Environmental Policy Measures Research Articles

State Indicator of Water Quality for Surface Water and Groundwater in Agriculture

Indicators of environmental conditions qualitatively and quantitatively describe the state of the environment and natural resources, and the OECD (Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development) has initiated and suggested AEIs (Agri-Environmental Indicators) to assess trends over time of the effects of agriculture on the environment and the effectiveness and efficiency of agricultural and environmental policy measures since 1990's. This study aims to develop the state indicators of water quality for agricultural water, surface and groundwater, to evaluate the environmental impacts of agricultural activities and policies by qualifying the environmental levels of a nation. Status indicators were calculated according to the agricultural water quality standards of OECD and Korea, and their trends were analyzed over time. Particularly, nitrate (<TEX>$NO_3{^-}$</TEX>) status indicators of ground water in 2013 were significantly lower than the ones in 2000. Overall, the water quality indicators of surface water in 2013 were higher than the ones in 2012, except for pH and DO. The groundwater quality indicators in 2013 were lower than those of previous years. The optimal management indicators were calculated to assess agricultural surface water and groundwater quality. The findings of this study indicated that the state indicators could play a significant role to establish policies and procedures for managing and conserving water resources. This study also discussed water pollution caused by agricultural and industrial effluents.

Hydrochemical variations of the springs on Jinfo Mountain, Chongqing, China

There are 18 springs within the Jinfo Mountain area of Chongqing, SW China (of which 10 epikarst springs are within the National Nature Reserve, and 4 epikarst springs and 4 non-epikarst springs are outside the National Nature Reserve). The hydrochemical characteristics of these springs were measured in 1977, 2004-2009, and 2011. The data show that the hydrochemistry type of springs in different areas, and for different years, is Ca-HCO3 and Ca-HCO3-SO4, whereas the concentrations of SO4 and NO3 are very sensitive to changes in human activities. All the springs with the highest SO4 and NO3 concentrations in the study area showed minimum concentrations in 1977 and an upward trend in concentrations from 2004 to 2008, followed by a period of lower concentrations. Springs with low SO4 and NO3 concentrations were distributed solely at the top of Jinfo Mountain in the National Nature Reserve. The hydrochemical variations observed in springs on Jinfo Mountain demonstrate that the implementation of environmental policy measures and industrial restructuring have successfully contributed to environmental protection of the springs.

A methodology to assess environmental vulnerability in a coastal city: Application to Jakarta, Indonesia

The assessment of environmental vulnerability is a sound basis for environmental management measures because it provides an objective standard for the priorities for implementation. Although several methods have been used by international agencies to assess and compare national environmental vulnerabilities, relatively few methodologies have been proposed to assess vulnerability on the local scale. In this study, we developed a methodology to assess the environmental vulnerability of a coastal city, with the goal of overcoming the limitations of a previous method that compared countries' vulnerabilities on a global scale. We applied this methodology to Jakarta, Indonesia, to identify its utility in providing a basis for the development of environmental policy measures. We assessed the relative environmental vulnerabilities of Jakarta's five districts, using a conceptual diagram composed of exposure, sensitivity, and adaptive capacity. For environmental exposure, we considered inundation due to heavy rainstorm, flood from sea level rise, and environmental pollution. For sensitivity, sectors of human and natural systems were considered using a land cover map from GIS data. To examine adaptive capacity, we addressed environmental awareness, policy foundation, economic status, and infrastructure. The assessment results showed that the East and North districts are more vulnerable than other districts. We suggested environmental policy measures for each district using radial graphs that show the dominant indicators within the composite index. Our proposed methodology has a significant relevance in the sense that it extracts key indicators of environmental vulnerability by considering local conditions, and provides a useful tool to compare results within a vulnerability assessment and to inform appropriate environmental policy measures.

