Abstract As a core metric for climate policy, the scientific estimation of carbon social costs is crucial for formulating mitigation strategies. However, traditional integrated assessment models predominantly focus on the global aggregate, failing to adequately account for regional heterogeneity, sectoral characteristics, and strategic interactions between regions. They also lack systematic integration of ESG principles. To address this, this paper examines regional and sectoral carbon social costs driven by ESG development. Through cooperative and non-cooperative games, we improve the integrated economic-environmental-climate development model, take the eight economic regions in China as an example, get the carbon social cost of each economic region and typical important industries, and obtain the key parameters and the evolution law of carbon social cost. The model categorizes the carbon emissions after the implementation of emission reduction policies under the ESG perspective into direct and indirect emissions. It studies the economic impacts of the two types of emissions before and after the implementation of emission reduction policies, and conducts research on the top four typical important industries (industry, construction, transportation, and power) that rank among the top four global CO2 emitters, to obtain the analytical solution of the social cost of carbon in the region and the typical important industries. In addition, this paper numerically simulates the social cost of carbon for the four industries under the baseline scenario, cooperative game scenario, non-cooperative game scenario, and temperature limitation scenario. The study shows that the social cost of carbon in the northern, southern and eastern coastal economic regions is higher than that in other economic regions, the social cost of carbon in the industrial and electric power industries in each economic region is higher than that in the building and transportation industries, and the more stringent the temperature limit is, the higher the social cost of carbon is in the economic regions.
Abstract Background Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) have been implicated in metabolic dysregulation, yet their impact on integrated cardiometabolic risk remains unexplored. We aim to assess associations between serum PFAS and the cardiometabolic index (CMI) in U.S. adults. Methods We analyzed NHANES 2015–2020 data (N = 1371) using multivariable linear regression to estimate PFAS-CMI relationships across exposure quartile. Restricted cubic splines and threshold analyses characterized nonlinearity. Mixed-exposure effects were evaluated via Bayesian kernel machine regression (BKMR), weighted quantile sum (WQS), and quantile g-computation. Stratified models tested effect modification by covariates. Comparative Toxicogenomics Database (CTD) interrogation mapped PFAS targets and pathways. Results After full adjustment, PFDeA (β = − 0.06, 95% CI [− 0.11, − 0.01]) and PFUA (β = − 0.11, 95% CI [− 0.17, − 0.06]) remained inversely associated with CMI (P < 0.01). Spline models confirmed linear inverse trends for PFDeA and PFUA, whereas n-PFOS exhibited an inverted U-shape. The results of BKMR showed that the overall effect of PFAS on CMI was negative. WQS analyses consistently demonstrated a negative effect on CMI (β = −0.16, 95% CI [− 0.25, − 0.07]), with PFUA carrying the greatest weight. Associations persisted across subgroups but were stronger in non-Hispanic Whites and modified by alcohol use and obesity. CTD network analysis identified PPARA, SREBF1, and CYP7A1 as central lipid-regulatory hubs for PFDeA and PFUA. Conclusion This is the first study to link individual and mixed PFAS exposures to CMI, leveraging robust mixture models and bioinformatic mechanistic mapping. Our findings reveal PFDeA and PFUA as key drivers of PFAS-related cardiometabolic risk and underscore the value of CMI as an integrative biomarker in environmental health research.
