Press Briefings in International Climate Change Negotiations

Press conferences are an important element of a government's communication strategy at climate change summits. From a theoretical perspective, press conferences should serve two main functions: exerting pressure in negotiations and informing the public. These functions correspond to two logics of action: a logic of consequence where governments use press conferences as negotiation tools and a logic of appropriateness where governments organize press conferences to increase transparency. Based on new data from the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change archives, we find limited support for these two logics of action. Neither democracies, which, we argue, are more likely to follow a logic of appropriateness, nor vulnerable countries, which are more likely to follow a logic of consequence, organize systematically more press conferences. Other factors, such as capacity and a government's function in the negotiation structure, seem to play a more important role.     

金融危机下民营制造业可持续发展路径与政府责任

制造业仍然是中国国民经济的支柱产业.金融危机对外向型的中国制造业造成了严重的冲击,应对危机的根本途径是在提高国际竞争力和承担社会责任之间取得平衡,走可持续发展道路.在中国制造业中,民营企业已经占据主体地位,但是国际竞争力并不强.增强民营制造业企业的国际竞争力是我国制造业乃至整个国民经济摆脱困境的必然选择.目前,我国民营制造企业虽有一定发展,但总体上还处于国际分工价值链的低端,"硬竞争力"和"软竞争力"都明显不足,既受到技术、资金的硬件限制,又没有形成优秀的品牌和企业文化.要提高其国际竞争力,既取决于民营制造企业自身的努力,又要靠政府提供有利的发展环境.民营制造业企业要自主创新、以质取胜、加强管理,并且要增加社会责任感.政府需要在准入条件、融资环境和税收环境方面提供支持.     

An international registration and tracking system for greenhouse gas emissions trading: elements,possibilities, problems and issues for further discussion

International emissions trading under the Kyoto Protocol or an alternative international regime need a registration system to prevent the creation of fake emission permits. We suggest a two-tier system consisting of an International Registry (IR) and a set of national registries. National registries have to adhere to a set of minimum standards. The IR maintains accounts for countries and private entities. The latter would thus be ensured against expropriation. We suggest that permits should become fungible across all Kyoto Mechanisms, and are allocated a serial number to allow tracking. The IR should collect fees for adaptation and administration. It should also be charged with reallocation of emission budgets owing to various causes, enforcing of eventual caps, and discounting of permits owing to non-compliance. We discuss the registration process and a timetable for the set-up of the registries. Copyright © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Seasonal variation of organochlorine contaminants in bonito (Sarda sarda L. 1758) and anchovy (Engraulis encrasicolus L. 1758) in Black Sea region, Turkey

The concentrations of indicator polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and organochlorine insecticides were determined in bonito (Sardasarda L. 1758) and anchovy (Engraulisencrasicolus L. 1758) from the Black Sea, Turkey. Concentrations of total indicator PCBs ranged between <1-17.0 in bonito, and <1-17.5 ng/g fresh weight in anchovy, and total of 1,1,1-trichloro-2,2-bis-chlorophenyl-ethane and its metabolites’ (DDTs) concentrations ranged between 13.4-26.3, and 2.96-19.0 ng/g fresh weight in bonito and anchovy respectively. PCB 52, p,p′-DDE and endosulfan (α + β) were found dominant in both of the fish species. Except endosulfan, and some DDT metabolites, none of the studied organochlorine pesticides was detected in the fish samples. Concentrations of PCBs in anchovy were found higher than those in bonito, whereas DDT and endosulfan concentrations were found similar in both of the fish species. All of the fish samples had residue concentrations below the maximum residue limits (MRL) recommended by FAO/WHO Codex Alimentarius Commission.     

大力发展循环经济 抢占国际竞争高地

中国在后国际金融危机时代要保持国民经济持续稳定快速增长,必须大力发展循环经济,全面提升国际竞争力。中国经济所处的发展阶段决定了不仅要在包括战略性新兴产业的高新技术领域抢占国际竞争的制高点,更要在国内市场需求快速增长的传统产业领域,通过自主创新抢占国际竞争的制高点。     

环境规制会影响产业集中度吗?:一个经验研究

作为刻画产业结构的重要指标之一——产业集中度,一直受到国内外学者的广泛重视,但鲜见有学者研究环境规制会对产业集中度带来何种影响。为了对此进行研究,本文以我国工业部门1996-2006年的数据为样本,首先计算出产业集中度(CR4和CR8)水平,并运用面板数据分析方法,在控制相关变量的基础上,研究了环境规制对产业集中度带来的影响,得到以下结论:(1)在不考虑其他控制变量时,环境规制变量对产业集中度产生不显著的正向促进作用,但随着控制变量的逐步引入,环境规制变量的显著性水平逐步提高,模型总体拟合效果趋于优化;(2)同时,进入退出壁垒、利润率水平、经济干预政策和规模经济程度四个控制变量也会对产业集中度产生显著的正向推动作用。因此,适度强化环境规制水平,不仅有利于保护环境,优化资源配置,淘汰落后产能,解决结构性产能过剩,而且有利于提升产业集中度,增强我国企业在国际上的竞争力。     

