A Report on the International Conference on Climate Policy after Marrakech: Towards Global Participation

The East-West Center convened the international conference on climate policy in Honolulu, Hawaii, on September 4–6, 2003. Sponsored by the Dutch Ministry of Housing, Spatial Planning and the Environment, the Japanese Ministry of the Environment, Industrial Technology Research Institute (Taiwan), and Institute for Global Environmental Strategies (Japan), this major event covered almost every important issue and featured perspectives from the most important parties and stakeholders in formulating and implementing climate policies and taking international climate negotiations further. It brought together a remarkable cross-section of world opinion on climate policy after Kyoto. This report provides a summary of each presentation and highlights discussions organized under the following six session headings: Session 1: Climate Change in Focus – From Science to Policy; Session 2: U.S. Climate Policy and Perspectives; Session 3: European Union Climate Policy and Perspectives; Session 4: Challenges for other Major Industrialized Countries; Session 5: Issues Related to Developing Countries; and Session 6: Panel Discussions: Where Do We Go from Here?.     

Estimation of heavy metal emission fluxes on the territory of the NIS

As the result of our research, the specific procedures to use emission factor methodology were developed and applied for trace metal emission evaluation into the atmosphere over the territory of the former Soviet Union. The existing data on heavy metal emissions were revised as background information from official sources and expert estimations. Source categories and different initial information as well as the concept of spatial emission distribution were defined and observed. The calculated atmospheric emissions of lead, cadmium and mercury were produced among the main source categories of 12 NIS countries for 1990, 1995 and 1997, using modified emission coefficients.Total cadmium emissions into the atmosphere from determined source categories were estimated as 388.4 tonnes in 1990 for the whole domain with reduction by up to 207.0 tonnes per year for 1997. Mercury emissions were estimated as equal to 303.2 tonnes in 1990 and 159.8 tonnes in 1997. Lead emission amounted to 24903.0 tonnes in 1990, and 9652.5 tonnes in 1997.The results of the evaluation demonstrated the general trends of atmospheric heavy metal emissions with a greater decrease during the first half of the 1990s followed later by the rather stable level to be explained by recession in industrial activity and fuel consumption in NIS in that period. The significant spatial variations of atmospheric emissions over vast territories are described based on the results of their distribution according to 1×1 degree grid with remarkably higher values in the location of industrial cities.     

Farm management indicators and farm typologies as a basis for assessments in a changing policy environment

This paper focuses on the assessment of farm management indicators and argues that typologies are a necessary tool for comprehensive environmental assessments. In the paper Andersen et al., [(2004a). Farming and the Environment in the European Community--using agricultural statistics to provide farm management indicators. Paper presented at OECD Expert meeting, March 2004, New Zealand. < http:webdomino1.oecd.org/comnet/agr/farmind.nsf/viewHtml/index/$FILE/Anderson_et_al.PDF> (1st of February 2006).] presented at the OECD expert meeting on farm management indicators in New Zealand in March 2004, a set of farm management indicators was presented in the framework of a typology of grazing livestock farming systems in the EU-15 (includes all Member States of the European Union before 2004). The present paper presents new results on farm management indicators within the framework of an extended typology for all farming sectors. It presents an environmentally oriented extension to the EU typology of farms currently used for assessing the situation of farming within the European Union. The extended typology is tested in relation to emerging policy issues such as environmental sustainability and rural viability by analysing some of the farm management indicators suggested in Andersen et al., [(2004a). Farming and the Environment in the European Community--using agricultural statistics to provide farm management indicators. Paper presented at OECD Expert meeting, March 2004, New Zealand. (1st of February 2006).]. Finally, recommendations in relation to the next generation EU farm typology are given.     

荷兰与欧盟环境培训考察报告

2002年5月19日至6月10日,荷兰鹿特丹住宅与城市发展研究学院(1HS)举办的中国市长、环保局长、专家环境管理与可持续发展培训班给我们一些有益的启示,西方国家的经验与政策对我国解决环境问题具有借鉴意义。     

欧盟臭氧污染监测现状及我国开展臭氧污染监测的建议

综述了欧盟臭氧前体物排放及地面臭氧污染监测的现状,分析了欧盟重视地面臭氧污染监测的原因及存在的主要问题.根据欧盟在地面臭氧污染监测方面的经验和做法,提出了加强我国地面臭氧污染监测的必要性和具体建议.     

Improving food security in Swaziland: The transition from subsistence to communally managed cash cropping

The Komati Downstream Development Project (KDDP), based upon the Maguga Dam has enabled 6,000 hectares of semi‐arid lowveld, in a region with low and highly variable rainfall to be converted from subsistence to irrigated commercial farming, mainly of sugar cane. This has transformed the Swazi sugar industry from one dominated by a small number of large‐scale commercial estates to one where more than 1,500 previously impoverished small‐scale Swazi farmers have been able to enter the industry by joining farmers’ associations and creating communally managed farms. Recent changes to the EU's Sugar Protocol have undermined the financial viability of the KDDP farms and undermined food security, especially for the poorest, due to the cut in sugar prices. However, some farmers’ associations have opted to keep some of their land as irrigated home gardens, rather than convert all their land to sugar cane. This model has improved food security at a time of low sugar prices and points to a more sustainable way of using water from large scale dams than the conventional model. It is argued that the EU should target support to members of the KDDP who have taken out large‐scale loans to pay for the in‐field infrastructure and encourage all farmers’ associations to adopt the food garden model. This would enable them to continue to benefit from the irrigation through improved production of subsistence crops, whilst they diversify their commercial production into novel markets.     

欧盟土壤环境评价监测项目及其对我国农用地质量监测的启示

＂十二五＂期间,我国国土资源调查评价的重点任务之一是建立农用地质量监测体系。当前我国农用地质量变化监测技术仍然处于研究探索阶段,欧盟土壤环境评价监测项目是较为成熟的监测项目,可为中国农用地质量监测工作提供借鉴。文章分别就欧盟土壤环境评价监测的相关研究和国内学者对农用地质量监测的研究进行了综述,认为欧盟土壤环境评价监测项目在指标选取、监测网络建立、数据更新技术等方面建立了较为成功的机制。未来中国农用地质量监测工作可在关注土壤环境质量、分类土壤退化原因、针对性地选取指标、应用DPSIR模型、确定监测点的方法、充分利用原有监测网络和监测数据等方面借鉴欧盟经验。     

安全生产是企业领导者的首要工作

本文结合鞍钢多年安全生产工作实践,从企业领导者的角度,阐述了安全生产在企业中的地位、作用及重要性,提出了一把手安全生产负责制的对策及实施方法,这对于提高企业领导者的安全素质,搞好企业的安全生产工作具有重要的指导作用。     

Biosafety principles for GMOs in the context of sustainable development

If genetically modified organisms are to contribute to welfare they must be considered in the context of sustainable development. Biosafety implies considering the environmental, economic and social dimensions of sustainable development. These dimensions can be interpreted through the principles of precaution, polluter pays and public participation. In this article, these key biosafety principles are operationalised and ways of implementing them in society are discussed. A comparison is made between the principles and the present EU law for deliberate release of GMOs. It is concluded that several improvements in EU policy are necessary to ensure sustainable development really is promoted.