Environmental Science & Policy最新文献

{"title":"Collateral transitions. Reassembling societies, data centres and the twin transition","authors":"Carsten Horn ,&nbsp;Ulrike Felt","doi":"10.1016/j.envsci.2025.104122","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.envsci.2025.104122","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The so-called ‘twin transition’ is the latest buzzword in the European Union’s (EU) policy discourse. It promotes digital technologies as privileged tools to achieve the ambitious goals of the European Green Deal. Much of the literature focuses on implementations of projects that are both ‘digital’ and ‘green’. By contrast, in this paper, we follow an emerging strand of research that takes the ‘twin transition’-discourse seriously as a (European) policy object. We expand this perspective by exploring how the ‘twin transition’-discourse was translated into two the vastly different political contexts of Austria and Ireland. Our argument is that the timing of this translation shapes the function it plays. In Ireland where the digital transition has already become a material reality in the form of increasingly controversial data centers, it becomes a justification that makes these data centers a part of the solution rather than an environmental problem. In Austria, which perceives itself as in need to catch up with regard to the digital transition, the discourse is shaped by data discussions around the COVID crisis and becomes embroiled in debates about the direction the digital transition should take. Our comparative approach renders visible the diverse environmental and societal consequences of the \"twin transition\", which we refer to as \"collateral transitions.\" This challenges the language of two intertwining transitions. We argue that to properly assess the full impact of the ‘twin transition’ and its potentials, we need to attend to these underlying, unintended transitions.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":313,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Science & Policy","volume":"170 ","pages":"Article 104122"},"PeriodicalIF":4.9,"publicationDate":"2025-06-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144239424","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":"Meaningful engagement in transitions research: Care and value in research partnerships","authors":"Nyasha Milanzi,&nbsp;Chelsea Schelly","doi":"10.1016/j.envsci.2025.104120","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.envsci.2025.104120","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>In recent years, there has been a growing consensus that energy transitions research should incorporate considerations of equity and justice and that energy systems directly and indirectly impact food and water systems (FEWs). Additionally, there is a shared understanding that meaningful engagement with community partners involves ensuring equity and justice considerations are included in both research processes and outcomes. While there has been an increasing number of studies on the best practices in community and stakeholder engagement, there have been limited studies evaluating projects that are implementing engagement in their research processes. In this study, we apply the EngageINFEWS conceptual framework, which outlines best practices for engagement in FEWs research, to eleven ongoing projects within the same Environmental Protection Agency funding program investigating the drivers and impacts of energy transitions in underserved communities. We analyzed semi-structured interview data (n = 12) and publicly available project abstracts (n = 11) based on the 10 elements of the EngageINFEWS framework, and despite the diversity of project contexts, aims, and deliverables, four common themes emerged: (i) emphasis on production of meaningful research outputs; (ii) importance of navigating power dynamics; (iii) the role of effective communication systems in project success; and (iv) the need for increased funding and resources. The insights gained from empirically evaluating the goals and activities involving engagement from these particular projects based on the EngageINFEWS conceptual framework can be applied to better understand stakeholder and community engaged research across diverse contexts and offer valuable lessons on how scholars can effectively collaborate with underserved communities while providing policy-relevant recommendations to facilitate community engagement processes that enhance justice and equity through processes and outcomes.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":313,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Science & Policy","volume":"170 ","pages":"Article 104120"},"PeriodicalIF":4.9,"publicationDate":"2025-06-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144239423","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":"Climate policy, Least Developed Countries, and the Sustainable Development Goals: A critical review of SDG13 and infrastructural, institutional, and informational resilience","authors":"Gasser Hesham Seddik ,&nbsp;Benjamin K. Sovacool","doi":"10.1016/j.envsci.2025.104129","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.envsci.2025.104129","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The Least Developed Countries (LDCs) lack the vital resources required to build climate resilience, even though they will bear a disproportionate burden of climate change impacts. Despite the critical importance of aligning climate policies with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in the LDCs, existing literature particularly focusing on this intersection remains insufficient. Much of the current research has predominantly focused on the Global North, where data is more readily available and scientific research in centred. In this study, we ask: (1) What is the current state of research and evidence on the impact of climate policies on the other SDGs in the LDCs? (2) How do climate policies