Payments for watershed services in Lombok, Indonesia : uncovering actors' strategies in a "success" story

This factsheet gives a short presentation of a case study conducted in Lombok Island (Indonesia). In 6 pages, it focuses on the complexity of PES scheme embedment in public policies. This factsheet describes and explicitly distinguishes three PES initiatives, and explain the reasons for such an evolution in the design of policy instruments aimed at protecting groundwater resources. The results presented have previously been published in an Working Paper: de Buren G., 2013. La régulation des interdépendances entre la forêt et l'eau potable en Indonésie; études de cas sur le site de Lombok. (1/2013) 369 p., idheap.

Iowa Wetland Management District: Environmental Assessment and Draft Comprehensive Conservation Plan

This Environmental Assessment documents the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) process for developing a Comprehensive Conservation Plan (CCP) for the Iowa Wetland Management District (WMD, district). In general, scoping reveals issues that drive alternative ways of managing the district. Implementation of each of those alternative management styles (including the No Action Alternative) may have different effects on the physical, biological, and socio-economic environment. Analysis of these effects reveals the “preferred” alternative, which constitutes the CCP. The CCP includes goals, objectives, and strategies for the district to guide overall management for the next 15 years. The Iowa WMD consists of scattered tracts of habitat (both wetland and upland grassland) known as Waterfowl Production Areas (WPAs). As of 2011, there are 75 WPAs in 18 counties in north-central Iowa totaling 24,712 acres in fee title primarily managed by the Iowa Department of Natural Resources (DNR). Even though district acquisition has only occurred in 18 counties to date, a larger 35-county boundary is approved. This boundary follows the historic range of the poorly drained Prairie Pothole Region (PPR) in Iowa, an area known for its waterfowl production. The district also includes 575 WPA acres and approximately 434 Farm Service Agency acres in conservation easements on private land. This plan was prepared with the intent that the strong partnership with the Iowa DNR will continue over the next 15 years.

Environmental Assessment: IA 12 in Mason City From S. Monroe Ave to S. Carolina Ave, Cerro Gordo County, Iowa, NHSX-122-1(14)--3H-17, 2013

DESCRIPTION OF PROPOSED ACTION This Environmental Assessment (EA) has been prepared in compliance with the requirements of the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA). This EA informs the public and interested agencies of the proposed action and alternatives to the proposed action in order to gather feedback on the improvements under consideration. Proposed Action The Iowa Department of Transportation (Iowa DOT) and the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) are evaluating potential alternatives to improve IA 122 in the City of Mason City. IA 122/Business US 18 is a primary east-west travel route through the City that transitions from a 4- lane undivided roadway, to 2-lane one-way pairs, then back to a 4-lane undivided roadway (Figure 1-1). The Iowa DOT proposes to flatten the tight reverse curves on the east end of the project. The one-way pairs will be narrowed by eliminating on-street parking along the corridor to more clearly define travel lanes. This will serve to calm traffic flows and reduce crashes along the highway. Additionally, improvements to intersections as well as consolidating or removing access points to improve traffic operations are proposed within the project corridor. A new access road for the Mason City Fire Department on the west end of the project will allow emergency trucks better access to travel south and east. Study Area The primary area of investigation for the Project is generally bounded by IA 122 through Mason City, known locally as 5th and 6th Street Southwest from South Monroe Avenue to South Carolina Avenue. US 65, known locally as Federal Avenue, bisects the study area. At this intersection of US 65 and Iowa 122, the 5th and 6th Street SW changes to 5th and 6th St SE. For the purposes of this discussion, this area will be referred to collectively as the IA 122 corridor. The Study Area boundaries were established to allow the development of a wide range of alternatives that could address the purpose and need for the project. The Study Area is larger than the area proposed for construction activities for the Project. However, some impacts may extend beyond the Study Area; where this occurs, it will be noted and addressed in the Environmental Analysis Section (Section 5). Figure 1-1 outlines the Study Area of the proposed action.

