Narrow Results

This paper highlights perhaps one of the most fundamental issues constraining strategic environmental assessment (SEA) practice — its definition. Current reviews fail to explain why certain assessments are referred to as strategic while others are not. Furthermore, there appears to be very little attention given to the basic characteristics of strategy in the environmental assessment of proposed or existing policies, plans and programmes. This paper attempts to identify the characteristics of SEA that make it strategic and therefore different from other forms of impact assessment. A review of selected case studies is undertaken with the purpose of identifying those assessments that actually conform to the characteristics of a "strategic assessment". It is argued here that if SEA methodology and practice is to advance, then a common understanding of its definition and characteristics must first be achieved.

The concept of strategic environmental assessment (SEA) has developed rapidly in recent years and has been extensively promoted by environmental assessment (EA) practitioners. SEA has been the focus of considerable dialogue, increasing regulatory attention and emerging evidence of application. This paper seeks to advance the potential for the adoption of SEA in policy making by focusing attention on policy making processes themselves, and on the need for SEA procedures to be moulded to these existing policy making activities. We argue that widespread adoption of SEA concepts is unlikely unless EA practitioners become much more cognisant of the policy making process. Too much of the literature on SEA to date is insular — EA practitioners communicating amongst themselves. Dialogue on SEA development must be between EA proponents and policy makers/theorists if SEA of policy is to fulfil its promise. In order to make SEA of policies effective, SEA must influence the decisions that are intrinsic in policy making. We provide a simplified policy making model and demonstrate that it is necessary, and possible, for SEA to provide environmental input throughout the stages of policy formulation and decision making. The policy making context must drive the form and process of the SEA. In effect, this is an extension of Brown & Hill's (1995) notion of decision scoping, originally developed to increase the efficiency and effectiveness of project-based EIA, to the environmental assessment of policies.

Assessing the potential impact of development projects in the Sudan dates back to the study of the Equatorial Nile Project conducted in the last century during the Anglo-Egyptian Condominium. Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) studies commenced in the early eighties of the last century with the establishment of the Institute of Environmental Studies in the University of Khartoum. The practice gathered momentum with the recent activities in the oil and roads sectors. Although the practice of (EIA) has only recently been legalized by the passing of the Environment Protection Act of 2001, the performance of EIA is often poor due to flaws in legislative, administrative, institutional and procedural frameworks. Effective implementation of the EIA process in the Sudan requires the institutionalization of the process within the legislative, administrative, political and education system in the country. Special emphasis is needed for the federal system of governance. Other issues include accreditation, sectoral regulations, establishing of a National Centre of EIA for advising the government and for training of human capacities. The paper calls for more involvement of stakeholders via effective popular participation in all steps of EIA. The expected influx of foreign investors following the Comprehensive Peace Accord of 2005 and the concentration of oil reserves in the ecologically rich and sensitive regions, call for an urgent improvement in the legislative, institutional and procedural aspects of the process.

A substantial portion of private sector investments in emerging market economies internationally is routed through the use of Financial Intermediaries (FIs). FIs act as important gateways for channeling the resources from large Multilateral Development Banks (MDBs), to micro, small and medium-sized (SME) projects and enterprises whose comparatively limited business portfolios would otherwise make them ineligible for funding. During a MDB's scoping, FI clients are classified into a unique Category FI, whereby the onus for Environmental Assessment (EA) is transferred from the MDB to the FI. Although EA guidelines exist, FI institutions often fail to adequately incorporate them in their sub-project review. This increases the potential for environmentally and socially harmful development decisions being made by the FI with financial resources originating from MDBs. This paper identifies the factors limiting the successful incorporation of EA in FI subproject financing, in an attempt to develop tools to assist MDB's and their FIs to attain compliance with local, national and international EA laws and regulations.

Increasing resource efficiency can potentially deliver important economic and environmental benefits. Many of these benefits are regularly foregone because the financial sector's capacity to adequately take the opportunities and risks arising from resource utilization and related climate change aspects into account has so far remained relatively undeveloped. Focusing on the case of Germany, a number of barriers to the inclusion of resource efficiency and climate change aspects into financial services' considerations are presented. Corresponding measures for improving the capacity of the financial sector to better integrate resource efficiency considerations and climate change related risks into its operating procedures are introduced. The measures encompass the areas of risk controlling, company reporting, institutional reporting requirements, as well as additional supporting measures.