The survival status of <i>Lumnitzera littorea</i> is near threatened globally and critically endangered in China. Clarifying its global distribution pattern and its changing trends under different future climate models is of great significance for the protection and restoration of its endangered status. To build a model for this purpose, this study selected 73 actual distribution points of <i>Lumnitzera littorea</i> worldwide, combined with 12 environmental factors, and simulated its potential suitable habitats in six periods: the Last Interglacial (130,000–115,000 years ago), the Last Glacial Maximum (27,000–19,000 years ago), the Mid-Holocene (6000 years ago), the present (1970–2000), and the future 2050s (2041–2060) and 2070s (2061–2080). The results show that the optimal model parameter combination is the regularization multiplier RM = 4.0 and the feature combination FC (Feature class) = L (Linear) + Q (Quadratic) + P (Product). The MaxEnt model has a low omission rate and a more concise model structure. The AUC values in each period are between 0.981 and 0.985, indicating relatively high prediction accuracy. Min temperature of the coldest month, mean diurnal range, clay content, precipitation of the warmest quarter, and elevation are the dominant environmental factors affecting its distribution. The environmental conditions for min temperature of the coldest month at ≥19.6 °C, mean diurnal range at <7.66 °C, clay content at 34.14%, precipitation of the warmest quarter at ≥570.04 mm, and elevation at >1.39 m are conducive to <i>Lumnitzera littorea</i>’s survival and distribution. The global potential distribution areas are located along coasts. Starting from the paleoclimate, the plant’s distribution has gradually expanded, and its adaptability has gradually improved. In China, the range of potential highly suitable habitats is relatively narrow. Hainan Island is the core potential habitat, but there are fragmented areas in regions such as Guangdong, Guangxi, and Taiwan. The modern centroid of <i>Lumnitzera littorea</i> is located at (109.81° E, 2.56° N), and it will shift to (108.44° E, 3.22° N) in the later stage of the high-emission scenario (2070s (SSP585)). Under global warming trends, it has a tendency to migrate to higher latitudes. The development of the aquaculture industry and human deforestation has damaged the habitats of <i>Lumnitzera littorea</i>, and its population size has been sharply and continuously decreasing. The breeding and renewal system has collapsed, seed abortion and seedling establishment failure are common, and genetic variation is too scarce. This may indicate why <i>Lumnitzera littorea</i> is near threatened globally and critically endangered in China. Therefore, the protection and restoration strategies we propose are as follows: strengthen the legislative guarantee and law enforcement supervision of the native distribution areas of <i>Lumnitzera littorea</i>, expanding its population size outside the native environment, and explore measures to improve its seed germination rate, systematically collecting and introducing foreign germplasm resources to increase its genetic diversity.
Aksjologiczny wymiar polityki klimatycznej realizowanej przez jednostki samorządu terytorialnego nie doczekał się dotychczas kompleksowego opracowania w doktrynie prawa, co uzasadnia potrzebę podjęcia głębszych badań w tym zakresie. Celem artykułu jest przedstawienie aksjologii prawa klimatycznego oraz ukazanie jej wpływu na działalność jednostek samorządu terytorialnego ze szczególnym uwzględnieniem kierunków zmian miejskiej polityki klimatycznej w kontekście wyzwań związanych ze zmianami klimatu. Podstawowe problemy naukowe zostały sformułowane w postaci dwóch pytań badawczych: Czym jest aksjologia prawa klimatycznego? Czy konieczne jest włączanie wartości wynikających z prawa klimatycznego do wykonywania lokalnych zadań ukierunkowanych na adaptację do zmian klimatu oraz ich mitygację? Aby zrealizować założenia badawcze, zastosowano metodę dogmatycznoprawną, która polega na analizie obowiązujących przepisów prawa krajowego, unijnego i międzynarodowego oraz poglądów doktryny. Analiza potwierdza zasadność włączania aksjologii do działań podejmowanych przez jednostki samorządu terytorialnego. Wartości konstytuujące prawo klimatyczne nie mogą być traktowane jako ograniczenie ich autonomii, lecz jako instrument wspierający skuteczną i spójną realizację ich zadań w obszarze ochrony klimatu. Oparłszy się na określonym systemie wartości normatywnych, jednostki te powinny intensywniej przeciwdziałać zmianom klimatycznym, mając na względzie obowiązek ochrony dobra wspólnego oraz zapewnienie bezpieczeństwa ekologicznego obecnym i przyszłym pokoleniom.
Environmental law, Regulation of industry, trade, and commerce. Occupational law
In this review, we use legal scholarship to explore the way that the law constructs and maintains
discourses on both water rights and water relationality. Water rights and water relationality can be constructed as
opposite ends of a spectrum of legal modalities for defining and regulating the human/water relationship. However,
when considered through the lens of law, rights and relationality can also be seen as intertwined. The legal
instruments that create individual rights to take and use water situate those rights within frameworks that regulate
the relationship between humans (both collectively and individually) and between humans and the water
ecosystem. We begin with an identification and exploration of three water rights discourses in legal scholarship:
water as a private right (to take and use), the human right to water, and the rights of rivers. We then consider
emerging legal scholarship on the more complex reality of water relationality, focusing on the role of law in water
commoning, Indigenous laws, and environmental restorative justice. In doing so, we identify points of intersection
between these discourses as mediated through law. We also identify critiques of both water rights and water
relationality discourses in law and the ways in which they shape our ability to respond to water crises.
