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This is an open access book. Sustainable development is so important that humanity must do its utmost to achieve these goals for the well-being of the present and future generations. WTO members have started to reform WTO rules since the WTO's Buenos Aires Ministerial Conference in 2017. The book describes a possible bright future for readers: WTO members can integrate the UN SDGs into WTO law (i.e., create sustainable trade rules) by establishing a sustainable development club and constitutionalising the WTO.

In the 21st century, the imperative for sustainable development has assumed a paramount role, echoing the pressing global concerns surrounding environmental degradation, social inequalities, and economic challenges. Within this context, Sub-Saharan Africa emerges as a region of particular significance, where the pursuit of sustainability holds immense promise and relevance. Despite being endowed with abundant natural resources and a vibrant entrepreneurial spirit, Sub-Saharan Africa grapples with enduring issues of poverty, inequality, and environmental harm. This book explores the innovative paradigms of sustainable finance and business within Sub-Saharan Africa, exploring how novel approaches can effectively tackle the region's most pressing challenges while simultaneously catalyzing economic growth and societal progress. The chapters presented here comprise a diverse array of cutting-edge financial strategies, circular economy initiatives, technological advancements, and business models that are revolutionizing sustainable development across the continent. Sub-Saharan Africa, characterized by its youthful demographic and rapidly expanding economies, is poised for transformation. Yet, it confronts formidable obstacles in the form of poverty, inequality, and environmental degradation. The United Nations'Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) offer a comprehensive framework to address these issues. However, realizing these objectives requires innovative solutions that can surmount the unique constraints of the region. Fortunately, Sub-Saharan Africa is a crucible of innovation, with a growing community of entrepreneurs, financiers, and decision-makers committed to sustainable development. Initiatives promoting circular economies are reducing waste and enhancing resource efficiency, while financial instruments like impact investing and green bonds are attracting new streams of funding. Simultaneously, technological breakthroughs such as mobile payment systems and renewable energy solutions are expanding access to essential services and driving economic expansion. Despite these encouraging advancements, Sub-Saharan Africa stands at a pivotal juncture in its journey towards sustainability. This book, with a focus on practical and scalable solutions, endeavors to showcase the most promising and successful models that can propel sustainable development across the region.

​This book explores how climate change affects households that rely on shifting cultivation and how to assess their vulnerability. This study looks at micro and macro levels in Indian states with indigenous communities practicing shifting cultivation. The micro-level study has been conducted in 52 villages, with 1469 households covering 7067 population in seven states of India in the Northeastern region. The book covers different topics related to climate change, such as its patterns, impact on households and agriculture, forest management, and the role of indigenous knowledge in mitigation. This research is associated with different sectors like shifting agriculture, forestry sector, climate change and rural development etc. and integrated with large respondents and stakeholders through both direct and focus group discussions. Research scholars, climate activists, institutional and non-institutional organisations, people interested in environmental science, social science and policymakers will find this book very relevant.

This Open Access book addresses climate change in Europe and Latin America from a comparative regionalism studies (CRS) perspective. Written by an international team of scholars and experts, chapters critically analyze proposals for mitigating climate change while contributing to the mutual understanding about the issues at stake across regions. The book is divided into three main sections. In the first section, authors discuss EU and Latin American cooperation, negotiations, and perspectives on climate change, exploring their agendas, the interests and key challenges at the global, regional and interregional levels. The second section focuses on the challenges to finance development and a greener economy. The third section explores new green solutions to climate change in the agriculture sector and initiatives such as nature-based solutions to climate change and best practices. Providing policy oriented solutions for combatting regional climate change at a critical juncture, this volume will be of interest to researchers and students of international relations, international law, and environmental politics, as well as public officials and climate change activists.

This book highlights the efforts made to realize the concept of ‘Circular Bioeconomy'. It has twelve (12) chapters, focussed on five (5) sections, namely Biomaterials, Environment, Energy, Pharmaceutical and Enzyme Technology. It portrays research, linking ‘Circular Bioeconomy'to the United Nation's Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The concept of ‘Circular Economy', including ‘Circular Bioeconomy', aims to shift the current, essentially linear economic system to a more sustainable one. Accordingly, the key goal of a ‘Circular Economy'is to slow, narrow and close material resource loops, built on the foundation of renewable energy and non-toxic materials. Further, a sustainable ‘Bioeconomy'goes beyond simply switching fossil resources with renewable, biological resources. It requires low-carbon energy inputs, sustainable supply chains and promising disruptive conversion technologies for the sustainable transformation of renewable bioresources to high-value bio-based products, materials and fuels. Thus, a sustainable ‘Circular Bioeconomy'transition will necessitate a set of consistent metrics that fit all products and industries.

True mangrove flora and their associates in the lower Gangetic region are noted for their wide spectrum of ecosystem services in which carbon storage and sequestration by the forest is one of the most important components. Many researchers are updating the carbon repository of the lower Gangetic delta mangroves with the aim to ascertain their role to reduce the carbon dioxide level of the near surface atmosphere. However, due to difficulty in assessment, marketing, and lack of clarity over ownership of natural resources, the mangrove-based carbon trading system has not yet crystallized.There is an estimated 13.76 Mha of mangrove forests world-wide, approximately 20% (2.6 Mha) of which is potentially investible for carbon finance projects, based on the probability of imminent threat. The magnitude and the variability of threats to which the mangroves of the lower Gangetic delta are exposed to have made the trading process more complicated. In addition, gaps also exist between the national government policy and the trading of the blue carbon projects, which has kept the future of such projects remain on hold. The authors put forward the views that the creation of more financial facilities for restoration and expansion of blue carbon (preferably mangroves) with the involvement of the local communities can provide the initial capital involved in developing mangrove-based carbon projects. This includes the costs of conducting feasibility studies, implementing capacity-building programs, monitoring the health of the mangrove plantation/restoration on regular basis, and creating mangrove-based alternative livelihood programs that will support island dwellers of the region in order to accelerate the magnitude of mangrove-based carbon projects leading to growth of the mangrove trading market.