Waste management policies for industrial symbiosis development: case studies in European countries

Industrial symbiosis (IS) emerged as a self-organizing business strategy among firms that are willing to cooperate to improve their economic and environmental performance. The adoption of such cooperative strategies relates to increasing costs of waste management, most of which are driven by policy and legislative requirements. Development of IS depends on an enabling context of social, informational, technological, economical and political factors. The power to influence this context varies among the agents involved such as the government, businesses or coordinating entities. Governmental intervention, as manifested through policies, could influence a wider range of factors; and we believe this is an area which is under-researched. This paper aims to critically appraise the waste policy interventions from supra-national to sub-national levels of government. A case study methodology has been applied to four European countries i.e. Denmark, the UK, Portugal and Switzerland, in which IS emerged or is being fostered. The findings suggest that there are commonalities in policy instruments that may have led to an IS enabling context. The paper concludes with lessons learnt and recommendations on shaping the policy context for IS development.

Building Environmental Management System for Laboratory Products Manufacturing Company according ISO 14001-standard

Tutkielman tavoitteena on rakentaa toimiva ympäristöjärjestelmä Thermo Fisher Scientific Oy:lle. Tutkimuksen tarkoituksena on myös löytää kahdelle täysin erilaiselle toiminnalle yhtenäinen ympäristöjärjestelmä, jonka avulla pystytään ottamaan huomioon molempien toimipaikkojen hieman erilaiset vaatimukset. Lisäksi tavoitteena on muodostaa ympäristöjärjestelmälle oma organisaatio, jonka avulla ympäristöjärjestelmän integrointi yrityksen prosesseihin voidaan suorittaa sujuvasti. Aluksi tutkimusongelmaa lähestytään teoreettisesta näkökulmasta,jossa tarkastellaan ympäristöjärjestelmän historiaa, rakennetta, etuja sekä ISO 14001–standardin rakennetta ja sen etenemistä ympäristöjärjestelmän rakentamisen yhteydessä aina kolmannen osapuolen sertifiointiin asti. Empiria osa alkaa alustavalla ympäristökatselmuksella, jossa selvitetään ympäristöasioiden hoidon nykytaso ja luodaan pohja koko ympäristöjärjestelmän luomiselle, jonka vankimpana perustana on ympäristöpolitiikka. Johdon hyväksymä ympäristöpolitiikka varmistaa johdon sitoutumisen järjestelmään. Ympäristöjärjestelmän toimintarakenteen muodostaminen kahdelle erilaiselle toiminnalle onnistui tutkimuksessa kiitettävästi. Se miten ympäristöjärjestelmä toimii todellisuudessa, tullaan näkemään käytännön kokemuksien yhteydessä.

Solution scanning as a key policy tool: identifying management interventions to help maintain and enhance regulating ecosystem services

The major task of policy makers and practitioners when confronted with a resource management problem is to decide on the potential solution(s) to adopt from a range of available options. However, this process is unlikely to be successful and cost effective without access to an independently verified and comprehensive available list of options. There is currently burgeoning interest in ecosystem services and quantitative assessments of their importance and value. Recognition of the value of ecosystem services to human well-being represents an increasingly important argument for protecting and restoring the natural environment, alongside the moral and ethical justifications for conservation. As well as understanding the benefits of ecosystem services, it is also important to synthesize the practical interventions that are capable of maintaining and/or enhancing these services. Apart from pest regulation, pollination, and global climate regulation, this type of exercise has attracted relatively little attention. Through a systematic consultation exercise, we identify a candidate list of 296 possible interventions across the main regulating services of air quality regulation, climate regulation, water flow regulation, erosion regulation, water purification and waste treatment, disease regulation, pest regulation, pollination and natural hazard regulation. The range of interventions differs greatly between habitats and services depending upon the ease of manipulation and the level of research intensity. Some interventions have the potential to deliver benefits across a range of regulating services, especially those that reduce soil loss and maintain forest cover. Synthesis and applications: Solution scanning is important for questioning existing knowledge and identifying the range of options available to researchers and practitioners, as well as serving as the necessary basis for assessing cost effectiveness and guiding implementation strategies. We recommend that it become a routine part of decision making in all environmental policy areas.