The ‘tyranny of discounting’ in economic efficiency evaluation of capital investment projects susceptible to ecological and climatic changes

In this article, we consider the question of barriers to increasing investment activity in the Boreal and Arctic regions of Siberia, taking into account the factors of ecological and climatic changes. We investigate the current tendencies of large Russian companies in financing environmental policy measures. This is studied mainly in the dynamic of the ratio of ‘current expenditures to investments’ for environmental protection. It is essential to change the financial preference of remedying environmental damage to one of preventing environmental damage by improving warning technology and conducting research and development. Solving this problem is only possible by dictating a standard discounting procedure based on correcting discount rates, periods of cash flow analysis and regulations of Russian accounting standards regarding expenditures on natural resource development.

Research on the relationship between air quality and economy development in major cities of China

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to build a support vector machine (SVM) model to evaluate the city air quality level, using the three main air pollutants selected as evaluation index. Design/methodology/approach – PM10, SO2, NO2 are the most important three air pollutants and their concentration data are selected as the influencing factor. And the SVM model is build and used to evaluate the air quality level of 29 major cities in China 2011. The cross-validation is adopted to select optimal penalty parameters and optimal kernel function, and the classification accuracies achieved under different normalization methods and kernel functions are compared in the end. Findings – The study found, the parameters and kernel functions chosen by the SVM model have influence on the model's prediction accuracy. Through continuous optimization of model parameters, finally it is found that the model performs better with [0, 1] normalization method and RBF kernel function. It proves that SVM classification model is effective in dealing with the problem of city air quality evaluation. Practical implications – The result of this study shows that the SVM classification model can be well applied to predict the city air quality level by using air pollutants concentration data as evaluation index. It can help the government and relevant department issue corresponding environmental policy and environmental protection measures. Originality/value – The qualitative and quantitative study method are combined in this paper, on the basis of predecessors’ research results, as well as careful analysis to select evaluation index. The SVM classification model build is simulated by using Matlab technique, beyond comparing the accuracy, its outcomes and its efficiency in classification are demonstrated.

Eating Sustainably? Practices and Background Factors of Ecological Food Consumption in Four Nordic Countries

This article examines sustainable food consumption in the Nordic context, studying to what extent people in Denmark, Finland, Norway, and Sweden have food consumption patterns that are in the current discourse promoted as sustainability enhancing. The article analyses the association of sustainable food consumption to attitudinal support for environmental policy measures, interest in cooking, and healthy eating practices as well as sociodemographic background factors. The comparison of four countries enables an analysis of the importance of the national context in sustainable food consumption. The study is based on data from a 2012 Nordic Web survey (N = 8248). The results show that carrying out sustainable activities was not very widespread. Buying local food was the most popular, eating meat less often the most unpopular sustainable activity. The level of participation in sustainable practices varied across the four countries. Swedish respondents were the overall most active, Norwegians the least. However, results from analysis of variance (anova) indicated that the individual explanatory factors of sustainable food consumption were relatively similar in the four countries. Healthy eating patterns, interest in cooking, and supporting environmental policy measures were all positively correlated to sustainable food consumption. Women and the elderly were more active in sustainable practices than were men and the young. Education and occupational position played a role, too, but their effect was not totally systematic across countries. The findings suggest that sustainable food consumption is not a strongly socially stratified phenomenon, but it is related to other practices of eating regarded as “proper,” such as interest in cooking and healthy eating. Broader and more inclusive policies are needed to better engage people in sustainable activities.