in the LDCs interact with other SDGs? (3) What synergies and trade-offs arise because of these interactions? (4) What forms of resilience do climate policies (and the studies research them) seek to cultivate? In asking these questions, the primary objective of this critical review is to assess the current state of research on the impact of climate policies on the SDGs in the LDCs. By critically examining the existing literature, we identify a significant gap in literature specifically focusing on LDCs’ climate policies and their interactions with other SDGs. We then highlight the areas where further research is accordingly most needed, utilising a sociotechnical framework of infrastructural, institutional, and informational resilience. Ultimately, we contribute to a more holistic understanding of how climate policies can be designed to promptly build climate resilience in the LDCs without compromising progress on other SDGs.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":313,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Science & Policy","volume":"170 ","pages":"Article 104129"},"PeriodicalIF":4.9,"publicationDate":"2025-06-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144239411","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":"Trends and purposes of European river monitoring and restoration","authors":"Maarten Wynants ,&nbsp;Lukas Hallberg ,&nbsp;Laura-Ainhoa Prischl ,&nbsp;John Livsey ,&nbsp;Magdalena Bieroza","doi":"10.1016/j.envsci.2025.104130","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.envsci.2025.104130","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>This study provides the first geospatial analysis of the trends and uptake of European river monitoring and restoration. European monitoring targets rivers draining agricultural and urban land, which leads to geospatial biases due to the co-occurrence with soils, topography, and river orders. Most notably, intermittent rivers and ephemeral streams are underrepresented due to lower monitoring intensities in Southern Europe, headwaters, and catchments with steeper slopes or less arable soils. Improving monitoring efforts in these ecosystems can advance our scientific understanding of complex linkages between ecological quality outcomes and specific stressors. Large differences were found in the spatial coverage of river monitoring and chemical status reporting between European river regions, which highlights comparability issues with the outcomes of Water Framework Directive river quality status due to the ’one-out-all-out’ principle. Chemical status monitoring is also less frequent in agricultural catchments, which leads to a knowledge gap on the impacts of priority substances, such as pesticides, on agricultural rivers. These uncertainties around the actual quality of rivers are propagated to the prioritisation, design and purposes of river restoration. River restoration coverage is distinctively higher in Western Europe and larger urban rivers, compared to lower incidences in headwaters draining agricultural or (semi-)natural catchments. Across most regions and geospatial factors, biodiversity conservation was the major purpose for river restoration. Agricultural headwaters and intermittent rivers are low-hanging fruits for future river restoration, wherein socio-economic drivers of river restoration can be leveraged to achieve parallel goals of biodiversity and water resource management.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":313,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Science & Policy","volume":"170 ","pages":"Article 104130"},"PeriodicalIF":4.9,"publicationDate":"2025-06-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144239422","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 tyranny to hope: Harnessing the power of small decisions to achieve urban sustainability goals","authors":"Corinne G. Bassett ,&nbsp;Susan D. Day ,&nbsp;Cecil C. Konijnendijk ,&nbsp;Kai M.A. Chan ,&nbsp;Lara A. Roman","doi":"10.1016/j.envsci.2025.104125","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.envsci.2025.104125","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Policy makers and planners aim to overcome the “tyranny of small decisions” to address the triple planetary threats of climate change, biodiversity loss, and pollution. However, top-down policies intended to prevent the accumulation of small decisions from undermining collective goods and public infrastructure have removed agency from individuals and caused unintended negative impacts on society. Urban areas are a critical context to examine the role of small decisions because of the extreme diversity and density of decisions and decision-makers within them, their increasing growth worldwide, and their outsized ecological footprint on the world. We bring the economic concept of the tyranny of small decisions to the context of urban nature-based solutions, specifically, urban forestry initiatives, to show how under certain conditions small site-level decisions can support critical long-term social and environmental goals—as opposed to the current tendency to see only their potential to derail such goals. We argue that when social and ecological contexts vary at fine scales in ways that require place-based nuance in environmental management, policy makers and planners should seek to understand and support these small decisions, and promote solutions which harness the knowledge of ecological stewards in service of strategic goals. Failing to do so overlooks the power of human-nature relationships and specialized knowledge, missing opportunities to catalyze self-organization and creativity needed to propel cities towards sustainable futures.