Environmental Policymaking Research Articles

Translating Global Environmental Constitutionalism in the Indonesian Context: Pancasila vs. Liberalism

The translation of global environmental constitutionalism into local contexts presents a complex interplay between universal principles and indigenous values. This paper investigates this dynamic within the Indonesian context, juxtaposing the principles of Pancasila, the state ideology, with liberal environmental constitutionalism. While global environmental constitutionalism emphasizes individual rights, liberal democracy, and market mechanisms, Pancasila is rooted in collective welfare, harmony, and indigenous cultural values. The analysis begins by delineating the core tenets of liberal environmental constitutionalism, highlighting its focus on individual rights to environmental protection and the centrality of democratic governance. It then contrasts these principles with the philosophical underpinnings of Pancasila, which prioritize collective well-being, socio-cultural harmony, and state intervention for sustainable development. Furthermore, the paper examines the implications of translating liberal environmental constitutionalism into the Indonesian context. It identifies potential points of convergence and divergence between liberal ideals and Pancasila-based governance structures. Challenges such as reconciling individual rights with collective welfare, integrating indigenous knowledge into environmental policymaking, and navigating the tensions between state intervention and market mechanisms are discussed. Through this analysis, the paper contributes to the ongoing discourse on global environmental constitutionalism by emphasizing the importance of contextual adaptation. It underscores the need for flexible frameworks that accommodate diverse cultural, political, and economic realities. Ultimately, it argues for a nuanced approach that recognizes the value of both universal principles and indigenous wisdom in shaping effective environmental governance systems within specific national contexts.

Responses of <em>Selenastrum capricornutum</em>, <em>Eisenia fetida</em>, <em>Brassica nigra</em> and <em>Sorghum bicolor</em> to sent phone battery toxicity

Indiscriminate release of spent phone battery in the environment poses a danger to human and animal life. Assessment of their toxicity using bioassays, therefore, becomes imperative. In this study, the Organization for Economic Co-Operation and Development (OECD) standardized toxicity tests exhibited a high degree of sensitivity in evaluating various endpoints across different trophic levels and taxonomic groups. These tests encompass a range of parameters, including mortality rate (h), growth inhibition (ECx), germination, and root length (ECx), providing a comprehensive assessment of spent phone battery toxicity. The responses of Selenastrum capricornutum, Eisenia fetida, Brassica nigra and Sorghum bicolor to spent phone battery toxicity were investigated. Standard methods of analysis for heavy metal, microalgal toxicity, earthworm mortality and phytotoxicity were adopted. S. capricornutum, B. nigra and S. bicolor seeds were exposed for 72 h and 5 d at concentrations ranging from 0 to 100 mg/L or mg/kg while Eisenia fetida exposed for 48 h and 14 d at concentrations ranging from 0 mg/L to 2.10 LC50 mg/kg for Gionee phone battery and 0 mg/L to 3.50 LC50 mg/kg for Lenovo battery samples. The result showed that all the spent phone battery samples (Gionee and Lenovo) had WHO and FEPA exceeded the limits of the heavy metals analyzed. The order of toxicity to S. capricornutum growth is Lenovo > Gionee > positive control K2Cr2O7 after 72 h exposure. On E. fetida, Gionee > Lenovo after 48 h and 14th-day treatments while boric acid > Gionee > Lenovo as well as boric acid > Lenovo > Gionee were observed on B. nigra and S. bicolor, respectively after 5 d exposure. The responses of the model organisms in this study necessitate the establishment of stringent implemental management measures by government and environmental policymakers to effectively address the problems and challenges associated with e-waste.

Effects of post-abandonment management on surface runoff in a Mediterranean mid-mountain basin

Mid-mountain catchments across the Mediterranean basin undergone a decrease in runoff and sediment yield during the second half of the 20th century mainly due to forest cover increase following rural abandonment together with a transition to drier climatic conditions. During last decades, land use and land cover (LULC) management of these areas has become a target of environmental policy makers and stakeholders to ensure the sustainability of ecosystem services. In some areas, an active management through the reduction of vegetation density or by human afforestation has been applied, while others undergone a natural process of revegetation. In this context, assessing the contribution of different LULC management on runoff is fundamental for addressing water management and soil loss at the catchment and regional scales. Within this background, the aim of this work is to analyse the relative effects of LULC management techniques on hydrological connectivity and water yield in a Mediterranean mid-mountain basin. To pursue this objective, we applied hydrological connectivity (IC index) and ecohydrological (RHESSys) models to different sub-basins of the Leza River catchment (Iberian System, Spain), representative of three different scenarios: (i) natural revegetation; (ii) human afforestation; and (iii) shrub clearing. Results shows how hydrological connectivity tends to decrease when vegetation cover increases (i.e., natural revegetation and human afforestation) while tend to increase when shrub clearing take place. Runoff coefficient followed a similar pattern, decreasing in basins where vegetation increases and decreasing where there was vegetation clearing. Important differences were observed in terms of the distribution of connectivity changes, their location in relation to the outlet and the effects on surface runoff. Studies of this type are necessary to know the response of the Mediterranean basins to different types of management with the aim of adopting sustainable management measures to guarantee surface water resources in a context of Global Change.