Residential energy consumption trends, main drivers and policies in Lithuania

Abstract Environmental pressure from residential energy use is projected to significantly increase by 2030. Different environmental policy measures provide different incentives for “environmentally responsive” consumer choices and behavioural responses. There is a great energy saving potential in residential buildings of Lithuania. Compared to the other EU countries with similar climate conditions, energy consumption for residential heating is approximately 1.8 times higher in Lithuania. About 60% of Lithuanian population resides in multi-apartment buildings constructed during 1961–1990. The aim of the paper is to define the main drivers of residential energy use in Lithuania and to compare energy saving technologies in terms of energy saving potential and costs in Lithuanian residential buildings. Seeking to achieve the aim the main tasks of the paper are to analyse theoretical issues of the main drivers of residential energy use; to analyse residential energy use trends in Lithuania and to compare these trends with other EU member states; to define the main drivers of residential energy use by applying correlation analysis; to analyse policies aiming to reduce energy consumption in residential buildings and their impacts on GHG emission reduction. The comparative study of residential energy use in Lithuania and several old EU member states showed that residential energy use per capita in Lithuania is significantly lower than in old EU member states because of the lower income per capita and lower living standards. The economic and technological factors are the main driving forces of final energy consumption in all compared EU member states; however the impact of different factors varies between countries. The comparative analysis of energy saving and GHG emission reduction potential and costs in residential buildings provided by different studies showed that the most cost-effective instruments were appliance standards, energy efficiency obligations, Demand Side Management programs, public benefit charges and labelling.

Characteristics of Particle Matter Pollution and its Control in Beijing

"Particulate matter," or PM, is a complex mixture of extremely small particles and liquid droplets. PM is usually divided into PM10 and PM2.5. Once inhaled, these particles can affect the heart and lungs and cause serious health effects. PM2.5 causes the greatest health problems, and reduces the visibility (haze). Beijing is the capital of the Peoples’ Republic of China. The PM pollution in Beijing not only poses huge economic, environmental and healthy loses, but also impacts on the China government’s credibility and international image. The paper analyzed the characteristics of PM pollution and put up with some suggestions in order to provide some theoretical guidance for the government implementing environmental protection policy and pollution control measures. The paper indicates that the average mass concentration of PM in Beijing varies with time; PM emissions have increased in recent years; PM2.5 and PM10 are the primary air pollutants in Beijing; and finally the government should take effective measures to control particle pollution to realize the people’s hope that the sky becomes blue again.

Environmental change and the carbon balance of Amazonian forests.

Extreme climatic events and land-use change are known to influence strongly the current carbon cycle of Amazonia, and have the potential to cause significant global climate impacts. This review intends to evaluate the effects of both climate and anthropogenic perturbations on the carbon balance of the Brazilian Amazon and to understand how they interact with each other. By analysing the outputs of the Intergovernmental Panel for Climate Change (IPCC) Assessment Report 4 (AR4) model ensemble, we demonstrate that Amazonian temperatures and water stress are both likely to increase over the 21st Century. Curbing deforestation in the Brazilian Amazon by 62% in 2010 relative to the 1990s mean decreased the Brazilian Amazon's deforestation contribution to global land use carbon emissions from 17% in the 1990s and early 2000s to 9% by 2010. Carbon sources in Amazonia are likely to be dominated by climatic impacts allied with forest fires (48.3% relative contribution) during extreme droughts. The current net carbon sink (net biome productivity, NBP) of +0.16 (ranging from +0.11 to +0.21) Pg C year(-1) in the Brazilian Amazon, equivalent to 13.3% of global carbon emissions from land-use change for 2008, can be negated or reversed during drought years [NBP = -0.06 (-0.31 to +0.01) Pg C year(-1) ]. Therefore, reducing forest fires, in addition to reducing deforestation, would be an important measure for minimizing future emissions. Conversely, doubling the current area of secondary forests and avoiding additional removal of primary forests would help the Amazonian gross forest sink to offset approximately 42% of global land-use change emissions. We conclude that a few strategic environmental policy measures are likely to strengthen the Amazonian net carbon sink with global implications. Moreover, these actions could increase the resilience of the net carbon sink to future increases in drought frequency.

