The principal–agent model with multilateral externalities: An application to climate agreements

We consider contracting of a principal with an agent if multilateral externalities are present. The motivating example is that of an international climate agreement given private information about the willingness-to-pay (WTP) for emissions abatement. Due to multilateral externalities the principal uses her own emissions besides subsidies to incentivize the agent and to assure his participation. Optimal contracts equalize marginal abatement costs and, thus, can be implemented by a system of competitive permit trading. Moreover, optimal contracts can include a boundary part (i.e., the endogenous, type dependent participation constraint is binding), which is not a copy of the outside option of no contract. Compared to this outside option, a contract can increase emissions of the principal for types with a low WTP, and reduce her payoff for high types. Subsidies can be constant or even decreasing in emission reductions, and turn negative so that the agent reduces emissions and pays the principal.     

毒死蜱对我国南方稻区水域中12种淡水鱼的毒性

毒死蜱作为稻田常用农药,普遍存在于稻区沟渠、池塘和河流中,从而对生活在其中的鱼类具有潜在风险。通过短期暴露试验,比较了毒死蜱在纯水、水-沉积物体系中对淡水鱼的毒性效应,进一步研究了毒死蜱在不同鱼体内的生物富集作用,以及对鱼脑Ach E活性的影响。试验结果表明:毒死蜱对12种淡水鱼均表现为高毒或剧毒,最敏感的是太阳鱼,但体系中沉积物的存在会通过吸附作用降低农药对鱼类的毒性;毒死蜱在鱼体内表现为中等或高富集性,其中斑马鱼的富集系数最大;毒死蜱对鱼脑Ach E酶活性有明显抑制作用,其中以虹鳟最敏感。研究结果为稻田常用农药对水生态环境中鱼类安全的风险性评价提供了科学依据。     

合肥市场6种淡水鱼体内Cu、Pb和Cd的分布及食用风险

重金属沿食物链传递并最终在人体中富集的事实已经得到越来越多的重视和研究.从合肥市场采集鲢鱼、鲈鱼、鳜鱼、鳊鱼、鲫鱼和草鱼,研究Cu、Pb和Cd在这6种鱼体内的分布和食用风险.结果表明:鲢鱼、鲈鱼、鳜鱼、鳊鱼、鲫鱼和草鱼的肌肉中w(Cu)、w(Pb)和w(Cd)均低于我国NY 5073—2006《无公害食品水产品中有毒有害物质限量》、GB 2762—2005《食品中污染物限量》及澳大利亚国家卫生和医学研究理事会制定的人体消费卫生标准,其总重金属食入健康风险数值也小于国际辐射防护委员会(ICRP)推荐的最大可接受水平5.0×10-5 a-1,说明合肥市场上这6种淡水鱼的肌肉通过食入途径所产生的Cu、Pb和Cd健康风险均在可接受水平.      

Planning and implementing sustainability in higher education institutions: an overview of the difficulties and potentials

Planning in sustainable development is believed to be an important element in allowing higher education institutions to set their goals and to commit themselves towards undertaking concrete actions and measures at all levels in order to implement sustainability. Yet, there is a paucity of research that has looked at the extent to which planning can support institutions of higher education to assess their performances and to determine whether the set aims have been met. This research gap needs to be met to allow a better understanding of how planning can help to promote the integration of the three components of sustainable development – economic development, social development and environmental protection in higher education. This paper explores the challenges for planning the sustainable development in higher education, also outlining the potentials lessons learned that could assist in improving Education for Sustainable Development efforts in Higher Education Institutions. Among its main results are the fact that many universities wish to pursue sustainable development, but their efforts are hindered by lack of institutional support and planning and limited emphasis on approaches, such as problem-based learning. The universities that are engaged in the field have to face many problems, varying from limited resources to lack of trained staff. As a result, integrated approaches to sustainability become difficult to implement. Finally, the paper has identified the fact that many opportunities offered mainstream developments, such as the UN Declaration ‘The World we Want’ or the UN Sustainable Development Goals are not being put to full use.     

