Reflections on network governance in Africa's forestry sector

International forestry governance is an integral part of the global policy debates on how to prevent deforestation, illicit extraction, and unsustainable timber practices. Africa is an important producer of timber, yet the region is beset by a lack of capacity and other governance challenges in the management of its forestry sector. We employ a network governance analysis to examine the extent to which the evolution and operation of the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) and la Commission des Forêts d'Afrique Centrale (COMIFAC) have addressed governance challenges. We assess the strengths and weaknesses of these two leading examples of international forestry governance by introducing recent evidence and insights from Africa. We conclude with a policy‐relevant discussion of how the FSC and COMIFAC might enhance authority, legitimacy, and effectiveness and improve forestry governance in Africa and other parts of the world.     

Sustainable development in the Baltic sea region. Governance beyond the nation state

After the end of the Cold War, the Baltic Sea Region (BSR) developed into a highly dynamic area of cross-border cooperation and transnational networking. Three forms of governance beyond the nation state and appropriate case studies are presented here: (1) the Helsinki Convention as an international regime; (2) Baltic 21, the world's first regional Agenda 21, as an international policy network; (3) the Union of the Baltic Cities (UBC) as a transnational network. The achievement of sustainable development in the BSR undoubtedly requires a fruitful combination of national governance and these forms of international and transnational governance. In this respect, international policy networks, such as Baltic 21, and transnational networks, such as the UBC, promise to provide new approaches that can complement international and intergovernmental cooperation between nation states. Furthermore, it must also be taken into account that governance in the BSR will soon become embedded in European governance and lead to the Europeanisation of the Baltic Sea Area.     

Sustainable development in the Baltic sea region. Governance beyond the nation state

After the end of the Cold War, the Baltic Sea Region (BSR) developed into a highly dynamic area of cross-border cooperation and transnational networking. Three forms of governance beyond the nation state and appropriate case studies are presented here: (1) the Helsinki Convention as an international regime; (2) Baltic 21, the world's first regional Agenda 21, as an international policy network; (3) the Union of the Baltic Cities (UBC) as a transnational network. The achievement of sustainable development in the BSR undoubtedly requires a fruitful combination of national governance and these forms of international and transnational governance. In this respect, international policy networks, such as Baltic 21, and transnational networks, such as the UBC, promise to provide new approaches that can complement international and intergovernmental cooperation between nation states. Furthermore, it must also be taken into account that governance in the BSR will soon become embedded in European governance and lead to the Europeanisation of the Baltic Sea Area.     

应对气候变化治理模式国别比较分析

应对气候变化是全球各国共同面临的严峻挑战,而不同国家由于其自身发展阶段、治理水平等存在差异,气候治理模式也呈现不同特征。本文系统梳理了英国、德国、法国、美国、欧盟、日本、韩国、印度、巴西、南非等全球主要经济体和排放体的气候政策体系与机构设置情况,将其气候治理模式分为五类：政策引领型、法律缺失型、整体完备型、部分行业先行型和政策协调双缺失型,并从政治体制和党派态度、资源禀赋和强势部门、战略定位与气候叙事、公众态度与国际事件四个维度进行了影响因素的分析。建议我国未来可在加快推进气候立法、充分发挥制度优势、形成中国特色治理方案、推动建立公平合理互利共赢国际治理体系、落实完善“1+N”政策体系等方面加强工作部署,提升应对气候变化治理水平,促进“双碳”目标尽早实现。     

Sub-national level of participation in international environmental cooperation: the role of Shiga Prefecture for Lake Biwa environment in Japan

From a state-centric view, sub-national level of participation at the international level can be only feasible if it is an active part of national policy. In the case of Shiga prefectural government's initiative for international lake-environmental cooperation, however, sub-national actors came to see themselves as direct players in the absence of national policy. This study examines under what conditions and in what ways such sub-national level of participation takes place by conducting a case study of Shiga's collaboration with the United Nations Environmental Programme (UNEP) over lake-environment risk reduction. The article finds that the process of Shiga's participation in transnational governance will have less chance of being duplicated effectively in other Japanese sub-national governments. Shiga's cooperation with the UNEP was primarily driven by the ad hoc bottom-up political mobilisation of the sub-national actors. In general, without institutionalised channels for sub-national governments to participate in the regional/international level, sub-national governments need to mobilise resources on such an ad hoc basis and only pioneering sub-national actors are capable of effectively engaged on unfamiliar territory with the formation process of transnational governance.     