Aviation Pollution, Tourism, and Economic Development: A Study of the EKC Hypothesis at the Regional Level

The study aims to revisit the relationship between aviation pollution, tourism, and economic development through the lens of the Environmental Kuznets Curve (EKC), particularly at the regional level, using New Zealand as a case study. We are the first to estimate aviation pollution at regional airports in New Zealand and use them as proxy for the regional pollution in an EKC setting. Our findings provide evidence of an EKC at New Zealand regions, indicating that tourism and economic development contribute to the long-term regional environment improvement. This highlights the necessity for environment policy to be tailored at a regional level, rather than solely at the national scale. Additionally, our research introduces a novel approach to EKC studies by incorporating new pollution estimations, which enhances the understanding of regional environmental dynamics. Among others, we discovered that that the sustainable tourism policy has, and will, work well in New Zealand. This study underscores the importance of considering regional factors in environmental policymaking and offers insights that could inform future strategies for balancing economic growth with environmental sustainability.

Design and development of serious games for future proof peatland management: Option for virtual Living Labs

Worldwide, including Indonesia and the EU, current (agricultural) use in peatlands is based on massive water drainage. Because drainage leads to environmental problems, many scholars, policy makers and (agricultural) entrepreneurs are rethinking peatland use, aiming for more sustainable peatland management, based on rewetting. However, policymakers and governments often hesitate to implement measures in practice, because rewetting peatlands could have massive socio-economic impacts. Serious Gaming (SG) can facilitate the transition to more sustainable use of peat areas because it provides a safe environment in which social and physical impact of choices can be simulated and evaluated. The SG website http://peatland.eu/ aims to contribute to transition processes for sustainable futures by exploring processes of communication, participation, and social-ecological learning in peatland initiatives. Envisioning a similar impact of this virtual Living Lab it is the ambition to design http://peatland.asia/ and thereby provide a learning strategy for Higher Education Institutes and other interested parties. Achieving such strategy requires a transdisciplinary approach to meet user experience and interface requirements, scientific validity, and contemporary relevance. This paper explores both websites in a context of a collaborative initiative to engage a diversity of peatland colleagues in the further development of interactive relevance of the website.

Modeling the Impact of Deforestation on Global Warming using System Dynamics

This study aims to analyze the evolving dynamics of environmental sustainability via a thorough investigation of deforestation, atmospheric carbon levels, ecological equilibrium, and global climate trends. A conclusion reached is that a positive association exists between deforestation and increasing global temperatures, shown by a twenty percent rise in CO2 emissions. The loss of forests has markedly contributed to ecological imbalance, leading to detrimental impacts on biodiversity, with a total increase of fifteen percent in habitat damage. Initiatives aimed at reducing deforestation have resulted in a major 10% decrease in global carbon absorption rates, emphasizing forest regeneration and markedly diminishing carbon sequestration capabilities. The major focus is on the degradation of ecosystems, illustrating a collective struggle, shown by a 12% reduction in forest coverage and a 15% increase in global warming indices. These discoveries enhance the knowledge of environmental changes that may impact future climate systems. Furthermore, they provide crucial direction for environmental policy-makers and establish a basis for further research initiatives.

