Reflexive capacity in local networks for sustainable development: integrating conflict and understanding into a multi-level perspective Transition Framework

ABSTRACT

One core element of reflexive governance is the reflexive capacity-building of actors involved in governance networks. A wider range of actors have to be empowered to understand and improve governance arrangements in order to create second-order reflexivity. As a contribution to this challenge, a heuristic framework is developed from two complementary approaches to reflexive governance: the multi-level perspective (MLP) and the conflict-orientated understanding (COU) approach. The new framework is applied to two case studies – water management and long-term climate adaptation – where it has helped to develop a participatory process to analyse and reflect on local networks and multi-stakeholder arenas. The two contrasting processes are analysed and their contribution to reflexive capacity building is assessed. Building on the findings, further advancements of MLP, COU, and the concept of reflexive governance are recommended.     

Reflexive governance: exploring the concept and assessing its critical potential for sustainable development. Introduction to the special issue

ABSTRACT

Elaborated in publications on transition management, sustainability governance and deliberative environmental governance, ‘reflexive governance’ addresses concerns about social-ecological vulnerabilities, flawed conceptualisations of human-nature relations fragmented governance regimes and conditions for a sustainability transition. Key barriers to reflexive government include unavoidable politics; the influence of broader discursive systems that shape actors’ strategic interests; and structural and deliberate limitations to the range of admitted epistemological understandings, normative perspectives and material practices. Against this background, the contributions to the special issue provide novel conceptual linkages between reflexive governance and boundary objects, intercultural dialogue, conflict management heuristics, discourse linguistics, theories of the policy cycle and reflexive law, network and learning theories, and Lasswell’s ‘developmental constructs’. Based on the contributions, we identify five inherent conceptual tensions of reflexive governance: between the openness of horizontal learning processes and the desired direction towards sustainable development; between reflexive governance as a normative or procedural concept; between expected learning orientations and other, strategic orientations; between governance as a precondition for reflexivity and reflexive learning as a precondition for reorganized governance structures; and between reflexivity as an open-ended, evolutionary process and the need to strategically defend the space for reflexivity against powerful groups with an interest in the status quo.     

Barriers and enablers to climate change adaptation in hierarchical governance systems: the case of Vietnam

Governments fulfil important roles in increasing the adaptive capacity of local communities to respond to climate change impacts, particularly in developing countries. Existing studies on how governments enable and constrain the ways in which local level communities learn and build their adaptive capacity, however, generally adopt network or market-oriented types of governance. However, the most vulnerable regions to climate change impact in the world are generally governed through hierarchical policy systems. This research aims to understand how the hierarchical policy system in Vietnam creates enables and/or constrains the policy capacity of policy actors to contribute to effective climate change adaptation. We conducted interviews (n?=?26) with key actors at multiple levels of government. Our findings show the importance of clear legal institutions, available financing for implementing policies, and the training of governmental staff, particularly at district and commune levels where the policy capacities are generally too low to deal with climate change impacts. We conclude that any efforts to support local actors (i.e. smallholder farmers) should include investments in policy capacity to ensure uptake and upscaling of adaptation actions more broadly.     

美国《清洁空气法》中的环境质量达标制度研究——以联邦与地方的权限为视角

虽然针对美国《清洁空气法》(CAA)的研究众多,然而诸多研究并未发掘至其之所以先进的核心。CAA之所以先进的关键在于重新分配法律(EPA是其代表)与州政府之间权力与义务的环境质量达标制度。CAA要求在联邦层面构建一个约束美国各州的大气环境质量标准体系,并且以各州的客观环境与发展程度为前提,赋予各州政府一系列的大气环境质量目标。各州政府需要在自身的权限范围内采取行动,从而为这一系列目标向联邦负责。CAA将自身的法律设置分为两大内容(或称两大原则):国家空气质量标准原则与州政府独立实施原则,并将两大原则转化为具体的程序:NAAQS与SIP。代表国家法律的环保署与代表实际环境义务承担者的州政府之间,是互相依赖又互相独立的关系。     

非负载无定形态Mn-Ce催化剂的脱硝性能分析

以自制复配无机锰盐和分析纯六水合硝酸铈为原料,制备了非负载无定形态Mn-Ce催化剂,运用XRD,XPS,NH_3-TPD技术对其进行了表征,并对其脱硝活性进行了评价。结果表明:所制备催化剂的体相结构为高度无定形态;催化剂中的Mn和Ce元素主要以MnO_2和CeO_2的形式存在;催化剂表面有大量的化学吸附氧和弱酸位点,并表现出较好的NH_3吸附性能;该催化剂不仅具有较高的脱硝活性,而且还有较宽的活性温度范围,80~300℃的脱硝率均达90%以上。     

