Environmental Management Instruments Research Articles

Cleaner production in the dairy industry: good practices in a dairy plant in the municipality of Valença – Rio and Janeiro, Brazil

The Brazilian dairy sector has great economic importance and is ranked fourth among world producers. The search for less environmental impact has led to good sustainability practices and the adoption of environmental management instruments, products, and processes with an emphasis on cleaner production (CP). In this sense, this article presents CP adoption in the dairy industry. A case study aiming to propose alternatives associated with CP good practices in the dairy industry was conducted in the municipality of Valença, Rio de Janeiro. Data collection was performed with the help of a form and direct observation. The good practices and CP opportunities previously adopted by the industry were identified. Then, five CP measures were proposed and implemented to improve the sustainability of the Minas Frescal cheese production process. Minas cheese was selected for the study due to its higher sales volume and the best profit margin. Other opportunities for improvement should be considered to continue the proposed actions, which include reduction of raw materials and energy and water consumption during production, increase in the company’s profit margin and competitiveness in the national and international markets, access to new market niches, and reduction of environmental-, social-, and health-related impacts.

Analyzing the effectiveness of environmental impact assessment in Paraná, Brazil and California, United States with fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis and the analytical hierarchy process.

Environmental impact assessment (EIA) has become one of the most widespread environmental management instruments. Despite this, EIA is routinely criticized for being ineffective at impacting decision-making. This study compared the EIA systems of Paraná, Brazil and California, United States using the effectiveness dimensions from the EIA literature. This study formats the cases into contextual conditions using the fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis (fsQCA) to identify the necessary or sufficient conditions that cause effective outcomes. These effectiveness outcomes are then ranked by EIA stakeholders via the analytical hierarchy process (AHP) to identify stakeholder priorities and to improve stakeholder management. The results show that in Paraná stakeholders identified normative effectiveness as the most important dimension, while stakeholders in California identified this dimension as the second-most important following substantive effectiveness. Public participation was found to be a necessary condition for both substantive and normative effectiveness to occur. Early project definition was found to be sufficient for substantive effectiveness and necessary for normative effectiveness, for which stakeholder coordination was a sufficient condition. This suggests that in order for EIA to influence decision-making and foster sustainable development, greater care needs to be taken to actively engage stakeholders in public participation, with clear roles and project design communicated early on, and a clear role for regulatory authority to promote stakeholder coordination for acceptable outcomes. These findings suggest that some effectiveness dimensions are caused by similar conditions, which could help focus stakeholder management efforts and point to new avenues for future EIA effectiveness research.

Market-Based Instruments for Environmental Management: A Comparative Analysis

Market-Based Instruments (MBIs) have emerged as effective tools for environmental management, aiming to align economic decisions with environmental goals through the application of market principles and economic incentives. This paper presents a comprehensive review and comparative analysis of different MBIs, including Emissions Trading Schemes (ETS), Environmental Taxes, Subsidies and Grants, Tradable Permits, and Payments for Ecosystem Services (PES). The analysis examines the characteristics, effectiveness, and implications of each instrument, drawing insights from case studies and scholarly literature. Findings reveal that ETS and environmental taxes directly target emissions, while subsidies and grants promote environmentally friendly activities. Tradable permits enable efficient resource management, and PES programs compensate for the maintenance of ecosystem services. The choice of instrument depends on the specific context and environmental challenges, with a combination of instruments offering comprehensive environmental management strategies. The research provides valuable insights for policymakers and practitioners in designing effective environmental policies and contributes to the ongoing dialogue in the field of environmental economics.

