity perspective on voting behaviour

ABSTRACT

Sustainable agriculture implies trade-offs with farm animal welfare. Proposals to increase agricultural productivity and ecological sustainability alike, are often linked to intensification, which may restrict animal welfare. Despite the growing importance of farm animal welfare for the alignment of agricultural and environmental policy, determinants of decision-making at the EU level remain unexplored. This article contributes to closing this research gap, broadening our understanding of why policymakers vote for the enactment of animal welfare policies. Applying the Social Identities in the Policy Process (SIPP) perspective we highlight the role of group membership for individual decision-making. By means of a quantitative analysis of voting behaviour in the European Parliament on two animal welfare policies, we show that different identities are salient. The strongest predictor is political group membership. In case of defections from the group line, the salience of national, sectoral and also demographic identities adds to the understanding of decision-making.     

资源配置的灰色控制模型设计及应用

本文在对资源配置的一般特性分析基础上,应用灰色系统的微分拟合法建立资源配置的动态模型,并用最优控制理论进行优化,得到资源配置的优化控制模型。并在最后给出了一个土地资源利用的实际应用例子。     

Emerging conflict in collaborative mapping: Towards a deeper understanding?

In spatial planning and environmental management, maps are found very helpful in many situations, but in other situations they may also deepen conflicts or be ignored. This paper addresses the question what explains such phenomena, with particular emphasis on, and reference to, collaborative policymaking settings in the Netherlands. We have elaborated the concept of 'frames' and 'framing' to structure and analyze the function of maps in the context of deliberative policymaking. With help of discourse analysis, a method adopted from the policy sciences, we have observed ongoing multi-actor processes and focused on discussions around maps in several case studies. From the observations of both the maps themselves and the discussions and actions with the maps, we have interpreted the meaning and frames represented 'in' the map images, as well as the various perspectives of actors 'on' the collaborative use of the map. We have conceptualized three fundamentally different perspectives or frames on the function of maps in the decision-making process. The cross-frame debate over maps is illustrated with the recollection of one particular map-making example. We conclude that the conflicts observed in a number of case studies can be adequately explained with help of the three identified frames, and provide some recommendations for the profession of mapping.     

省级政府环境政策制定过程的特征分析——以陕西和云南水土保持生态补偿政策为例

近年来,省级政府制定的环境政策逐渐增多。在数量繁多的各类问题中,省级政府的决策者如何能够充分认识到某个环境问题的重要性和紧迫性,将其置于优先考虑的位置,进而出台一项环境政策?与经济发展政策相比,省级政府制定环境政策的过程有何特征?本文通过研究两个案例来探讨这些问题的答案,一个案例是陕西省制定的水土保持生态补偿政策,另一个案例是云南省正在制定的类似政策。研究表明,在省级政府制定环境政策的过程中,政策倡导者往往不是省级政府决策者,而是省级政府中行政主管部门的领导。政策倡导者建立政策的途径是说服作为决策者的省级政府相关领导,进而使之批准政策出台。其说服方法是建立由相关部门和其他利益相关者组成的支持联盟,通过科学研究阐明问题的重要性、紧迫性以及和政府职能的相关性,并提出具有科学基础和立法基础的政策方案。这一过程既区别于中央政府制定环境政策的过程,又与省级政府制定经济政策的过程不同。     

“双碳”目标下中国省域碳排放核算分析

对各省域CO₂排放量进行核算能够确定中国CO₂排放的主要贡献者,为碳减排决策提供相关信息.以往的研究表明,核算视角的不同会导致碳排放水平的差异.在多区域投入产出分析框架的基础上,基于不同能源类型,量化中国由生产、需求和供给驱动的省级CO₂排放量,构建能源-碳排放关系模型,对我国CO₂排放进行综合分析.结果发现：①由煤炭导致的CO₂排放占比57.2%（生产视角）、60.7%（消费视角）和58.2%（收入视角）.②各产业部门中,电力、热力、燃气及水的生产和供应部门CO₂排放占比49.1%（生产视角）、70.2%（消费视角）和14.2%（收入视角）.③河北、内蒙古、河南和辽宁等高度工业化省份的碳减排政策应侧重生产侧;东部沿海发达省份和矿产资源丰富省份的政策应分别侧重需求侧和供给侧.④以往被忽略的第三产业在收入视角下贡献了大量的CO₂排放.因此各省份及产业部门需要在生产、需求和供给侧制定差别化且具有针对性的碳减排政策才能减少CO₂的排放,实现"双碳"目标.