Environmental requirements and environmental management system of boiler plant supplier

Työn tärkeimpänä tavoitteena oli edistää ympäristöjärjestelmän laatimista Kvaerner Pulping, Power divisioonan Kattilat-liiketoimintayksikölle. Lisäksi tavoitteena oli tarkastella yritykseen kohdistuvia ympäristövaatimuksia ja niiden vaikutusta yrityksen toimintaan. Aluksi työssä tarkasteltiin ympäristöjärjestelmästandardien sisältöjä ja niiden eroja. Työssä käsiteltiin myös erilaisia elinkaarijohtamisen malleja, joita voidaan hyödyntää yrityksen kokonaisvaltaisessa ympäristöjärjestelmässä. Työssä tarkasteltiin myös sidosryhmien vaikutusta yrityksen ympäristötoimintaan. Kattilalaitostoimittajan tärkeimpiä asiakkaita ovat sellu- ja paperiteollisuus. Näihin yrityksiin on kohdistunut runsaan kymmenen vuoden aikana paineita ympäristötoiminnan tehostamiseksi. Tämän kehityksen seurauksena vastaavat tehostamispaineet ovat siirtymässä myös alihankkijoille, kuten kattilaitostoimittajille. Tehokkaan ympäristöjohtamisen takaamiseksi työssä määriteltiin ympäristövastuut ja –valtuudet sekä ympäristöpäämäärät ja –tavoitteet. Lisäksi tunnistettiin yrityksen toimintaan liittyvät ympäristönäkökohdat ja –riskit. Työn yhteydessä laadittiin ympäristöjärjestelmän luonnos, ja se sisältää jatkuvan parantamisen periaatteen. Työn yhteydessä laadittiin lisäksi Kvaerner Pulping Oy:n koelaitokselle ympäristölupahakemus. Työssä on kuvattu koelaitosta ja sen ympäristölupahakemukseen liittyviä asioita esimerkkinä parantuneesta ympäristöasioiden hoidosta.

The reform of the European Energy Tax Directive reform : effect on prices

[spa] Para hacer frente a los riesgos relacionados con la contaminación atmosférica, es ampliamente aceptada la necesidad de instrumentos de política encaminados a reducir las emisiones. La intervención tiene por objeto reducir las conductas contaminantes y incentivar una conducta más respetuosa y el uso de tecnologías más eficientes. La Unión Europea cuenta con dos importantes mecanismos económicos para el control de emisiones a escala europea: la directiva sobre los impuestos energéticos, un instrumento de fiscalidad ambiental aprobado en 2003 que afecta el precio de los productos energéticos, y el sistema de comercio de los derechos de emisiones, introducido en 2005, que afecta directamente a la cantidad de emisiones de CO2. En 2011, la Comisión Europea propuso una nueva versión de la directiva sobre los impuestos energéticos. El objetivo principal de la propuesta es aumentar la eficacia del instrumento a través de una mayor presión fiscal sobre los productos energéticos y de coordinar este instrumento de fiscalidad medioambiental con el sistema de comercio de los derechos de emisiones, para establecer una señal de precio de CO2 coherente para todos los sectores. Sin embargo, en mayo de 2012 el Parlamento Europeo bloqueó la propuesta de la nueva versión del impuesto, y el proceso de actualización se detuvo. La preocupación principal parecía ser el efecto de dicha propuesta en la competitividad, en particular para los sectores que serían los más afectados dado el uso intensivo de los productos energéticos, como el sector del transporte. El objetivo de este estudio es analizar el efecto que la reforma de la directiva sobre los impuestos energéticos podría tener sobre el nivel de precios, en particular en los países de la Unión Europea donde esta reforma implicaría un aumento de los impuestos energéticos. Utilizando datos del proyecto “World Input-Output Database”, la principal conclusión es que el nuevo sistema de impuestos energéticos tendría un impacto muy bajo sobre los precios. Por lo tanto, dado que los precios no serían fuertemente afectados por la reforma, no habrá inconvenientes para la competitividad y implicaciones en términos de distribución, pero, por otro lado, este resultado también implica una baja capacidad de esta reforma para provocar cambios en el consumo y la producción hacia menos presiones ambientales.