This monograph is designed to provide a comprehensive and accessible reference to Net Zero efforts globally. Firstly, the book explains the basics of Net Zero, Greenhouse Gas Emissions (GHG), and the global climate change struggle. A chapter on Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG), as standardisation and screening of sustainability follows. Next comes a chapter on carbon pricing and carbon tax. After these background chapters, the book continues with eight chapters that cover Net Zero across a variety of economic sectors: energy supply, business sector, transport, residential, industrial processes, waste management, public (and government), and agriculture, forestry and land use. These economic sectors are adopted from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) and UK National Statistics. Each chapter includes basic background information, technical or scientific, and a policy section. The sector-based chapters also include sectoral emissions analysis, review, and then a horizon scanning for innovative companies and their business models. This will enable non-experts from the business sector to read and understand the dynamics and trends in other sectors. Similarly, students and fresh graduates will easily follow the chapter (or the industry) that interests them and comprehend the basics and contemporary business trends. By joining research work with the business models of 400 noteworthy and innovative companies, this book constructs a vital bridge between academia, practical reality, policy, and business implementation, with a keen focus on environmental value.

The book offers a comprehensive overview of the challenges and opportunities associated with the transition to sustainable energy, circular economy, and sustainable financing for ESG practices. The publication is needed at this time because the world is facing urgent environmental and social challenges, such as climate change, resource depletion, and social inequality, which require a fundamental transformation of our economic and social systems. The transition to sustainable energy, circular economy, and sustainable financing for ESG practices offers a promising pathway to address these challenges and achieve sustainable development goals.The purpose of the publication is to provide a holistic and practical guide for policymakers, business leaders, investors, and other stakeholders who are interested in advancing sustainable energy, circular economy, and ESG practices. The book covers a range of topics, including the drivers of the transition, policy frameworks and regulations, technology and innovation, business models and financial instruments, and the role of stakeholders in facilitating the transition. It also emphasizes the importance of integrated approaches that balance economic, social, and environmental objectives, and provides practical examples and case studies of successful sustainable energy, circular economy, and ESG practices from around the world.The new contribution of this publication is its interdisciplinary and practical approach to sustainable energy, circular economy, and ESG practices. The book draws on the latest research from various fields, including economics, engineering, environmental science, and social science, and provides a synthesis of best practices and lessons learned from a diverse range of stakeholders, such as governments, businesses, and civil society organizations. The publication also provides a roadmap for how stakeholders can work together overcome the challenges of the transition and create a more sustainable and equitable future.The book is a timely and essential guide for anyone who is interested in advancing sustainable development goals. The book provides a comprehensive overview of the challenges and opportunities associated with the transition to sustainable energy, circular economy, and sustainable financing for ESG practices and offers practical solutions and case studies from around the world. Its interdisciplinary and practical approach makes it a valuable resource for policymakers, business leaders, investors, and other stakeholders who are committed to creating a more sustainable and equitable future.

This book presents a detailed analysis of sustainable utilization of natural gas for low-carbon energy production. Its content is divided into three parts with the intention to address natural gas supply chain, technological advances in natural gas utilization, and role of natural gas in transition to a low-carbon economy. In particular, it describes the various technological pathways for the conversion of natural gas to valuable products such as hydrogen, syngas and other alternative fuel, which can be used as chemical intermediates or for co-generation of electricity and heat. This book is targeted at wide audience in the academia and industries who want a comprehensive knowledge of how natural gas can be sustainable utilized for low-carbon energy production.

Financial markets play a critical role in climate finance as they are a major source of funding for many of the projects and initiatives aimed at addressing climate change. For instance, banks and investors can provide loans and capital to companies that are developing renewable energy projects, building energy-efficient infrastructure, or implementing climate-smart agricultural practices. Moreover, the importance of climate finance in financial markets goes beyond just funding environmental initiatives. Investors and financial institutions are increasingly factoring in climate risks and opportunities into their decision-making processes, including assessing the financial risks posed by climate change and the potential impact of new regulations and policies aimed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions.This book is a collection of recent developments in climate change and climate finance. As the global community seeks to address the impacts of climate change, financial institutions are being called upon to play a larger role in supporting the transition to a sustainable economy. This includes incorporating climate risks into investment decisions, developing new financial products that support climate-friendly investments, and promoting greater transparency and accountability in the financial sector. The book provides a comprehensive analysis of how climate change is impacting the global financial system and explores the potential solutions that can help address these challenges. The contributions aim to examine the complex interplay between climate change and finance, and the potential for innovative financial instruments and policies to support the transition to a low-carbon economy.

This book aims to integrate multiple disciplinary such as management, economics, and geography from the perspective of resource science and also to strengthen research on resource management to promote sustainability in natural resources. It established clear definition of natural resources and in-depth exploration of main fields such as water resources, land resources, and agricultural resources. Classic methods of economics are applied to solve the problems of resource consumption, environmental pollution, and climate change in modern society. On the basis of classical economics, the disciplinary system of environmental and natural resources is further developed. It is a helpful reference for readers to further study natural resources and environmental economics.