Legal Analysis of the EU Policy for Sustainable Transport Biofuels

The enforcement and implementation of separate aspects of sustainable development and environmental sustainability can be challenging and innovative due to the complexity of this task. Appropriate policy and legal approaches and tools can be needed for this purpose. In this article, the EU experience of developing the framework for sustainable transport biofuels and special structural elements for its enforcement are highlighted and analyzed. The central legal acts in this area, including Directive 2003/30/EC, Directive 2009/30/EC and Directive 2009/28/EC are explored. Advantages and disadvantages of the EU approach to sustainable transport biofuels are discussed. Suggestions for the future development are made. Among them, the ideas to establish an international regime for sustainable transport biofuels are promoted and reflected on. In the work, special focus is laid on the content of Directive 2009/28/EC and the requirements, which it imposes on the EU Member States. The significance of the 2020 binding targets for renewable energy is highlighted, and their possible consequences are discussed. The content of the EU sustainability criteria for biofuels is explained. The cooperation mechanisms and monitoring requirements to the EU Commission and Member States are examined. The EU approach to combine the quantity of the consumed biofuels, which has the form of the binding targets for the EU Member States, and their sustainable quality, expressed as the list of the sustainability criteria, is viewed as efficient and sustainable from an environmental perspective. Though the EU policy for sustainable transport biofuels is still under development and constant improvement, it can be seen as an instructive example of how environmental goals and policy measures can be organized and promoted with the help of binding legal regulations. Certain aspects of the EU approach to sustainable transport biofuels can be efficiently borrowed by other industrial sectors, as well as by other countries that wish to develop a framework for sustainable energy.

Environment Analysis on Controlling PM2.5 in Beijing

PM2.5 pollution in Beijing not only causes the greatest health problems, and reduces the visibility (haze), but also impacts on the China governments credibility and international image. The paper showed that the average mass concentration of PM2.5 in Beijing was 103μg/m 3 in the first half year of 2013; the annual mean mass concentration of PM2.5 has risen in recent years; the transfer of regional pollution, motor vehicles, coal combustion and dust are the major sources of PM2.5 during 2012 in Beijing; and finally the government should take effective measures to control PM2.5. The paper may provide some theoretical guidance for the government implementing environmental protection policy and pollution control measures.

Efficiency, effectiveness and implementation feasibility of energy efficiency rebates: The “Renove” plan in Spain

State-sponsored incentive policies frequently include subsidies or rebates for the purchase of more efficient appliances. However, more research is required into the effects of this tool in isolation. A case in point is the so-called “Renove” plan in Spain. First, the inefficiency losses (dead-weight losses) associated with energy efficiency rebates must be taken into account. Such a policy may also encourage the large-scale purchasing of energy-efficient appliances, which may finally result in an increase in electricity consumption (rebound effect). Furthermore, although a subsidy is more widely accepted than other tools from social and political viewpoints, especially than taxes, the fiscal consolidation challenge faced by many countries reduces the scope for environmental policy measures on the expenditure side of the budget and strengthens the need to use taxes to meet the agreed policy objectives. This paper shows that the current application of the Spanish “Renove” plan with rebates on the dishwasher market for energy efficient appliances generates some welfare losses, a rebound effect and a considerable deficit in public budgets. The paper examines and assesses the effect of different combinations of taxes and rebates in the case of dishwashers in Spain based on their performance in terms of economic efficiency, environmental effectiveness and implementation feasibility.

Attitude toward environmental policy measures related to value orientation

AbstractModerated mediation effects on attitude toward environmental policy measures of a self‐enhancement vs. self‐transcendence value orientation were examined in two studies. Study 1 (n = 91) showed that for policy measures incurring nontransparent personal costs, influence of value orientation on attitude is fully mediated by environmental concern, whereas for measures incurring transparent personal costs, influence is partially mediated by environmental concern. Study 2 (n = 71) showed that while influence of value orientation on attitude toward eco‐labeled electricity is not mediated by environmental concern, it is fully mediated by reluctance to pay surcharges for eco‐labeled electricity. Value orientation was also shown to moderate influence of reluctance to pay on attitude in that reluctance had an effect only for a self‐enhancement value orientation.

