Environmental Science & Policy最新文献

{"title":"Integrity challenges in carbon markets: Comparing UNFCCC and voluntary REDD+ verification in the Amazon Biome","authors":"Dahye Yang,&nbsp;HyeMin Park","doi":"10.1016/j.envsci.2025.104080","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.envsci.2025.104080","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Carbon market integrity issues, such as leakage, double counting, and over-counting of reductions, lead to reputation, conversion, and carbon credit invalidation risks of market mechanisms. This study identified the risk factors for carbon markets by comparing the verification methodologies for emission reductions of the UNFCCC, Verra, and Gold Standard (GS). The verification methodologies for high-profile Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation Plus (REDD+) projects were analyzed, targeting the Amazon biome, which holds the largest carbon credits from REDD+ projects. We used Brazil’s 2024 submission of the Forest Reference Emission Level and the REDD+ project descriptions of Verra and GS. Based on the Code of Practice and Core Carbon Principles, this study found that the baseline, leakage, and carbon pools are the main elements affecting the quality of carbon credits. The UNFCCC uses a results-based approach, subtracting current emissions from historical emissions, whereas Verra and GS use a business-as-usual approach, subtracting projected emissions from a baseline scenario. While the UNFCCC considers national emissions to prevent leakage within a country, Verra and GS exclude the estimated leakage near project sites from their reductions. Based on these results, this study estimated the carbon stocks for deforested and degraded areas in the Amazon in 2021 to be 910,900,983 tCO₂eq for UNFCCC; 757,123,531 tCO₂eq for Verra; and 817,150,150 tCO₂eq for GS. To ensure integrity within carbon markets, we suggest standardizing verification bodies’ methodologies, using results-based reduction methodology, establishing project sites in legal jurisdictions, and calculating carbon pools in emissions consistent with the host country’s data.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":313,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Science & Policy","volume":"169 ","pages":"Article 104080"},"PeriodicalIF":4.9,"publicationDate":"2025-04-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143882108","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Integrative literature review on co-concepts in connection with nature-based solutions","authors":"Simo Sarkki ,&nbsp;Mia Pihlajamäki ,&nbsp;Katriina Soini ,&nbsp;Ann Ojala ,&nbsp;Tatiana Kluvankova ,&nbsp;Martin Spacek ,&nbsp;Himansu Mishra ,&nbsp;Juha Hiedanpää","doi":"10.1016/j.envsci.2025.104073","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.envsci.2025.104073","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Collaborative approaches are increasingly analyzed in literature on environmental planning, governance, and management. However, three recent systematic literature reviews found that several co-concepts such as co-creation, co-design and co-production are often used interchangeably. We aim to add conceptual clarity on the co-concepts by using Nature-based solutions (NBS) as a case study. We conduct an integrative qualitative literature review on the concepts of co-creation, co-design, co-production and co-governance as used in connection to NBS. We screened 93 papers to identify key principles associated with the co-concepts linking especially to who are included in collaboration (stakeholders from policy, business, society and science), and why these collaborative approaches are needed (e.g. to develop contextual NBS approaches). We identified also key differences relating especially on the targeted output of the collaboration, and on how the collaboration is envisaged to happen across the co-concepts. Based on the results, we propose definitions for these concepts where co-creation refers to overall NBS “cycle”, co-design links to tools, co-production targets knowledge, and co-governance wider socio-environmental system. Furthermore, we also discuss emerging theme to consider multispecies actors as active collaborators in shaping NBS grounded in coevolutionary view. Our review helps to bring conceptual clarity on the use of co-concepts in NBS literature, and also to enhance their collaborative development, implementation, evaluation and finally impact. This is especially important in the era when co-concepts are widely used, but without clear definitions on their meaning.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":313,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Science & Policy","volume":"169 ","pages":"Article 104073"},"PeriodicalIF":4.9,"publicationDate":"2025-04-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143869790","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"From fragmentation to consolidation: An integrated approach for multidimensional analysis of water security in Langat River Basin, Malaysia","authors":"Nur Hairunnisa Rafaai ,&nbsp;Khai Ern Lee ,&nbsp;Noor Zarina Mohd Nazir ,&nbsp;Amirruddin Abdul Kadir ,&nbsp;Ainul Rasyidah Ab Rahim ,&nbsp;Mazlin Mokhtar ,&nbsp;Thian Lai Goh","doi":"10.1016/j.envsci.2025.104067","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.envsci.2025.104067","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The river basins in Peninsular Malaysia face imminent water security threats due to rapid socioeconomic development activities. Current assessments primarily focus on isolated issues, leading to fragmented and inconsistent data across institutions and agencies. This fragmentation hampers policymakers' ability to comprehend and interpret assessment outcomes, compromising sustainable water resource planning and management. To address these