This book highlights clean energy transition via sustainable utilization of biomass resources, viz. forestry, agriculture, agroforestry, grassland, and seaweeds to climate change mitigation. Bioresources have tremendous potential to mitigate global warming. Also, biomass is expected to play a multifunctional role including food production, source of energy and fodder, biodiversity conservation, and yield of goods and services to the society. It brings together perspectives of various communities involved in the research and regulation of bioenergy deployment in the context of climate change mitigation. The book presents the way forward to policy makers and stakeholders involved with bioenergy development. This development may be directive challenges in the transport sector where options such as hydrogen and electric vehicles relying on hydro, wind, and solar PV will require decades to become established on a substantial scale. Furthermore, meeting ambitious climate change targets will also require environment-friendly fuels in air and marine transport where no alternative to biofuels is currently available. The process design-via-onion model for sustainable utilization of biomass resources is also one of the most important subjects of the book. This book includes state-of-the-art approaches on bottlenecks and circular economy analysis for biomass energy use to reduce climate change and sustainability frameworks to guide bioenergy development.

This book presents the contributions from the 2nd International Conference Engineering Innovations and Sustainable Development, held in Samara, Russia on April 20–21, 2023. By presenting international research on various sustainability issues, it includes topics such as current trends in industrial and agricultural development, innovations in the construction and transport sectors, problems concerning the financing of innovative activities and governmental support for innovations, and engineering competences and skills in the era of new technologies. It also covers the economic, environmental, and informational aspects of sustainable development in the context of innovations. Finally, the book addresses theoretical and practical aspects by studying the phenomenon of sustainability and engineering development in terms of comparing international experiences. It provides significant value for scientists, teachers, and students of higher educational institutions, and specialists, who are researching sustainable development issues in the era of engineering innovations.

This open access book is based on the research outputs of China Council for International Cooperation on Environment and Development (CCICED) in 2021. It covers major topics of Chinese and international attention regarding green development, such as climate, biodiversity, ocean, BRI, urbanization, sustainable production and consumption, technology, finance, value chain, and related topics. It also reviews the progress of China‘s environmental and development policies and the impacts from CCICED. This is a highly informative and carefully presented book, providing insight for policy makers in environmental issues.

Blue Planet Law is the global and future-oriented environmental law that is necessary to face the global environmental crisis in the Anthropocene, assuming especially the link between climate action (SDG 13) and ocean sustainability (SDG 14). This open access book focuses on means of overcoming global environmental problems such as climate change, ocean degradation and biodiversity loss and the consequent risks for human life, health, food and wellbeing. It explores how environmental law, at the international, European and national levels, might set economic and technological development on a more sustainable path. Law must engage in dialogue with other areas such as philosophy, economics, ecology, and biology. This book highlights protection of the climate and the oceans and sustainable use of natural resources, through new policies, economies and technologies, including biotechnology, with a view to the preservation of life, health, food and a healthy environment for the present and future generations. The book may be seen as a contribution to the UN Sustainable Development Goals 13 and 14 and a tribute to the Declaration of the United Nations Conference on the Human Environment, also known as the Stockholm Conference (1972), on its 50th Anniversary.

This handbook covers the air quality/air pollution from the viewpoints of causing impacts on human/ecosystem health and climate change. Traditionally, air pollution has been a concern mainly in terms of its impacts on human health, and it is still an immediate public and governmental concern in most Asian countries. However, in recent years so-called extreme weather events, such as stronger tropical cyclones, flooding, drought, and other phenomena, have been manifested causing tremendous losses of human lives and properties. Importantly, climate models tell us that such extreme weather events are actually induced by anthropogenic global warming. It has been pointed out that mitigation or alleviation of such climate change leading to the extreme weather events in the next 30 years can be possible only by reducing air pollutants with positive radiative forcing such as ozone or methane, which are called short-lived climate pollutants (SLCPs). Here, concerns about mitigation of air pollutants from the points of human health and climate change have merged. This book covers different kinds of air pollutants and radiative forcers and how they can be measured. It also mentions the situation of air pollutants in different continents and their regional impacts to human health, environment and economy as well as their link to extreme weather events. The book presents how the air pollution and climate change can be mitigated and how clean air technologies and international initiatives for co-controlling air pollution and climate change have been developed.

This textbook introduces and explains the issues around climate change and its mitigation. It includes topics across disciplines and can be used as a single-volume text by students studying a range of subjects. Among the topics included are: ·How to adopt significant mitigation measures now to avoid the most catastrophic long-term consequences of climate change.·Reducing the rates of highly potent, short-lived emissions of methane gas and black carbon particulates—reductions that are necessary to meet the temperature targets of the Paris Agreements.·Implementing wide-ranging adaptation measures to reduce the deaths and economic costs of extreme heat waves, droughts, wildfires, hurricanes, and floods.·Recognizing the unusually rapid warming in the Arctic, which is disrupting weather patterns in the northern hemisphere and currents in the Atlantic Ocean, causing world-wide sea-level rise, and also causing methane leaks in the Arctic region—leaksthat could eventually lead to irreversible global warming consequences. Meeting these challenges effectively requires action by both governments and businesses. The book examines the national and local governmental policies—and business practices—that are needed in sector-specific chapters. An objective of the book is to inform readers about specific problems resulting from climate change—and the wide range of potential government policies and business practices, changes in technologies, and changes in public attitudes and actions that can reduce the emissions and otherwise lessen their impacts. Indeed, a central message is that understanding the issues posed by climate change requires no less than an understanding of climate science, micro- and macro-economics, technologies for mitigation and adaptation measures, as well as politics and law at many governmental levels from local to global. The author has included short case studies that illustrate and integrate multiple analytic perspectives. The book is therefore appropriate for students, professionals, and general audiences with wide-ranging interests and backgrounds.