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":313,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Science & Policy","volume":"170 ","pages":"Article 104125"},"PeriodicalIF":4.9,"publicationDate":"2025-06-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144230854","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 silos to synergy: Mapping institutional collaboration across global environmental science–policy interfaces","authors":"Sara Velander","doi":"10.1016/j.envsci.2025.104126","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.envsci.2025.104126","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Science-policy interfaces (SPIs) can help address complex socio-environmental crises by providing evidence-based advice in an inclusive and collaborative manner, consistent with the co-production model. However, the growing number of inclusive SPIs in the environmental policy landscape poses challenges to the co-production model. While this issue is well-documented in other fields, there remains a limited empirical and conceptual understanding of how SPIs interact within an increasingly crowded governance landscape and the implications within the scholarly discourse on co-production. This study examines how global SPIs collaborate institutionally to address complex environmental sustainability problems, derived mainly from semi-structured interviews and survey responses with SPI stakeholders. A social network analysis revealed an extensive yet fragmented network of 41 global environmental SPI-related organizations collaborating, clustered by organization type, with many organizations disconnected as a result of low network density. Stakeholders valued collaboration across varying levels of formalization, emphasizing the potential for individual-level collaboration to enhance the effectiveness of SPIs in informing policymakers on complex issues. The study indicated how institutional collaborations were spearheaded by influential individuals and the involvement of the UN, though hindered by bureaucratic politics, power dynamics, and resource constraints. Divergent mandates, resources, and institutional cultures also shaped the feasibility and effectiveness of these collaborations. The study urges global SPIs to carefully consider both the challenges and benefits of collaboration, recommending partnerships that align with each organization's governance context and goals.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":313,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Science & Policy","volume":"170 ","pages":"Article 104126"},"PeriodicalIF":4.9,"publicationDate":"2025-06-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144230853","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":"A methodological framework for assessing the coherence of Water-Energy-Food-Ecosystem nexus policies: Illustration and application at the river basin level","authors":"Caro E. Mooren ,&nbsp;Chrysaida-Aliki Papadopoulou ,&nbsp;Stefania Munaretto ,&nbsp;Katerina Levedi ,&nbsp;Maria P. Papadopoulou","doi":"10.1016/j.envsci.2025.104113","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.envsci.2025.104113","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The Water-Energy-Food-Ecosystem (WEFE) nexus emerged as an approach for efficient management of natural resources. WEFE nexus governance aims to ensure exploiting synergies and managing trade-offs arising from the WEFE nexus interlinkages. In this context, policy coherence is not only a critical component, but also an indicator of successful WEFE Nexus governance. Despite its importance to the nexus, there are few policy coherence assessment methods and policy coherence investigations into the WEFE nexus. The existing policy coherence assessment approaches fail to offer an assessment of the coherence in both policy documents and practical implementation of policies. Moreover, to understand policy coherence in practice, insights of local stakeholders are needed, which is often missing in the existing approaches. We propose a comprehensive policy coherence assessment framework (PCAF) that assesses policy coherence in both its formulation and implementation. Specifically, we adapt and combine the methods of Nilsson et al. (2016) and Mooren et al. (2024) and demonstrate its usefulness by applying it to the Nestos river basin in Greece. Our results show that shifting the focus from analyzing the net influence of policies on one another to identifying Nexus hotspots helps to effectively manage policy trade-offs and synergies by: 1) enabling the identification of policies requiring revision or strengthening; 2) providing insights into whether these hotspots have positive or negative cascading effects throughout the nexus; and 3) via stakeholder feedback on the policy coherence analysis, offering insights on policy implementation in practice.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":313,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Science & Policy","volume":"170 ","pages":"Article 104113"},"PeriodicalIF":4.9,"publicationDate":"2025-06-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144223428","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":"Integration of indigenous knowledge with scientific knowledge: A systematic review","authors":"Enioluwa Jonathan Ijatuyi ,&nbsp;Alexa Lamm ,&nbsp;Kowiyou Yessoufou ,&nbsp;Terence Suinyuy ,&nbsp;Hosea Olayiwola Patrick","doi":"10.1016/j.envsci.2025.104119","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.envsci.2025.104119","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The integration of indigenous knowledge with scientific knowledge has emerged as a key area of interest in various disciplines, including environmental management, agriculture, healthcare, and education. Indigenous knowledge, developed over centuries by Indigenous peoples and local communities, reflects a deep-rooted understanding of local ecosystems, sustainable practices, and holistic approaches to health and development. Meanwhile, scientific knowledge, often seen as more universal and formalized, contributes empirical methodologies and technological advancements. This systematic review explores the importance, challenges, and benefits of integrating these two knowledge systems. By