The Conference of Parties - 27 (COP-27) Agreement As an Instrument of State Policy in Handling Deforestation: A Comparative Study of Sweden and Indonesian Governments

The climate crisis is a threat to countries in the world. One of the factors causing the climate crisis is deforestation. Indonesia as the third largest tropical forest country in the world certainly has an impact on the world's climate. Indonesia is a victim of deforestation, moreover reforestation of forest land does not match the rate of deforestation. This research is a normative legal study, using comparative, conceptual, and regulatory approaches. This study discusses the implementation of the Conference of Parties - 27 (COP-27 ) agreement as the basis for establishing policy instruments in Indonesia in dealing with deforestation and looks at Sweden as a comparison in handling deforestation through a policy instrument scheme. This study found that Sweden, through its green politics concept, was able to control the harvesting and utilization of forest products effectively. COP-27 has environmental control principles, one of which is the global net zero principle, namely the earth's temperature is no more than 1.5 degrees. it is hoped that the principles in COP-27 will guide the Indonesian government in making legal policy instruments for environmental management, especially handling deforestation. This research suggests that, like Sweden's green politics, Indonesia needs to present strategic policies through the Green Environmentally Concept policy through policy instruments, be it through laws and regulations, government regulations, or presidential regulations to the level of regional regulations.

Kajian Rencana Pengelolaan dan Pemantauan Lingkungan Hidup Gedung Balai Pendidikan “X” DIY

Progressive development in D.I. Yogyakarta has an impact on environmental problems. This indicates that some of the past developments still do not meet environmental sustainability aspects. Through government regulations related to businesses and/or activities that do not yet have environmental documents but have business licenses and have been operating, they are required to make DELH/DPLH as an instrument for environmental management and monitoring. The purpose of this study are: (1) to identify the activities that have been running in the Education Building “X” in DIY, (2) to identify the potential impact on the environment as a result of the Education Building “X” in DIY operation. The method used in this study is a descriptive approach method. The Environmental Management and Monitoring Plan for the Education Building “X” in DIY were prepared to complement the Environmental Evaluation Document (DELH) which is guided by the Regulation of the Minister of Environment and Forestry of the Republic of Indonesia No. P.102/2016 concerning Guidelines for Preparing Environmental Documents for Businesses and /or Activities That Have Business and/or Activity Permits but Do Not Have Environmental Documents. This study is a source of information on geophysical-chemical, social, cultural, and economic problems that may arise in the future and methods of prevention and management as a result of these operational activities.

THE IMPLEMENTATION OF SPATIAL PLANNING POLICIES IN REGIONS IN REALIZING GOAL NUMBER 11 OF THE SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT GOALS

Spatial planning is a juridical instrument for environmental protection and management which is then used as one of the main focuses of the United Nations in the Sustainable Development Goals. However, Indonesia, which is currently focused on development and accelerating the investment, results in frequent actions that neglect the use of space and the environment. This formulation of the research is the problem regarding the implementation of spatial planning policies in the regions in order to realize goal number 11 of the Sustainable Development Goals. The purpose of this study is to examine the implementation of regional spatial planning policies in order to realize goal number 11 of the Sustainable Development Goals. The paradigm used is critical legal studies with qualitative research and using socio legal research approach. The results of the study found that problems regarding the implementation of goal number 11 of the Sustainable Development Goals in Majalengka Regency still meet some obstacles because Indonesia, which is currently focused on the development period and accelerating investment, made Regional Regulation Number 11 of 2011 concerning Spatial Plans for Majalengka Regency 2011-2031 no longer implementable as a policy product that has been implemented by the Regional Government of Majalengka Regency.

Does campaign-style environmental regulation induce green economic growth? Evidence from China's central environmental protection inspection policy

Well-designed environmental regulations are a prerequisite for achieving green economic growth. However, the effectiveness of campaign-style environmental regulation—a widely used environmental management instrument in developing nations or even in some developed nations, on green economic growth remains under-researched and has not reached a consistent conclusion. This paper takes advantage of China's Central Environmental Protection Inspector policy—the strictest and largest campaign-style environmental regulation policy in China's history, as a natural experiment and uses the difference-in-differences method to explore the effect of campaign-style environmental regulation on green economic growth, and further analyze its underlying mechanisms and heterogeneity effects. The panel data covering 280 prefecture-level cities in China from 2009 to 2019 are used. Our results show that Central Environmental Protection Inspector can result in an average of 14.2% increase in green economic growth, and this effect is sustainable for a long time. Mechanism analysis shows that Central Environmental Protection Inspector boosts green economic growth mainly by promoting green innovation and optimizing industrial structure. Further heterogeneity analysis reveals that the positive effect of Central Environmental Protection Inspector on green economic growth is greater in eastern China and underdeveloped cities.