变权模糊综合法在矿山地质环境评价中的应用——以潞安矿区为例

为解决传统用于矿山地质环境质量评价的常权模型不能有效反映各指标内部差异性及地质环境本身复杂性和模糊性的问题,引入变权模糊综合模型对矿山地质环境质量进行评价。根据矿山地质环境问题及特点,构建了矿山地质环境质量评价指标体系,采用分段强惩罚-激励型变权模型对其进行评价。以潞安矿区5个典型生产矿井为例,运用变权模糊综合法对其进行了地质环境质量评价,并与传统常权模糊评价法的结果相比较。结果表明:变权模糊综合模型利用模糊数学的思想定量地划分矿山地质环境的评价等级,一定程度上减少了评价者主观思想的影响;利用变权理论确定每个矿井评价指标的最终权重,能更加合理地反映每个评价矿井的真实情况,使评价结果更具有离散性,容易划分评价等级,从而提高了矿山地质环境评价的精度和实用价值。     

浅析某型导爆索组件环境试验中的断裂问题

目的分析某型导爆索组件断裂问题产生的原因。方法采用平板试验件模拟实际使用状态,用于考核导爆索组件的环境适应性及分离功能。结果试验件中导爆索组件均出现了断裂,且存在三处明显磨痕,而且有一发平板试验件的辅助限位板出现了断裂。结论辅助限位板刚度不足,导致导爆索组件出现疲劳断裂,增加辅助限位板厚度,可有效提高其刚度,防止断裂问题产生。     

国际GPS服务机构(IGS)的现状与最新进展

介绍了国际GPS服务(IGS)机构的宗旨、现状和已取得的成果以及最新进展。IGS的数据和成果主要用于全球范围内多学科的科学研究,本介绍将有利于加强与IGS的合作,充分利用国际GPS服务机构的成果,促进我国地震监测预报和减灾科学研究更快的发展。     

构建生态环境技术服务体系的基本定位与主要对策

四个方面的情况表明,我国必须高度重视生态环境技术服务体系建设问题:一是随着污染防治攻坚战在向纵深推进过程中,地方政府"不会管"、企业"不会治"的问题比较普遍,且日益突出;二是目前各级生态环境部门,特别是市、县两级生态环境技术支持力量薄弱、专业化能力不足,难以支撑当地政府和企业治理环境污染的技术需求;三是目前的生态环境技术服务市场尚满足不了实际需求;四是无论是从结构还是从作用看,生态环境技术服务体系已成为生态环境治理体系和治理能力的短板。因此,构建生态环境技术服务体系是推进生态环境治理体系和治理能力现代化的重要内容,其作用是,在要求环境责任主体做什么的同时,帮助和指导他们怎么做,解决"不会管"和"不会治"的问题。现阶段,政府推动构建生态环境技术服务体系的重点任务:一是明确职能,系统谋划,做好顶层设计;二是强化相关能力建设;三是建立和完善生态环境标准和重大规划与行动计划的配套技术方案制度;四是培育、壮大和规范生态环境技术服务市场;五是以生态环境科技成果转化为抓手,牵引技术服务体系建设。     

Beyond accountability: alternative rationales for transparency in global trade politics

ABSTRACT

The conventional view of transparency is that it is a critical tool to combat corruption and ensure the democratic accountability of government. This article argues that the negotiation of mega-regional trade agreements (RTAs) and their content indicates the need distinguish different types of transparency. Trade activists that call for drafts of the text of a mega-RTA to be released while negotiations are ongoing are seeking deliberative transparency, which provides opportunities for meaningful public participation and consultation. The trade advisory systems that could provide opportunities for deliberation instead deliver technocratic transparency; the rationale is to increase the effectiveness of mega-RTAs rather than their democratic legitimacy. Frequent leaks of draft chapters of mega-RTAs provide opportunities for deliberation, but some actors involved in leaking are engaged in disruptive transparency where the aim is to complicate trade negotiations, making a final deal less likely. While these varieties of transparency emerge in the context of the negotiating process, disciplinary transparency – which often becomes a regulatory tool for multinational corporations to influence policy-making – is found in the text of mega-RTAs. Certain forms of transparency increase the likelihood that mega-RTAs will be compatible with strong environmental policy, while others may have a detrimental impact.