In 2004, the US Forest Service launched the Spatial Analysis Project (SAP) to determine whether lands enrolled in the Forest Stewardship Program meet state stewardship objectives. Within each state, SAP used an aggregate analysis to categorise all land available for the FSP as — low, medium, or high stewardship potential. We characterized differences in land classified by the SAP in the study area, and determined if states have been effectively enrolling lands in the high category. Results indicate that while states are enrolling high stewardship potential lands (p < 0.0001), prioritising among forest lands is difficult because nearly all of it is classified as high or medium stewardship potential. We suggest prioritising forested areas using ranking criteria that are more closely associated with state forestry priorities, a strategy that could be adapted to increase the impact of limited public forest stewardship resources outside of the region as well.

Environmental cost–benefit analysis is increasingly used to support the formulation of European air quality policies. In these analyses, typically around three-quarters of the societal benefits of cleaner air are related to monetised increases in statistical life expectancy. However, the literature presents widely diverging estimates for the value of a statistical life year (a ‘VOLY’). This paper presents a review of studies aimed at establishing a VOLY as used in European air quality policies and it examines the factors that cause the variations in VOLY estimates. We discuss the implications of our findings for European air quality policies and also present a novel approach to analyse the VOLY. We have labelled our approach the ‘maximum societal revenue VOLY’ (MSR-VOLY), and postulate that this approach may be particularly useful in the context of natural capital accounting.

Policy monitoring and evaluation are important elements of the policy cycle, this help to initiate policy-makers to assess the proper implementation and adjust it as appropriate. This paper aims to evaluate the existing policy, strategies, and institutional arrangement on the development of urban green infrastructure in the three study areas; namely Hawassa, Wolayita Sodo, and Bodity town. Analyzing policy documents, key informant interview, and questionnaire survey were used to collect the required data. Descriptive statistics and policy analysis were also used to analyze the collected data from different sources. The study revealed that different strategies and standards were developed by the federal government, but it is not practically exercised at the regional and local level. The majority of government officials and experts agreed that existing policies and strategies related to UGI is not properly implemented. On the other hand, lack of policy and strategies are the major limitation in the development and management of UGI. Almost majority of the respondents confirmed that weak institutional arrangement has contributed to the poor implementation of UGI development. Lack of attention and awareness, the weak institutional arrangement is the main responsible factors for the absence of proper policy and poor implementation of strategies concerning UGI. Thus, actions needed for all the development of proper policies and strategies to improve UGI development.

They are an important economic resource, and a source of food products, recreation, species habitat, and watershed protection, among many other services. Forests also may store large quantities of carbon. The threat of climate change therefore provides new impetus for forest management, in the form of forest carbon sequestration (FCS). FCS appears to be a relatively cheap way of reducing carbon in the atmosphere, relative to alternatives such as fuel switching. But FCS is not without problems. Economists' estimates of the cost-effectiveness of FCS are highly variable. Verification is difficult. And policy design is complex — not only because of the characteristics of forests themselves, but because of the limitations of current U.S. policy. Existing regulatory tools — predominantly the Clean Air Act — are largely incompatible in providing incentives for FCS. This paper explores the current state of FCS knowledge, including its policy context, and identifies an agenda for future research.

Global warming is becoming increasingly evident as greenhouse gas emissions increase worldwide and affect the environment, health and economy. Many Southeast Asian countries face this reality and hence they are concerned about setting and achieving an effective emission reduction strategy. As such, this study analyzes and compares emission reduction targets on selected Southeast Asian countries, including Malaysia, Indonesia and Thailand, by using a long-run Regional Dynamic Integrated Model of the Climate and Economy (RdICME). This study considers the comparative outcomes of BAU (Business as Usual: base case) and INDC (Intended Nationally Determined Contributions) scenarios for the 40-year period from 2010 to 2050. According to BAU scenario, carbon emissions are projected to gradually increase in all countries; however, if Malaysia, Indonesia and Thailand apply their INDC targets as agreed upon in the 2015 Paris Agreement, all three countries will experience significant emissions reductions after 2030. Specifically, by 2050, total emissions will be reduced by 33.88%, 42.50% and 41.68% in Malaysia, Indonesia and Thailand, respectively, if the countries implement their INDCs. According to the INDC targets, all three countries will experience a net reduction of per capita emission intensity by 2030 and onwards; however, Malaysia is projected to face lower marginal damage costs whereas Indonesia and Thailand will face higher marginal damage costs for 2010–2050. This study also finds that the amount of planned investment for INDC emissions reduction is currently insufficient to achieve planned targets. The findings from this study would help country-specific policymakers to oversee the likely gaps to be fulfilled within 2030–2050.