This book explains why Venezuela is so rich in natural resources—it has been producing oil since 1922 and harbors the largest oil reserves in the world—and yet it is also a failed nation of class-divided citizens exhibiting deep poverty in a corrupt, incompetent state. Venezuela is a bipolar nation, where two marked poles in the society exist which have historical origins and are mutually exclusive.The book provides a critical analysis of Venezuela's history, economy and politics and explains the context and implications of the bipolar poles, known as the elite pole and the resentful pole. Both, it shows, have done serious harm to Venezuela's prosperity.The author describes the vicious circle of oil wealth, corruption, inefficiency and world market dependency and gives recommendations for a better future.

This book opens up a critical dimension to the field of industrial ecology. The book discusses the emerging green theories in industrial ecology and evolving practices adopted by businesses to achieve Sustainable Development Goals. The author(s) identifies valuable lessons to be learned and presents conceptual frameworks and ideas to guide future industrial ecology applications, which are integrated into the triple bottom line approach and have cornerstone value to achieving Sustainable Development Goals. Additionally, the book discusses the relevant economic theories that serve as the foundation for the presented green views. This elaboration of economic ideas reinforces our work's relevance to achieving a green economy. Therefore, this book is essential for industrial ecology scholars and those interested in ensuring an environmentally sustainable future.

This book discusses emerging contexts of global warming and climate change, agricultural vulnerability and adaptation from local to global scale. Climate change, resilience in relation to agriculture and livelihoods and multi-dimensionality of various approaches are clearly taken into account by providing studies and perspectives on various methods and scales based on natural science to social science frameworks. This edited work contains chapters that are interdisciplinary, covering climate change, agriculture vulnerability, disaster impact, productivity efficiency, food security, livelihood resilience, land degradation, sustainability, in terms of plan and perform for transformation, sustainability and adaptation, including philosophy, change and economics, as well as the natural sciences. This book addresses the sustainable development goals to reduce the adverse impacts on agricultural productivity brought on by climate change and its adaptation and disaster risk reductionin developing and developed nations. Some of the assessed challenges include soil erosion, land use conversion, natural resource mismanagement, crop productivity decline and economic stagnation. This book covers important issues in the production and consumption of food in the past and present periods, agriculture, livelihood, and climate change, disaster risk management and society. All of these are under the threat of ongoing climate change and significant challenges to livelihood sustainability. The book is arranged into five broad sections: each part will cover a set of chapters dealing with a particular issue of the climate change, agriculture and society: approach toward sustainability. This book aims to attract attention of students, researchers, academician, policymakers and other inquisitive readers interested in different aspects of climate change, agriculture, livelihood and sustainability, particularly at local to global context.

This book demonstrates how the inclusion of nature in engineering decisions results in innovative solutions that are economically feasible, ecologically viable, and socially desirable. It advances progress toward nature-positive decisions by protection and restoration of ecosystems and respect for ecological boundaries. The topic of this book is an active area of academic research, and leading companies are including goals associated with ecosystem services in their sustainability plans. This book is the first collection of methods and applications that explicitly include the role of nature in supporting engineering activities and describes the role that ecosystems play in supporting technology and industry. It describes approaches, models, applications, and challenges for innovation and sustainability that will be useful to students and practitioners.

This handbook analyzes and develops methods and models to optimize solutions for energy access (for industry and the general world population alike) in terms of reliability and sustainability. With a focus on improving the performance of energy systems, it brings together state-of-the-art research on reliability enhancement, intelligent development, simulation and optimization, as well as sustainable development of energy systems. It helps energy stakeholders and professionals learn the methodologies needed to improve the reliability of energy supply-and-demand systems, achieve more efficient long-term operations, deal with uncertainties in energy systems, and reduce energy emissions.Highlighting novel models and their applications from leading experts in this important area, this book will appeal to researchers, students, and engineers in the various domains of smart energy systems and encourage them to pursue research and development in this exciting and highly relevant field.

This book makes general considerations regarding global changes and contemporary economic issues in Asian countries in real terms. It offers a collection of original conference papers from the annual international conferences on “Contemporary economic issues in Asian countries” (CEIAC Conference) commenced in 2022 in collaboration with CIFOR-ICRAF, Sungkyunkwan University (Korea), and Tamkang University (Taiwan). The theme of the CEIAC Conference 2022 deals with broad aspects of the contemporary economic issues in Asian countries. It covers topics such as economics and business (economic theory, national and international income distribution, macroeconomic policies, sectors of economy, productivity developments, financial market, business governance, bank financing, etc.), green economy and sustainable development (developing process, development policy, public policy, sustainable growth, green growth, etc.), and international trade and investment (international trade theory, free trade agreements, tariffs, intellectual property, international law, etc.). The book would interest a wide array of professors, researchers, lecturers, students in fields of economics, consultants, and decision makers interested in the issues related to economic issues in Asia.

The book is an edited collection of contributions by a distinguished international panel of academics on the main scientific, juridical, and economic aspects involved in the mitigation and adaptation processes imposed by climate change. Explicitly interdisciplinary, the book transversally cuts through different disciplines offering an outline of a phenomenon that is too often left to specific and sectorial insights. The volume is divided into four parts. The first part introduces the main concepts of the book: climate change and sustainability, wellbeing, and mitigation and adaptation. The second part presents the scientific understanding of climate change and explores some of the more pressing issues driving policy development, such as the melting of the glaciers and the impact on coastal areas. The third part discusses significant experiences in the environmental policies both in the European Union and in the United States of America. The last section explains possible approaches to climate change, by exploring the legal and economic aspects of both adversarial and more lenient approaches towards a more sustainable world. It faces four main issues in the economic and juridical context: consumer behaviors, climate litigations, environmental litigations and the alternative forms of dispute resolution on environmental matters, with particular regard to environmental mediation. Offering a new vision of sustainable policies, this volume will be of interest to researchers and students of environmental policy, resource economics, environmental law, sustainable development, and public administration, as well as practitioners and policy makers working in related areas.