Inna Honcharuk, Yaroslav Gontaruk, Hanna Pantsyreva
The research examines the prospects for using the potential of the agro-industrial complex of Ukraine to study green technology innovations during economic development under martial law. Based on the study, it is proved that technological innovations in the agricultural sector contribute to economic development and improve the quality of agricultural land. The article analyses the successful implementation of the case of LLC Yuzhef-Mykolayiv Biogas Company, which has successfully restructured the production of a sugar plant and produces biogas and digestate with further processing into electricity and fertiliser. The modern capacities of the studied enterprise are highlighted, which allow to produce 2800 m3 of biogas and ensure the production of 5200 kWh of electricity, while consumption does not exceed 150 kW, at a load of 80%. The volume of digestate produced per year is 100,000 tonnes. In the regional context, innovative environmental technologies aimed at improving the quality of agricultural land have been introduced. An effective mechanism of spatial synergy with adaptation of this practice at most sugar factories through restructuring of production - creation of biogas production facilities on the basis of sugar factories - is proposed. As a long-term development perspective, the paper presents further creation of alcohol production facilities to use excess heat energy from mini-thermal power plants for the production of alcohol and bioethanol. Furthermore, this study confirms the non-linear effect of economic development; a significant result shows that the impact of green technology innovations on improving the quality of agricultural land (soil humus content, amount of mineral and organic fertilisers, pesticides, area of land under organic production, etc.) contributes to the increase in the level of regional economic development of the agricultural sector. The article clarifies the intermediary role of economic development of the agro-industrial complex. The results of the study implement the tasks of sustainable development, such as improving the environment through the innovation of green technologies and achieving regional synergy in green development.
Przedmiotem opracowania są rozwiązania penalne obejmujące odpowiedzialność za przestępstwa, wykroczenia i delikty administracyjne w prawie polskim, czeskim i słowackim, które mogą znaleźć zastosowanie, gdy zostaną naruszone przepisy o dostępie do informacji o środowisku. Celem artykułu jest więc w pierwszej kolejności przeprowadzenie badań komparatystycznych nad kształtem prawa do informacji o środowisku w każdym z tych trzech systemów prawnych. Następnie autor poszukuje odpowiedzi na pytania o genezę, ewolucję i funkcjonowanie konkretnych rozwiązań penalnych przewidzianych w przypadku zachowań, które godzą we wspomniane prawo podmiotowe, przysługujące członkom społeczeństwa w ramach partycypacji społecznej w ochronie środowiska jako jeden z trzech filarów konwencji z Aarhus.
Environmental law, Regulation of industry, trade, and commerce. Occupational law
Paula Andrea Valencia Londoño, Diana Valencia Londoño, Phoenix Storm Paz
This paper employs the concepts of sustainability and habitability to define and measure ecological urbanism in informal settlements founded by people who have been forcibly displaced by violence. The objective is to identify the obstacles in meeting the tenets of ecological urbanism in informal settlements. We offer primary research from La Primavera, an informal settlement founded by internally displaced people in the late 1970s, located in the corregimiento El Hatillo of Barbosa, Antioquia in northwestern Colombia. Primary research includes qualitative and quantitative data gathered through 72 surveys and 45 technical assessments of properties and houses in the settlement. Situated between the Aburrá River and the northbound highway, above a gas pipeline and under an electricity pylon, La Primavera exists in a state of extreme risk, exacerbated by increasing migration which threatens to exceed the carrying capacity of the territory. Moreover, in Article 35 of Law 388 of 1997, the territory was declared a protected or restricted area and earmarked for the development of the regional commuter train, called the Tren de Cercanías, in 2017. The case study highlights the contradictions in the development agenda in Colombia by showing how development projects designed for the economic betterment and environmental conservation of the region negatively impact the quality of life for the most vulnerable inhabitants and expose them to greater environmental, economic, and social risk.
