The acceptability, personal outcome expectations, and expected effects of transport pricing policies

Acceptability and personal outcome expectations (i.e., the extent to which one expects to be better or worse off) of transport pricing policies were examined in relation to the expected effects of these policies on one’s own car use, congestion and environmental problems. Car users who commuted frequently by car and experienced congestion on a regular basis evaluated two pricing measures, which were mainly aimed at either decreasing congestion (by tolling at congested areas) or environmental problems (by a differential kilometre charge based on car mass). For the policy mainly aimed to reduce congestion, acceptability was higher and personal outcome expectations were more positive when respondents expected reductions in congestion when the policy was implemented. The policy aimed to reduce environmental problems was more acceptable and respondents expected to be better off in general when they expected reductions in environmental problems after its implementation. Expectations, both about a decrease in congestion and environmental problems were related to respondents’ personal outcome expectations of the policy mainly aimed to decrease environmental problems. We conclude that the acceptability of transport pricing policies are not necessarily low because car users expect negative effects on their car use, but rather because they are not be convinced that transport pricing policies will reduce congestion and environmental problems.     

The effects of pricing waste generation: A synthetic control approach

To internalize pollution externalities into household waste generation, Unit Pricing Systems (UPS) have been adopted worldwide. This paper evaluates the causal effects of a UPS on the disposal of municipal solid waste in Trento, Italy. Using a unique panel dataset of monthly waste generation in Italian municipalities, we employ the synthetic control method, which allows us to account for possible time-varying effects of unobservables. Our results show that the policy was effective, with a significant decrease of the priced waste stream, unsorted waste, by 37.5%. This effect seems to be largely driven by behavioral changes towards waste avoidance (−8.6%) and possibly by a smaller increase in recycling (+6.1%). By comparing these results to those obtained by a difference-in-differences approach, we show that failing to account for time-varying effects of unobservables may lead to a mismeasurement of policy effects.     

环境科学研究的新课题

本文就九十年代人类环境面临的新形势论述环境问题已不单纯是科学领域的问题,它与社会、经济、政治等方面的关系日益密切.保护全球环境是当前国际上紧迫的任务之一,我国在九十年代社会经济发展进入新的阶段,环境问题的解决,除了依靠不断增强的经济实力、立法和各种政策手段外,还主要依靠不断发展的科学技术.文章回顾了过去十五年环境科学研究的新进展,以及中国科学院、高等院校、环保科研部门等作出的成绩,在此基础上展望九十年代我国环境研究的新课题.     

论生态环境保护督察制度的完善

推进生态环境保护督察往纵深方向发展需要完善生态环境保护督察制度。生态环境保护督察制度建设具备政治支持、实践基础和制度铺垫等条件。完善生态环境保护督察制度建设以习近平生态文明思想为根本遵循,坚持党的领导,突出问题导向,充分发扬民主。应当完善生态环境保护督察领导小组及其办公室、生态环境保护督察组、生态环境部及其区域督察局等生态环境保护督察主体制度,明确生态环境保护督察组享有检查权、处置权、请求协助权、交办权、督察情况述评权、问责建议权等。完善生态环境保护督察制度应当对地方党委、政府及有关部门、党政领导干部落实中央生态文明建设的决策部署、执行生态环境保护法律法规、履行生态环境保护职能等开展督察。生态环境保护督察可以采取集中督察、"回头看"督察、专项督察、常态督察等形式。除常态督察外,生态环境保护督察主要包括督察准备、督察进驻和进行、督察意见和整改、督察结束、督察后处理等环节。     

环境行政违法行为中违法主体的认定

通过对几起环境行政违法行为中违法主体认定的案例分析,指出,随着市场经济的发展,企业的经济行为日趋复杂,企业环境管理模式日渐多样化,对环境行政违法行为中违法主体的认定,必须以事实为依据,以法律为准绳。     