Association between PM10 exposure and risk of myocardial infarction in adults: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Air pollution has several negative health effects. Particulate matter (PM) is a pollutant that is often linked to health adversities. PM2.5 (PM with an aerodynamic diameter of ≤2.5μm) exposure has been associated with negative cardiovascular (CV) outcomes. However, the impact of PM10 (PM with an aerodynamic diameter of ≤10μm) exposure is often overlooked due to its limited ability to pass the alveolar barrier. This study aims to assess the association between PM10 exposure and risk of myocardial infarction (MI) amongst adults (≥18 years of age) as this has been poorly studied. The study protocol was published on the International Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews (PROSPERO) (CRD42023409796) on March 31, 2023. Literature searches were conducted on 4 databases (Ovid Medline, Embase, CINAHL (Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature), and Web of Science) on January 17, 2023, for studies looking at associations between PM and MI. English studies from all time periods were assessed. Studies selected for review were time-series, case-crossover, and cohort studies which investigated the risk of MI as an outcome upon PM10 exposure. The quality of evidence was assessed using Cochrane's Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development and Evaluation (GRADE) approach. Data for different risk outcomes (risk ratio (RR), odds ratio (OR), hazard ratio (HR)) and 3 lags was meta-analyzed using an inverse variance statistical analysis using a random effects model. The pooled effect sizes and the 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were reported in forest plots. Among the 1,099 studies identified, 41 were included for review and 23 were deemed eligible for meta-analysis. Our analysis revealed that there is an increased risk (OR = 1.01; 95% CI:1.00-1.02) of MI with a 10 μg/m3 increase in PM10 after a lag 0 and lag 1 delay. Our findings indicate that PM10 exposure is associated with an increased risk of MI. This can aid in informing environmental policy-making, personal-level preventative measures, and global public health action.

How urban air quality affects land values: Exploring non-linear and threshold mechanism using explainable artificial intelligence

Air pollution has a significant impact on human health and influences housing choices. Existing studies on determinant factors affecting property prices, including air pollution, mainly employed hedonic and spatial regression models that have limitations in capturing non-linear relationships and local interactions. Neglecting the non-linear relationships can lead to incomplete estimation impacts between explainable features and prices. To fill these gaps, this study used machine learning algorithms and SHAP (SHapley Additive exPlanations) to identify the relative importance of air pollutant variables on land values and their non-linear mechanism. The results showed that the Extreme Gradient Boosting (XGBoost) outperformed Ordinary Least Squares (OLS), Gradient Boosting Decision Tree (GBDT), Random Forest (RF), K-Nearest Neighbors (K-NN), and Extra Tree Regression (ETR) models in price prediction and capturing the non-linear relationship between air pollution and land values. Notably, Ozone (O3) and Nitric Oxide (NO) concentrations contribute 1.64% and 1.47% to land value variation, respectively. The results confirmed the non-linear relationship and identified that the threshold effect between air pollution and land values is at mean concentration values. Furthermore, we observed that the negative influence of O3 and NO on land values appears as their concentration level is higher than 29.3 and 13 ppb, respectively. This paper contributes valuable insights by advancing our understanding of the non-linear mechanism impact of air pollution on house and land values, informing environmental policymaking, and shedding light on housing decisions.

Paul J. Crutzen – a pioneer in Earth system science and a founding member of the journal Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics

Abstract. Paul Jozef Crutzen was a pioneer in the atmospheric sciences, a kind-hearted and humorous person with empathy for the private lives of his colleagues and students, and a man who upheld the highest scientific standards for himself and for others. He made fundamental scientific contributions to a wide range of scientific topics in all parts of the atmosphere, from the mesosphere to the stratosphere and from the stratosphere to the troposphere. In particular, he was the first to describe the NOx-driven ozone depletion cycle in the stratosphere, he was among the first to develop the idea of chemical formation of ozone in the troposphere, he provided key concepts to explain the “ozone hole”, and he made fundamental discoveries about the effects of biomass burning on the troposphere. Understanding and addressing the causes of anthropogenic air pollution and climate change were the driving motivations for his scientific work. In his work, he did not shy away from challenge and provocation. His work on smoke from fires after a potential nuclear war inspired new research on a concept now known as “nuclear winter”. He also initiated the reopening of the debate on “geoengineering” – a concept now referred to as “climate intervention”. He also brought the term “Anthropocene” to the popular debate. Moreover, he had a strong influence on atmospheric science through his educational role; there is a very large number of outstanding scientists who started their career with scientific work with Paul. In 2000, Paul was among the founders of the journal Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics, which was unique at the time in providing public discussion of published preprints as well as what we now call “open access” to published articles. Paul's work on human impacts on atmosphere and climate has had a profound impact on the environmental policies of many countries for decades. In the future, his work will continue to be a guide for generations of scientists and environmental policymakers to come.