This investigation presents the perspective that Spanish postgraduate students have on security. The data compiled here encompass the results of a research study involving Spanish Master’s students with backgrounds in international law and international relations. This study aims to conceptualize what security means for young adults, with the concept of security being extracted from their own opinions. This is a qualitative investigation of students who are pursuing their studies in international and security fields. In their coursework, they study matters related to security, and therefore their opinions are well grounded. The results indicate that the concept of security is progressively more ambiguous and distant from those of conventional standards, where personal, economic, environmental, and border security (as well as other aspects of security) intertwine. The concept itself is increasingly more ambiguous and closer to the idea of human security. Young people have a greater perception of insecurity, and they demand more to ensure that the State and different institutions fulfill their responsibility of guaranteeing security. They also feel more committed to participating in different aspects that construct their very open sense of security.
Introduction "Dystopia" means a fictional place where people live inhumane and often terrifying lives. The grounds for the emergence of dystopia, which is also known as dystopian literature, are works that have viewed the reality of human life in the contemporary world with extreme pessimism. In addition to expressing dissatisfaction and criticism of the present, this literary genre examines the dangerous effects of political and social structures on the future of humanity. In this essay, two examples of dystopian works from two different Iranian and American cultures; That is, the novels "The Terrible Tehran" by Morteza Mushfiq Kazemi and "The Handmaid’s Tale" by Margaret Atwood have been examined and compared. According to some experts such as Gary Saul Morson, American writer and literary critic, in the book "Boundaries of Genres", Frederick Jameson (1998), American critic and theorist, and George Orwell, author of the dystopian novel "1984" Dystopian literature is an independent type and genre whose components may occur. (Orwell, 1968: 502؛Burroway, 2011: 29؛Morson, 2010: 128)The dystopian story began in the early 20th century and developed during this century, a period that required revolution, cold war, and major critical social changes; “When attitudes toward nature and human society began to change around the world, this change began with the outbreak of World War I and intensified after World War II. The brutality and violence depicted between European countries in World War I and subsequent events such as the economic crisis throughout Europe, the rise of Hitler and the Nazi Party, the use of atomic weapons and then the outbreak of World War II, views changed to human nature. (Alter, 2017: 9)American literary critic Moulin (1943) says: "The dystopian narrative is mainly a product of the horrors of the 20th century. A hundred years of exploitation, repression, state violence, war, genocide, disease, famine, genocide, depression, debt, and the continued destruction of humanity have provided the perfect ground for the fictional infrastructure of dystopia. (Moylan, 2000: 11) These events and developments in an age when humanity claimed progress in science, industry, and claimed cultural and moral progress and elevation, caused human doubt and existential anxiety in the modern era. The idea of using man-made science and technology against man himself made them angry and frustrated, and literature began to reflect these new negative feelings.Dystopian literature or "anti-utopian" literature refers to the mistakes of utopian ideas in real human society. (Sargent, 2010: 103) and examines the dangerous effects of political and social structures on the future of humanity. ( Jameson, 1998: 28؛ Kaplan, 2015: 93؛ Gottlieb, 2001: 13) but theorists such as Bakulini argue that: "Dystopia shows dissatisfaction and criticism of the present time. (Baccolini, 2013: 37)Sargent (1994), an American researcher who has done research on utopia, considers dystopia narrative in fiction to be about a non-existent society that is "significantly worse than the one the reader or writer currently lives in." (Sargent, 2010: 93) Dystopian literature is "in contrast to utopian literature, in which the future imagined for human society is ominous, morbid and full of filth. In these works, the pure human qualities turn to lowness and give way to vices and beastly qualities, and evil and filth dominate the society" (Mirsadeghi, 1998: 8-7). In general, the main focus of dystopian literature is social and political criticism.Booker, an American expert, considers dystopian works as a social critique of contemporary society. He says: "While utopian works try to show the ideal society in order to explore alternatives to contemporary life, dystopian works act as social criticism in showing the negative aspects of contemporary society in a false or pseudo-utopian culture." (Booker, 1994: 3)In dystopian research, the main goal is to understand the social dreams that are destroyed in dystopian novels. In the 20th century, the writers of Plaidshahr have given answers in the form of stories and novels to technological, intellectual, and industrial changes, as well as two world wars and the subsequent changes in the way people perceive themselves at the individual and national level. 2.MethodologyThe present study will apply the two novels "Terrible Tehran" by Morteza Mushfiq Kazemi (1977-1902) and "The Handmaid’s Tale" by Margaret Atwood ( November 1995) based on the American school, and in terms of The research tool and field is based on library documents and note-taking. It should also be mentioned that this research will be investigated and analyzed based on the teachings of the American school.Research questionsWhat are the patterns and components of dystopian literature in the two novels Tehran Makhoof and Nadima's Story? What are the similarities between the motif of dystopia in the novel Teheran Makhuf and the dystopia of Nadima's story? 