Neighborhood Impact Assessment an urban sustainability instrument

The Neighborhood Impact Assessment (NIA) [1]is an important instrument of the Brazilian Urban Policy enacted in the City Statute, Federal Law 10.257/2001. Considered by the national academic literature as a relevant instrument for local urban environmental management. However, in Brazil, the understanding that the environmental and the urban are part of the same context is not yet a reality within the local public administration sectors, with a deep disconnection of management and governance between the urban and environmental departments. The objective of this work was to analyze the application of NIA in medium-sized cities in the state of São Paulo and to evaluate its contribution to the local urban environmental management of these cities. We also intend to evaluate the NIA integration with other sectors of local public management such as the environment, urban mobility, social housing, etc. As a methodology, we used NIA Process Components, verifying the absence or presence in the urban laws of four (04) medium-sized cities in the state of São Paulo. We also interviewed civil servants from the environmental and urban sectors, supplementing information that was absent in laws and official documents. The results reveal that most municipalities do not have a specific law that regulates the NIA, and Master Plans, Land Use and Occupation Law regulate this instrument. Civil servants emphasize the weaknesses and strengths of the instruments. As potentialities of this instrument, they observed public participation, increased state control in environmentally sensitive areas, greater urban-environmental compensation mechanisms, and so on. Weaknesses signalize were: conflicts involving urban land subdivision, interference of the real estate market in the use and occupation of urban land, changes in the Master Plans by the city councilman aiming to meet the interests of private financial capital. The four cities, which are part of the Case Studies, have not yet effectively incorporated elements of climate change in their local governance. Issues related to social housing, expansion of slums, occupation of protected environmental areas by poor populations are still the most urgent priorities in these cities, as well as in many Latin American cities. The improvement and advancement of the articulation of the urban and environmental sectors in Brazilian cities must require thinking about better scientific methodological and governmental improvements.
 
 [1] Brazilian authors often use the terminology in English “Neighborhood Impact Study”. However, we chose to use “Neighborhood Impact Assessment” according to (Abiko & Barreiros, 2014) to facilitate the understanding of the instrument for the international audience, as it has similarities with the Impact Assessment. However, in Brazil, the NIA is known as the “Estudo de Impacto de Vizinhança”.

Environmental Protection in the Job Creation Law

On October 5, 2020, the Indonesian government passed the Omnimbus Law which contained various kinds of legislation. Including the environment which is also regulated in the Omnimbus Law. On the one hand, this regulation provides hope for Indonesia's economic growth. However, on the other hand, this regulation has the potential to damage the environment and is not in line with the Indonesian Government's commitment to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, which in it weakens instruments for environmental protection and management. Weakening of environmental instruments has the potential to increase greenhouse gas emissions through high-carbon activities and investment in fossil energy. Therefore, this paper will critically analyze how the weakening of environmental instruments in the Omnimbus Law and the Revision of the Minerba Law hampers the fulfillment of Indonesia's greenhouse gas emission reduction targets in the era of restoring national economic stability.
 Keywords: Environmental Protection Instruments, National Economic Recovery, Omnimbus Law, Greenhouse Gas Emissions.