Anthropogenic Drivers of Hourly Air Pollutant Change in an Urban Environment during 2019–2021—A Case Study in Wuhan

Wuhan experienced a noticeable enhancement in air quality from January to April 2020 due to the epidemic lockdown. The improvement was a combined result of anthropogenic emission reduction and meteorological variability. Environmental policymakers are often concerned about the impact of industrial production and human activities on improvements in environmental sustainability. This study split and quantified the impact of anthropogenic emissions on the pollution level changes of six major air pollutants (CO, SO2, NO2, O3, PM10, and PM2.5) for the first half year of 2019 to 2021 in Wuhan with an improved meteorological normalization algorithm. The results show sharp decreases in anthropogenic pollutant loads during 2020, except for O3, with the ranking of NO2 > PM10 > SO2 > CO > PM2.5. The decrease in NO2 emissions caused by humans was more than 50% compared to 2019. The low NO2 led to a decrease in O3 consumption, resulting in high O3 concentrations from February to April 2020 during the city lockdown. Moreover, except O3, the impact of anthropogenic and weather influences on air pollution exhibited opposing effects; that is, meteorology tended to aggravate pollution, while human intervention was conducive to improving air quality, and human factors played the dominant role. Of all six pollutants, O3 is the one that is relatively least subject to anthropogenic emissions. Although concentrations of SO2, NO2, PM10, and PM2.5 rebounded in 2021, none of them were able to return to their pre-lockdown levels, suggesting the epidemic’s continuous inhibition of people’s activities. Compared with 2019 and 2021, the atmospheric oxidation capacity and secondary aerosol formation showed an overall decreasing trend during 2020. This study provides a reference for assessing the effectiveness of anthropogenic emission reduction policies.

Evaluating the employment effects of environmental regulation without abatement cost data: A nonparametric cost function approach

Environmental policymakers are concerned that environmental regulations reduce employment. A microeconomic analysis illustrates that environmental regulations have an uncertain effect on employment, making this an empirical question. A standard cost function model, used in the literature, requires a lot of data such as pollution abatement cost data to examine effects of environmental regulations on employment, but such survey data is not always available. In this paper, we develop a nonparametric cost function which alleviates the need for pollution abatement cost data. Our cost function, therefore, allows researchers and policy analysts to estimate employment changes associated with pollution abatement as well as measure the relative importance of other factors related to changes in employment with no pollution abatement cost data. Moreover, this is the first model using a cost function that incorporates the effect of structural change among industries within the economy on employment, which allows researchers to the examine how environmental regulations change the structure of the economy via a structural decomposition component. We illustrate how to operationalize our model using a balanced panel of industry-level data for 26 industries from 17 OECD countries (1995–2006). Our findings suggest that the change in employment due to regulatory induced increases in input costs exhibits both substantial variation among countries and substantial intra-country heterogeneity among industries.

More is better? Stakeholder participation in regulatory rule-setting towards green transition

Stakeholder participation and interactions in collaborative environmental policymaking are complex. We explore how stakeholder participation in rule-drafting and public comments lead to high-quality voluntary standards to promote green transition from a configurational perspective. Applying a fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis to China's 78 Industrial Cleaner Production Standards, we identify three paths resulting in superior standards. While using third-party experts is necessary in all paths, two paths emphasize the central role of public research institutes and the substitutive relationship between the participation of regulated firms and industry associations in the rule-drafting stage, especially in highly regulated industries. The third path emphasizes the importance of broad public comments when stakeholder participation in rule-drafting is insufficient, especially in lightly regulated industries. Our work enriches the theory of environmental regulation and collaborative governance, which is also instructive for governments designing regulatory standards to promote sustainable transformation.

Effect of PM2.5 air pollution on the incidence of respiratory diseases: A Python-based data analysis

Air pollution is a global problem and a serious threat to public health. According to the World Health Organization, 99 percent of the world's population lives in places where air quality guideline standards are exceeded, resulting in 4.2 million premature deaths each year. Air pollution not only leads to respiratory diseases such as respiratory infections, asthma, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), but is also associated with chronic non-communicable diseases such as lung cancer, cardiovascular disease, and diabetes. This study analysed the relationship between the air quality index (AQI) and the incidence of respiratory diseases and found a positive correlation, i.e., the worse the air quality, the more respiratory diseases. This result is consistent with other studies and with the mechanism of the adverse effects of air pollution on the respiratory system. Therefore, this study is important for raising public awareness of the hazards of air pollution and promoting air quality improvement and respiratory health protection. This study also provides valuable information for environmental policy makers to help them consider the impacts of air quality on public health more comprehensively. This study used randomly generated data, so the results may not fully reflect what happens in the real world. Future studies need to use real environmental and health data to validate and extend our findings and provide a more sophisticated model for scenario simulation and analysis.

