Perspectives on social capacity building for natural hazards: outlining an emerging field of research and practice in Europe

Social capacity building for natural hazards is a topic increasingly gaining relevance not only for so-called developing countries but also for European welfare states which are continuously challenged by the social, economic and ecological impacts of natural hazards. Following an outline of recent governance changes with regard to natural hazards, we develop a heuristic model of social capacity building by taking into account a wide range of existing expertise from different fields of research. Particular attention is paid to social vulnerability and its assessment, as well as to risk communication and risk education as specific strategies of social capacity building. We propose to distinguish between interventionist and participatory approaches, thus enabling for a better understanding of existing practices of social capacity building as well as their particular strengths and weaknesses. By way of conclusion, we encourage more research on social capacity building for natural hazards in the European context which at present is highly diverse and, at least in parts, only poorly investigated.     

Perspectives on Finland’s sustainable consumption and production policy

The Finnish approach that is starting from the basic human needs of food, housing, mobility and related lifestyles enables us to address the social dimension of sustainable development alongside the ecological and economic dimensions. In this context environmental problems cannot be resolved in isolation from people’s everyday lives, as can happen if environmental policies are based purely on emissions.But it is also worth questioning the potential for national SCP programmes in today’s global markets. Over the last ten years, domestic material flows within the Finnish economy have remained fairly constant, with gains in material efficiency cancelled out by increasing levels of material consumption. However, external material flows and the consequent environmental impacts have steadily increased, and the magnitude and environmental impacts of both imports and exports are approximately the same as for domestic flows. This means that the role of external material flows can no longer be ignored in national SCP policies.It is also important to integrate SCP with climate policies. Finland’s national climate and energy strategy is mainly based on the need to reduce CO₂ emissions from energy production and industrial installations, but there is also a need for complementary actions to reduce the carbon footprints caused by private and public consumption.     

Defining response capacity to enhance climate change policy

Climate change adaptation and mitigation decisions made by governments are usually taken in different policy domains. At the individual level however, adaptation and mitigation activities are undertaken together as part of the management of risk and resources. We propose that a useful starting point to develop a national climate policy is to understand what societal response might mean in practice. First we frame the set of responses at the national policy level as a trade off between investment in the development and diffusion of new technology, and investment in encouraging and enabling society to change its behaviour and or adopt the new technology. We argue that these are the pertinent trade-offs, rather than those usually posited between climate change mitigation and adaptation. The preference for a policy response that focuses more on technological innovation rather than one that focuses on changing social behaviour will be influenced by the capacity of different societies to change their greenhouse gas emissions; by perceived vulnerability to climate impacts; and by capacity to modify social behaviour and physical environment. Starting with this complete vision of response options should enable policy makers to re-evaluate the risk environment and the set of response options available to them. From here, policy makers should consider who is responsible for making climate response decisions and when actions should be taken. Institutional arrangements dictate social and political acceptability of different policies, they structure worldviews, and they determine the provision of resources for investment in technological innovation and social change. The importance of focussing on the timing of the response is emphasised to maximise the potential for adjustments through social learning and institutional change at different policy scales. We argue that the ability to respond to climate change is both enabled and constrained by social and technological conditions. The ability of society to respond to climate change and the need for technological change for both decarbonisation and for dealing with surprise in general, are central to concepts of sustainable development.     

生态农场的建设与可持续发展

黑龙江省庆阳农场位于延寿县东部,总土地面积为7640公顷,但由于连续多年不停息的耕种,农场良好的生态环境遭到破坏,直接影响到农场的持续发展.建设生态农场是恢复生态环境,实现农场持续发展的根本途径.     