The reform of the European Energy Tax Directive reform : effect on prices

[spa] Para hacer frente a los riesgos relacionados con la contaminación atmosférica, es ampliamente aceptada la necesidad de instrumentos de política encaminados a reducir las emisiones. La intervención tiene por objeto reducir las conductas contaminantes y incentivar una conducta más respetuosa y el uso de tecnologías más eficientes. La Unión Europea cuenta con dos importantes mecanismos económicos para el control de emisiones a escala europea: la directiva sobre los impuestos energéticos, un instrumento de fiscalidad ambiental aprobado en 2003 que afecta el precio de los productos energéticos, y el sistema de comercio de los derechos de emisiones, introducido en 2005, que afecta directamente a la cantidad de emisiones de CO2. En 2011, la Comisión Europea propuso una nueva versión de la directiva sobre los impuestos energéticos. El objetivo principal de la propuesta es aumentar la eficacia del instrumento a través de una mayor presión fiscal sobre los productos energéticos y de coordinar este instrumento de fiscalidad medioambiental con el sistema de comercio de los derechos de emisiones, para establecer una señal de precio de CO2 coherente para todos los sectores. Sin embargo, en mayo de 2012 el Parlamento Europeo bloqueó la propuesta de la nueva versión del impuesto, y el proceso de actualización se detuvo. La preocupación principal parecía ser el efecto de dicha propuesta en la competitividad, en particular para los sectores que serían los más afectados dado el uso intensivo de los productos energéticos, como el sector del transporte. El objetivo de este estudio es analizar el efecto que la reforma de la directiva sobre los impuestos energéticos podría tener sobre el nivel de precios, en particular en los países de la Unión Europea donde esta reforma implicaría un aumento de los impuestos energéticos. Utilizando datos del proyecto “World Input-Output Database”, la principal conclusión es que el nuevo sistema de impuestos energéticos tendría un impacto muy bajo sobre los precios. Por lo tanto, dado que los precios no serían fuertemente afectados por la reforma, no habrá inconvenientes para la competitividad y implicaciones en términos de distribución, pero, por otro lado, este resultado también implica una baja capacidad de esta reforma para provocar cambios en el consumo y la producción hacia menos presiones ambientales.

Literature report : a review of policy learning in five strands of political science research

This paper reviews the policy learning literature in political science. In recent years, the number of publications on learning in the political realm increased dramatically. Researchers have focused on how policymakers and administrators adapt policies based on learning processes or experiences. Thereby, learning has been discussed in very different ways. Authors have referred to learning in the context of ideas, understood as deeply held beliefs, and, as change and adaptation of policy instruments. Two other strands of literature have taken into consideration learning, namely the diffusion literature and research on transfer, which put forward learning to understand who learns from whom and what. Opposed to these views, political learning emphasizes the adaptation of new strategies by policymakers over the transfer of knowledge or broad ideas. In this approach, learning occurs due to the failure of existing policies, increasing problem pressure, scientific innovations, or a combination of these elements.

Ravinnekierron sulkemisen haasteet suomalaisessa ruokaketjussa

Suomi on sitoutunut pyrkimään ravinnetalouden mallimaaksi. Tämä diplomityö on osa Suomi kes-tävän ravinnetalouden mallimaaksi -hanketta. Diplomityön tarkoituksena on kartoittaa ravin-teidenkäytön tehokkuuteen liittyvät ongelmakohdat suomalaisessa ruokaketjussa ja selvittää oh-jauskeinot, joilla näihin pullonkauloihin voitaisiin puuttua. Ravinnehäviöt aiheuttavat suuria ympä-ristöhaittoja ja käytettävät primääriravinteet pohjaavat uusiutumattomiin luonnonvaroihin. Ravinnehäviöitä syntyy ruokaketjun jokaisessa osassa, ja ravinnetehokkuutta voidaan parhaiten edistää pyrkimällä kokonaisvaltaisiin ratkaisuihin. Tutkimus suoritettiin haastattelemalla 20:tä ruokaketjun asiantuntijaa. Haastatteluaineistoa tarkasteltiin laadullisen analyysin menetelmin. Haastatteluiden perusteella ruokaketjun suurimmat ongelmakohdat ovat alkutuotannossa, panos-teollisuudessa ja kulutuksessa. Sekä hallinnollisilla, taloudellisilla että informatiivisilla ohjauskei-noilla on kaikilla tärkeä rooli ravinnetehokkuuden edistämisessä.