Introduction: Mapping the Research Field on the Democracy–Sustainability Nexus

With each new report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, the urgency to address climate change seems to increase. As the pressure to act rises, debates are intensifying regarding whether democracies can move toward sustainability fast enough. In this introduction to the special issue, we argue that current debates about the democracy–sustainability nexus revolve around the question of who should decide. Much of the recent debate can be structured along three opposites: experts versus laypersons, less versus more participation, and state versus market/private actor solutions. The first distinction asks whether climate change necessitates a shift of decision-making powers to scientists and experts rather than politicians or citizens. In the second debate, those who favor more participation in environmental policymaking face those who demand less. For example, whereas some promote new forms of deliberative forums, others doubt that these can be effective. Finally, there is a debate on whether markets and private actor networks might provide more efficient and effective ways to deal with the climate crisis than state regulation. While these perspectives are highly diverse and even contradictory, they are united in the belief that standard procedures of liberal democracy are insufficient to achieve sustainability.

Phosphorus-driven regime shift from heterotrophic to autotrophic diazotrophs in a deep alpine lake

Biological nitrogen fixation plays a critical role in maintaining primary production, particularly in systematic nitrogen deficiency. However, little is known about the dynamics within diazotrophic community facing ongoing nutrient enrichment in freshwater lakes. Here, a consecutive five-year investigation on diazotrophic community was conducted in Lake Fuxian, an oligotrophic deep alpine lake on the trajectory to eutrophic state. Results showed a regime shift from heterotrophic to autotrophic diazotrophs induced by total phosphorus (TP) enrichment. Specifically, heterotrophic diazotrophs dominated the diazotrophic community when TP was lower than 21.8 μg/L, whereas heterotrophic diazotrophs or diazotrophic Cyanobacteria randomly dominated when TP ranged between 21.8 μg/L and 28.8 μg/L. When TP was higher than 28.8 μg/L, diazotrophic Cyanobacteria accounted for 60.4%-97.7% of the total N2-fixers, indicating diazotrophic biodiversity significantly declined under TP enrichment scenario. Moreover, the dominance of diazotrophic Cyanobacteria further facilitated phytoplankton growth, which strengthened positive feedback between phytoplankton and phosphorus under nitrogen deficiency conditions. This is the first report on the threshold-like state responses of freshwater diazotrophs to environmental drivers. Our study expands the knowledge of the diazotrophic dynamics in freshwater ecosystems and contributes quantitative evidence of ecological thresholds for future environmental policymaking.

Enhanced Lotka-Volterra Equations: A Novel Approach to Investigate Plant Community Dynamics Under Varied Climatic Conditions

Amidst escalating climatic uncertainties, the adaptability of plant communities to varying drought frequencies and intensities emerges as a critical research domain. This study endeavors to decode the potential ramifications of such climatic extremities on plant community dynamics. By harnessing an augmented Lotka-Volterra model, we intricately weave in climatic variables, with a pronounced emphasis on drought indices, to forecast plant community trajectories. Our explorations divulged that specific drought scenarios significantly influence community resilience, with certain species compositions optimally enhancing community robustness. Moreover, through a judicious application of a genetic algorithm, we discerned an optimal species count that maximizes community biomass. This seminal work not only deepens our understanding of plant community dynamics under climatic vicissitudes but also paves the way for informed ecological and environmental policymaking.

Implementing Justice and Realizing Political Process in the Islamic-Iranian Model of Progress

Introduction. The Islamist model of Iran assumes understanding national values and recognizing rights of indigenous peoples, seeks to meet the material and spiritual needs of society. This model has epistemological, ontological, and anthropological foundations rooted in the revelatory and ideological teachings of Islam. Its content, therefore, is based on monotheism, resurrection, and the inseparability of the worlds. The process of political development in the Islamic-Iranian model is progress based on divine and Islamic knowledge, arising from the heart, historical, indigenous, and cultural conditions of our country, which are realized in the context of the Islamic Republic of Iran. The importance of the research is that, by explaining the indicators of political development, it outlines how the will to achieve it forms in society. Methods and materials. To achieve the desired development and stand up against adversities and sanctions, we must identify our needs, limitations, and political, social, and economic harms and take action to solve them, then keep pace with the new global developments. The strategies considered for data analysis in the present study are in the framework of a qualitative method and based on a descriptive-analytical approach. Analysis. The study raises these questions: what indicators comprise the Islamic-Iranian model of progress’s political development, and how can this model achieve sustainable political development? The results of the study show the indicators of political development in the model are in accordance with the Sharia, and the context of sustainable political development is achieved by committing to implementing justice in the policy-making environment of society.