3.DiscussionUnlike utopian literature, which has a relatively older history, dystopian literature is a new phenomenon and examines the darkest aspects of the human mind and human nature. from another point of view, the term dystopia is mainly a literary term and it refers to a group of literary works that act as warning stories against a kind of totalitarian government and uses human experiences, the failure of governments, evil ideologies and the rule of corrupt rulers and leaders.The essence of dystopian literature is to inform and warn; Therefore, by using comparative literature and comparative study of dystopia, cross-border and transnational awareness can be achieved in this field. Dystopian societies in the dystopian literature are catastrophic and degenerating societies. The people of this society are characters who fight against environmental destruction and environmental destruction, technology control and government oppression.In this research, similar social components of both novels have been discussed in the main parts of corruption in the political structure and totalitarian society, control techniques, war and coup, social adaptation and feminist topics, and it was found that both dystopian novels studied; "The Handmaid’s Tale" and "Terrible Tehran" are works that draw great concerns about the future and depict them. These novels warn of what will happen if the world continues as it is in the story. Each of these stories depict a world that has gone astray and has used human history to convey this message. These two dystopian works have used the most frightening and unimaginable aspects of the political environment, so that even though the political structures and genres change, the dystopian idea and all that shows the ugliness of the society will remain constant in the literary world. 4.ConclusionBoth the novels "The handmaid's Tale" and "The Terrible Tehran" had political themes in which the governments have applied the most extreme violence and political propaganda to control the people; People who are not allowed to think freely and the regime has complete control over their freedoms. The most important consequences of surveillance and control are the destruction of emotions, human needs, and family ties. It is in this situation that a strong hero flourishes based on the current situation. In each of these novels, the protagonist does not consider the government to be fair and tries his best to fight against it. The protagonist sees flaws and vulnerable aspects and implements a plan to highlight and expose those weaknesses. In both novels, which are good examples to show the nature of totalitarian societies, the way leaders and government officials act has caused corruption in government departments, the use of the law in line with the interests of those in power, suppression of freedom seekers and opponents, and petrification. In order to control the people and prevent deviations and opposition protests, the rulers of dystopia have used tools such as advertising, propaganda, censorship, drugs and violence. In both novels, war and coup as another important component of dystopian novels has left a deep impact, and the evil rulers were able to create a level of social uniformity in the society with a strong tool called the policy of implementing social adaptation to facilitate the advancement of their government process. Finally, in these two selected dystopian novels, the status of women is mentioned; The role of women, their importance and dignity are among the hidden concepts in the novel "The Handmaid's Tale".The focus of the novel "The Terrible Tehran" is also on the disclosure of the pitiful situation of women in the years after the constitutional revolution. The purpose of the genre of dystopia is that the members of society and nations come to an insight to study history in general and to inform about the filth to prevent mistakes from happening. Otherwise history and its mistakes will be repeated and what should not happen. Therefore, both selected dystopian novels, not only on individual change; Rather, they have focused on collective improvement, and this is the only way to ensure social and political happiness. These two novels actually depicted futuristic worlds where a number of their assumptions have been realized in the real world.
In June 2019, a landmark court decision (San Antonio Bay Estuarine Waterkeeper, et al. v. Formosa Plastics Corporation, et al., hereafter referred to as the Formosa ruling) was issued in Texas, where a judge found a petrochemical company liable for violating the United States Clean Water Act. The case—initiated by a civic group—was mostly built on citizen-collected evidence involving volunteer observations of plastic pellets, powder and flakes in the water over a considerable time span. The contamination could not be proven through existing data held by competent authorities because the company never filed any record of pollution (Formosa ruling, XI.A, p. 17).1 In contrast to the majority of environmental pollution cases to date, the monitoring and data collection for this case was conducted by local residents who gathered a wealth of evidence of plastic pollution in water. Through a traditional case law and text analysis of the Formosa ruling, complemented by the analysis of surrounding communications, we explore why and how citizen-collected evidence was admitted and influenced the judge’s ruling. Although the case has some unique features, we identify possible arguments and lessons learned for other citizen-run monitoring initiatives, to strengthen their voice within environmental litigation. We close by suggesting an avenue for future research—especially in the European context, where the discussion is still in its infancy.
