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.     

福建省农业自然资源持续利用探讨

本文分析了福建省农业自然资源利用中存在的突出问题及其形成原因,并根据持续发展新模式提出了持续利用的对策。     

Melanesian axiology,communal land tenure,and the prospect of sustainable development within Papua New Guinea

It is the contention of this paper that some progress in alleviating the social and environmental problems which are beginning to face Papua New Guinea can be achieved by supporting traditional Melanesian values through maintaining the customary system of communal land tenure. In accordance with this aim, I will proceed to contrast certain Western attitudes towards individual freedom, selfinterested behaviour, individual and communal interests and private ownership with attitudes and values expressed in the traditional Melanesian approach. In order to demonstrate the latter, I will briefly touch upon the phenomenon of wantokism and indicate how the Melanesian values associated with this concept find their locus in the system of customary communal ownership. Subsequently, I will describe how the emergence of a cash economy and the attachment to Western gadgetry and products have effected injury to the environment and undermined values which have previously maintained Melanesian social cohesion. While admitting that little can be done to eradicate the desire for cash and the products it can buy, I suggest that Melanesian communities and the environment itself would receive more protection if future development in Papua New Guinea embraced a system which incorporated certain of the traditional Melanesian values through the preservation of the communal form of land tenure. Ultimately, I suggest a way in which customary communal land tenure can be integrated into the established Anglo-Australian legal system.     

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.     

地方政府短期行为对环境管理的制约及其对策

经济体制转型期,地方政府的短期行为为给基层环境管理带来一系列负面影响,这是造成目前地方环境问题的重要因素之一。这个问题的存在,有思想、体制、管理、监督诸方面的原困,必须相应采取措施防止和克服地方政府短期行为对环境管理的制约。     

国际典型可持续发展指标体系分析与借鉴

可持续发展指标体系是表征可持续发展的一个重要工具。本文对有代表性的国际综合性指标体系包括UNCSD、IISD和UNECE-Eurostat-OECD TFSD等进行了对比分析,研究其在一定维度和主题下指标体系构建和指标选取的特点。比较分析了我国近年来绿色发展、生态文明建设和美丽中国建设等评价考核指标体系的指标选取存在的不足,提出了在新时期可持续发展理念下构建我国可持续发展指标体系的有关建议。     

论土地资源的永续利用

土地资源是最重要的自然资源,而土地资源的永续利用是实现社会、经济和生态可持续发展的基础。本文分析了土地资源永续利用的重要性,讨论了土地永续利用的概念、内涵、判据、利用方向和模式等内容,并在此基础上提出了实现我国土地资源永续利用的生态经济措施。     

利用清洁发展机制促进可持续发展

清洁发展机制（CDM）是《京都议定书》确定的实现温室气体减排目标的3种灵活机制之一。简要介绍了清洁发展机制的产生背景、核心内容、操作程序以及国内外CDM项目开发现状,进而从可持续发展战略的实施、外资利用、技术引进三个方面阐述了清洁发展机制对促进我国可持续发展的作用与意义,并对促进四川CDM项目开发提出了几点建议。