Addressing the urban heat island effect is critical in mitigating the threat of heat from the perspective of land use planning and design. This paper, therefore, presents a structured review of urban heat island mitigation policy that is contained in the local-level planning policy documents and regulation of 20 large municipalities throughout the United States and Canada. It explores how the issue of the urban heat island effect is framed and approached and, therewith, facilitates an understanding of how aware municipalities are of the issue and its impacts. The review identifies a total of 307 instances of mitigation policy measures among 19 of the 20 municipalities, with the most commonly applied: approaches to mitigation being the promotion of latent heat flux, albedo modification, and provision of shade cover; and, framing contexts being public health, air quality, energy, comfort, and climate change. Although the review indicates that there is widespread awareness of the issue, it notes that only 79, or 25.7 percent, of the 307 mitigation policy measures were framed in any context. Thus, the majority of policy measures do not communicate an understanding of the significance and potential impacts of the urban heat island effect or provide a lens through which it should be perceived and, therewith, addressed. Indeed, they call for blind action. This suggests a need to promote awareness of the potential impacts of the urban heat island effect and communicate same in local planning policy documents and regulations.

Estimating the potential economic impacts of drought is increasingly prominent in policy discussions on resilience to future population and climate changes. We develop a scenario-based analytical framework for estimating the economic impacts of droughts under a range of assumed climate and policy conditions. The scenarios modeled take account of different assumptions regarding a drought event, including: the source of the drought (green or blue water), temporality, and critically, long-term and short-term policy-making choices. Applying the framework to the UK economy we estimate that, depending on the severity of the drought event and short-term policy choices, the impacts could range from 0.35% to 4.3% of total output in terms of total production. Different long-term policy choices could mitigate the impacts for drought events with similar severity and duration.

Hydrologic, climatic, regulatory and economic factors interact in complex ways to influence groundwater conditions. These relationships can be difficult to measure and model but are important for water management and for considering viable futures for regional economies. This paper proposes a strategy for an improved understanding of how groundwater levels reflect signals of regulatory, economic and climate factors. Most existing econometric studies of groundwater use focus on large-scale irrigated agriculture and urbanized areas in first world nations, where groundwater extraction data is available. In much of the world, groundwater extraction data are not available for individual farms and other water users. The goal of this study is to explore the responsiveness of groundwater levels (a more widely available measure of groundwater conditions) to regulatory, economic and climate signals in rural areas, using a growing body of remotely sensed land cover data. Pooled Ordinary Least Squares econometric models examine the effects of regulatory, climatic and economic factors on groundwater levels in rural Arizona. Groundwater regulations, recharge projects, housing units and irrigated acreage have statistically significant relationships to groundwater levels in the study areas. This approach can be valuable for understanding factors that influence groundwater conditions and which may be useful in managing groundwater use in widespread areas where groundwater extraction data is unavailable.

Climate change is a pervasive global challenge with far-reaching implications for both the environment and human society. A thorough comprehension of these repercussions is essential in crafting effective strategies to mitigate their effects. Climate change, a major threat to sustainable development, impacts the environment, economy, natural resources, food security, human health, and physical infrastructure globally. Bangladesh stands out among affected nations due to geographical and socio-economic vulnerabilities. Despite its vulnerability, Bangladesh has successfully mitigated the impact of extreme events over the years. This study focuses on examining climate change, its outcomes, and mitigation initiatives in Bangladesh. It endeavors to offer a comprehensive analysis of the current climate scenario in Bangladesh, delving into pivotal trends, impacts, adaptation strategies, and evaluating the effectiveness of national policies, legal frameworks, involvement of local governments, non-governmental organizations, and international collaborative efforts in developing an efficient disaster risk reduction and anticipatory action system. Despite achievements, safeguarding the livelihoods and properties of vulnerable communities from disaster-induced loss and damage remains a challenge. Additionally, addressing past adaptation failures is crucial. The paper highlights the necessity to enhance disaster risk reduction, green economy, promote economic development, implement government policies, and bolster anticipatory action systems, emphasizing the pivotal role of establishing a locally led climate-resilient system in addressing these challenges.