This book continues the discussion in the first two volumes on the challenges that organizations face in order to implement sustainability, ethics, and effective corporate governance, all of which are important elements of “standing out” from other companies. Examining the background of the New European Consensus on development with the new guiding motto ‘Our World, Our Dignity, Our Future,'the authors explore how this new legislation on sustainability issues around the world is forcing companies to deal directly with sustainability issues.The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development (2030 Agenda), adopted by the United Nations in September 2015, is the international community's response to global challenges and trends in connection with sustainable development. With the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) at its core, the 2030 Agenda is a transformative political framework designed to eradicate poverty and achieve sustainable development globally. It balances the economic,social, and environmental dimensions of sustainable development, including the key issues of governance and peaceful and inclusive societies, and recognizes the essential interlinkages between its goals and targets, i.e., that they must be implemented as a whole and not selectively. The respective chapters in this volume raise a number of questions regarding corporate social responsibility, ethics, and corporate governance in the face of new technology, and new approaches to climate change and sustainability reporting.

This book contains contributions from the international conference “Engineering Innovations and Sustainable Development,” organized by three Russian universities on June 17–18, 2021. By presenting international research on various sustainability issues, it includes topics such as current trends in industrial and agricultural development, innovations in the construction and transport sectors, problems concerning the financing of innovative activities and governmental support for innovations, and engineering competences and skills in the era of new technologies. It also covers the economic, environmental, and informational aspects of sustainable development in the context of innovations. Finally, the book addresses theoretical and practical aspects by studying the phenomenon of sustainability and engineering development in terms of comparing international experiences. It provides significant value for scientists, teachers, and students of higher educational institutions, and specialists, who are researching sustainable development issues in the era of engineering innovations.

This book aims to fill the literature gap on digital instruments and FinTech in enhancing green finance. ​Technological innovation can increase transparency, accountability, and speed, decentralize the financial system, improve risk management, increase competition, lower costs, improve efficiency, increase cross-sectoral collaboration and integration, and scale up green finance. Artificial intelligence (AI), distributed ledger technologies (DLT) or blockchain, peer-to-peer lending platforms, big data, Internet-based and mobile-based payment platforms, Internet of Things (IoT), matchmaking platforms including crowdlending, tokenizing green assets are potential means to scale up the green finance for achieving the SDGs. The COVID-19 pandemic, the economic downturns, and the uncertainties shrank the new investments in renewable energy projects globally. Low investment in renewable energy projects could threaten the expansion of greenenergy needed to provide energy security and meet SDG7 and SDG13. Investments in renewable energy projects are scarce because of several risks and a low rate of return. Although several new green financing solutions such as green bonds, green banks, green credit guarantee, carbon taxation, carbon trade, village funds, and community trust funds have been established in different countries, these are insufficient, and alternative ways to finance projects are required. The book provides several high-quality studies on utilizing digitalization, FinTech, financial innovations, and other new technologies to fill the finance gap of green projects to meet the SDG goals. The chapters are written by scholars in diverse countries and regions and include practical policy recommendations.

Now in its 3rd edition, this extensively revised and significantly expanded handbook addresses important new research findings and the global need for action. There is a growing consensus that anthropogenic activities have been driving global climate change and the consequence will be catastrophic for civilization. Reducing the 37.1 billion metric tons of CO2 produced annually (2017 global emissions) along with other greenhouse gases has become a leading grand challenge and the pursuit of sustainable energy, environments and economies is a complex issue affecting the daily life of every citizen. The Handbook of Climate Change Mitigation and Adaptation collates information in this multi-disciplinary area, providing readers with a comprehensive overview on the scientific background and current technologies. Intended for an interdisciplinary, global audience of researchers at universities and in industry, it covers climate change models; established, mature and promising future technologies and ideas; the impact of climate change; strategies for dealing with global warming; the related political frameworks; and climate education.

The book provides a comprehensive review of renewable energy from an economic perspective throughout the last two hundred years, starting from traditional renewable energy based on bio and hydro energy. The focus is on modern renewable energy based on geothermal, wind, and solar energy. It emerged when innovative entrepreneurs captured opportunities for valuable energy services. As the services with renewable energy expanded, the costs of technologies decreased entailing global commercialisation. This enables larger access to energy and emission reduction of carbon dioxide, but also causes larger differences in the energy resources across countries which impedes international policies. That optimistic viewpoint on the shift to the global low-carbon economy is largely based on statistical data about purchasing power, energy consumption and businesses, and valuable energy services in many countries on all continents. The data are presented in 70 tables, graphs, and figures, most of them original. Interpretation of the data are useful in support of decisions making about sustainable development in civil society, businesses, and policy makers as well as for the verifications of scholarly hypotheses and projections in energy and climate policies.

This book sheds new light on the remote sensing of agriculture in South/Southeast Asian (S/SEA) countries. S/SEA countries are growing rapidly in terms of population, industrialization, and urbanization. One of the critical challenges in the region is food security. In S/SEA, although total food production and productivity have increased in previous decades, in recent years, the growth rate of food production has slowed down, mostly due to land use change, market forces and policy interventions. Further, the weather and climate systems in the region driven primarily by monsoon variability are resulting in droughts or flooding, impacting agricultural production. Therefore, monitoring crops, including agricultural land cover changes at regular intervals, is essential to predict and prepare for disruptions in the food supply in the S/SEA countries. The current book captures the latest research on the remote sensing of agricultural land cover/ land use changes, including mapping and monitoring crops, crop yields, biophysical parameter retrievals, multi-source data fusion for agricultural applications, and chapters on decision making and early warning systems for food security. The authors of this book are international experts in the field, and their contributions highlight the use of remote sensing and geospatial technologies for agricultural research and applications in South/Southeast Asia.

