UNEP Research Articles

Top-down and bottom-up estimates of anthropogenic methyl bromide emissions from eastern China

Abstract. Methyl bromide (CH3Br) is a potent ozone-depleting substance (ODS) that has both natural and anthropogenic sources. CH3Br has been used mainly for preplant soil fumigation, post-harvest grain and timber fumigation, and structural fumigation. Most non-quarantine and pre-shipment (non-QPS) uses were phased out by 2005 for non-Article 5 (developed) countries and by 2015 for Article 5 (developing) countries under the Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer; some uses have continued under critical-use exemptions (CUEs). Under the protocol, individual nations are required to report annual data on CH3Br production and consumption for quarantine–pre-shipment (QPS) uses, non-QPS uses, and CUEs to the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP). In this study, we analyzed high-precision, in situ measurements of atmospheric mole fractions of CH3Br obtained at the Gosan station on Jeju Island, South Korea, from 2008 to 2019. The background mole fractions of CH3Br in the atmosphere at Gosan declined from 8.5±0.8 ppt (parts per trillion) in 2008 to 7.4±0.6 ppt in 2019 at a rate of -0.13±0.02 ppt yr−1. At Gosan, we also observed periods of persistent mole fractions (pollution events) elevated above the decreasing background in continental air masses from China. Statistical back-trajectory analyses showed that these pollution events are predominantly traced back to CH3Br emissions from eastern China. Using an interspecies correlation (ISC) method with the reference trace species CFC-11 (CCl3F), we estimate anthropogenic CH3Br emissions from eastern China at an average of 4.1±1.3 Gg yr−1 in 2008–2019, approximately 2.9±1.3 Gg yr−1 higher than the bottom-up emission estimates reported to UNEP. Possible non-fumigation CH3Br sources – rapeseed production and biomass burning – were assessed, and it was found that the discrepancy is most likely due to unreported or incorrectly reported QPS and non-QPS fumigation uses. These unreported anthropogenic emissions of CH3Br are confined to eastern China and account for 30 %–40 % of anthropogenic global CH3Br emissions. They are likely due to delays in the introduction of CH3Br alternatives, such as sulfuryl fluoride (SO2F2), heat, and irradiation, and a possible lack of industry awareness of the need for regulation of CH3Br production and use.

Economic Sustainability of Geographical Indication Indigenous Rice: The Case of Khao Sangyod Muang Phatthalung, Thailand

Khao Sangyod (Sangyod rice) is an indigenous red rice variety commonly cultivated in Southern Thailand. Its distinctive and desirable cooking quality and nutritional value made Sangyod rice in Phatthalung province Khao Sangyod Muang Phatthalung the first geographical indication (GI) rice registered in Thailand. These attributes also earned it the status of a Protected Geographical Indication (PGI) Thai rice registered in the EU. Sangyod rice cultivation can generate a good income for farmers and contribute to the conservation of indigenous varieties and genetic biodiversity. This study aims to measure farmers’ net incomes (profitability), which is one important indicator of sustainable rice platform (SRP) indicators by the United Nations Environmental Programme, and to compare the profit inefficiency among farmers. The data were collected from 328 farmers in three southern provinces for the 2019/2020 cropping season. The results show that, on average, Sangyod rice farmers have a profit efficiency score of 68, implying that they can still improve their profit by 32%. Sangyod rice production in the GI area has a profit efficiency higher than that outside the area. The results from this study can inform the formulation of policies that support the sustainability of indigenous rice in Thailand.

Participation of Azerbaijan in the Environmental Activities of the UNEP, the Council of Europe and the CIS

Ecosystems of the Azerbaijan Republic have a lot of unique characteristics that demand the special focus in the context of the environmental protection. Taking into account their importance, it is necessary to apply whole potential of international cooperation including institutional dimension. The purpose of the article is to describe the characteristics of the participation of the Azerbaijan Republic in the activities of the United Nations Environmental Programme (UNEP), the Council of Europe and the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) on the protection of environment. As the basic method of research, the author proposes the method of legal comparison. The generalization of the results of the cooperation of the Azerbaijan Republic allows to define the respective traits of interaction with every international organization from the abovementioned list. They are determined by the purposes, functions, opportunities and mechanisms of interaction in every respective case. For example, the Azerbaijan Republic focuses its attention on development and improvement of the environmental management mechanism and resilience to natural and human-induced hazards. At the same time, the environmental cooperation of the Azerbaijan Republic and the Council of Europe is based on the participation in the regional conventional mechanisms and formation of the necessary conditions for the realization of the environmental rights of humans, including the activity of the European Court of Human Rights. Additionally, based on the examples of cooperation of the Azerbaijan Republic with the UNEP, the Council of Europe and the CIS, the author reveals the presence of dynamic, complex and systemic approach to cooperation with the aforementioned international organizations.
 The global, comprehensive nature of the environmental challenges facing the world community contributes to the formation of a new worldview and practice of international economic interaction between the participants of the world economy, based on the support of the strong States to the weak in ensuring the most important, generally significant tasks of the economy and the environment.