区域生态学基本理论探索

全球经济一体化、区域发展一体化,以及生态服务转移引发的区域生态问题越来越受到人们的关注,区域生态问题也直接影响到区域的可持续发展.因此,构建一门针对区域生态问题的系统学科成为当务之急.本文基于生态学、地理学、经济学及其它相关学科理论,尝试从学科发展角度探讨建立区域生态学学科理论框架.文章提出区域生态学是研究区域生态结构、过程、功能,以及区域间生态要素耦合和相互作用机理的学科,生态介质是区域生态的联系纽带和核心要素.根据生态系统构成要素和当前人类活动,影响区域的突出生态介质有水、风和资源,通过这3种介质,分别形成流域、风域和资源圈3大类型生态区域.区域生态学的主要研究范畴和要点有：区域生态结构、过程与功能、区域生态完整性和生态分异规律、区域生态演变规律及其驱动力、区域生态承载力和生态适宜性、区域生态联系和生态资产流转,以及区域生态补偿和环境利益共享机制.     

水平衡模型及其在水价政策的应用

基于物质平衡模型,构建了经济系统水平衡模型及部门的水平衡模型,并利用水平衡模型核算A市工业和居民用水、排水的真实状况,评估水价政策的执行效果,以期为我国水价政策的制定、实施和完善提供参考.结果表明,循环用水具有节水和减排的双重效果:工业的用排比和无处理排水量远高于居民,A市工业水用排比是居民的2.9倍,工业无处理排水量是居民的3.6倍;对用水和排水监管不严,导致实际水费收入远低于应征水费收入.在2009年的水价标准下,A市少征收水费11802万元,有效的水价政策必须建立在严格监管的基础之上.     

基于博弈模型的水价策略与节水策略分析

在当前水资源浪费、用水效率较低的背景下,仍然有许多地区继续实行低水价政策,本文认为这是供水企业与用水企业以及政府水务部门相互博弈的结果。通过构建一个供水企业与用水企业的博弈模型,并采用演化博弈分析方法分析动态演化的结果,本文发现当前采用低水价的主要原因在于：供水企业制定水价时要同时考虑私人收益与公共节水收益,而高水价对经济产生的冲击成本不足以弥补高水价产生的公共节水收益与私人收益,从而导致有些地区供水企业不敢提高水价,一直采用低水价策略。进一步地,本文采用不完全信息动态博弈方法分析供水企业与政府关于水价的议定过程,发现提高水价对经济的冲击越大,且节水技术投入成本越大而节水的公共收益越小时,政府水务部门同意低水价的概率越大;反之,则同意高水价的概率越大。从博弈论的角度系统地分析了低水价产生的决策过程,可对提高水价、促进节约用水具有一定的指导意义。     

The politics of carbon taxation: how varieties of policy style matter

ABSTRACT

The momentum achieved for unilateral carbon taxes in seven European countries is examined. Why is it that small countries, despite being vulnerable to forces of international competition, have been able to implement carbon taxes? A review of national experiences does not suggest that the share of fossil fuels in the energy mix defines the room for such taxes, or point to a strong role for traditional left-right ideology. Rather, it is deep-seated patterns of national policy styles with neo-corporatist traits, providing a protective device for the open economies of small countries, which condition the introduction of carbon taxes. The associated routines of decision-making offer coordination mechanisms for proactive macroeconomic policies in which carbon taxation can find a place. Parliamentary democracies with proportional representation, as is common in the smaller countries, provide access to government for political parties that pursue carbon taxation. These in turn sensitise larger political parties to climate concerns, as they benefit from institutionalised practices and routines for problem-solving and consensus-seeking.     

非人类存在物法律主体资格初探

现代生态伦理观将彻底改变传统人类中心主义伦理观,人类道德共同体的范围不断得到扩展。这是历史的必然,具有革命性和科学性,是对法学理论的创新和超越,也是对传统民法的突破,它以新的法哲学理念为坚实基础,是现代环境保护的必然要求,是现代环境法发展的必然趋势。