This book makes a substantial and timely contribution to discussions on energy security in Oman, providing a systematic analysis of energy security in Oman from 1920 to 2020. It is particularly relevant in light of the recent global geopolitics of the Gulf particularly, and the Middle Eastern region broadly, as well as connecting to current climate change research and debates. Combining a political sociological account with postcolonial concepts within a theoretical and empirical exploration of energy politics, the book weaves a study of energy security into the historical and contemporary development of political, economic, security, and social structures in Oman. Including interviews with Omani and Oman-based practitioners, as well as grounded in historical documents which include Arabic-language sources, this book evaluates the energy question beyond the typical economic perspective, considering socio-political opportunities and challenges. It also makes economic-related recommendations in tandem with rentier state theory. Unlike the dominant accounts of energy security in Oman, this book sets itself apart by moving away from utilising liberal and realist approaches for its analysis and engages systematically with critical security studies to introduce a non-Eurocentric perspective to the arena. Of interest to scholars in Middle Eastern history, energy security, and security studies, this book assumes an important place in the critical literature on the Gulf, particularly within environmental studies and energy policy literature.

The proceedings consist of papers accepted by the 5th ICEMGD, which are carefully selected and reviewed by professional reviewers from corresponding research fields and the editing committee of the conference. The papers have a diverse range of topics situated at the intersecting field of Economic Management, Public Administration and Green Development. ICEMGD is working to provide a platform for international participants from fields like macro- and microeconomics, international economics, finance, agricultural economics, health economics, business management and marketing strategies, regional development studies, social governance, and sustainable development. This proceedings volume, together with the conference, looks forward to spark inspirations and promote collaborations. It will be of interest to researchers, academics, professionals and policy makers in the field of economic management, public administration, and development studies. Due to COVID-19, ICEMGD was held online on 12-17 August, 2021.

Global cities are facing an almost unprecedented challenge of change. As they re-emerge from the Covid 19 pandemic and get ready to face climate change and other, potentially existential threats, they need to look for new ways to support wealth and wellbeing creation – leveraging Big Data and AI and suing them into their physical reality and to become greener, more inclusive and resilient, hence sustainable.This book describes how new digital technologies could be used to design digital and physical twins of cities that are able to feed into each other to optimize their working and ability to create new wealth and wellbeing. The book also describes how to increase cities'social and economic resilience during crisis time and addressing their almost fatal weaknesses – as it became all too obvious during the recent COVID 19 crisis. Also, the book presents a framework for a critical discussion of the concept of “smart-city”, suggesting its development into a “cyber” and “meta” one– meaning, not only digital systems can allow physical ones (e.g. cities, citizens, households and companies) to become “smarter”, but also the vice versa is true, as off line data and real life behaviours can support the optimization and development of virtual brains as a sum of big data and artificial intelligence apps all sitting “over the cloud”. An analysis of the fundamental dynamics of this emerging “info-telligence” economy, and of the potential role of big digital players like Amazon, Google and Facebook is then paving the way to discuss a few strategic forays on how traditional sectors such as financial services, real estate, TMT or health could also evolve, leveraging Big Data and AI in a cyber-physical integrated setting. Finally, a number of thought provoking use cases that could be designed around individuals, and to improve the success and the resilience of households and companies living and working in urban areas are discussed, as an example of one of the most exciting future markets to come: the one of global, sustainable cities

The problems related to the process of industrialisation such as biodiversity depletion, climate change and a worsening of health and living conditions, especially but not only in developing countries, intensify. Therefore, there is an increasing need to search for integrated solutions to make development more sustainable. The United Nations has acknowledged the problem and approved the “2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development”. On 1st January 2016, the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of the Agenda officially came into force. These goals cover the three dimensions of sustainable development: economic growth, social inclusion and environmental protection. The Encyclopedia of the UN Sustainable Development Goals comprehensively addresses the SDGs in an integrated way. It encompasses 17 volumes, each one devoted to one of the 17 SDGs. This volume addresses SDG 15, namely'Protect, restore and promote sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems, sustainably manage forests, combat desertification, and halt and reverse land degradation and halt biodiversity loss'and contains the description of a range of terms, which allow a better understanding and foster knowledge.Concretely, the defined targets are:Ensure the conservation, restoration and sustainable use of terrestrial and inland freshwater ecosystems and their services, in particular forests, wetlands, mountains and drylands, in line with obligations under international agreementsPromote the implementation of sustainable management of all types of forests, halt deforestation, restore degraded forests and substantially increase afforestation and reforestation globally Combat desertification, restore degraded land and soil, including land affected by desertification, drought and floods, and strive to achieve a land degradation-neutral worldEnsure the conservation of mountain ecosystems, including their biodiversity, in order to enhance their capacity to provide benefits that are essential for sustainable developmentTake urgent and significant action to reduce the degradation of natural habitats, halt the loss of biodiversity and protect and prevent the extinction of threatened speciesPromote fair and equitable sharing of the benefits arising from the utilization of genetic resources and promote appropriate access to such resources, as internationally agreedTake urgent action to end poaching and trafficking of protected species of flora and fauna and address both demand and supply of illegal wildlife productsIntroduce measures to prevent the introduction and significantlyReduce the impact of invasive alien species on land and water ecosystems and control or eradicate the priority speciesIntegrate ecosystem and biodiversity values into national and local planning, development processes, poverty reduction strategies andaccountsMobilize and significantly increase financial resources from all sources to conserve and sustainably use biodiversity and ecosystemsMobilize significant resources from all sources and at all levels to finance sustainable forest management and provide adequate incentives to developing countries to advance such management, including for conservation and reforestationEnhance global support for efforts to combat poaching and trafficking of protected species, including by increasing the capacity of local communities to pursue sustainable livelihood opportunitiesEditorial BoardAlexandra Aragão, Desalegn Yayeh Ayal, Ayansina Ayanlade, Anabela Marisa Azul, Adriana Consorte-McCrea, Muhammad Farooq, Ana Catarina Luz, María P. Martín, Sharif A. Mukul, Nandhivarman Muthu, Robert Russell Monteith Paterson, Isabel Ruiz-Mallén