A global indicator of utilized wildlife populations: Regional trends and the impact of management

A global indicator of utilized wildlife populations: Regional trends and the impact of management

The health–environment nexus: global negotiations at a crossroads

In the 50 years of work to advance sustainability policy since the 1972 UN Conference on the Human Environment and the establishment of the UN Environment Programme, the relationships between humans and the planet's ecosystems, and between health and the environment, have largely remained at the periphery of global health discourse.1 Governance architectures for global health and global environmental policy are generally siloed, but the challenges these domains tackle are increasingly intertwined and require cross-sector collaboration.

폐어구 발생 저감을 위한 어업규제 개선방안에 관한 연구 - 통발어업 및 문어단지어업 중심으로 -

Until recently, illegal fishing in the coastal fishing industry in Korea has been occurring in many different ways in most industries. Among the types of illegal fishing, it is said that the problem of political and trap fishing, octopus jar fishing, and gill net fishing, which are for fishery regulation measures under the fisheries related laws and regulations, is causingwaste fishing gear. In particular, most of these fisheries, trap fishing and octopus jar fishing, are illegal fishing that violates the rules of operation, and many occurrence wast fishing gear are generated during fishing, whether intentionally or fruitfully. Therefore, it destroys the fragile marine ecosystem environment and causes ghost fishing. And it is leading to the decrease of fishery resources, and many problems are raised in terms of protection and management of fishery resources, and the damage is enormous. In other words, about 380 billion won of fishery damage, which is 10% of the annual catch, is occurring due to the waste fish. In addition, when waste fishes made of styrofoam, plastic, and nylon nets for wast fishing gear are left in the sea for a long time, microplastics are generated, and when marine organisms ingest them and eventually come to our table, human beings finally ingest substances that are very harmful to the human body. For this reason, advanced countries including the World Food and Agriculture Organization and the United Nations Environment Program are seeking active management measures to reduce the occurrence of waste fishing gear, which is caused by marine ecosystem environmental pollution and ghost fishing due to the occurrence of waste fish. This study sought ways to reduce the occurrence of waste fishing gear by eradicating violations of fishing regulations on trap fishing and octopus jar fishery which are reducing fishery resources by marine ecosystem contamination and ghost fishing by illegal fishing Therefore, the present laws and regulations related to fishery regulation are reviewed and the problems are considered to suggest legal improvement measures to reduce the occurrence of waste fishing gear

POPs monitoring in Mongolia – Core matrices

Persistent organic pollutants (POPs) are of global concern due to their negative effects on humans and the environment, and globally are regulated in the Stockholm Convention on POPs. The present study had Mongolia as a partner in a multinational project funded and coordinated by the United Nations Environment Programme with the aim to monitor POPs in core media, including air (with passive samplers), water, and a pooled human milk sample. Project implementation and all sampling were undertaken by the Institute of Chemistry and Chemical Technology whereas POPs analysis was performed in laboratories abroad. Brominated and chlorinated POPs were analyzed by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry, perfluorinated compounds (PFAS) and isomers of hexabromocyclododecane (HBCD) by liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry. The monitoring results found very low concentrations of PFAS in river water. Toxic equivalents (TEQs) for PCDD/PCDF were low in air and in human samples but had a relatively higher presence of TEQ from dioxin-like PCB than in other countries. With respect to chlorinated POPs, drins, chlordanes, DDTs, heptachlors, and mirex were very low in air and human milk. Elevated levels were found for polychlorinated biphenyls (PCB), hexachlorobenzene (HCB), hexachlorocyclohexanes (HCHs), pentachlorobenzene (PeCBz), and HBCD in air with extreme values for hexachlorobutadiene. The abundance of HCHs and HCB was confirmed in the human milk sample but not for PCB, PeCBz or HBCD. Short-chain chlorinated paraffins (170 ng/g lipid) were the highest among all human milk pools. It is recommended to continue POPs monitoring in the future, especially for those where high concentrations were found.

