Strong Environmental Policy Research Articles

PERCEPTION INDEX OF ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION IN FUNDAMENTAL EDUCATION SCHOOLS IN A CITY ON THE BRAZIL / BOLIVIA FRONTIER

Objective: to analyze the Environmental Education Perception Index in the light of national curricular parameters (PCN’s) within the scope of elementary education in state schools in the city of Guajará-Mirim, Rondônia, on the Brazil / Bolivia border. Method: for this study, factor analysis was used as a mechanism for building performance indices for each parameter studied. The Statistical Package for the Social Sciences - SPSS [30] tool was used to determine the proposed indexes that followed the scale advocated by Hair et al [21]. Results: the results presented by the teachers of the 4 schools correspond to the perception index considered “good” with an average index of 0.699. The average perception index of school technicians and managers was 0.591, considered a “regular” index. The students had an average performance of 0.537, considered a “regular” performance index. The general IPEA among all schools surveyed was considered “regular” with a performance index of 0.597. Conclusion: the fact that Guajará-Mirim has 92% of its territory occupied by Conservation Units and Indigenous Lands and a strong environmental policy does not correspond to the level of abstraction applied by formal Environmental Education. Environmental Education given in Guajará-Mirim elementary schools imposes considerable risks on the environmental conscience of future generations, as it presents certain deficiencies in fulfilling its institutional role as a social transformer, configuring itself as a limiter of sustainable development and awareness environmental.

The Impact of Logic (In)Compatibility: Green Investing, State Policy, and Corporate Environmental Performance

Environmental protection is widely perceived as a state responsibility, but market-based solutions such as green investing have emerged in the financial sector. Little research has addressed whether green investing can affect corporate environmental performance and how the state would moderate such an impact. Using an institutional logics perspective, we extend the literature on institutional complexity by exploring the factors leading to compatibility of logics and practices. We theorize that the success of green investing as a novel hybrid practice combining financial means and environmental goals depends on the legitimacy it achieves as an appropriate solution to the stated goal, and this legitimacy can be boosted or dampened by other hybrid practices in the field. Analyzing a panel dataset of 3,706 firms from 20 countries between 2002 and 2013, we find a positive relationship between the relative size of green investment in the economy and firm-level environmental performance in that country. This relationship is moderated by state policies: a strong environmental protection policy weakens the positive relationship between green investing and corporate environmental performance, and a strong shareholder protection policy strengthens the relationship. We contribute to research on institutional complexity, logic compatibility, and public–private cooperation in pursuing the common good.

Environmentally data-driven smart sustainable cities: applied innovative solutions for energy efficiency, pollution reduction, and urban metabolism

The IoT and big data technologies have become essential to the functioning of both smart cities and sustainable cities, and thus, urban operational functioning and planning are becoming highly responsive to a form of data-driven urbanism. This offers the prospect of building models of smart sustainable cities functioning in real time from routinely sensed data. This in turn allows to monitor, understand, analyze, and plan such cities to improve their energy efficiency and environmental health in real time thanks to new urban intelligence functions as an advanced form of decision support. However, prior studies tend to deal largely with data-driven technologies and solutions in the realm of smart cities, mostly in relation to economic and social aspects, leaving important questions involving the underlying substantive and synergistic effects on environmental sustainability barely explored to date. These issues also apply to sustainable cities, especially eco-cities. Therefore, this paper investigates the potential and role of data-driven smart solutions in improving and advancing environmental sustainability in the context of smart cities as well as sustainable cities, under what can be labeled “environmentally data-driven smart sustainable cities.” To illuminate this emerging urban phenomenon, a descriptive/illustrative case study is adopted as a qualitative research methodology§ to examine and compare Stockholm and Barcelona as the ecologically and technologically leading cities in Europe respectively. The results show that smart grids, smart meters, smart buildings, smart environmental monitoring, and smart urban metabolism are the main data-driven smart solutions applied for improving and advancing environmental sustainability in both eco-cities and smart cities. There is a clear synergy between such solutions in terms of their interaction or cooperation to produce combined effects greater than the sum of their separate effects—with respect to the environment. This involves energy efficiency improvement, environmental pollution reduction, renewable energy adoption, and real-time feedback on energy flows, with high temporal and spatial resolutions. Stockholm takes the lead over Barcelona as regards the best practices for environmental sustainability given its long history of environmental work, strong environmental policy, progressive environmental performance, high environmental standards, and ambitious goals. It also has, like Barcelona, a high level of the implementation of applied data-driven technology solutions in the areas of energy and environment. However, the two cities differ in the nature of such implementation. We conclude that city governments do not have a unified agenda as a form of strategic planning, and data-driven decisions are unique to each city, so are environmental challenges. Big data are the answer, but each city sets its own questions based on what characterize it in terms of visions, policies, strategies, pathways, and priorities.