基于“可持续性”要素的比较优势理论拓展

比较优势是不同国家生产同种产品的机会成本差异。传统理论认为,形成比较优势的机会成本主要为生产成本,而"可持续性"是一种代际公共品,耗费"可持续性"要素的机会成本是代际成本,即现在使用某(些)要素所放弃的未来使用之可能带来的纯收益。因此,不同国家的可持续性差异体现为代际成本差异,"可持续性"是塑造一国比较优势的新要素。若中国对外贸易过度依靠当代所具有的劳动力价格低廉和环境规制政策宽松所塑造的劳动力比较优势和环境比较优势,从长期看是不可持续的。通过代际成本内在化,可逐步实现对外贸易发展的短期理性与长期理性的统一。进而言之,中国需要妥善处理贸易增长与各种稀缺要素消耗之间的关系,平衡贸易增长与可持续发展的关系,当今的贸易与未来的贸易需寻求某种总量和结构上的均衡。     

Aligning Climate Policy with National Interest: Disengagements with Nationally Appropriate Mitigation Actions in South Africa

Nationally Appropriate Mitigation Actions (NAMAs) were proposed as a policy framework that could provide middle ground for meeting both the development and mitigation objectives in developing countries. While South Africa engaged actively with the NAMA terminology in the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change negotiations, its engagement at the domestic level has been rather lacklustre. This presents an interesting paradox. The paper studies the interplay of international norms embodied in NAMAs with South Africa's domestic policy process. Disengagement and contestation around NAMAs in South Africa is played out at three stages: decision-making stage where the symptoms surrounding this contestation first emerge; policy formulation stage where NAMAs have to not only align with the National Development Plan but also compete with a predilection for domestically familiar terminology of flagships under the national climate policy; and finally the broader agenda-setting stage of policy process, where NAMAs have to prove useful in not only pursuing the developmental state agenda but also in tackling the underlying material factors that represent country's economic dependency on fossil fuels. NAMAs faced combined resistance from ideas and interests in various degrees at all these stages resulting in their disengagement.     

Remedies for loss and damage caused by climate change from the dimension of climate justice

Adverse consequences to the ecological system and human health caused by impacts potentially attributable to climate change have already drawn great and widespread concern of many scientists and international organizations. However, we still have a hard time determining exactly the impact of climate change on the environment or the damage that climate change inflicts on countries comprising small islands or low-lying lands in light of today’s science and technology. The progress for dealing with the issue of loss and damage has been struggling for a long time from the beginning to the present. In this paper, the author begins by summarizing talks on the concept and the positions of commentators. The author is proposing that the development of future climate negotiations and rule-making process be based on global climate justice as a standard for measuring value. Also, the author proposes that a holistic view of climate justice be established. Generally, three aspects of climate justice can be derived. First, the dimension of human rights protection shows that protection of fundamental human rights is a logical precondition if small-island and low-lying countries are able to achieve climate justice. Second, the definite and traditional concepts of distributive justice and corrective justice hold the view that the principle of common but differentiated responsibilities should be upheld as a basic standard of allocating rights and duties associated with climate change. Third, climate justice requires that any state follow the “no-harm principle,” which is regarded as an international customary rule. According to the principle, the obligation of states to prevent the use of their territory for causing trans-boundary harm to the environment shall be a violation of state responsibility, which incurs international punishment. Then we put forward three remedial approaches in light of climate justice, including the approach of State Responsibility (SR) based on the principles and rules of international human rights law and international environmental law. Based on clear rules, the judge can determine whether the damaging behavior or the damage perpetrated by a state party constitutes a state responsibility. The International Environmental Regulation (IEB), which means solving the problems within the framework established by the Conventions on Climate Change, takes advantage of the market mechanisms and incentives such as fund and insurance support system to relieve or compensate the loss and damage. International Environmental Dispute Settlement Mechanism (IEDSM), which includes the means such as consultations, negotiations, nonmandatory ways and international arbitration, international judicial ways to solve these disputes, functions as a procedural safeguard. As an active promoter of global climate governance, China should no doubt stand by the principle of Common But Differentiated Responsibility (CBDR) and take it as a basis for negotiations, actively strengthen the work of South-South cooperation, fulfill her international climate commitments without reservation, vigorously develop a low-carbon economy, and actively promote international negotiations on the subject of loss and damage.     

环境规制是否抑制了国际R&D溢出效应——以长江经济带为例

环境规制与技术进步转变方向的非一致性近年来受到较多关注,但学者们普遍忽视了开放经济条件下二者的关系。本文以1999~2013年长江经济带11个省市为研究样本,实证检验了环境规制对国际RD溢出效应的影响效果。研究表明:(1)环境规制强度和国际RD溢出水平呈现U型关系,即在长江经济带各省市,初始比较弱的环境规制强度抑制了国际技术溢出,但是随着环境规制强度的增加,国际RD溢出水平不断上升;(2)采用不同的环境规制方式会影响国际RD溢出和环境规制的U型关系,改变环境规制水平的拐点;(3)目前长江经济带各省市环境规制水平比较低,大多处于U型左侧。最后本文依据上述结论提出了相应的政策建议。