This chapter justifies the conclusion that GMO technologies as a form of biotechnology are the greatest technological breakthrough of our time. With the help of GMOs, it is possible to increase the yield, which al-lows not only to solve the problems of world food security, but also to pre-serve untouched lands from human impact (including through the creation of national parks or other types and forms of specially protected natural areas there). The use of GMO technologies reduces the use of pesticides and agrochemicals in agriculture. However, in conditions where the harm from GMO technologies and products not convincingly proven, the search for an optimal model for their use should continue. The authors note that the concept of sustainable development implies a balance of environmental, economic and social interests. Deviation from this balance in any direction entails a number of negative consequences for the entire society, both in terms of problems with the realization of the right to food, as well as in terms of environmental protection. In this situation, it seems appropriate not to ban GMOs absolutely (as in Russia), which means the uselessness of the law of the relevant state as a regulator of public relations. Considering the measures of state regulation of the use of GMO technologies and products, the authors focus on the prospects for the use of certification and labeling of GMO products, which in a number of BRICS and EAEU countries has already had a positive effect.
Sahar Ghanipoor Machiani, Alidad Ahmadi, Walter Musial
et al.
The main objective of this study is to evaluate the safety and operational impacts of an innovative infrastructure solution for safe and efficient integration of Automated Vehicle (AV) as an emerging technology into an existing transportation system. Filling the gap in the limited research on the effect of AV technology on infrastructure standards, this study investigates implications of adding a narrow reversible AV-exclusive lane to the existing configuration of I-15 expressway in San Diego, resulting in a 9 ft AV reversible lane and, in both directions, two 12-feet lanes for HOV and FasTrak vehicles. Given the difference between the operation of AVs and human-driven vehicles and reliance of AVs on sensors as opposed to human capabilities, the question is should we provide narrower AV-exclusive roadways assuming AVs are more precise in lateral and longitudinal lane keeping behaviour? To accomplish the goal of the project, a historical crash data analysis and a traffic simulation analysis were conducted. Crash data analysis revealed that unsafe speed, improper turning, and unsafe lane change are the most recurring primary collision factors on I-15 ELs. AVs’ automated longitudinal and lateral control systems could potentially reduce these types of collisions on an AV-exclusive lane with proper infrastructure features for AV sensor operation (e.g., distinct lane marking). Microsimulation findings indicated an AV-exclusive lane may increase traffic flow and density by up to 14% and 24%, respectively. It also showed that average speed is reduced. However, this could lead to the speed differential increase between the exclusive lane and adjacent lane requiring careful consideration if additional treatments or barriers are needed. The results of this study contribute to infrastructure adaptation to AV technology and future AV-exclusive lanes implementations.
Transportation engineering, Transportation and communications
Beatrice Garske, Katharine Heyl, Felix Ekardt
et al.
Food is wasted throughout the entire food supply chain—from agricultural production to the household level. This has negative impacts on natural resources and the environment. At the same time, food waste is undermining the global target of food security. In turn, reducing food waste can minimise the environmental effects of agriculture on climate, biodiversity, soils, water bodies and the atmosphere. All of this is reflected in the fact that food waste is subject to various legal acts of the European Union and that it is also a major subject in the new EU Farm to Fork Strategy from May 2020. Supported by an analysis of the diffuse empirical data on food waste, the purpose of this article is to analyse the current EU legislation on food waste and its reduction to answer the following research questions: How is food waste integrated into European policies? What is the impact of European legislation on food waste? Is European legislation sufficient to trigger not only food waste reduction but also comprehensive changes in the agricultural and food sector to support global climate and environmental targets as set in the Paris Agreement and the Convention on Biological Diversity? Which instruments are the most suitable to do so? Methodologically, a qualitative governance analysis is applied. It is found that relevant legal acts for governing food waste include circular economy and waste law, the Common Agricultural Policy and the Common Fisheries Policy as well as food law, while international environmental targets serve as an overarching measure for governance analysis. The legal analysis shows that existing legislation lacks steering effect to significantly reduce food waste. To overcome current governance problems, the article introduces economic policy instruments. It is concluded that quantity control focusing on overarching parameters such as fossil fuels or animal-derived products has not only the potential to reduce food waste by increasing food prices but can also address the multiple interlinked environmental challenges of the agricultural and food sector.
