Good news for environmental self-regulation? Finding the right link

We investigate the stock market response to firm disclosure of positive environmental information and the link from that information to environmental outcomes. We classify environmental media releases by informational content and value relevance, and assess the abnormal stock returns of each type of event. While announcements of future environmental activities lead to the largest favorable stock market reactions, there is no guaranteed link from this type of information to environmental outcomes. Further analysis of the abnormal returns shows that the magnitude of the stock market reaction depends on firm financial characteristics across all event types rather than on firm environmental performance. Our results indicate that the ability for voluntary environmental information disclosure to induce environmental self-regulation is limited to the extent that firms are able to follow through with their announcements of planned environmental activities.     

徐州市景观生态调控途径

从全新的角度提出了城市景观生态调控的概念。在分析了徐州市景观现状和问题的基础上,根据调控理念和调控目标,从空间、技术、政策3个方面提出了4个调控途径10个调控措施,从而可以在一定程度上缓解徐州可持续发展中的景观生态瓶颈问题,并为其它城市解决景观问题提供借鉴。     

国内外环境管制问题研究综述

环境领域越来越多的管制法规引发了人们的极大关注,众多学者从不同角度研究了这些管制措施对经济社会以及世界经济和贸易的影响.系统回顾和梳理了国内外学者围绕环境管制与企业竞争力、国际贸易和国际投资、企业环境战略等方面的研究成果,以期为国内学者提供一些研究思路.     

The effect of environmental regulation on firms' competitive performance: the case of the building & construction sector in some EU regions

There is a considerable debate on the effects of environmental regulation on competitive performance. Based on survey data, this paper analyzesthe two main research questions, derived from literature, on the links between environmental regulation and competitiveness, by focusing on firms operating in the building and construction sector, i.e.: 1) whether environmental policy stringency affects the competitive performance of firms in the building and construction sector 2) and how a specific form of environmental regulation (direct regulation, economic instruments and soft instruments) affects this performance? By applying a regression analysis, we find that a more stringent environmental regulation, measured by inspection frequency, provides a positive impulse for increasing investments in advanced technological equipment and innovative products and on business performance. Moreover, a well-designed “direct regulation” appears to be the most effective policy instrument for prompting the positive impact of environmental policies on innovation and intangible performance while economic instruments do negatively affect business performance.     

Modelling coupled peach tree-aphid population dynamics and their control by winter pruning and nitrogen fertilization

Nitrogen fertilization and winter pruning are commonly used to control crop production in peach [Prunus persica (L.) Batsch] orchards. They are also known to affect the dynamics of Myzus persicae (Sulzer) (Homoptera: Aphididae) aphid populations via bottom-up regulation processes. Interactions between crops and pests can cause complex system behaviour in response to management practices. An integrated approach will therefore improve the understanding of the effects of these two cultural practices on aphid and peach performances.We developed a simulation model that describes the cultural control of interacting peach tree and aphid population dynamics. It uses the principles of common trophic models while gathering available knowledge and explicit assumptions on peach and aphid functioning and the effects of cultural practices.The model was able to qualitatively reproduce the system behaviour observed in the field. It accounted for actions and feedback such as stimulation of foliar growth by winter pruning, consecutive aphid population increase, subsequent damage to foliage, and partial compensatory growth of foliage. The model also reproduced low losses in fruit production due to aphid infestations. However, it called for further integration of ‘long-term’ effects. Analysis of the model showed the complexity of peach tree and aphid responses to leaf N × winter pruning interactions. Simulations indicated that fruit production losses remained low within a range of realistic values of leaf N and pruning intensity, whereas manipulating peach and aphid dynamics, their interactions and their relationships to practices could result in higher losses.The model is useful to evaluate the relevance of cultural practices for a bottom-up regulation of aphid dynamics in crop-pest management. After considering other control methods and fruit quality, it can be used to find a combination of practices that optimises trade-offs between fruit production and environmental conservation goals. A modelling approach that links crop growth and pest population dynamics and integrates management practice effects has strong potential for improving crop-pest management in an integrated crop production context.     