challenges, an integrated approach to water resource management is proposed, involving the development of a Consolidated Water Security Index (CWSI). This study aims to examine multidimensional factors influencing water security and establish the CWSI at the river basin scale. Considering five dimensions, eleven indicators and thirty-three variables in the Langat River Basin, Malaysia, the study employs normalisation, weighting using the Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP), aggregation and validation. The resulting CWSI of 0.601 proves reliable in assessing water security in the Langat River Basin, indicating its capacity to meet local water needs as of 2020. However, concerns arise for the future as the basin approaches its maximum supply capacity, anticipating water stress and limiting space for future allocations. With a coefficient of sensitivity less than one, the CWSI underscores its reliability in determining water security status. Serving as a benchmark, this CWSI aids policymakers in assessing and interpreting complex information, contributing to more effective water resource planning and management across Peninsular Malaysia's river basins amidst evolving socioeconomic and environmental challenges.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":313,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Science & Policy","volume":"169 ","pages":"Article 104067"},"PeriodicalIF":4.9,"publicationDate":"2025-04-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143869791","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Unveiling disparities between planned and perceived equity arrangements in protected area co-governance: Evidence from the North Luangwa Ecosystem in Zambia","authors":"Rhoda Nthena Kachali ,&nbsp;Jacqueline Loos","doi":"10.1016/j.envsci.2025.104068","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.envsci.2025.104068","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Environmental equity discussions have increasingly influenced conservation policies at local, national, and international levels. Various community-based natural resource management interventions strive to incorporate equity within conservation practices, with a particular focus on resolving human-wildlife conflicts. Nevertheless, the challenge persists in ensuring that equity measures translate into both tangible and perceived fairness. This study examined and disaggregated perceptions of equity among representatives from government and non-government entities, and local community members residing within co-governance frameworks that honor traditional governance structures in three Game Management Areas adjacent to the North Luangwa National Park in Zambia. We conducted key informant interviews with 15 Government officials and 15 NGO representatives in conjunction with 20 focus group discussions with local community members from six Village Action Groups. The government and NGO actors reported efforts to enact both distributional and procedural equity concurrently with conservation aims. Despite intentions to mitigate human-wildlife conflicts and foster cooperative conservation, these measures precipitated local dissatisfaction, as they perceived that the equity-facilitating interventions inadequately addressed the costs associated with coexisting with wildlife. Furthermore, a profound sense of misrecognition was felt as wildlife and conservation objectives appeared prioritized over their well-being. Divergent perceptions of equity influence conservation efficacy, as top-down equity measures may boost biodiversity yet simultaneously diminish local support and stewardship, thereby risking long-term community engagement. The disparity between anticipated and realized equity outcomes underscores the necessity of prioritizing recognitional equity by acknowledging the heterogeneity of interests, capacities, and influence of local populations before and during the implementation of conservation interventions.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":313,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Science & Policy","volume":"169 ","pages":"Article 104068"},"PeriodicalIF":4.9,"publicationDate":"2025-04-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143869792","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Corrigendum to “Soil policy principles and a policymaking framework using the soil security concept” [Environ. Sci. Policy 168 (2025) 104057]","authors":"Amin Sharififar ,&nbsp;Pasquale Borrelli ,&nbsp;Sandra J. Evangelista ,&nbsp;Damien Field ,&nbsp;Trevan Flyn ,&nbsp;Nicolas Francos ,&nbsp;Irene Heuser ,&nbsp;Anilkumar Hunakunti ,&nbsp;Alex McBratney ,&nbsp;Budiman Minasny ,&nbsp;Fatima Moreira ,&nbsp;Cristine L.S. Morgan ,&nbsp;Wartini Ng ,&nbsp;Thomas O’Donoghue ,&nbsp;Julio C. Pachón Maldonado ,&nbsp;Mercedes Román Dobarco ,&nbsp;Quentin Styc ,&nbsp;Mara Thiene ,&nbsp;David Watt ,&nbsp;Penelope Wensley ,&nbsp;Jae E. Yang","doi":"10.1016/j.envsci.2025.104081","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.envsci.2025.104081","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":313,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Science & Policy","volume":"168 ","pages":"Article 104081"},"PeriodicalIF":4.9,"publicationDate":"2025-04-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143882253","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Expanding socioecological justice through photo narratives: An autoethnography of a researcher collaborating with Azorean fishing communities","authors":"Alison Laurie Neilson","doi":"10.1016/j.envsci.2025.104075","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.envsci.2025.104075","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>This autoethnographical analysis explores collaborative attempts to expand normative narratives about fishing communities to serve