Review of analytical methods for lead determination in paints and varnishes

Introduction. The draft Technical Regulation of the Eurasian Economic Union “On the Safety of Paint and Varnish Materials” establishes the lead content in paint and varnish materials for interior and exterior surfaces of residential and (or) public premises, furniture products, playgrounds, products for children and adolescents, attractions, products in contact with food, and used for water treatment equipment at a level not exceeding 0,009% of the total weight of non-volatile chemicals with a transition period of 60 months. Current GOST R 50279.10-92 (ISO 6503-84) (GOST R 50279.10-92 (ISO 6503-84). Paints and varnishes. Methods for determination of metal content. Determination of total lead content. Flame atomic absorption spectrometry method) and GOST R 50279.3-92 (ISO 3856/1-84) (GOST R 50279.3-92 (ISO 3856/1-84). Paints and varnishes. Methods for determination of metal content. Determination of “dissolved” lead content. Flame atomic absorption spectrometry and dithizone spectrophotometric method) with detection limits of lead at 0,01% (by weight) do not provide the required sensitivity, and therefore it becomes necessary to develop and approve in accordance with the established procedure an analytical method for lead determination in paint and varnish materials at the level of 0,0045% of the total weight of non-volatile chemicals (1/2 of the established standard). Materials and methods. Documents, guidelines and webinars of the Eurasian Economic Union, the World Health Organization, the United Nations Environment Program, the American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM International), the International Organization for Standardization (ISO), the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), manufacturers of analytical equipment (26 sources in total) were used in the preparation of the review. Results and discussions. The review presents the most common methods for lead determination in paints and varnishes, indicating their characteristics, advantages and limitations: flame atomic absorption spectrometry; atomic absorption spectrometry with electrothermal atomization; atomic emission spectrometry with inductively coupled plasma; X-ray fluorescence spectrometry. Conclusion. A systematic analysis of the methods for lead determination in paints and varnishes existing in domestic and foreign practice, taking into account the lower detection limit, as well as the costs of consumables and equipment maintenance, allows to identify three methods that are of interest in terms of developing guidelines: atomic absorption spectrometry with electrothermal atomization; atomic emission spectrometry with inductively coupled plasma; high-resolution X-ray fluorescence spectrometry.

Implementing contaminated land remediation in Nigeria: Insights from the Ogoni remediation project

Environmental contamination by hydrocarbons has negative effects on human health and other receptors including air, water and land resources. Following a United Nations Environment Programme report in 2011 which concluded that remediation strategies adopted in Nigeria did not meet international best practice, the Nigerian Government is attempting to develop a fit for purpose model of managing oil-contaminated land and wetlands. It has established the Hydrocarbon Pollution Remediation Project (HYPREP) to coordinate the environmental remediation and the restoration of livelihoods of local communities in the Niger Delta, starting with Ogoniland. HYPREP has been implementing the remediation process for more than five years with limited expected sustainable outcomes. It is now 11 years following UNEP’s recommendations for environmental and livelihood restoration in the region. The challenges of effective land remediation and restoration of traditional livelihoods are explored in the context of the Niger Delta, Nigeria’s hub of oil and gas production. The preliminary appraisal indicates that HYPREP operations are bureaucratic, suffering from capacity gaps and a weak stakeholder engagement strategy. Other extant challenges include the slow implementation of recommended emergency measures, corruption and the absence of infrastructure for hazardous materials management. Additionally, HYPREP has not optimized quality assurance by engaging internationally accredited laboratories for chemical analysis of environmental samples. Opportunities exist for HYPREP to learn lessons from other regimes for effective contaminated land management. Roles for different stakeholders working towards sustainable contaminated land management in Ogoniland and the wider Niger Delta are outlined. These recommendations would benefit regions with similar contexts and contaminated land issues.

Environmental effects of stratospheric ozone depletion, UV radiation, and interactions with climate change: UNEP Environmental Effects Assessment Panel, Update 2021

The Environmental Effects Assessment Panel of the Montreal Protocol under the United Nations Environment Programme evaluates effects on the environment and human health that arise from changes in the stratospheric ozone layer and concomitant variations in ultraviolet (UV) radiation at the Earth’s surface. The current update is based on scientific advances that have accumulated since our last assessment (Photochem and Photobiol Sci 20(1):1–67, 2021). We also discuss how climate change affects stratospheric ozone depletion and ultraviolet radiation, and how stratospheric ozone depletion affects climate change. The resulting interlinking effects of stratospheric ozone depletion, UV radiation, and climate change are assessed in terms of air quality, carbon sinks, ecosystems, human health, and natural and synthetic materials. We further highlight potential impacts on the biosphere from extreme climate events that are occurring with increasing frequency as a consequence of climate change. These and other interactive effects are examined with respect to the benefits that the Montreal Protocol and its Amendments are providing to life on Earth by controlling the production of various substances that contribute to both stratospheric ozone depletion and climate change.