The 2015 international Paris Agreement called for pursuing efforts to limit the changes in climate to 1.5^∘C above pre-industrial levels. This study uses two approaches to re-examine this feasibility more fully. The observed trends in the temperature record provide one means to estimate when 1.5^∘C will be reached. Examination of the remaining allowed carbon emissions provides another approach. The temperature record and the observed trends in temperature over recent decades suggest that 1.5^∘C will be reached by 2032–2042. Consideration of the equivalent amount of CO₂ reveals the ranges of 266, 366 and 531 GtCO₂-eq still allowed for 67%, 50% and 33% probabilities, respectively, of staying within the temperature limit. At the current rate of emissions, the 50% limit would be reached in eight years. If an emissions reduction of 4% per year beginning in January 2023 is considered, the 67% likelihood for staying within the 1.5^∘C limit is passed in 2030 and the 50% likelihood is passed in 2035. As a result, humanity is very unlikely to meet the identified targets needed to keep the global temperature change to 1.5^∘C and the SSP1-1.9 scenario assumptions for future emissions toward enabling a limit of 1.5^∘C are also extremely unlikely.

Climate change is the outstanding survival and ethical issue of our time, and requires urgent action if our descendants are to inherit a livable world. Substantial opportunities exist in the transition to a renewable economy provided through climate action. Reliable, relevant, and accessible information is key…

The Energy Efficiency Finance Task Group (EEFTG) aims to enhance capital flows for energy efficiency investments in the G20 countries and the European Union. Launched in 2015, EEFTG is an initiative of the International Partnership for Energy Efficiency Cooperation (?), an intergovernmental organization based in Paris, France. With the United Nations Environment Programme Finance Initiative (UNEP FI) as part of its secretariat, EEFTG’s mission is to support G20 economies to build robust, investment-grade policy and investment frameworks by engaging with financial institutions to help them build their capacity, instruments and interests in energy efficiency. In addition, EEFTG serves as a forum for G20 policymakers to share their most successful practices with each other and with members of the private and public finance community, industry, and international organizations.

In response to the sustainability challenges that the Los Angeles region is facing due to the climate crisis and an increasing population, UCLA launched the first university-led Grand Challenge in 2013 — the Sustainable LA Grand Challenge, thriving in a hotter Los Angeles. The long-term goals of this Grand Challenge are to transition Los Angeles County to 100% renewable energy, 100% local water, and enhanced ecosystem health by the year 2050. UCLA is leading this effort by coordinating research across disciplines, educating and training students to be the next-generation of problem solvers, and engaging stakeholders to create policy recommendations, technology breakthroughs, and partnerships that result in scalable urban sustainability solutions. Los Angeles County’s diversity in sustainability challenges, landscapes, and cultures make solutions implemented in Los Angeles relevant for megacities across the globe.

Faith communities can be important moral constituencies for action on climate change. The Faith Alliance for Climate Solutions (FACS) is a grassroots advocacy movement in Northern Virginia that motivates concrete actions by members of more than 75 diverse congregations to move the region to zero carbon emissions by 2050. We organize the concern that people of all faith traditions have toward care for creation into focused advocacy and leadership by example. FACS, a 501(c)(3) non-partisan organization, mobilizes clergy and lay members of Catholic, Hindu, Muslim, mainline and evangelical Protestant, Jewish, Sikh, Friends, Unitarian Universalist, and Buddhist faith communities, as well as people unaffiliated with specific faith traditions. We are creating practical, replicable models of local interfaith grassroots organizations that work locally to build healthy, resilient, and thriving communities in which environmentally sound choices become the default, first choices of individuals, corporations, and the public sector.