reviewing relevant literature, this paper identifies pathways for successful integration, highlighting case studies from environmental conservation, agriculture, and healthcare that demonstrate the complementary strengths of indigenous and scientific knowledge. The paper concludes that integrating scientific and indigenous knowledge holds great promise for addressing global challenges. Despite obstacles like power disparities and differing epistemologies, effective integration can lead to a comprehensive and lasting solution that promotes equitable collaborations, protects intellectual property, and creates culturally appropriate frameworks. Collaborative research that treats indigenous populations as equal partners ensures innovations are both scientifically and culturally valid. Successful integration therefore requires frameworks sensitive to cultural differences and the social and spiritual aspects of indigenous knowledge, supported by legal and policy measures to safeguard and benefit from indigenous knowledge.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":313,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Science & Policy","volume":"170 ","pages":"Article 104119"},"PeriodicalIF":4.9,"publicationDate":"2025-06-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144223340","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":"When the rural is deliberately flooded to protect the urban: Examining the social costs in emergency flood diversion to inform more sustainable spatial flood risk management","authors":"Da Kuang ,&nbsp;Kuei-Hsien Liao","doi":"10.1016/j.envsci.2025.104116","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.envsci.2025.104116","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>As a spatial flood risk management measure, Emergency Flood Diversion (EFD) redirects excessive floodwater from swollen rivers to less economically valuable rural areas to protect urban centers. While often deemed necessary and cost-effective during flood emergencies, EFD can cause severe harm to the deliberately flooded areas. Existing literature on EFD primarily addresses technical aspects, overlooking the social costs. This study fills this gap through an empirical analysis of two Chinese villages affected by EFD since the 1950s. Today, there are 98 “Flood Retention Areas” (FRAs)—large land areas designated to receive the diverted floodwaters—throughout China, home to 16.56 million people. Our findings reveal that EFD impacts extend beyond physical damage, perpetuating poverty and disrupting livelihoods. We evaluate China’s FRA policy through a justice framework that addresses distribution, recognition, participation, and capabilities. In the context of climate change and escalating flood risks, continued reliance on a utilitarian cost-benefit model risks deepening existing injustices. We propose alternatives and urge greater attention to the injustice arising from current EFD practices.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":313,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Science & Policy","volume":"170 ","pages":"Article 104116"},"PeriodicalIF":4.9,"publicationDate":"2025-06-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144203367","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":"Factors influencing stakeholder interaction patterns in Forest Landscape Restoration: The role of institutional and organizational proximity","authors":"Michel Kabirigi ,&nbsp;Shibire Bekele Eshetu ,&nbsp;Asmelash Tesfaye Gebremedhin ,&nbsp;Naomi Weiß ,&nbsp;Hamy Raharinaivo ,&nbsp;Harifidy Rakoto Ratsimba ,&nbsp;Stefan Sieber ,&nbsp;Katharina Löhr","doi":"10.1016/j.envsci.2025.104112","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.envsci.2025.104112","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Forest Landscape Restoration (FLR) relies on stakeholder engagement and participatory governance. However, understanding stakeholder dynamics remains limited. To address this, we applied social network analysis to assess how institutional and organizational proximity influence network formation within Forest Landscape Restoration (FLR) initiatives in Ethiopia and Madagascar. We used Net-Map to collect relational data from 202 interconnected stakeholders in Ethiopia and 85 in Madagascar. The igraph R package was used for network visualization and descriptive analysis, while the Exponential Random Graph Model (ERGM) was applied to identify factors influencing network formation. Our study shows imbalances in stakeholder participation between the two countries: Ethiopia's network is led by knowledge hubs, while Madagascar's is dominated by international NGOs with substantial funding. ERGM results reveal Ethiopia’s network is more inclusive, whereas Madagascar’s is concentrated among NGOs and government entities. Institutional proximity significantly influences network formation, while organizational proximity does not. Both countries have centralized networks, with stakeholders connecting to influential actors to build bridging trust. Additionally, high collaboration levels are observed, as stakeholders with shared partners often form connections, which fosters bonding trust. We conclude that forest landscape restoration relies on two key factors: academic knowledge and funding. Our findings highlight the need for more inclusive FLR networks, as current structures are dominated by research institutions and international NGOs, limiting local community participation. While institutional proximity shapes FLR efforts, balancing centralization with inclusivity is crucial for fostering collaboration, resilience, and long-term sustainability.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":313,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Science & Policy","volume":"170 ","pages":"Article 104112"},"PeriodicalIF":4.9,"publicationDate":"2025-06-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144203366","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}