Investment in cleaner technology and signaling distortions in a market with green consumers

I analyze the pricing and investment behavior of a firm that signals the environmental attributes of its production technology through its price to uninformed environmentally conscious consumers. I then analyze the effect of change in environmental regulation on the signaling outcome and the firm's ex ante incentive to invest in cleaner technology. When regulation is weak, a firm signals cleaner technology through higher price; in this case, the firm earns lower profit when it has cleaner technology and thus, has no incentive to invest in cleaner technology. The price charged by the clean firm declines sharply beyond a critical level of regulation. When regulation is sufficiently stringent, the firm with cleaner technology charges lower price but earns higher signaling profit, and ex ante the firm has positive incentive to invest in cleaner technology. With weak regulation, the incentive of the firm to directly disclose its environmental performance rather than signal it through price is increasing in the level of regulation; the opposite holds when regulation is sufficiently stringent.     

新发展阶段中国矿山安全法规标准体系研究

为充分发挥立法的引领和推动作用,不断完善中国矿山安全法律法规体系,分析我国矿山安全领域的立法现状,借鉴美国矿山安全立法经验及启示,立足于我国矿山安全监管监察体制革新的新形势和新要求,提出了以《矿山安全法》为基本法,以行政法规、部门规章、监察手册和强制性标准为支撑的新发展阶段矿山安全法规标准体系,为中国矿山安全领域立法提...     

Quantitative method to determine the regional drinking water odorant regulation goals based on odor sensitivity distribution：Illustrated using 2-MIB

Taste and odor （T/O） in drinking water often cause consumer complaints and are thus regulated in many countries. However, people in different regions may exhibit different sensitivities toward WO. This study proposed a method to determine the regional drinking water odorant regulation goals （ORGs） based on the odor sensitivity distribution of the local population. The distribution of odor sensitivity to 2-methylisobomeol （2-MIB） by the local population in Beijing, China was revealed by using a normal distribution function/model to describe the odor complaint response to a 2-MIB episode in 2005, and a 2-MIB concentration of 12.9 ng/L and FPA （flavor profile analysis） intensity of 2.5 was found to be the critical point to cause odor complaints. Thus the Beijing ORG for 2-MIB was determined to be 12.9 ng/L. Based on the assumption that the local FPA panel can represent the local population in terms of sensitivity to odor, and that the critical FPA intensity causing odor complaints was 2.5, this study tried to determine the ORGs for seven other cities of China by performing FPA tests using an FPA panel from the corresponding city. ORG values between 12.9 and 31.6 ng/L were determined, showing that a unified ORG may not be suitable for drinking water odor regulations. This study presents a novel approach for setting drinking water odor regulations.     

大型水利水电工程实施占用耕地补偿制度的思考

本文在分析长江三峡工程用地特点的基础上。对大型水利水电工程实施耕地补偿制度中的问题和困难进行调查研究，认为应从新的视角来认识大型水利水电工程的耕地占补平衡问题。进而探索耕地补偿制度实施的新途径和新方式。应在耕地总量动态平衡政策适当调整的基础上．将“以地补地”和“缴费补地”的方式相结合。既通过土地整理．在提商土地质量的前提下增加耕地的有效面积：又要落实耕地开垦费．扶持库区的土地整理。从而使库区的耕地占补制度顺利实施。     

Industrial layout reconstruction,the role of local government and variation of pollution distribution in China

ABSTRACT

In recent years, high-polluting industries have been gradually shifted from the eastern developed regions to the central and western underdeveloped regions in China. Certain environmental regulations have been in place accordingly in various regions, but the pollution in the central and western regions has risen sharply. Based on the data of interprovincial panel in China from 2006 to 2015, this paper calculates high-pollution industry dynamic agglomeration index, environmental pollution agglomeration index and relative environmental regulation intensity index, and uses Generalized Method of Moments to carry out the regression analyses of the whole samples, regional heterogeneity and temporal heterogeneity. The results show that there is an inverted U-shaped relationship between relative environmental regulation and environmental pollution concentration in China. The concentration degrees of industrial wastewater pollution and industrial waste gas pollution are deepened, which are mainly caused by the transfer of highly polluting industries. However, the concentration of industrial solid waste pollution caused by the transfer is not obvious. Furthermore, the deepening of industrialization intensifies the concentration of regional environmental pollution. Environmental Kuznets Curve does exist in China, but it is not significant. The increase of labor cost and quality will reduce the concentration of environmental pollution.