This book continues the discussion on recent developments relating to ethical and sustainable issues in accounting & finance from Ethics and Sustainability in Accounting and Finance, Volume I. Accounting is often seen as a technical discipline that records, classifies and reports financial transactions. However, since the financial information produced concerns all interest groups both within and outside the enterprise, accounting also has social characteristics and involves multi-faceted duties and responsibilities. As such, in addition to basic principles and accepted rules and standards in the field, this book focuses on the ethical aspects and fundamentals of this profession that accountants should also take into consideration, as this is the only way to build and preserve society's confidence in accounting and increase its social credibility.

This book is the first attempt to highlight the Great Divergence between Europe and China from the perspective of environmental change. The author discusses the agrarian economy while considering the effects of climate change in both Europe and China at a long-term scale. The findings in the book supplement current knowledge and discussion on the Great Divergence across Eurasia. The book further aims to empirically review the climatic impacts on the human community in the past as the relevant historical reference by which to understand human–nature linkages in the current Anthropocene epoch. The statistical analysis in the book will contribute to the development of relevant subjects, such as environmental humanities, quantitative history, and historical geography. The book thus is suitable to all levels of students, undergraduate and postgraduate, in the university. In summary, by combining multiple disciplines in both methods and knowledge, this book becomes an interesting reference to students, academic staff, and even the general public. It may also appeal to policymakers, who aim to address the impacts of climate change according to past societal experiences.

This book discusses the production, distribution, regulatory and management frameworks that affect food in urban settings. It plugs a gap in knowledge especially in the sub-Saharan Africa region where food, despite its critical importance, has been ignored as a ‘determinant of success'in the planning and management of cities and towns. The various chapters in the book demonstrate how urban populations in Zimbabwe and elsewhere have often devised ways to produce own food to supplement on their incomes. Food is produced largely by way of urban agriculture or imported from the countryside and sold in both formal and informal stores and stalls. The book shows how in spite of the important space food occupies in the lives of all city residents, the planning and regulatory framework does not facilitate the better performance of food systems.

This two-volume set presents the conference papers from the 1st International Conference on Economics, Development and Sustainability (EDESUS 2019), organized by the University of Economics and Business, Vietnam National University, Hanoi. The collection addresses global changes and sustainable development in Vietnam and other emerging market economies in Asia, and covers wider topics such as economics and business (e.g. economic theory, national and international income distribution, macroeconomic policies, sectors of economy, productivity developments, financial market, business governance, bank financing), development and sustainability (e.g. developing process, development policy, public policy, sustainable growth, sustainability tools, sustainable livelihood, sustainable tourism, green growth), and resources and global change (e.g. human resources, natural resources, climate change, globalization, global challenges). The books are of interest to professors, researchers, lecturers, and students in economics and geography, consultants, and decision makers interested in global changes and sustainable development. Volume 1 focuses on economic development in Vietnam and other emerging market economies in Asia. This covers topics such as economics and business (e.g. economic theory, national and international income distribution, macroeconomic policies, sectors of economy, productivity developments, financial market, business governance, bank financing) and development studies (e.g. developing process, development policy, public policy, green growth).

This book presents a comprehensive account of the energy and environmental security perspectives of the developing countries. To address the subject comprehensively, it covers four geographically diverse clusters of developing countries from across the world. The regions particularly focused on are: South Asia, South East Asia, Sub Sahara Africa, and Latin America. It is a valuable contribution to the debate, and policy and research activities around the subjects of energy and environmental security in the developing countries and beyond.The book covers the interwoven subjects of energy security and environmental security in the context of developing countries for the first time. It discusses the latest dimensions, challenges, and solutions around taking into account technical, economic, social, and policy perspectives. It incorporates up-to-date data, case studies, and comparative assessment.This edited book has contributions from established as well as emerging scholars from around the world. It benefits a wide range of stakeholders from the fields of energy, environment, and sustainable development. It is of help to academics, researchers, and analysts in these fields besides having appeal for policymakers, and national and international developmental organizations. It also helps developing countries to learn from each other's experiences.

The problems related to the process of industrialisation such as biodiversity depletion, climate change and a worsening of health and living conditions, especially but not only in developing countries, intensify. Therefore, there is an increasing need to search for integrated solutions to make development more sustainable. The United Nations has acknowledged the problem and approved the “2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development”. On 1st January 2016, the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of the Agenda officially came into force. These goals cover the three dimensions of sustainable development: economic growth, social inclusion and environmental protection. The Encyclopedia of the UN Sustainable Development Goals comprehensively addresses the SDGs in an integrated way. The Encyclopedia encompasses 17 volumes, each one devoted to one of the 17 SDGs. This volume addresses SDG 11, namely “Make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable” and contains the description of a range of terms, which allows a better understanding and fosters knowledge. This book presents a set of papers on the state of the art of knowledge and practices about the numerous challenges for cities, solutions and opportunities for the future.Concretely, the defined targets are:Ensure access for all to adequate, safe and affordable housing and basic services and upgrade slumsProvide access to safe, affordable, accessible and sustainable transport systems for all, improving road safety, notably by expanding public transport, with special attention to the needs of those in vulnerable situations, women, children, persons with disabilities and older personsEnhance inclusive and sustainable urbanization and capacity for participatory, integrated and sustainable human settlement planning and management in all countries Strengthen efforts to protect and safeguard the world's cultural and natural heritageSignificantly reduce the number of deaths and the number of people affected and substantially decrease the direct economic losses relative to global gross domestic product caused by disasters, including water-related disasters, with a focus on protecting the poor and people in vulnerable situationsReduce the adverse per capita environmental impact of cities, including by paying special attention to air quality and municipal and other waste managementProvide universal access to safe, inclusive and accessible, green and public spaces, in particular for women and children, older persons and persons with disabilities Support positive economic, social and environmental links between urban, peri-urban and rural areas by strengthening national and regional development planningSubstantially increase the number of cities and human settlements adopting and implementing integrated policies and plans towards inclusion, resource efficiency, mitigation and adaptation to climate change, resilience to disasters, and develop and implement, in line with the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015–2030, holistic disaster risk management at all levels Support least developed countries, including through financial and technical assistance, in building sustainable and resilient buildings utilizing local materialsEditorial BoardSamuel Borges Barbosa, Luciana Londero Brandli, Elisa Conticelli, Erin A. Hopkins, Olga Kuznetsova, Astrid Skjerven, Hari Srinivas