A Study on the Effect of Airlines' Eco-friendly Management Activities on Corporate Trust, Brand Image and Customer Citizenship Behavior

본 연구의 목적은 항공사의 친환경 경영활동이 기업신뢰, 브랜드이미지, 그리고 고객시민행동에 미치는 영향을 실증적으로 검증하고자 하였다. 이를 위해 선행연구와 전문가 집단의 델파이조사를 통하여 항공사에 적합한 친환경 경영활동 측정 모형을 개발하고 국내 항공서비스 이용객을 대상으로 설문조사를 실시하여 자료를 수집, 이를 분석하여 가설을 검증하였다. 연구결과, 첫째, 항공사 친환경 경영활동 중 친환경 교육, 친환경 기내서비스, 사회공헌 및 캠페인은 기업신뢰, 브랜드이미지 및 고객시민행동에 긍정적인 영향을 미치는 것으로 나타났다. 둘째, 기업신뢰와 브랜드이미지는 고객시민행동에 긍정적인 영향을 미치는 것으로 나타났다. 이러한 연구결과는 항공사의 친환경 경영활동이 기업 신뢰도 향상, 브랜드이미지 차별화 및 고객의 자발적 기업참여를 이끌어낼 수 있는 중요한 요소임을 의미한다. 제조업 중심의 지속가능한 환경경영은 기업 생존을 위한 필수 요소가 되었으며 항공 산업에서도 강도 높은 환경관련 정책들이 시행되고 있는 상황에서 본 연구는 친환경 경영활동 측정 도구 개발 및 실증연구의 이론적 근거와 기초자료를 제공하고 항공사의 친환경 경영 전략과 실무에 도움이 되고자 한다. 또한 항공사 친환경활동 중 친환경 교육, 친환경 기내서비스, 사회공헌 및 캠페인이 서비스산업 연구에서 의미 있게 다루어지고 있는 결과변수인 고객시민행동에 긍정적 영향을 미친다는 유의미한 결과를 얻었다는 점이 본 연구의 의의라 할 수 있다.The purpose of this study is to empirically examine the effects of airlines eco-friendly management activities on corporate trust, brand image, and customer citizenship behavior. The measurement items of eco-friendly management activities were derived from previous studies and supplemented with a Delphi survey of expert groups. In order to collect data and verify hypotheses, a survey was conducted for air service users. The results are as follows. First, among the items of eco-friendly management activities, environmental education, eco-friendly in-flight service, and social contributions and campaigns have a significant and positive impact on corporate trust, brand image and customer citizenship behavior. Second, corporate trust and brand image were found to have a positive effect on customer citizenship behavior. These results indicate that airlines eco-friendly management is an important factor to improve corporate trust, differentiate brand image, and induce customer citizenship behavior. Sustainable environmental management, centered on manufacturing, has become an essential element for corporate survival, and strong environmental policies are being implemented in the aviation industry. This study aims to help the airlines eco-friendly management strategies and practices by providing a theoretical basis and data for the development of an eco-friendly management measurement tool and empirical research for airlines. The significance of this study is that among airline eco-friendly management activities, environmental education, eco-friendly in-flight service, social contributions and campaigns have a significant and positive effect on customer citizenship behavior, a significant outcome variable in service industry research.

Foreign direct investment and pollution havens: evidence from African countries

This study examines the relationship between foreign direct investment (FDI) inflows and carbon dioxide emissions (CE) in order to investigate the validity of the pollution haven hypothesis for 54 African countries, using cointegration approach with dynamic panel data over the period 1960-2018. Based on the panel cointegration analysis, it was concluded that the variables are cointegrated. Moreover, the Dynamic Ordinary Least Square (DOLS) and Fully Modified Ordinary Least Square (FMOLS) results showed that foreign direct investment inflows have a long-run positive relationship with carbon dioxide emissions. Furthermore, according to Granger-Engle causality test results, FDI inflows and carbon dioxide emissions have a positive causal relationship, for both short-run and long-run. Thus, the results of this study validate the pollution haven hypothesis in the African countries. Nevertheless, it is recommended to keep attracting foreign direct investment inflows alongside of implementing mechanisms and instruments for reducing the CO2 emissions under strong environmental policies.