Do economic growth and globalization are drivers of sustainable resources management? New insights from BRICS countries

This research explores the nexuses among ecological footprint, financialization and globalization within the BRICS nations, placing a distinct emphasis on the Pollution Heaven Hypothesis. The data span cover from 1985 to 2020, with yearly observations. Utilizing a quantitative approach, this research employs the 2 Stage Least Square (2SLS) technique to tackle the issue of endogeneity and confirm causal relationships. The research takes the ecological footprint as the dependent variable, which stands as an indicator for environmental degradation and resource usage. The independent variables include financialization factors like foreign direct investment, financial institutions, and financial markets, along with globalization aspects like economic, social, and political globalization. This research also takes into account variables associated with environmental degradation, specifically renewable energy and human capital. By utilizing the 2SLS technique, the research seeks to produce reliable and solid assumptions regarding the Pollution Heaven Hypothesis in the context of the BRICS nations. The results bear significant relevance for environmental policy makers and interested parties in their pursuit of maintaining a balance between economic expansion and environmental preservation. This research, through a comprehensive examination of a broad spectrum of variables across economic, social, and political scopes, contribute a multifaceted understanding of the factors impacting the ecological footprint in the BRICS nations.

Designing comprehensive and politically feasible food environment policy: the promise of packaging

Abstract Policy packaging has been identified as a promising approach to increase public support for effective and comprehensive policymaking by bundling measures that are unpopular from a behavioral and/or fiscal perspective with those that are popular; however, this potential has yet to be examined for improving food environments to promote healthy diets. We examine public preferences for a policy packaging approach amongst eligible voters in Germany (N. 1,200), as well as which policy design and voter characteristics underpin said preferences, via a survey-embedded conjoint experiment. Policy package attributes are drawn from recommended measures for improving food environments in Germany based on the INFORMAS Food-EPI assessment. We examine three inclinations towards policy packaging: those who are (1) resistant, (2) inclined, but sensitive to the design, and (3) enthusiastic, irrespective of design. We use linear and logistic regression models to examine the effect of policy design attributes and voter characteristics on policy package support inclinations. Most voters (73%) were inclined towards policy packaging, but sensitive to package design. We found that ‘costly’ measures - I.e., those that restricted or disincentivized unhealthy behaviors - were generally less popular than ‘compensatory’ ones - I.e., those that enabled or incentivized healthy behaviors - in policy packages; however, most participants preferred some combination of both. Participant beliefs regarding the topic of food environment policymaking predicted packaging preferences more so than any socio-demographic, political, or health characteristic. Packaging policy measures together, particularly those with counteracting effects across behavioral and fiscal axes, allows for more comprehensive and politically feasible policymaking to improve food environments. Enhancing science communication on environmental drivers of food choices is vital to bolster support for food environment policy packages. . Key messages • There is an appetite amongst voters for improving food environments that extends beyond the adoption of single measures, and rather towards a policy packaging approach. • Communication that fosters a paradigm shift towards acknowledging environmental influences on diet and health would be vital for fostering support for comprehensive food environment policy packages.

Producing nature: Brand marketing of nature parks in Spain

In recent decades, the neoliberal conservation model has become the dominant global approach to nature conservation. The emergence of this paradigm has led to the imposition of a market logic, based on neoliberal philosophy, coinciding with a significant decrease in public investment in conservation. This, in turn, has brought about major transformations in the management of protected areas, resulting in a combination of private interests and initiatives for environmental protection. The complex current scenario is mobilizing a hegemonic discourse about nature in which socio-ecosystems are impacted by market strategies and the logic of competition. In this context, sustainable development is presented as a means for reconciling conservation goals with those of economic development. Branding in protected areas is presented as another option for the 'nature business' under the aegis of sustainable development. In this article we present a comparative analysis of how programs, brands and logos were created in the nature park networks of three regions in Spain (Andalusia, Catalonia and the Valencian Community). We examine the different strategies implemented by the respective territories to achieve their goals in environmental policymaking, by analyzing the realization of official programs. To conclude, we question whether neoliberal conservation may actually be reversing its own purposes: protecting in order to commercialize instead of conserving to protect.