A GIS-based map of the Hg-impacted area in the Paglia River basin (Monte Amiata Mining District – Italy): An operational instrument for environmental management

In this study, we describe the elaboration of a GIS-based map of the Hg-impacted area of the upper part of the Paglia River basin. The map developed from a systematic collection of all existing geological and geochemical data, together with land cover and geomorphology data, integrated into a GIS-based geo-database. The Hg-impacted area was identified along the upper part of the Paglia River basin and was defined as a band within which there is at least one demonstrated occurrence of river/stream sediments and soils with concentrations of Hg ≥1 mg/kg. The Hg-impacted area covers about 20 km2 and the width roughly coincides with the Paglia River floodplain developed in the last 130 years. The identification of a Hg-impacted area will be a useful tool for the local communities in the Paglia River basin and for environmental national agencies when planning works involving the remobilization of river/stream sediments and soils to prevent the dispersal of contaminants. Considering that the extent of the Hg-contaminated area does not allow any remediation, the map can be used for site-specific risk assessment to ensure that anthropogenic activities occur at a minimum risk, considering the opportunity of revising local legislations regarding the permissible Hg-concentration in river/stream sediments in the area.

Consideraciones Teórico Jurídicas Sobre La Auditoría Ambiental Y La Necesidad De Su Regulación En El Ordenamiento Jurídico Cubano

“El reconocimiento de la auditoría ambiental como instrumento de la gestión ambiental en el ordenamiento jurídico cubano favorecerá el cumplimiento de la responsabilidad social empresarial en correspondencia con los requerimientos de la protección del medio ambiente en Cuba” es la hipótesis que se valida con la investigación que desarrolla los siguientes objetivos: analizar la auditoría ambiental, así como su regulación en el ordenamiento legal cubano desde un enfoque histórico-jurídico y doctrinal; y fundamentar la necesidad de su ordenación jurídica como instrumento de gestión del ambiente. La metodología se basó en una revisión de diferentes fuentes doctrinales y normativas con un enfoque analítico-sintético y en la exégesis de las normas vigentes. Partimos del estudio teórico de la Responsabilidad Social Empresarial; y de la auditoría ambiental y sus antecedentes en el ordenamiento jurídico patrio para fundamentar la necesidad de su regulación como instrumento de la gestión ambiental en función del desarrollo de empresas socialmente responsables. También, se establecen bases teórico jurídicas para una propuesta de regulación de este instituto, más que, como una acción de control, como una herramienta de gestión del ambiente. Como resultado se logra una fundamentación de la necesidad de reconocer la auditoría ambiental en el ordenamiento jurídico cubano como instrumento de gestión indispensable para el cumplimiento de la responsabilidad social de los diferentes actores económicos bajo la estricta observancia de la política y normativas protectoras del medio ambiente.

Defining the Urban Edge - A Guide to its Implementation for Sustainable Development

As relics of the legacy of apartheid, the boundaries of cities have expanded exponentially. The notion of the urban edge has therefore been introduced as a planning tool to prevent further sprawl and has become an integral part of spatial planning. Court judgments provide guidelines for the interpretation of the notion, but they do not give direction regarding how it should be implemented. Various factors, both planning and environmental, impact on the success or failure of the implementation of the urban edge. It is also a Spatial Planning and Land Use Management Act 16 of 2013 (SPLUMA) requirement that the drafting of the Spatial Development Framework (SDF) (which may incorporate an urban edge) must consider environmental management instruments. The demarcation and periodic review of an urban edge is an important and complex exercise. The writer submits that an acceptable definition of it is necessary to help resolve the difficulties involved in this process. Section 24 of the Constitution (which is indicative of a compact and sustainable urban environment) requires consideration, as do the interdependence of urban and rural areas. Having a uniform definition of the urban edge would be useful as a guideline to municipalities when demarcating and managing it. As the urban edge may be depicted in a municipal SDF in terms of SPLUMA, and as it is a planning tool, it is recommended that the definition be established by and included in SPLUMA. The definition proposed below incorporates various elements found in existing definitions.