Human Rights Against Land Grabbing? A Reflection on Norms,Policies, and Power

Large-scale transnational land acquisition of agricultural land in the global south by rich corporations or countries raises challenging normative questions. In this article, the author critically examines and advocates a human rights approach to these questions. Mutually reinforcing, policies, governance and practice promote equitable and secure land tenure that in turn, strengthens other human rights, such as to employment, livelihood and food. Human rights therefore provide standards for evaluating processes and outcomes of transnational land acquisitions and, thus, for determining whether they are ethically unacceptable land grabs. A variety of recent policy initiatives on the issue have evoked human rights, most centrally through the consultation and negotiation of the Voluntary Guidelines on the Responsible Governance of Tenure of Land, Fisheries and Forests concluded in 2012. However, a case of transnational land appropriation illustrates weak host and investor state enforcement of human rights, leaving the parties to in interaction with local groups in charge of protecting human rights. Generally, we have so far seen limited direct application of human rights by states in their governance of transnational land acquisition. Normative responses to transnational land acquisition—codes of conduct, principles of responsible agricultural investment or voluntary guidelines—do not in themselves secure necessary action and change. Applying human rights approaches one must therefore also analyze the material conditions, power relations and political processes that determine whether and how women and men can secure the human rights accountability of the corporations and governments that promote large-scale, transnational land acquisition in the global south.

     

跨国公司环境治理机制研究——以“供应链法”域外适用为依归

欧美诸国近年来相继推行的“供应链法”是完善跨国公司环境治理机制的新路径，但存在侵犯主权独立等诸多隐忧。本文以加强跨国公司环境治理为出发点，探讨了跨国公司母国“供应链法”域外适用机制的理论依据及实践经验。并从我国立场出发提出，鉴于“环境权”与“其他人权”存在法理差异及避免政治争议考量，我国学者和相关企业应当在国际层面积极呼吁将环境问题与其他人权问题分开处理。同时，我国相关部门应当吸取“供应链法”域外适用机制的有利经验，实现从行业协会引导到政府部门主导，从软法到硬法，逐步建立和完善我国跨国公司治理的国内法域外适用机制。最后，我国主管部门应当尽早颁行《阻断外国法律与措施不当域外适用办法》的配套实施机制，以期将他国法律政治化域外适用对我国主权的不利影响降至最低。     

基于区块链的跨域环境合作治理研究

跨域环境合作治理是新时代生态文明体制改革的重要方向,也是国家区域发展战略的重要目标。传统跨域环境治理实践呈现"权威达标型治理"的运作逻辑,在取得区域环境质量改善的同时,难免存在"人工失灵""不稳定性""弱激励性"等局限困境。为此,本文建议,基于区块链"去中心性""强信任化""高共享化"等优势特征,新时代推进跨域环境合作治理应建立全域化环境信息系统,构建协商化合作组织平台,实施精准化联合防控行动,塑造共赢化生态发展格局。     

Special section: advancing the role of cities in climate governance – promise,limits, politics

This special issue contributes to scholarly debates about the role of cities in global climate governance, reflecting on the promise, limits, and politics of cities as agents of change. It takes an empirically-informed approach drawing on multiple diverse geographical and political contexts. Overall, the special issue aims to stimulate reflection and debate about where understanding and practice needs improvement to advance the role of cities in global climate governance. Key questions that are addressed in the special issue include: To what extent do real world experiences confirm or disconfirm the high expectations of cities as agents and sites of change in addressing global climate change as expressed in urban climate governance literature? In what ways do internal political dynamics of cities enable or constrain urban climate governance? How is climate governance in cities enabled and constrained by interactions with broader governance levels? In what ways can climate governance in cities be advanced through critical attention to the previous issues?     

全球气候治理背景下中国气候金融发展的挑战和应对

气候金融是全球气候治理的重要基础和关键要素。国际政治局势的变动和《巴黎协定》的签订使得全球气候治理格局发生了重大转变。文章基于这一时代背景和国际气候金融发展趋势,从气候金融政策发展、气候金融机构及其产品和服务、气候金融风险管理三个角度梳理中国气候金融发展现状和内外部障碍。基于此,文章提出了气候金融发展的中国应对策略,认为应健全政策体系,加强国际合作;扩大金融供给,完善行业体系;健全法规约束,提升管理水平。     

A case for urban liveability from below: exploring the politics of water and land access for greater liveability in Kampala,Uganda