Global interlaboratory assessments on PCBs, organochlorine pesticides and brominated flame retardants in various environmental matrices 2017/2019

In support of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) global monitoring plan under the Stockholm Convention contributing laboratories were offered to take part in a series of interlaboratory assessments on persistent organic pollutants (POPs). The results of two rounds of these assessments are reported. The target compounds were polychlorinated biphenyls, organochlorine pesticides, polybrominated diphenylethers, one polybrominated biphenyl and hexabromocyclododecane diastereomers. The matrices distributed were a test solution, fish, sediment, human milk, and air extracts. The number of participants in each round was well over 100, showing the interest of laboratories worldwide. The results showed that many laboratories still struggle to obtain acceptable standard deviations of around 25% for their determinations. In particular for organochlorine pesticides serious improvement in quality is required. Acceptable results were obtained for the air extracts and for the determination of polybrominated diphenylethers in various matrices.

Social life cycle assessment of feedstocks for biodiesel production in Brazil

Brazil pioneered the application of economic stimulus policies allying social equity measures with the production of biodiesel. Despite the original expectations, there are concerns about possible negative social impacts generated by the conditions prevailing in the production of the feedstocks. In this study, the social life cycle assessment methodology was used to assess the impacts of these conditions. The study covers qualitative and quantitative analysis. Firstly, a systematic review of studies published between 2015 and 2020 allowed the identification and classification of the social impacts in the categories and subcategories proposed by the United Nations Environment Programme and Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry. A methodology to attribute grades to the social impacts was then proposed based on the subcategory assessment method. A computational routine was developed in R language to assess, evaluate and compare data from different sources, including data from government agencies. The results revealed the positive influence of cooperatives on the well-being of workers. Also, workers in wealthier regions often endure longer work hours to earn a living, while workers in more impoverished regions are more likely to receive salaries below the minimum wage. Correlations between sex, race, workload and salary were also identified. It was concluded that, despite the current policies in place, social inequalities remain in the populations involved in biodiesel production. The results also suggest the need to account for the social life cycle when evaluating the overall sustainability of a national biofuels policy.

Clear and Present Dangers: The Multiple Health Hazards of Volcanic Eruptions.

Clear and Present Dangers: The Multiple Health Hazards of Volcanic Eruptions.

Micro/nano-plastics occurrence, identification, risk analysisandmitigation: challenges and perspectives.

Micro/nanoplastics (MP/NPs) are emerging global pollutants that garnered enormous attention due to their potential threat to the ecosystem in virtue of their persistence and accumulation. Notably, United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) yearbook in 2014 proposed MPs as one among ten emergent issues that the Earth is facing today. MP/NPs can be found in most regularly used products (primary microplastics) or formed by the fragmentation of bigger plastics (secondary microplastics) and are inextricably discharged into the environment by terrestrial and land-based sources, particularly runoff. They are non-degradable, biologically incompatible, and their presence in the air, soil, water, and food can induce ecotoxicological issues and also a menace to the environment. Due to micro size and diverse chemical nature, MP/NPs easily infiltrate wastewater treatment processes. This communication reviews the current understanding of MP/NPs occurrence, mobility, aggregation behavior, and degradation/assimilation in terrestrial, aquatic (fresh & marine), atmospheric depositions, wetlands and trophic food chain. This communication provide current perspectives and understanding on MP/NPs concerning (1) Source, occurrence, distribution, and properties (2) Impact on the ecosystem and its services, (3) Techniques in detection and identification and (4) Strategies to manage and mitigation.