Developing the employee lifecycle to keep top talent

Purpose This article aims to set out the best strategies to understand the employee life cycle and how to employ tactics to keep top talent within an organisation. Design/methodology/approach This feature explores desktop data and industry research. Findings This feature demonstrates how an employee’s life cycle can be extended in the workplace and explains the link between the employee value proposition and the employee life cycle to create successful onboarding strategies. Social implications This article also looks at how millennials will stay longer in an organisation that has strong environmental policies. Originality/value This feature offers fantastic insight into an issue that is currently costing the country millions.

Beyond accountability: alternative rationales for transparency in global trade politics

ABSTRACTThe conventional view of transparency is that it is a critical tool to combat corruption and ensure the democratic accountability of government. This article argues that the negotiation of mega-regional trade agreements (RTAs) and their content indicates the need distinguish different types of transparency. Trade activists that call for drafts of the text of a mega-RTA to be released while negotiations are ongoing are seeking deliberative transparency, which provides opportunities for meaningful public participation and consultation. The trade advisory systems that could provide opportunities for deliberation instead deliver technocratic transparency; the rationale is to increase the effectiveness of mega-RTAs rather than their democratic legitimacy. Frequent leaks of draft chapters of mega-RTAs provide opportunities for deliberation, but some actors involved in leaking are engaged in disruptive transparency where the aim is to complicate trade negotiations, making a final deal less likely. While these varieties of transparency emerge in the context of the negotiating process, disciplinary transparency – which often becomes a regulatory tool for multinational corporations to influence policy-making – is found in the text of mega-RTAs. Certain forms of transparency increase the likelihood that mega-RTAs will be compatible with strong environmental policy, while others may have a detrimental impact.

The Role of Wetlands for Climate Change Mitigation and Biodiversity Conservation

Wetland is crucial in supporting biodiversity conservation and climate change regulation. A wetland ecosystem has been influenced by anthropogenic driven climate change. The main objective of this paper is to analyze the role of wetlands for climate change mitigation and biodiversity conservation through literature review. Wetland is vulnerable to climate change through alterations of hydrological regimes that lead to changes in quantity and quality of water. Climate change is undoubtedly the most pervasive, complex and challenging of the global environmental issues facing contemporary society and it affects all aspects of development. Wetlands play a key role in hydrological and biogeochemical cycles, and provide a wide range of ecosystem goods and services to humankind. In spite of these facts, wetlands are considered as wastelands in the past, which contributes for deterioration of wetlands in several places. Thus, strong environmental policy is required for the conservation of wetland ecosystem.Keywords: carbon sequestration, climate change, climate change mitigation, biodiversity conservation, wetlands

Business model for integrating energy efficiency performance in manufacturing industries: railcar case study

The strong environmental policies, market demand and environmental sustainability has affected industrial firms, and forced them to create sustainable energy solutions. Improving energy efficiency is a key driver for sustainability, especially in high energy intensive industries that includes rail car manufacturing, which calls for implementation of energy efficiency initiatives in managing energy consumption, thus reducing energy costs and environmental pollution. The article proposes a business model that can be used by Energy Service Companies (ESCos) in creating, delivering and capturing value of energy (electricity) using canvas methodology.

Environmental Impact Assessments and Hydraulic Fracturing: Lessons from Two U.S. States

Although the United States has been stimulating well production with hydraulic fracturing (“fracking”)1 since the 1940s [1], high-volume hydraulic fracturing (HVHF) combined with horizontal drilling is a relatively recent [2, 3] development with potential to adversely impact human health [4], environment [5], and water resources [6], with uncertainty about impacts and gaps in the data on HVHF compared to conventional drilling techniques [7]. Part of protecting environmental and public health is identifying potential risks before licenses are issued and drilling operations proceed. To this end, two case studies, focusing on the environmental impact assessment (EIA) procedures of California and New York, are analyzed in this paper. Both states have histories of strong environmental protection law and policy [8–10] and legally require an EIA to be conducted before development of HVHF sites [11, 12], an outgrowth of the 1969 federal National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). New York State conducted what appears to be a thorough EIA [13] and concluded that as there were too many gaps in the data on HVHF, fracking could not proceed. California’s EIA, which was less extensive, and did not consider health impacts [14], concluded that HVHF could proceed, relatively unabated. A comparison of these cases illustrates that the processes designed to ensure adequate identification, monitoring, and assessment of environmental impacts are prone to differences [15]—an outcome of the fact that laws governing HVHF in the US are not consistent across, nor controlled at, the federal level [16, 17].