socioecological justice and alternative socioecological futures for small-scale fishing communities. It challenges normative framing of environmental narratives and investigates how knowledge is pictured and viewed in a world of increasing ocean industrialisation. It explores issues of power within the realm of storytelling. This analysis arises from long term collaborative engagement with fishing communities in the Azores Islands. It focuses on the creation of a photo narrative book that highlights the continuous legacy of relationships between people and the ocean. The book tells stories that frame fishermen and fisherwomen as important participants and leaders who are fighting to maintain sustainably just relationships with a wild ocean. This article explores the co-creation of knowledge and the power of various underlying images to valorise some people and some cultures, while marginalizing others. It answers to calls for more research into the roles of fisheries in cultural heritage, and the concern about marginalization created through the policies of the Blue Economy.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":313,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Science & Policy","volume":"168 ","pages":"Article 104075"},"PeriodicalIF":4.9,"publicationDate":"2025-04-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143859832","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"How consistent are adaptation strategies with ongoing climatic and environmental changes in the Vietnamese Mekong Delta: A systematic review","authors":"Thi Minh Hoang Vo ,&nbsp;Thi Phuong Linh Huynh ,&nbsp;Peter Tamas ,&nbsp;Marie-Noëlle Woillez ,&nbsp;Etienne Espagne ,&nbsp;Laurent Umans ,&nbsp;Sepehr Eslami ,&nbsp;Hong Quan Nguyen ,&nbsp;Philip S.J. Minderhoud","doi":"10.1016/j.envsci.2025.104064","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.envsci.2025.104064","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The densely populated Vietnamese Mekong Delta (VMD), the third-largest delta globally, plays a vital role in regional and global food security. However, it has undergone significant climatic and environmental changes over recent decades, driven by intricate interactions between global climate change and human activities within the VMD and its upstream river basin. The rapid evolution and quantification of these changes, as evidenced by recent scientific studies, suggest continued and substantial alterations in the near future, posing a serious threat to the delta's sustainability. Given the urgency of these environmental transformations, it is imperative to evaluate the extent to which current climate adaptation policies and delta development plans integrate state-of-the-science knowledge on environmental changes and future trajectories. To assess the coherence between scientific knowledge and prevailing policy directives shaping delta development, we conducted a systematic review of 27 existing adaptation plans and/or strategies for the VMD. This review, supplemented by an examination of projects in five provinces identified as hotspots for relative sea-level rise and saltwater intrusion, is enriched by an analysis of evolutionary trajectories of various key policies and adaptation plans over time, offering valuable insights into their historical influence on the delta. We found that while most documents acknowledge the reality of climate change, they often lack clarity regarding which dimensions of its environmental effects are addressed. The predominant focus tends to be on issues related to saltwater intrusion, floods, and seasonal inundation, whereas the existential threat posed by accelerating land subsidence and consequent relative sea-level rise receives comparatively less attention. Moreover, the significant role of sediment starvation, particularly due to sand mining, in exacerbating saltwater intrusions in the VMD’s estuary system is largely overlooked. Our results show that the climatic and environmental pressures garnering the most attention are typically those resulting in obvious, direct, and event-based impacts on the delta's population and livelihoods. However, these pressures often serve as symptoms of underlying, steadily escalating, longer-scale processes, such as land subsidence or sediment starvation, which are inadequately addressed in current policy steering documents and adaptation plans. Neglecting these potentially existential environmental pressures not only leads to missed opportunities for adaptation and mitigation in current delta development but also jeopardizes the delta's long-term sustainability.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":313,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Science & Policy","volume":"168 ","pages":"Article 104064"},"PeriodicalIF":4.9,"publicationDate":"2025-04-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143851681","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Just sortition, communitarian deliberation: Two proposals for grounded climate assemblies","authors":"Nicole Curato ,&nbsp;Amiltone Luís ,&nbsp;Melisa Ross ,&nbsp;Lucas Veloso","doi":"10.1016/j.envsci.2025.104070","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.envsci.2025.104070","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Sortition or recruiting randomly selected everyday citizens is a core feature of climate assemblies. Sortition, the argument goes, enforces the principle of inclusiveness, as everyone has a fair shot at getting invited to the climate assembly. This form of recruitment, however, faces criticism. It challenges traditional structures of representation and decision-making where elders, religious leaders, elected representatives, and community organisers typically give voice to the ideas and grievances of everyday people. For some, sortition valorises the atomised individual