Correcting Thornthwaite potential evapotranspiration using a global grid of local coefficients to support temperature-based estimations of reference evapotranspiration and aridity indices

Abstract. Thornthwaite's formula is globally an optimum candidate for large-scale applications of potential evapotranspiration and aridity assessment at different climates and landscapes since it has lower data requirements compared to other methods and especially from the ASCE-standardized reference evapotranspiration (formerly FAO-56), which is the most data-demanding method and is commonly used as the benchmark method. The aim of the study is to develop a global database of local coefficients for correcting the formula of monthly Thornthwaite potential evapotranspiration (Ep) using as benchmark the ASCE-standardized reference evapotranspiration method (Er). The validity of the database will be verified by testing the hypothesis that a local correction coefficient, which integrates the local mean effect of wind speed, humidity, and solar radiation, can improve the performance of the original Thornthwaite formula. The database of local correction coefficients was developed using global gridded temperature, rainfall, and Er data of the period 1950–2000 at 30 arcsec resolution (∼ 1 km at Equator) from freely available climate geodatabases. The correction coefficients were produced as partial weighted averages of monthly Er/Ep ratios by setting the ratios' weight according to the monthly Er magnitude and by excluding colder months with monthly values of Er or Ep < 45 mm per month because their ratio becomes highly unstable for low temperatures. The validation of the correction coefficients was made using raw data from 525 stations of Europe; California, USA; and Australia including data up to 2020. The validation procedure showed that the corrected Thornthwaite formula Eps using local coefficients led to a reduction of RMSE from 37.2 to 30.0 mm m−1 for monthly step estimations and from 388.8 to 174.8 mm yr−1 for annual step estimations compared to Ep using as a benchmark the values of the Er method. The corrected Eps and the original Ep Thornthwaite formulas were also evaluated by their use in Thornthwaite and UNEP (United Nations Environment Program) aridity indices using as a benchmark the respective indices estimated by Er. The analysis was made using the validation data of the stations, and the results showed that the correction of the Thornthwaite formula using local coefficients increased the accuracy of detecting identical aridity classes with Er from 63 % to 76 % for the case of Thornthwaite classification and from 76 % to 93 % for the case of UNEP classification. The performance of both aridity indices using the corrected formula was extremely improved in the case of non-humid classes. The global database of local correction factors can support applications of reference evapotranspiration and aridity index assessment with the minimum data requirements (i.e., temperature) for locations where climatic data are limited. The global grids of local correction coefficients for the Thornthwaite formula produced in this study are archived in the PANGAEA database and can be assessed using the following link: https://doi.org/10.1594/PANGAEA.932638 (Aschonitis et al., 2021).

Thermal stresses in rectangular concrete beams, resulting from constraints at microstructure, cross-section, and supports

Concrete beams carrying flat roofs are subjected to daily temperature cycles. Thermal eigenstrains at different scales of observation may be constrained or even prevented. This may apply to the entire beam and its support conditions, to the cross-sections of the beam, the microstructure of concrete, consisting of coarse aggregates embedded in a mortar matrix, and to the microstructure of mortar, consisting of fine aggregates embedded in a cement paste matrix. Scale transitions from the entire beam to the cross-sectional scale and further down to the microstructural scales of concrete and mortar are based on standard equations of the linear theory of slender beams and on the concentration-influence relations between the macroscopic and the microscopic strains, taken from continuum micromechanics. This multiscale approach is used for computing thermal stresses of concrete and of its constituents. Sensitivity analyses are carried out w.r.t. the support conditions, the type of coarse aggregates, the internal relative humidity, the speed of the temperature change, and the height of the cross-section. It is demonstrated that even if thermal stresses appear to be reasonably small at the scale of concrete, there may be significant microstructural stress fluctuations. They are the larger, the greater the difference between the thermo-elastic properties of the individual microstructural constituents. It is concluded that the thermal insulation of flat roofs, as promoted by the United Nations environment program to reduce energy consumption in buildings, is also important to obtain smaller daily cycles of stresses of beams carrying flat roofs.

Food Sharing Platforms: Emerging Evidence from Italian and German Users

Among the most challenging problems of the 21st century, the fight against food waste and losses is still one of the biggest concerns researchers and policy makers are trying to solve. The latest United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP)’s report (UNEP, 2021) estimates that around 931 million tons of food waste were generated in 2019, and the majority came from households. As a consequence of the negative social, economic and environmental effects of this phenomenon, numerous actions have been launched by policymakers aiming to try to reduce the volume of food waste also through the donation of surplus food. At the same time, digital transformation and the advent of the sharing economy have boosted the launch of startups with disruptive business models creating a secondary market for the distribution of food surplus, thus trying to spread the practice of sustainable and collaborative consumption. Extant literature on the topic is relatively new. Despite a few recent attempts to study food sharing digital platforms, our knowledge is still limited (either in terms of platforms considered and of users’ nationality). This paper aims therefore at shedding new light on the proposed issue by providing a first attempt to study the behavior of Italian and German users of food sharing digital platforms. Data collected through an ad-hoc developed survey have been analyzed through a cluster analysis and preliminary results about users’ habits discussed. In doing so, we also provide insights about the critical issues that need to be considered to boost the adoption/diffusion of such platforms, i.e. logistics-related problems to reach full extensiveness of the service.