Defining the Urban Edge - A Guide to its Implementation for Sustainable Development

As relics of the legacy of apartheid, the boundaries of cities have expanded exponentially. The notion of the urban edge has therefore been introduced as a planning tool to prevent further sprawl and has become an integral part of spatial planning. Court judgments provide guidelines for the interpretation of the notion, but they do not give direction regarding how it should be implemented. Various factors, both planning and environmental, impact on the success or failure of the implementation of the urban edge. It is also a Spatial Planning and Land Use Management Act 16 of 2013 (SPLUMA) requirement that the drafting of the Spatial Development Framework (SDF) (which may incorporate an urban edge) must consider environmental management instruments. The demarcation and periodic review of an urban edge is an important and complex exercise. The writer submits that an acceptable definition of it is necessary to help resolve the difficulties involved in this process. Section 24 of the Constitution (which is indicative of a compact and sustainable urban environment) requires consideration, as do the interdependence of urban and rural areas. Having a uniform definition of the urban edge would be useful as a guideline to municipalities when demarcating and managing it. As the urban edge may be depicted in a municipal SDF in terms of SPLUMA, and as it is a planning tool, it is recommended that the definition be established by and included in SPLUMA. The definition proposed below incorporates various elements found in existing definitions.

Companies and Sustainable Development: The Adequacy of Environmental Impact Assessment for the Management of Environmental Risks

The choice of the environmental risk management instrument to be used within the scope of corporate governance in companies is of paramount importance to avoid or mitigate the triple environmental responsibility to which they are exposed. In this sense, the following research problem arises: The Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA), an instrument of the National Environment Policy and a model of environmental risk management adopted by some companies, proves to be efficient, effective and effective for the fulfillment of the duty to protect the environmental balance and, therefore, for sustainable development? The present study aims to elucidate this research problem. To this end, analyzes were carried out on risk and environmental damage, from a perspective of the socioenvironmental function of companies today; the need for a new posture by companies in view of the reflexes of environmental risks in business activity; and the question of the adequacy or inadequacy of the EIA as an instrument of the National Environment Policy and as a model for managing environmental risks and damages, in the pursuit of sustainable development. The method of approach used was the deductive one, and the research was carried out using the method of bibliographic procedure, through which research was carried out on books, scientific articles and legislation. The result points out the inefficiency and ineffectiveness of the EIA for the management of environmental risks and, thus, for the fulfillment of the duty to protect the environmental balance by companies.

La urgente articulación entre la certificación y la fiscalización ambiental, a propósito del requerimiento de modificación del estudio de impacto ambiental del proyecto minero las Bambas

 The environmental management of investment projects in Peru has a great challenge: to guarantee their environmental viability through the search for a balance between the environmental impacts generated and the management measures implemented to prevent, correct, mitigate and even compensate them; all with the purpose of complying with the central objective of our environmental legal system, sustainable development. However, what happens when this task is found to be incomplete? When, for reasons unrelated and/or linked to the environmental impact assessment process, it is verified, during the exercise of the environmental supervision function, that the environmental management instruments do not identify all the impacts that in practice are being generated when they enter into execution. Our environmental legal system has regulated this assumption, establishing the possibility that the environmental supervision authority may require the updating or modification of the environmental study, in order to incorporate the unforeseen negative environmental impacts. This article analyzes this scenario and the challenges that an administrative measure of this nature represents in the framework of the necessary articulation between the National System of Environmental Impact Assessment and the National System of Evaluation and Control, two key pillars for the adequate environmental management of investment projects.

La protección de la fauna y el régimen de caza en Uruguay

This article refers to the protection of fauna and the hunting regime in Uruguay. In Uruguay, the protection of fauna and the regulation of hunting have been regulated for many years. Law No. 9481, dated July 4, 1935, continues to be the main legal framework on the subject, regulated by successive decrees. Although these regulations were approved before the appearance of Environmental Law itself, clearly today we shall consider them as norms for the conservation of biodiversity. More recently, the protection of fauna is covered by various environmental management instruments, recognized by article 7 of Law No. 17,283, dated November 28, 2000 (General Environemntal Law), such as the Environmental Impact Assessment (Law No. 16,466, dated January 19, 1994), the National System of Protected Natural Areas (Law No. 17,234, dated February 22, 2000), and land use planning (Law No. 18,308, dated June 18, 2008).