Greening the mainstream: party politics and the environment

If the environment becomes the subject of party competition so that mainstream parties compete to be the ‘greenest’ party and move closer to Green party positions that may produce more environmental policy measures and better environmental outcomes. A comparative analysis of the impact of the environmental dimension on contemporary party politics employs the 2010 Chapel Hill Expert Survey and the Manifesto Project empirical data to analyse party positions and issue salience. Green parties still form a homogenous party family characterised by strong environmental, libertarian and left-wing policy positions. Mainstream parties have mostly employed dismissive and accommodative strategies towards the environment, with left-wing parties adopting more pro-environment policy positions than right-wing parties, but with only marginal differences in issue salience that fluctuate over time.

Measuring State Environmental Policy

AbstractStudies of environmental policy employ various empirical strategies for measuring state environmental effort. The majority of these strategies can be divided into four categories: indices of state programmatic indicators, government expenditures, pollution abatement costs, and regulatory enforcement actions. In this article, we argue that these measures are empirically distinct, capture different attributes of state environmental policy, and are correlated with different intrastate factors. Thus, the choice among environmental policy measures is substantively important for researchers to consider, and we conclude by providing advice to scholars concerning choosing among these measures.

POPEYE: A river-load oriented model to evaluate the efficiency of environmental policy measures for reducing phosphorus losses

Watershed losses of phosphorus (P) have been a topic of concern for water resource managers over recent decades. To evaluate environmental policies or before implementing mitigation options at the watershed (catchment area) scale, stakeholders often need to analyze the patterns of point and diffuse sources of phosphorus. This information is often not easy to obtain in field conditions. Several statistical modeling approaches have been developed in recent years to respond to this basic operational demand. Point and diffuse sources are often evaluated from power functions established between phosphorus concentration and water discharge. Such models do not explicitly account for in-stream processes which control P concentrations in the hydrographic network and differentiate the P export dynamics of the various forms and inputs of P. To identify the phosphorus sources and evaluate their change in response to environmental policies, we developed a simple and loaded-oriented model (POPEYE – PhOsPhorus, Evaluation of the efficiencY of Environmental policy measures) that computes retention, settling and re-suspension rates of fine and coarse P fractions and their relation to P concentration of bed sediments. The model is calibrated to a long-term database (25 years), and describes the weekly water and chemical fluxes of a tributary of Lac Léman (Lake Geneva, Venoge river watershed, 240 km2). It adequately predicts observed values of fine and particulate phosphorus and reflects the gradual decrease of point and diffuse inputs over the studied period due to agricultural and sewage treatment policies implemented for the control of lake pollution.

Evaluation of the impact of environmental public policy measures on energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions in the French residential sector

A cut in energy consumption by 2050 to reach 50 kWhpe/m2/year and reduce GHG emissions by 75% are important objectives of environmental policy in France. The residential sector represents a significant potential source of energy savings. In this paper, our main objective is to construct a simulation model and to evaluate the impact of environmental public policy measures. We model energy consumption and GHG emissions, the decision to invest in energy saving renovations and the dynamics of the housing stock. Particular attention is paid to household investment decisions regarding home renovation. To generate the dynamics and the structure of the housing stock through 2050, we introduce socioeconomic variables that alter the number of renovations and new constructions. This study has three major outputs. First, we estimate the energy consumption and GHG emissions of the residential sector in France through 2050. Second, we study the impact of environmental public policy measures. Lastly, we propose different means to reach the objectives. The results show that while current policies are effective, they are not sufficient to reach the objectives.