Investigating environmental destructive factors in Iran and the world

Much has been said about the rulings on environmental degradation in Iranian and Western jurisprudence and law, but less has been said about the instances of degradation. Identifying the instances as subjects of rulings helps the legislator to be able to legislate properly. In this regard, this paper tries to examine the degradation examples of the environment with the help of tables and figures. Some of these instances are mentioned in Iranian law and international documents, which are dealt with separately. Instances include population growth, overexploitation of fisheries, and overproduction of greenhouse gases, which the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) have addressed with shocking statistics. Organic composition of Methyl tertiary-butyl ether (MTBE) in the field of drinking water pollution, deforestation, land warming factors and nuclear explosions are also instances.

A Foreword from the Editor

Low-carbon and intelligent construction are two of the current research hot spots in the Architecture, Engineering, Construction, and Facilities Management (AEC/FM) field. Green building, smart city, AI, BIM, and sustainable development have become high-frequency words in the field[1]. The lack of the adoption of digital technologies (e.g., BIM, AI, digital twin) will lead to project delays, cost inefficiencies, poor quality, and tedious management[2]. Emerging innovations of those digital technologies are bringing a new evolutionary process of engineering applications towards more sustainable and intelligent development[3-4]. In October 2021, the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and Global Alliance for Buildings and Construction (GlobalABC) release the heavyweight report Global Status Report on the Building and Construction Industry 2021[1]. The report states that since the signing of the Paris Agreement in 2015, CO2 emissions from the buildings and construction sector have peaked in recent years and subsequently fallen to 2007 levels in 2020. This current decline is due mostly to the COVID-19 pandemic; however, this decline appears to be temporary as emissions pick up again with increasing economic activity. Whereas transformative, long-term progress in sector decarbonizing remains limited[1]. To achieve the Paris Agreement, the global buildings and construction sector must almost completely decarbonize by 2050. Collectively, stakeholders in the sector must seize the opportunity that the COVID-19 economic recovery period offers to foster transformation for decarbonizing the sector. The sector must simultaneously meet a projected near-doubling of global demand for energy services in buildings and at least a doubling of floor space as developing economies continue to respond to the growing demand for building floor space, access to energy services and economic activities. Therefore, to meet the future needs and developments of this fast-growing field, a brand-new journal, Journal of Building Design and Environment (JBDE) has been launched. JBDE is a semi-annual, double-blind peer reviewed, open access journal, dedicated to publishing original research articles/reviews—amongst other submission categories—on the research and application of sustainability and intelligence in the field of construction engineering and design. The scope of JBDE covers (but is not limited to) the following: Civil and Infrastructure Engineering Building and Structural Design Construction Materials Built Environment Construction Engineering and Management Computer Aided-Design and Simulation Energy and Buildings Sustainable Development Urban Planningand Resilience Architectural Aesthetics and Townscape To further encourage research in this area, our publisher, Omniscient Pte. Ltd. has decided to waive article processing charge for the first two issues of the journal’s first volume. Therefore, we strongly welcome all who are interested in building design and environment research to join us authors, reviewers or editorial board members. It is the hope of the entire editorial team of JBDE that this journal will fulfil the needs of those specialising in building design and facilitate discourses and advances in the field.

THE GREEN ECONOMY PARADIGM: HOW CAN NIGERIA MAKE THE SHIFT

The notions of sustainable development and the green economy are inextricably linked, with just a thin line separating them. Looking at the definitions of two different concepts, for example, a green economy is defined by the Department of Environmental Affairs (DEA) as a system of economic activities related to the production, distribution, and consumption of goods and services that improves human well-being over time while avoiding significant environmental risks or ecological scarcities for future generations. However, the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), which inspired the GE, called for a Green Economy or, better yet, a Global Green New Deal (GGND). The GGND is a set of large-scale, internationally coordinated stimulus packages and policy actions that have the potential to expedite global economic recovery in the short term while also building the foundation for long-term sustained growth. It envisioned an economy devoted to healing the world’s damage, one that thrived through the establishment of a slew of new firms