Regional governance by the South Asia Cooperative Environment Program (SACEP)? Institutional design and customizable regime policy offering flexible political options

International governance by global, and especially by regional environmental regimes, is increasingly gaining attention in both political practice and academia. Such regimes may be clearly geared towards a specific environmental issue, which is at the core of the institutional design. Over time, regimes may also develop environmental regime policies. Using the case of the regional South Asia Cooperative Environment Program (SACEP), and based on 1982–2017 qualitative data from key regime policy documents and interviews, we pose the empirical question of whether the SACEP regime has been capable of developing a strong environmental regime policy in the period since 1982. We do so by pursuing the following research questions: What is the institutional design of SACEP making up the regime structures? Which policy issues, goals, instruments and implementing actors can be identified within the regional environmental SACEP regime? Our findings suggest that the institutional design is the result of a UNEP spin-off for more effective cooperation on environmental issues in South Asia. While serving the bureaucratic interests of UNEP, this design was in line with the interests of India as a regional power, through which it advanced its hegemony within South Asian environmental cooperation. The environmental policy developed within the SACEP regime is characterized by the very large number of issues covered, a lack of concrete and substantial policy goals, short-term and limited donor projects as the only instruments, and the vague mention of Member States as implementing actors. We conclude that the absence of a meaningful, streamlined and/or politically highly visible regime policy renders the SACEP regime policy an ad-hoc assortment of policies, which is, for strong donor countries, a “menu to choose from”.

Environmental Strategy in Business: Green Marketing Communication

Purpose: The aim of the paper is to explore the issues of green marketing and green marketing communication. Design/methodology/approach: The narrative literature review is a method applied to achieve the aim of the paper. Findings: The growth of environmental sensitivity is a driving force for change towards new policy tools and environmental eco-nomics. Businesses have developed various tools for environmen-tal communication including environmental balance sheets, social reports, and certifications. It is not enough for businesses to com-municate generic commitment to environmental protection; they have to integrate the concept of ecology into corporate culture by creating strong environmental policies and environmental ethics that describe the enterprise at all organisational levels. Businesses focusing on the development of green products must not only ‘talk ecologically’ but also ‘be ecological’. Research and practical limitations/implications: The research has an exploratory character since the sample strategy is not probabilistic. Originality/value: The study can stimulate discussion in the field of green marketing and green marketing communication. Paper type: literature review.

Pugna por gobernanza urbano-metropolitana en Chile: resistencia de agencias y reforma intergubernamental con poder regional

Chile has opted for the dual governance of cities after a period of increasing territorial demands for autonomy. Three presidential commissions with dissimilar proposals have produced a hybrid intergovernmental response based on a ministerial committee that reached an agreement with regional-municipal alliances, under the tutelage of the governor-elect. Based on the information gathered from the 2014 regional council meetings, interviews with regional actors, and the examples of Santiago, Greater Valparaiso and Greater Concepcion, the struggle for urban governance that requires a greater demand for strong mobility and environmental policies, has become one of the focal points of the problems of cities in Chile, thus promoting accelerated decentralization processes from the regions. The objective of this article is to expose the conflict that exists in the management models of cities in a traditionally centralist country that is evolving towards an incremental mixed model of metropolitan governance with intergovernmentalism, which causes symbolic power to fall to a regional governor, but that obliges both pacts with the powerful national state agencies and consulting about key plans with the future council of mayors that constitute a metropolitan territory. It is evident that this process implies a path not without difficulties, which aims to strengthen public sector relations, incorporate municipalities into territorial discussions, hold talks with relevant private and academic sector actor,s and involve citizens in metropolitan management.

The Emerging Soybean Production Frontier in Southern Africa: Conservation Challenges and the Role of South-South Telecouplings

Soybean expansion has been a strong driver of deforestation and biodiversity loss in South America. Here we highlight strong similarities in environmental, institutional, and other contextual conditions among South American (SAM) and Southern African (SAFR) dry forest and savanna regions, and compile evidence for an emerging soybean production frontier in Southern Africa. Knowledge transfer, cooperation, and direct investment between South American and Southern African countries constitute crucial elements of soybean expansion in Africa. Comparing maps of soybean suitability, biodiversity, and carbon revealed substantial and spatially diverse trade-offs, suggesting that the emerging soybean frontier in Southern Africa may poses major challenges for conservation. An increased focus of conservation science on agricultural expansion and intensification in Southern African, as well as strong environmental policies for balancing agricultural production and conservation goals, are needed to mitigate potentially large trade-offs. The coupling of production frontiers should be a vehicle for the transfer not only of agricultural technology and production models, but also of experiences in environmental governance on emerging agricultural frontiers.