Climate change and Ontario forests: Prospects for building institutional adaptive capacity

Institutions play an important role in the adaptive capacity of a system in responding to climate change. This review paper characterizes the status of the collective institutional response (government, industry, First Nation, community, civil society) to climate change in the forest sector of the Canadian province of Ontario, and highlights the presence and nature of inter-institutional networks as part of the response. Based on a synthesis of the commonalities in the public administration and policy literature on tackling wicked problems, and the resilience literature, inter-institutional networks, which foster exchange of different types of knowledge, are an important aspect of enhancing the adaptive capacity of social–ecological systems such as the forest sector. Based on a content analysis of publicly available documents and insights gained from representatives of government, community members and non-governmental organizations, mitigation and adaptations strategies are described. At the provincial level there have been some new innovations in inter-institutional networks, but expansion of the forest stakeholders involved in such networks would further enhance adaptive capacity. In particular, it is important to network with First Nations and other forest-dependent communities who have a heightened vulnerability to climate change. The presence of a collaborative capacity builder could foster the transfer, receipt and integration of knowledge across the networks, and ultimately build long-term collaborative problem-solving capacity in the Ontario forest sector.

生态环保政策对经济发展的作用机理分析

理论上,生态环保政策对经济发展的影响是"促进作用"还是"抑制作用",取决于政策类型和力度、产业和企业行业特征、经济发展水平等条件性因素,从长期综合来看,严格的生态环保政策有利于促进和优化经济发展。本文通过对国内外研究进行梳理总结,从生态环保政策对经济发展的影响途径、传导机制、作用条件依赖等方面进行深层次分析解构,研究建立"生态环保政策—企业—产业—经济影响"为主线的逻辑关系链,分析识别生态环保政策影响经济发展的机理和关键因素,以期解释地方经济发展的现实困惑和关键所在,寻找生态环保政策发力点,优化政策制定与实施方式,探索生态优先、绿色发展为导向的高质量发展新路子。研究表明:生态环保政策主要影响企业的生产经营成本和技术创新,对企业影响的方向和程度主要取决于对政策影响的长短期预期、政策成本与技术创新收益对比、企业规模大小和企业性质等条件因素;生态环保政策与产业的升级、转型、转移、淘汰等密切相关,在产业发展不同阶段,环境规制强度对产业结构调整具有短期和长期不同的影响;生态环保政策标准要求或实际执行力度差异与自然地理区位、经济发展水平、市场化程度、地区开放程度等因素导致的区域环境规制强度差异,是引导污染密集型产业转移和产业空间布局变化的重要因素;生态环保政策通过产业结构调整和空间布局的变化对投资、企业生产、劳动者消费等产生影响从而显著影响就业人数和就业结构,改变技能劳动、非技能劳动的要素配置特征,并对地区和产业带来差异化影响;生态环保政策带来的产业结构调整和转移等变化,对贸易量和贸易结构都会产生重要影响。     

风电发展从政策调整寻求出口

在过去数年里，我国出现了多次严重的电力短缺。同时，由于约70%的电力来自火力发电，引发了历史上最为严峻的空气污染。目前煤碳价格不断攀升、资源环境压力继续加重，风电正成为一种具有实质意义的替代能源。     

中国环境战略与政策发展进程、特点及展望

本文系统回顾了中国环境战略与政策的发展进程,总结了中国环境战略与政策的特点及变化特征,并进一步提出新时期中国环境保护战略与政策的推进方向。中国环境战略与政策与经济社会发展同步,主要分为探索起步阶段(1972—1983年)、初创建立阶段(1984—1991年)、框架完善阶段(1992—2002年)、提升发展阶段(2003—2012年)、改革突破阶段(2013年至今)五个阶段,而随着中国环境战略与政策的发展,环境战略理念与环境政策导向都发生了转变。文章指出,未来中国环境保护战略与政策要应对新情况、解决新问题,需着眼于满足人民群众美好生活的需求,重视推动制度重构和绿色转型,推动走上生态优先、绿色发展的新路,强化制度政策的内生动力,加强政策统筹协同。     