who can speak their mind in a forum, without any mechanism for the individual to reconnect their deliberative experience to the wider community. In this article, we draw on the experience of the province of Zambezia in Mozambique as one randomly selected Assembly Member took part in the world’s first Climate Assembly on the Climate and Ecological Emergency. Based on in-depth interviews, focus group discussions, and feedback sessions with local organisations in Zambezia, we offer practical insight on how sortition can deepen community connection and maximise the impact of climate assemblies in delivering practical outcomes for climate change adaptation. Using grounded normative theory, our study demonstrates how sortition can promote justice by elevating the voices of those most impacted by climate change. We also demonstrate why a communitarian approach to citizen assemblies enhances accountability and shared learning and empowers members to translate global deliberations into local actions.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":313,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Science & Policy","volume":"168 ","pages":"Article 104070"},"PeriodicalIF":4.9,"publicationDate":"2025-04-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143851481","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"The role of decision support tools in drought management: Insights from the Netherlands","authors":"Marleen R. Lam ,&nbsp;Liduin M.T. Bos-Burgering ,&nbsp;Miriam (A.M.J.) Coenders-Gerrits ,&nbsp;Ruud P. Bartholomeus ,&nbsp;Petra J.G.J. Hellegers ,&nbsp;Lieke A. Melsen ,&nbsp;Adriaan J. Teuling ,&nbsp;Pieter R. van Oel","doi":"10.1016/j.envsci.2025.104065","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.envsci.2025.104065","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Droughts have an increasing impact on the entire European continent. As the frequency and intensity of droughts rise in many parts of Europe, the implementation of effective drought adaptation and mitigation strategies becomes increasingly important. However, it is not known how diverse tools are used in drought management with increasing drought severity. This study explores the role of Decision Support Tools (DSTs) in strategic and operational drought management in the Netherlands. Through a survey among national and regional water authorities, this study shows the increasing reliance of water managers on field measurements, Data Information Systems (DISs), stakeholder consultation, and legislation with increasing drought severity. Weather forecasts and expert knowledge remain important throughout all drought management phases. Despite the increased use of DISs with drought severity, the use of hydrological models does not follow the same trend. DISs, which often incorporate hydrological models, reveal a ‘hidden’ use of these models. Rather than serving as ‘key artifacts’ for modelers, they become active ‘participants’ in broader data systems during advanced phases of drought management. All these aspects influence key responsibilities in model use including appropriateness and transferability, reproducibility, and transparency. These factors are critical to consider when aiming to bridge the gap between science and policy in the application and development of DSTs.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":313,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Science & Policy","volume":"168 ","pages":"Article 104065"},"PeriodicalIF":4.9,"publicationDate":"2025-04-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143837906","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"The role of governance in large-scale mining sector in Latin America","authors":"Manuel A. Zambrano-Monserrate","doi":"10.1016/j.envsci.2025.104071","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.envsci.2025.104071","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The COVID-19 pandemic triggered a surge in global raw material demand since 2021, suggesting the onset of a potential minerals and oil supercycle. This rebound has been driven by post-pandemic economic growth, infrastructure expansion, the transition to renewable energy, and sector electrification. These dynamics offer an opportunity to improve mineral resource governance, as highlighted by the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC), which stresses the role of institutional design. In this context, State Mining Enterprises (SMEs) have gained renewed importance, as several countries promote them to strengthen state ownership, foster innovation, and support public investment. While state-owned enterprises dominate the oil, gas, and mining sectors globally, they often face challenges related to inefficiency and corruption. This paper analyzes the governance of SMEs in Chile, Ecuador, and Bolivia, focusing on differences in sustainability practices, transparency, and their capacity to promote innovation and value creation. In Chile, CODELCO and ENAMI demonstrate a stronger institutional framework and lead innovation efforts within the region. In contrast, Bolivia’s COMIBOL and YLB struggle with operational implementation and lack effective oversight mechanisms. Ecuador’s ENAMI EP is shifting its strategy toward diversification beyond mining, particularly in energy and infrastructure. However, sustainability and transparency standards remain weak across the three countries, with CODELCO standing out as the only enterprise consistently aligning with international best practices.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":313,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Science & Policy","volume":"168 ","pages":"Article 104071"},"PeriodicalIF":4.9,"publicationDate":"2025-04-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143834661","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}