国际标准产业分类体系的供水、污水处理、废物管理和补救活动的分类演化及启示

国际标准产业分类体系是目前国际上最有影响、最有权威的产业分类体系。深入了解国际标准产业分类体系中供水、污水处理、废物管理和补救活动分类演化,对正确收集、处理和测算供水、污水处理、废物管理和补救活动的指标以及国际间数据比较至关重要。论文首先详细地剖析了国际标准产业分类体系的供水、污水处理、废物管理和补救活动的分类演化,然后依据国际标准产业分类体系的最新变化,结合我国供水、污水处理、废物管理和补救活动现状,为我国国民经济行业分类中供水、污水处理、废物管理和补救活动的修改和调整提供改进建议。     

Sub-national level of participation in international environmental cooperation: the role of Shiga Prefecture for Lake Biwa environment in Japan

From a state-centric view, sub-national level of participation at the international level can be only feasible if it is an active part of national policy. In the case of Shiga prefectural government's initiative for international lake-environmental cooperation, however, sub-national actors came to see themselves as direct players in the absence of national policy. This study examines under what conditions and in what ways such sub-national level of participation takes place by conducting a case study of Shiga's collaboration with the United Nations Environmental Programme (UNEP) over lake-environment risk reduction. The article finds that the process of Shiga's participation in transnational governance will have less chance of being duplicated effectively in other Japanese sub-national governments. Shiga's cooperation with the UNEP was primarily driven by the ad hoc bottom-up political mobilisation of the sub-national actors. In general, without institutionalised channels for sub-national governments to participate in the regional/international level, sub-national governments need to mobilise resources on such an ad hoc basis and only pioneering sub-national actors are capable of effectively engaged on unfamiliar territory with the formation process of transnational governance.     

What are the barriers to successful community-based climate change adaptation? A review of grey literature

ABSTRACT

Across the Global South, community-based adaptation (CBA) projects are increasingly being implemented in an effort to respond effectively and sustainably to the impacts of climate change, with a particular focus on people’s livelihoods. Despite an increase in the number of CBA projects being implemented, detailed analysis and evaluation of their efficacy and the barriers faced in achieving successful outcomes is lacking. This study draws on an analysis of grey literature (i.e. project and donor reports) to explore the barriers faced in achieving effective CBA. An extensive global search of online project evaluations yielded 25 documents comprising 69 projects from which this analysis is based. This paper first presents an overview of the 69 projects and highlights any trends. Second, this paper describes the barriers to CBA according to three broad themes: socio-political, resource, and physical systems and processes. Following this is a discussion of the most prevalent barriers: cognitive and behavioural, financial, and human resources. Third, this paper discusses the key findings elucidated from this review. This includes the need for greater sharing of project reports and findings so lessons can be learned across spatial and temporal scales, and the disparity between critical academic literature on CBA and what is implemented in practice.     

Reflections on network governance in Africa's forestry sector

International forestry governance is an integral part of the global policy debates on how to prevent deforestation, illicit extraction, and unsustainable timber practices. Africa is an important producer of timber, yet the region is beset by a lack of capacity and other governance challenges in the management of its forestry sector. We employ a network governance analysis to examine the extent to which the evolution and operation of the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) and la Commission des Forêts d'Afrique Centrale (COMIFAC) have addressed governance challenges. We assess the strengths and weaknesses of these two leading examples of international forestry governance by introducing recent evidence and insights from Africa. We conclude with a policy‐relevant discussion of how the FSC and COMIFAC might enhance authority, legitimacy, and effectiveness and improve forestry governance in Africa and other parts of the world.     

Compromises of Bali Roadmap

Abstract

The Bali Roadmap, as the breakthrough on inter-governmental negotiation of climate change mitigation, having brought United States on track, is still a result of compromises. The major compromises of the Bali Roadmap are centered around three issues of quantifying emission reduction targets, developing countries’ obligations as well as quantifying developed countries’ financial assistance in developing countries’ capacity building on climate change. It is found that the rationalities behind these compromises are the national interests. Due to the fact, achieving cohesion among all nations in climate change actions is very difficult. Therefore, the Bali Roadmap may lead to a tough way with distant hope. However, technology innovation and well-designed economic instruments would be helpful and supportive for further international negotiation and cooperation.     

Urbanization in China Based on International Comparison: A Discussion with Two Prevalent Views

Abstract>

Two prevalent views are reviewed on China’s urbanization firstly. Then, this article highlights the characteristics and pattern of urbanization in the world based on the quadrants map, using data of 118 countries or areas. The results indicate that the process of urbanization in the world excluding the data of China has slowed down gradually. A further exploration examines China’s urbanization process and economic development over time, which reveals that both urbanization level and the level of economic development belong to the low-grade coordination pattern. The low level of urbanization is closely connected with the low level of economic development. Actually, China’s urbanization gap appeared during 1985–1995, but it has been eliminating this urbanization gap since 1995 as a result of rapid urbanization growing. The complicated realities revealed in this analysis challenge the existing two prevalent views.