In the European Union, fats and oils in foods are regulated by laws mainly set at the Union level. EU rules on nutrition and health claims are particularly relevant for some fatty acids. Contrary to structure-function claims in the US, in the EU, such claims have to be authorized before use; in the case of omega-3, along with a nutrition claim, a remarkable number of health claims have been authorised based on the essentiality of such fatty acids. Claims related to environmental, social or ethical concerns are not regulated in detail at the EU level. While claims are voluntary information, mandatory rules on labelling also apply to fatty acids, and sometimes create challenges for food businesses. Another piece of legislation, the novel food regulation, is important for new sources of oils and fats. Its scope includes determining the novel food status of foods, and, if required, submitting an application in order to obtain authorisation. Several sources of fatty acids have been authorized as novel foods. Benefits of a novel food application include legal certainty and protection of data, while costs and particularly the length of the process are the main barriers. An assessment of novel food status should also concern new technologies, such as new delivery mechanisms. While several provisions of EU law concern oils and fats, a 2019 regulation not only imposes a 2 g limit (per 100 g of fat) for trans fats not naturally occurring in animal fats, but also creates an obligation to transfer information in the supply chain.
The field of environmental law is governed by several sources, of different origin, both supranational and domestic. The combination of sources having different levels of authority is not an obvious exercise for judges. The shift in the point of view from a legislative tradition of acts meant to preserve the natural beauty, the sightseeing of the countryside or the architectural harmony of cities has caused confusion in terminology, in notions, in structure of the provisions. Supranational legislation is often drafted in one or – at most – two languages. This means that translations have to be provided. Whenever the original text uses vague or flexible expressions, a chance for misunderstanding or deviation is open. The original imprint of many European provisions is economic rather than legal: this affects the style and precision of the terminology that is later delivered to the courts to be enforced. A few examples of non-corresponding provisions illustrate this recurring problem.
Large-scale land acquisitions in African countries by foreign investors who use such lands for agricultural purposes that have negative socio-economic and environmental impact in host countries is considered as ‘land grabbing in Africa’. In the context of the environment, the type of crops and monoculture practices undertaken by the foreign investors led to changes in land use, deforestation, exposure of land to soil erosion, depletion of water sources, pollution of surface water and contamination of ground water as a result of the intense use of agro-chemicals. Collectively, these have had a deleterious environmental impact in host countries. This article examines the phenomenon of ‘land grabbing in Africa’ by identifying the type of land-based agricultural investments by foreign entities and the environmental impact of such investments in African countries like Nigeria. The article argues that the prevailing Nigerian environmental law cannot ensure sustainable development as it does not address the environmental impact of land-based agricultural investments by foreign enterprises in the country. The article proposes that suitable environmental laws must contain the concepts of Community Participation in environmental impact assessment process of land based foreign investments and Environmental Justice for victims of environmental degradation of such investments.
Volodymyr Kurylo, Petro Pantaliienko, Vyacheslav Bogdanets
et al.
Land parcels fragmentation problem in different agriclimatic zones of Ukraine is reviewed; general pattern, as well as regional specific is outlined. Land management of fragmented parcels in agricultural use is discussed, including land ownership and jurisprudence issues of land consolidation. Three key plots were chosen to analyze issues of land fragmentation, geospatial data shown demonstrate need for land consolidation to optimize agricultural land-use of such territories. Specificity fragmentation of land for agricultural companies, located in the mountainous regions of Ukraine, is noted. Gaps in the legal regulation of relation connected with land fragmentation were disclosed. Problems of land inheritance in the context of fragmentation, exchange of land resources as a tool for effective functioning of land market, the small and medium producers, economic development and agriculture in general; the creation of a land bank is regarded as a factor in reducing fragmentation of land were examined.