Fiscal Economic Instruments for the Sustainable Management of Natural Resources in Coastal Marine Areas of the Yucatan Peninsula

Fiscal economic instruments (FEI) are indirect regulation mechanisms that generate public revenue for the state through rights to use, charges, and concessions. In Mexico, some of these instruments can be used in the surveillance, administration, and preservation of the environment. In this paper, we analyze the changes in Federal and State growth rates of expenditure budgets in critical areas of the Yucatan Peninsula coast to describe their contribution to sustainable development during the last 12 years. We present an adaptation of the methodological guide of economic instruments for environmental management from CEPAL, with 2013 as the base year for the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) deflator and the use of the Protocol of Nagoya year as an international compromise signed by Mexico. The results obtained show that the expenditure budgets respond to economic, political, and short-term security attention without expectations for sustainability. However, alarming evidence of severe environmental deterioration in the coast is diminishing natural attraction, from tourism, for example, which is the main source of income in the region. The effective use of FEI by local governments may be useful to addressing environmental challenges from a decentralization process with better awareness of the importance of coastal areas for regional sustainability.

Ecological and economic management tools in forestry

The importance of this article is related to the development of new policies for the management of the forestry business. The emergence of new business practices requires a revision of existing business management systems or the acquisition of new unique management skills. This article highlights the key ecological and economic management tools in forestry, identified as a result of the study of the works of domestic and foreign authors, as well as the provisions of regulatory legal acts. The developed environmental and financial forestry management tools make it possible to consider both industries and economic entities for the impact on the environment, aimed at the prospects for the creation of a certain entity. Upon completion of this work, important environmental and economic management tools were adopted that will contribute to the formation of a management idea for forestry. When modeling the ecological and economic management of forestry, a rational option for regulating the instruments was chosen, which would bring the system to the desired state. It was concluded that it is necessary to maximize the coefficients regulating the instruments of environmental and economic management of forestry. It is also necessary to improve the environmental audit and insurance, the legislative mechanism, the introduction of trade rights in certain territories.

MENAKAR SISTEM ONLINE SINGLE SUBMISSION DALAM PP NOMOR 24 TAHUN 2018 SEBAGAI PERWUJUDAN PERLINDUNGAN LINGKUNGAN

License is an instrument of environmental resource management. Law No. 32 of 2009 on Environmental Protection and Management (UU-PPLH) states that environmental permits are integration of various previously separate permits. In order to accelerate licensing including the environmental sector, the government issued PP Number 24 Year 2018 on Electronically Integrated Business Licensing Service (PP OSS). The PP is published in the frame of reorganization of the One Door Integrated Service (PTSP) system through the Online Single Submission (OSS) system. However, with the presence of PP OSS does not transfer the authority and responsibility of issuance to OSS Institutions because oss institutions issue licenses for and on behalf of ministers, agency leaders, governors or regents / mayors in accordance with attribution, delegation or delegation of authority given to them. With the use of OSS system is expected to minimize gaps or potential occurrence of corruption in the field of environmental licensing which is actually one of the manifestations of environmental protection.

Methodological approach for the construction of environmental management indicators in universities

Universities have become interested in environmental management. In them, there are problems of inadequate residues and waste management; high energy consumption and demand; water and air pollution; impacts on biodiversity, a deficient supply of healthy foods and sustainable consumption; mismanagement of the territory; absence of environmental education policies and graduates with a low environmental profile. The objective of the article is to provide a methodological approach, consisting of a question's menu, that characterizes environmental performance, for the construction of indicators as an instrument of environmental management, and environmental sustainability. 93 questions were established, classified into ten aspects: institutional; legal; energy and climate change-carbon footprint-; water footprint; solid residues and waste; hazardous wastes; planning, land management and biological diversity; social - healthy food; teaching and research; and economical - sustainable consumption. The determination of environmental performance was proposed through the “Traffic Light” methodology. The menu of questions was weighted through a perception probe by 12 professors in Venezuelan universities, which concludes that it is a guiding input to design, redesign and/or plan policies on environmental management. Its implementation must be coordinated by internal, trained, multidisciplinary personnel, with the endorsement of the authorities, in order to specify the environmental management indicators.