Effect of particle size and addition of cocoa pod husk on the properties of sawdust and coal pellets

The continuous increase of the world energy demand, the rise of fossil fuels costs, and the strong environmental policies around the globe are some of the reasons for the wood pellets industry increase. However, there are some other available biomass feedstocks capable of being densified for energy production. Among the various options, the use of mixed biomass pellets is becoming remark-able due to the wide variety of species, although more research is needed in order to enhance the mechanical properties of these pellets. This study aims to identify the effect of particle size on the mechanical properties of sawdust and coal pellets when cocoa pod husks are used as an additive. Cocoa pod husks have a similar composition to sawdust and less sulfur and nitrogen than coal. Thus, the use of this additive might decrease the environmental impact during coal pellets combustion. Results show an attractive potential of cocoa pod husks grinds for pellet production, an increase of the durability of coal pellets mixed with this raw material, and similar performance between cocoa pod husks and sawdust pellets. The compression ratio, the compressive and impact resistance varied linearly with the addition of cocoa pod husks.

Environment and Growth

This paper examines the implications of the mutual causality between environmental quality and economic growth. While economic growth deteriorates the environment through increasing amounts of pollution, the deteriorated environment in turn limits the possibility of further economic growth. In a less developed country, this link, which we call "limits to growth," emerges as the "poverty-environment trap," which explains the persistent international inequality both in terms of income and environment. This link also threatens the sustainability of the world's economic growth, particularly when the emission of greenhouse gases raises the risk of natural disasters. Stronger environmental policies are required to overcome this link. While there is a trade-off between the environment and growth in the short run, we show that an appropriate policy can improve both in the long run.

FROM GREEN PROMISES TO POLITICS AS USUAL: THE CONSERVATIVE PARTY, THE COALITION AND THE ENVIRONMENT

This paper examines the trajectory of attitudes and policy commitments on the environment within the British Conservative prior to and following the Conservative/Liberal Democrat coalition formed after the election held in May 2010. The first part addresses the environmental policy of the British Conservative Party under the leadership of David Cameron from 2005 to the general election in 2010. The second examines how Cameron’s environmental commitments were translated into practice following the formation of the Conservative/Liberal Democrat Coalition in May 2010. The third part characterises and employs the idea of ‘politics as usual’ to describe the forces directed against strong environmental policies and draws together the themes of the first two parts through a consideration of the Coalition’s attitude to airport expansion in the UK

Relationship between Urbanization and CO2 Emissions Depends on Income Level and Policy

We investigate empirically how national-level CO2 emissions are affected by urbanization and environmental policy. We use statistical modeling to explore panel data on annual CO2 emissions from 80 countries for the period 1983-2005. Random- and fixed-effects models indicate that, on the global average, the urbanization-emission elasticity value is 0.95 (i.e., a 1% increase in urbanization correlates with a 0.95% increase in emissions). Several regions display a statistically significant, positive elasticity for fixed- and random-effects models: lower-income Europe, India and the Sub-Continent, Latin America, and Africa. Using two proxies for environmental policy/outcomes (ratification status for the Kyoto Protocol; the Yale Environmental Performance Index), we find that in countries with stronger environmental policy/outcomes, urbanization has a more beneficial (or, a less negative) impact on emissions. Specifically, elasticity values are -1.1 (0.21) for higher-income (lower-income) countries with strong environmental policy, versus 0.65 (1.3) for higher-income (lower-income) countries with weak environmental policies. Our finding that the urbanization-emissions elasticity may depend on the strength of a country's environmental policy, not just marginal increases in income, is in contrast to the idea of universal urban scaling laws that can ignore local context. Most global population growth in the coming decades is expected to occur in urban areas of lower-income countries, which underscores the importance of these findings.

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.

Customer managed intermodal transport solutions: why, how, for whom?

The study investigates development of new intermodal transport solutions with specific focus on solutions where customers, the shippers, choose to develop and manage their own intermodal solutions instead of buying the transport service in the market. The purpose of the paper is to study the design aspects of customer managed intermodal transport system development to see what makes such systems competitive. Focus is on why shippers develop such solutions; how they solve fundamental performance problems; and what characterises such shippers. Shippers engage in development and management of intermodal solutions based on perceived weak signals about future threats and opportunities. Intermodal solutions are designed to meet cost, quality, and environmental requirements. Shippers engaging in development of such solutions have large and concentrated flows. Furthermore, they have strong environmental policies, and are highly dependent on efficient transport. Finally, they are major buyers in the transport market having previous experience in using rail/intermodal.