ABSTRACT

Improving urban liveability and prosperity is commonly set as a priority in urban development plans and policy around the world. Several annual reports produced by international consulting firms, media, and global agencies rank the liveability of cities based on a set of indicators, to represent the quality of life in these cities. The higher is the ranking, the more liveable is the city. In this paper, we argue that such quantitative approaches to framing and addressing urban liveability challenges leave little room to reflect on people's experiences of this liveability, which cannot be expressed through numbers. To illustrate our argument, we draw on empirical evidence of urban liveability challenges in access to water and land in Kampala, the capital city of Uganda, ranked recently as the most liveable East African city by various global agencies and media outlets. By showing that increasing the number of water connections does not guarantee improved access to water and sanitation in the long run, first, we demonstrate how urban liveability challenges are tightly linked with land-title issues in the city. Second, we highlight the political game-playing between the central government, the opposition, the traditional leadership, and the slum dwellers in governance processes of service delivery. Finally, by arguing that urban liveability can be enhanced by broadening political participation in city development planning, we discuss some of the strategies that can be used by communities to make collective claims towards improving their quality of life and the environment.     

荷兰生态（有机）农业对上海农业发展的借鉴

安全高效、资源节约、环境友好型的生态农业生产技术,已成为国际农业领域研究和关注的热点;发展高效生态（有机）农业,以新的强度和效能为长三角和我国现代化农业发展作贡献,是上海社会主义新农村建设的重大战略,是上海现代农业发展的必由之路。荷兰生态（有机）农业发展提供了以下成功经验：以生态学原理指导农业生产,实现生产生态共荣;在农产品生产中应用HACCP理论,加强农业生产的过程控制和质量管理;通过制定良好农业技术规范（Eurep-GAP）,保障农业的可持续发展,保护生态环境。上海发展高效生态（有机）农业的对策建议：加强政策扶持,深化有机农业理论和技术研究,建立和规范与国际接轨的认证体系,以生态学的原理和原则指导农业生产和技术的发展。     

“十四五”生态环境保护国际合作思路与实施路径探讨

生态环境国际合作是构建人类命运共同体建设的重要内容。"十三五"时期,我国在推动生态文明建设取得显著成效的同时,生态环境保护国际合作取得积极进展。本文在分析生态环境保护国际合作现状、不足以及面临新形势的基础上,提出坚持底线思维,突出重点,精准对接,以我为主、以外促内等合作原则,建议"十四五"时期加强战略规划和引领,提升生态环境国际合作的地位和作用,以建设性姿态参与全球环境治理,努力实现国内环境治理、全球环境治理以及全球治理良性互动,提升生态环境国际合作在服务国家总体发展战略中的地位和水平。并为此提出五大重点举措:即打造绿色"一带一路"成为区域环境合作的平台高地;更具建设性加强我与周边国家双边及多边环境合作;坚决维护多边主义的立场,主动参与全球环境治理体系变革;助力擦亮绿色底色,全力支撑服务打赢污染防治攻坚战;加快能力建设形成生态环境国际合作与交流的大格局。     

Bridging the gaps for global sustainable development: A quantitative analysis

Global human progress occurs in a complex web of interactions between society, technology and the environment as driven by governance and infrastructure management capacity among nations. In our globalizing world, this complex web of interactions over the last 200 years has resulted in the chronic widening of economic and political gaps between the haves and the have-nots with consequential global cultural and ecosystem challenges. At the bottom of these challenges is the issue of resource limitations on our finite planet with increasing population. The problem is further compounded by pleasure-driven and poverty-driven ecological depletion and pollution by the haves and the have-nots respectively. These challenges are explored in this paper as global sustainable development (SD) quantitatively; in order to assess the gaps that need to be bridged.Although there has been significant rhetoric on SD with very many qualitative definitions offered, very few quantitative definitions of SD exist. The few that do exist tend to measure SD in terms of social, energy, economic and environmental dimensions. In our research, we used several human survival, development, and progress variables to create an aggregate SD parameter that describes the capacity of nations in three dimensions: social sustainability, environmental sustainability and technological sustainability. Using our proposed quantitative definition of SD and data from relatively reputable secondary sources, 132 nations were ranked and compared.Our comparisons indicate a global hierarchy of needs among nations similar to Maslow's at the individual level. As in Maslow's hierarchy of needs, nations that are struggling to survive are less concerned with environmental sustainability than advanced and stable nations. Nations such as the United States, Canada, Finland, Norway and others have higher SD capacity, and thus, are higher on their hierarchy of needs than nations such as Nigeria, Vietnam, Mexico and other developing nations. To bridge such gaps, we suggest that global public policy for local to global governance and infrastructure management may be necessary. Such global public policy requires holistic development strategies in contrast to the very simplistic north–south, developed–developing nations dichotomies.     