国外促进生物质能开发利用的立法政策及对我国的启示

<正>生物质能是蕴藏在生物质内的能量。生物质是地球上分布最广泛的物质之一,包括所有动物、植物、微生物及其排放、代谢的物质。因此,生物质能来源非常广泛,包括薪柴、牲畜粪便、制糖作物、城市垃圾和污水、水生植物等。与传统能源相比,生物质能具有分布广、种类多、价格低、可再生、二氧化碳排放量低等优势,它是唯一可运输并储存的可再生能源。目前,生物燃气、生物液体燃料等生物质能源在德国、巴西、美国等国家已实现规模化生产和应用,生物质能已经成为仅次于煤炭、石油和天然气的世界第四大     

Reforming the CDM for sustainable development: lessons learned and policy futures

The Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) has successfully demonstrated that market-based mechanisms can achieve some cost effective emissions reductions in developing countries. However the distribution of CDM projects has been extremely uneven across countries and regions, and a few technologies and sectors have dominated the early stages of CDM experience. This has caused some to question whether the CDM has fallen short of its potential in contributing to sustainable development. We review the broad patterns of CDM project approvals and evaluate 10 CDM projects according to their sustainability benefits. The difficulty of defining “sustainable development” and the process of defining criteria by individual non-Annex 1 governments has meant that sustainable development concerns have been marginalized in some countries. Given these observed limitations, we present possible CDM policy futures, focusing on the main proposals for a post-2012 climate regime. Five options for enhancing the sustainable development benefits in the CDM are discussed, including proactive approaches to favour eligibility of emission reduction projects which ensure such co-benefits.     

Integrating mitigation and adaptation into climate and development policy: three research questions

The potential for developing synergies between climate change mitigation and adaptation has become a recent focus of both climate research and policy. Presumably the interest in synergies springs from the appeal of creating win–win situations by implementing a single climate policy option. However, institutional complexity, insufficient opportunities and uncertainty surrounding their efficiency and effectiveness present major challenges to the widespread development of synergies. There are also increasing calls for research to define the optimal mix of mitigation and adaptation. These calls are based on the misguided assumption that there is one single optimal mix of adaptation and mitigation options for all possible scenarios of climate and socio-economic change, notwithstanding uncertainty and irrespective of the diversity of values and preferences in society. In the face of current uncertainty, research is needed to provide guidance on how to develop a socially and economically justifiable mix of mitigation, adaptation and development policy, as well as on which elements would be part of such a mix. Moreover, research is needed to establish the conditions under which the process of mainstreaming can be most effective. Rather than actually developing and implementing specific mitigation and adaptation options, the objective of climate policy should be to facilitate such development and implementation as part of sectoral policies. Finally, analysis needs to focus on the optimal use and expected effectiveness of financial instruments, taking into account the mutual effects between these instruments on the one hand, and national and international sectoral investments and official development assistance on the other.     

地下水渗流沉降的三维耦合模型及程序的研制

研制可合理模拟预测基坑降水过程中引起地面沉降的计算机程序,并提出最优化降水方案.基于三维全耦合数值模型,笔者开发了GWS软件.GWS软件是以比奥固结理论为基础,将土体的非线性特征及土的渗透性随应力状态的动态变化考虑进去,通过耦合地下水渗流场和土体应力场进行模拟预测基坑降水过程中渗流场及地面沉降的变化.以一个实际基坑降水工程为例,经GWS软件计算得出5口井联合抽水方案,后续工程证明此方案正确、可靠.以三维全耦合数值理论为基础的GWS软件,可以为基坑降水工程引起的地下水渗流场变化及地面沉降量提供可靠的预测.     

Conducting and delivering integrated research to influence land-use policy: salinity policy in Australia

Researchers can find the process of engaging with policy to be both rewarding and frustrating. In the context of land-use policy, we discuss various aspects of the research-policy nexus, including the various influences of research and policy on land use, the adoption of research results by policy makers, differences between policy and research, and the roles that researchers can play in policy. We present a case study from Australia in which a range of research into land use was integrated to develop an investment framework for policy makers and natural resource managers. We conclude that, to enhance their influence on land-use policy, researchers should strive to: understand the policy maker's perspective, practice excellent communication, be solution oriented, find a champion, avoid appearances of vested interest, and be simple, patient, persistent, resilient, responsive and timely.     