Les policy designs contre la pauvreté : une analyse comparée des plans de lutte contre la pauvreté et l'exlusion sociale au Québec et à Terre-Neuve-et-Labrador

Mémoire numérisé par la Division de la gestion de documents et des archives de l'Université de Montréal

From evolution to co-evolution – An empirical study of the role of innovation, policy and public research in industrial dynamics

In the past decades since Schumpeter’s influential writings economists have pursued research to examine the role of innovation in certain industries on firm as well as on industry level. Researchers describe innovations as the main trigger of industry dynamics, while policy makers argue that research and education are directly linked to economic growth and welfare. Thus, research and education are an important objective of public policy. Firms and public research are regarded as the main actors which are relevant for the creation of new knowledge. This knowledge is finally brought to the market through innovations. What is more, policy makers support innovations. Both actors, i.e. policy makers and researchers, agree that innovation plays a central role but researchers still neglect the role that public policy plays in the field of industrial dynamics. Therefore, the main objective of this work is to learn more about the interdependencies of innovation, policy and public research in industrial dynamics. The overarching research question of this dissertation asks whether it is possible to analyze patterns of industry evolution – from evolution to co-evolution – based on empirical studies of the role of innovation, policy and public research in industrial dynamics. This work starts with a hypothesis-based investigation of traditional approaches of industrial dynamics. Namely, the testing of a basic assumption of the core models of industrial dynamics and the analysis of the evolutionary patterns – though with an industry which is driven by public policy as example. Subsequently it moves to a more explorative approach, investigating co-evolutionary processes. The underlying questions of the research include the following: Do large firms have an advantage because of their size which is attributable to cost spreading? Do firms that plan to grow have more innovations? What role does public policy play for the evolutionary patterns of an industry? Are the same evolutionary patterns observable as those described in the ILC theories? And is it possible to observe regional co-evolutionary processes of science, innovation and industry evolution? Based on two different empirical contexts – namely the laser and the photovoltaic industry – this dissertation tries to answer these questions and combines an evolutionary approach with a co-evolutionary approach. The first chapter starts with an introduction of the topic and the fields this dissertation is based on. The second chapter provides a new test of the Cohen and Klepper (1996) model of cost spreading, which explains the relationship between innovation, firm size and R&D, at the example of the photovoltaic industry in Germany. First, it is analyzed whether the cost spreading mechanism serves as an explanation for size advantages in this industry. This is related to the assumption that the incentives to invest in R&D increase with the ex-ante output. Furthermore, it is investigated whether firms that plan to grow will have more innovative activities. The results indicate that cost spreading serves as an explanation for size advantages in this industry and, furthermore, growth plans lead to higher amount of innovative activities. What is more, the role public policy plays for industry evolution is not finally analyzed in the field of industrial dynamics. In the case of Germany, the introduction of demand inducing policy instruments stimulated market and industry growth. While this policy immediately accelerated market volume, the effect on industry evolution is more ambiguous. Thus, chapter three analyzes this relationship by considering a model of industry evolution, where demand-inducing policies will be discussed as a possible trigger of development. The findings suggest that these instruments can take the same effect as a technical advance to foster the growth of an industry and its shakeout. The fourth chapter explores the regional co-evolution of firm population size, private-sector patenting and public research in the empirical context of German laser research and manufacturing over more than 40 years from the emergence of the industry to the mid-2000s. The qualitative as well as quantitative evidence is suggestive of a co-evolutionary process of mutual interdependence rather than a unidirectional effect of public research on private-sector activities. Chapter five concludes with a summary, the contribution of this work as well as the implications and an outlook of further possible research.

Análisis del aporte de la iniciativa Yasuní ITT en el periodo 2007-2013, en el marco del debate internacional sobre cambio climático

La iniciativa Yasuní ITT propone dejar el crudo bajo tierra en el parque natural Yasuní y no emitir 400 millones de toneledas de dióxido de carbono a la atmósfera, así como proteger la diversidad cultural y biológica contenida en los campos Ishpingo, Timbococha y Tiputini. El análisis de esta iniciativa desde la perspectiva de la disciplina de las Relaciones Internacionales dará algunas luces sobre el aporte de la Iniciativa al problema del cambio climático.