Chile's resource sectors

Chilean economic reforms, introduced in the 1970s and early 1980s, discarded decades of state intervention in the economy, but were accompanied by considerable economic pain and social stress from domestic and international sources. In the 1990s, Chile, supported by a competitive micro-economy, a stable macro-economy, strong linkages with the world economy and the return to democratic government, is exploiting its world-class resource sectors to propel economic growth in order to address social problems. However, the prospects for raising living standards in Chile and other resource-exporting developing countries are critically dependent on a favourable external environment.     

LIQUEFIED NATURAL GAS - SOME MYTHS DEBUNKED

With natural gas being flared in major producing countries in volumes that would more than satisfy the entire energy needs of developing Africa, world attention is focusing on ways of shipping this premium fuel from sources where it is in surplus to destinations where it is urgently needed. Development and successful operation of liquefied natural gas (LNG) systems provide the means for achieving the purpose. The author reviews six misconceptions that have caused energy planners to underestimate the potential of this new transportation mode. He concludes that, given the necessary financing, international LNG movements could reach some 18 billion cubic feet daily by 1985, representing a ten-fold jump in the traffic.     

Environmental and habitat management: the case of Ethiopia and Ghana

This article examines the environment and habitat management experiences of Ethiopia and Ghana in the postindependence period (1960–2000). Based on extensive archival research, semistructured focused interviews of environment and habitat officers of the World Bank, the United Nations System and the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) and personal professional field experiences, the paper argues that the uncritical adoption of externally generated discourses, narratives, policy guidelines, and strategies of environmental and habitat management has structured thought and action in both countries. The experience of both countries in defining and responding to environmental and human settlement management is explored from a political ecology perspective. The analysis indicates that both countries have essentially adopted a technocratic, state-centered, and unsustainable management strategy framework based on population control, poverty reduction, sustainable development, and capacity-building. It also suggests that international organizations such as the World Bank, INCN, and the United Nations system have been important sources of thought and action in both countries. Conversely, regional international organizations such as the Economic Commission for Africa, the Organization of African Unity and the African Development Bank have largely served as conduits for the diffusion of global discourses, narratives, policies and strategies. The need for adopting management policies and strategies that are based on principles of multiple engagement, decentralization, incentives, public education, and participation is underscored.     

Conference Report on United Nations Interregional Seminar on Computerized Mineral Title Management and Associated Databases

The United Nations Interregional Seminar on Computerized Mineral Title Management and Associated Databases which was held in North Africa from 26 November-7 December 1990, was convened by the United Nations Department of Technical Cooperation for Development (UN/DTCD), in conjunction with the United Nations Development Programme. The seminar was hosted by the Government of Morocco. More than forty participants from thirty-one developing countries in Africa, Asia, the Middle East, Central and Latin America, as well as international lecturers took part in the seminar. Representatives of government agencies, industry, universities, consultancy organizations and other United Nations agencies were also present as observers.     

The Power of Legitimation: The Role of Expert Networks in Global Environmental Governance

As part of the debate on the legitimacy of governance networks in global environmental politics, this article investigates the conditions under which policy solutions can be transferred worldwide as a result of a particular type of interaction within transnational expert networks and technical committees. To this end, the article hypothesises that policy solutions can be legitimised in governance networks meeting four cumulative criteria: participation, flexibility, horizontality and inclusiveness. This hypothesis is then tested by means of two heuristic case studies dedicated to the worldwide transfer of environmental standards via United Nations specialized agencies. The empirical work partly strengthens the validity of the hypothesis but also underscores the limits of legitimation strategies in the face of strong heterogeneity of interests. In such cases, environmental policy networks may adopt fairly “vertical” features and resort to classical bargaining and constraint strategies whereby compromises are exchanged and power asymmetries are mobilised.     

自然解决方案的国际经验及其对我国生态文明建设的启示

2019年9月召开的联合国气候行动峰会,确定自然解决方案为应对全球气候变化的重要行动领域,并由中国和新西兰担任牵头国家。近10年,自然解决方案理念发展迅速,联合国环境规划署和世界自然保护联盟等呼吁将自然解决方案作为实现全球可持续发展的核心手段,并提出了具有指导意义的相关标准。本文介绍了自然解决方案的概念、历程与标准,列举了自然解决方案在气候变化、流域修复、生物多样性保护和粮食安全等领域的应用案例,从标准规范、工程管理、体系建设等维度对自然解决方案与我国生态文明建设进行比较,最后提出了有效融合自然解决方案与我国生态文明建设的7条建议。