The growth discourse,growth policy and sustainable development: two thought experiments

This paper addresses three aspects of ‘growth’: the discourse, the policy, and the impacts. The growth discourse claims that the central factor for social, economic, political and environmental progress is economic growth – it is assumed to create wealth, and provide the necessary means for social and environmental purposes. On the basis of the growth discourse, different growth policies can be derived, based on different economic and political ideologies.In order to reveal the implications of de facto degrowth, two thought experiments are conducted, for physical and economic end-to-growth strategies. The latter is capable of meeting environmental objectives, but implies significant social tensions and hardships and calls for transition strategies consisting of carefully designed steps.     

Pursuing an integrated development and climate policy framework in Africa: options for mainstreaming

Climate change presents a major threat to the prospects for sustained economic development in Africa. In spite of this, climate change concerns do not feature prominently in the implementation of national and regional development programmes. The present paper identifies the likely trade-offs and synergies that may emerge from an integrated ‘development-climate’ approach to policy making. Also, the paper presents the case for the formulation and evaluation of an integrated policy approach based on four principle criteria, including; long-term environmental effectiveness, equity considerations, cost-effectiveness and the institutional compatibility of the policy combinations. What is more? The paper suggests specific options for mainstreaming climate change adaptation and mitigation in various sectoral development agenda such as; agricultural intensification, poverty eradication, rural development, urban renewal, energy security of supply and trade. Given the wide divergence of socio-economic systems and the peculiar challenges faced by individual countries in the continent, further research is required on robust country-specific strategies for pursuing an integrated development-climate policy framework.     

Matching knowledge brokering strategies to environmental policy problems and settings

The benefits of utilizing intermediaries to broker understanding between environmental scientists and policy makers have become widely touted. Yet little is known about the tasks boundary spanners undertake to develop environmental policy solutions and how these tasks fit into frameworks intended to advance public policy decision making. Such frameworks may be constructed to aid decision makers in differentiating between the types of environmental policy issues that confront them or the policy settings in which they are operating. Consequently, this paper examines how six different knowledge brokering strategies; informing, consulting, matchmaking, engaging, collaborating and building capacity might be employed in responding to different types of environmental policy problems or policy settings identified in decision aiding frameworks. Using real world examples, four frameworks are reviewed. They are; Lindquist's [Lindquist, E.A., 1988. What do decision models tell us about information use? Knowledge in Society 1 (2), 86–111; Lindquist, E.A., 1990. The third community, policy inquiry, and social scientists. In: Stephen Brooks, S., Gagnon, A. (Eds.), Social Scientists, Policy and the State. Praeger, New York; Lindquist, E.A., 2001. Discerning policy influence: framework for a strategic evaluation of IDRC-Supported research] decision regimes, Turnhout et al.’s [Turnhout, E., Hisschemoller, M., Eijsackers, H., 2007. Ecological indicators: between the two fires of science and policy. Ecological Indicators 7 (2), 215–228] science policy typology, Holling's [Holling, C.S., 1995. What barriers? What bridges? In: Gunderson, L.H., Holling, C.S. (Eds.), Barriers and Bridges to the Renewal of Ecosystems and Institutions. Columbia University Press, New York, pp. 3–34] adaptive cycle and Kurtz and Snowden's [Kurtz, C.F., Snowden, D.J., 2003. The new dynamics of strategy: sense-making in a complex and complicated world. IBM Systems Journal 42 (3), 462–483] Cynefin domains. For the different problem types or policy settings described in the decision aiding frameworks primary knowledge brokering strategies are identified. While the frameworks differ in their conceptual constructions, the applicability of specific knowledge brokering strategies serve as a commonality across particular problem types and policy settings.