Making central-local relations work:Comparing America and China environmental governance systems

The challenge of making central requirements work at local levels is a common problem for environmental governance throughout the world. Countries can learn from one another's approaches, but must understand the local context in which they are set. This paper compares the features of the China and US environmental governance systems that need be understood by those working between the systems. Key features include: (1) common values which shape the environmental governance choices in both countries, but which may have different practical meanings in each country; (2) America's common law-based environmental governance system, and China's civil law system, which involves plan(s) as well as law; (3) America's Federal central-local system, and China's unitary central local system. This paper concludes by suggesting areas in which further comparative understanding may be of value, including: (1) better understanding of the role of plan and law in China's governance system; (2) comparing the American Federal-state agreement system for implementation of environmental law with the China central-local system of target responsibility agreements for plan implementation; (3) improving understanding of nongovernmental resources needed to assure compliance with environmental laws and plans; (4) identifying institutions that can coordinate central-local and cross-border environmental governance.     

有效防灾减灾体系新构建——从灾害共同体走向责任共同体和伦理共同体

中国幅员辽阔,人口众多,灾害多发,因此自然灾害问题对中国来说无疑具有更为重要的意义。结合对自然灾害的科学研究、应对管理以及深层的伦理思考,我们已经形成了灾害共同体,并且,在应对自然灾害上正在逐渐走向责任共同体和伦理共同体。     

企业环境责任评价体系及成果应用分析

随着环境保护部近年来众多环保举措的提出,企业的环境责任研究引起了学者和相关政府机构的重视。企业环境责任评价有利于提高企业环保意识和规范企业的环境行为,但目前仍缺乏相关机构对企业环境责任评价体系的独立研究和实践。本文通过对国内外企业环境责任的研究现状进行分析,引入了企业环境责任评价的必要性;在相关概念界定的基础上构建了企业环境责任评价指标体系,最后对评价成果的应用进行了探讨和研究。     

电力企业安全生产党政责任指标体系构建及量化研究

根据“党政同责、一岗双责、失职追责”的安全生产责任落实要求,为了划清电力企业行政正职与党组织负责人安全生产责任,分析电力企业安全生产责任研究现状,结合电力行业特点,设计电力企业党政安全生产责任指标体系,应用层次分析法确定责任体系指标权重。结果表明:以电力企业党政安全生产责任指标体系为基础得到的党政责任权重并不相同,行政正职所占权重明显大于党组织负责人,其中,安全宣传教育活动全员参与率为党组织负责人责任落实首要指标,重特大生产安全事故发生情况为行政正职最重要的指标。应通过明确党政安全生产责任侧重点,实现权责对等,达到同责要求。     

Firm ownership structure impact on corporate social responsibility: evidence from austerity U.K.

Corporate social responsibility (CSR) has become an increasingly important sustainable development issue in U.K. The main contribution of this study is to examine how firm ownership structure impacts good corporate governance and CSR in U.K. during austerity conditions. Following the financial crisis of 2007–2008, the U.K. government introduced austerity conditions which impacted firm CSR activities. From the initial sample of more than 250 firms, 50 consistently remain listed on the FTSE4good index during 2008–2012 and are analysed. The definition of CSR distinguishes voluntary and mandatory CSR construct. Findings indicate Board ownership structure and satisfactory firm performance impact on the level of voluntary CSR. Board ownership results suggest increased institutional and non-CEO shareholdings support a higher level of voluntary CSR engagement, whilst increased CEO shareholdings lead to a lower level of investment in voluntary CSR. In terms of satisfactory firm performance, results suggest positive attainment discrepancy supports a higher level of voluntary CSR, whereas greater potential organisational slack leads to a lower level of voluntary CSR investment. Effective governance and voluntary CSR association is more pronounced under conditions of high attainment discrepancy and low organisational slack. The findings suggest implications for adapting firm decision-making latitude and government policy between austerity and prosperity conditions.     

"扩大生产者责任"原则及其在循环经济发展中的作用

循环经济是我国实现“走新型工业化道路”的具体实践模式,是有效协调我国社会进步、经济发展、资源利用与环境保护的重要手段。“扩大生产者责任”（EPR）原则符合循环经济的基本理念,是实现循环型社会的主要政策工具。从“扩大生产者责任”原则的目的和定义入手,指出扩大生产者责任是手段而不是目的。鉴于生产者在产品生命链中的核心作用。扩大生产者责任可以有效地实现废弃产品回收责任在不同利益群体之间的分配,实现产品废弃物回收成本的最小化,从根本上改变现有的生产和生活摸式。     

关于全社会安全生产责任制的探讨

根据我国现行的安全生产管理体制和“为官一任 ,确保一方平安”的指导思想 ,从行政管理角度 ,提出全社会的安全生产责任制的概念 ,并详细阐述全社会安全生产责任制的具体内容、实施细则和责任界定原则。在全社会安全生产责任制中 ,着重强调安全生产领导责任制 ,并提出各级政府领导和企事业单位法人代表的安全责任———安全行政责任、安全法律责任、安全经济责任和安全社会责任     

International aspects of recycling of electrical and electronic equipment: material circulation in the East Asian region

This article examines the present circumstances of recycling of end-of-life electrical and electronic equipment discarded in Japan from the domestic and international viewpoints of material circulation. It is pointed out that some of the discarded items are absorbed into an invisible flow by informal economic activities, being exported in the form of secondhand equipment and secondary materials. Since the equipment has a pollution potential as well as a resource potential, it is anticipated that the pollution potential may possibly be realized if the equipment is mishandled at recycling plants in developing countries. To reduce the invisible flow as much as possible and to reduce the pollution potential from diffusion in developing countries, a policy tool such as extended producer responsibility should be applied to retailers of the equipment, as well as to producers.     

Corporate social responsibility: sustainable water use

Freshwater scarcity is no longer limited to sub-Saharan developing countries; also in Western society, access to unlimited amounts of freshwater is not assured at all times. It has been argued - and laid down in many national legal systems - that access to freshwater is a basic human right. What if corporate freshwater use threatens to interfere with this human right? The main focus of the article is to explore the role of today’s companies in relation to freshwater. A number of tools have been developed to attend to the necessity to reduce corporate use of freshwater. The article discusses specialised water reporting instruments such as the 2007 Global Water Tool and the ‘water footprint’ calculation method. In addition, attention is paid to a CERES report (2010) revealing that the majority of the 100 world’s leading companies in water-intensive industries still has weak management and disclosures of water-related risks and opportunities. To obtain concrete information about corporate water strategies and practices, an explorative analysis was conducted on 20 Dutch multinational companies. The article highlights various innovative practices. In sum, it is demonstrated that companies are expected to bear responsibility for their impact on water resources, in particular when it influences public access to water in areas with freshwater scarcity and/or weak government. Notwithstanding the critical conclusions of the CERES report, it is interesting to see an evolution in corporate research concerning sustainable water use and the development of greener products and greener ways of production.     

环境刑事责任的实现

本文从环境刑事法律责任在环境刑法中的地位入手,对我国环境刑事责任的理论研究作了分析,指出我国环境刑事责任实现存在的问题,并在此基础上提出完善我国环境刑事责任实现的对策。