Feasibility of multi-sector policy measures that create activity-friendly environments for children: results of a Delphi study

BackgroundAlthough multi-sector policy is a promising strategy to create environments that stimulate physical activity among children, little is known about the feasibility of such a multi-sector policy approach. The aims of this study were: to identify a set of tangible (multi-sector) policy measures at the local level that address environmental characteristics related to physical activity among children; and to assess the feasibility of these measures, as perceived by local policy makers.MethodsIn four Dutch municipalities, a Delphi study was conducted among local policy makers of different policy sectors (public health, sports, youth and education, spatial planning/public space, traffic and transportation, and safety). In the first Delphi round, respondents generated a list of possible policy measures addressing three environmental correlates of physical activity among children (social cohesion, accessibility of facilities, and traffic safety). In the second Delphi round, policy makers weighted different feasibility aspects (political feasibility, cultural/community acceptability, technical feasibility, cost feasibility, and legal feasibility) and assessed the feasibility of the policy measures derived from the first round. The third Delphi round was aimed at reaching consensus by feedback of group results. Finally, one overall feasibility score was calculated for each policy measure.ResultsCultural/community acceptability, political feasibility, and cost feasibility were considered most important feasibility aspects. The Delphi studies yielded 16 feasible policy measures aimed at physical and social environmental correlates of physical activity among children. Less drastic policy measures were considered more feasible, whereas environmental policy measures were considered less feasible.ConclusionsThis study showed that the Delphi technique can be a useful tool in reaching consensus about feasible multi-sector policy measures. The study yielded several feasible policy measures aimed at physical and social environmental correlates of physical activity among children and can assist local policy makers in designing multi-sector policies aimed at an activity-friendly environment for children.

An evaluation of the life cycle cost of rapeseed oil as a straight vegetable oil fuel to replace petroleum diesel in agriculture

The use of straight vegetable oil (SVO) as biofuel has been recognized as a valid substitute of diesel fuel in the agricultural sector under specific circumstances. Its direct use reduces most of the chemical processes involved when converting it into biodiesel, thus lowering harmful emissions. This study presents the economic analysis of a self-supply farming model that uses rapeseed as its fuel base. This model addresses agricultural environmental concerns and can even minimize dependence on the fluctuating costs of diesel fuel. The use of SVO in agriculture can help reduce farmers’ vulnerability to fossil fuel prices. The economic evaluation of the model proposed in this study shows clear economic benefits of introducing rapeseed to the traditional crop rotation of wheat and barley. The key factors analyzed in this model are diesel fuel price, diesel fuel grants and crop aids. The current situation in Spain favors the use of diesel fuel in agriculture rather than rapeseed SVO due to an 8% profit difference. However, results show that changes in key factors slightly affect the profit margin, calculating a difference of only 3.7% for particular factor combinations. Combined environmental-friendly agriculture supporting policies are necessary to cover this slight profit difference to promote this biofuel. ► We economically evaluate small-scale rapeseed oil self-supply used as biofuel. ► We model six different crop systems scenarios, two using rapeseed oil as biofuel. ► The introduction of rapeseed in the traditional crop rotation is economically advantageous. ► Scenarios using diesel fuel show slightly higher economic benefit results. ► We show that this difference can be minimized applying environmental policy measures.

Energy transition, carbon dioxide reduction and output growth in the Swedish pulp and paper industry: 1973–2006

This study examines the historical relation between carbon dioxide emission and output growth in the Swedish pulp and paper industry from 1973 to 2006. We find that the industry achieved an 80 percent reduction in carbon dioxide emission, where most of the reduction took place before the implementation of active climate policy in 1991. Foremost energy substitution and also efficiency improvements contributed to the reduction. Growing prices of fossil fuel due to market price change and taxes and subsidies, explains most of the efficiency improvements and substitution. The study finds that energy transformation was coinciding with ongoing structural change in the industry during the 1970s and 1980s as well as a strong period of environmental adaption. We therefore suggest that the oil reduction was reinforced through the dynamics between the energy issue and an overall renewing process of the industry. This suggests a need to coordinate climate and environmental policy measures with the long-term industrial dynamics of structural change.