This textbook presents students with a systematic approach for the quantification and management of greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) and provides best practices for optimal carbon management and quantification. The book begins with an overview of climate change basics and goes on to discuss carbon footprint measurements, carbon management concepts, and concludes by presenting carbon reduction solutions with applications for green buildings, smart transportation, waste management, and carbon trading and offsetting. The author provides practical examples and carbon management models that support innovative reduction solutions and presents a roadmap for the implementation and development of carbon management strategies, making it a useful resource for both upper undergraduate and graduate students as well as practitioners seeking a comprehensive framework to conduct carbon management.

This book presents oral histories, collective dialogues, and analyses of rural and indigenous livelihoods facing global socio-environmental regime change in Latin America (LA). Since the late twentieth century, rural and indigenous producers in LA, including agriculturists, coffee-growers, as well as small-scale farmers/fishers, and others, have had to resist, cope with, or adapt to a range of neoliberal socio-environmental regimes that impact their territories and associated resources, including water, production systems and ultimately their cultural traditions. In response, rural producers are using local visions and innovation niches to decide what, when, and how to resist, cope with uncertainty, and still be successful in using their customary laws to retain their land rights and livelihoods.This book presents a range of ethnically diverse case studies from LA, which addresses socio-environmental, educational, and law regimes'effects usingtransdisciplinary research approaches in rural, traditional and indigenous production systems. Based on both, the results and insights gained into how producers are resisting and adapting to these regimes, as well as decades of research carried out in LA rural territories by the participating authors, the book puts forward a baseline for devising new public policies that are better suited to the real challenges of livelihoods, poverty, and environmental degradation in LA. These recommendations are rooted in post-development thinking; they promote territorial public policy with social inclusion and a human's rights approach. The book draws on over 20 years of research carried out by LA's academics and their undergraduate and graduate students who have addressed collaborative work, participatory research, and transdisciplinary approaches with rural commons and communities in LA. It features 19 case studies, with contributions from Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Cuba, Honduras, and Mexico.

This book tells the story of one nation's sustained efforts to steer its economy toward low carbon technologies and to define national and global pathways for mitigating climate change. Drawing on a long career in Germany's energy sector, and on subsequent academic research, the book reveals the weaknesses of and critical trade-offs in Germany's bold energy transition plan − the Energiewende − and explores their causes. Its goal is to provide insights to help policymakers and energy managers keep some of the problems that have plagued the Energiewende at bay, and to instead explore avenues that are more likely to succeed. While such insights cannot solve the problem of socio-technical change overnight, they do reveal alternative transition pathways that keep climate goals clearly in sight, even if they are pursued with a bit less exuberance and a bit more humility. The book is addressed to academic, professional, and political readers alike.

Sustainable development and corporate social responsibility drive countries, regions, and businesses to take environmental and social concerns into account when realizing economic objectives. A growing awareness of the connectedness between industrial, societal, and environmental systems might shift the way businesses will be operated. This book aims to help students and business practitioners use quantitative modeling in their pursuit to make business processes sustainable. Two approaches are introduced: linear optimization and system dynamics. Moreover, the quantification of the three different sustainability objectives is also addressed. Next to introducing the theoretical background, many real-life examples are discussed to demonstrate how the modelling techniques can be applied.

This open access book is an encyclopaedic analysis of the current and future energy system of the world's most populous country and second biggest economy. What happens in China impacts the planet. In the past 40 years China has achieved one of the most remarkable economic growth rates in history. Its GDP has risen by a factor of 65, enabling 850,000 people to rise out of poverty. Growth on this scale comes with consequences. China is the world's biggest consumer of primary energy and the world's biggest emitter of CO2 emissions. Creating a prosperous and harmonious society that delivers economic growth and a high quality of life for all will require radical change in the energy sector, and a rewiring of the economy more widely. In China's Energy Revolution in the Context of the Global Energy Transition, a team of researchers from the Development Research Center of the State Council of China and Shell International examine how China can revolutionise its supply and use of energy. They examine the entire energy system: coal, oil, gas, nuclear, renewables and new energies in production, conversion, distribution and consumption. They compare China with case studies and lessons learned in other countries. They ask which technology, policy and market mechanisms are required to support the change and they explore how international cooperation can smooth the way to an energy revolution in China and across the world. And, they create and compare scenarios on possible pathways to a future energy system that is low-carbon, affordable, secure and reliable.

The book provides readers with essential insights into key issues in connection with planning, developing and financing sustainable energy projects in China that are relevant for practitioners, investors and developers involved in the emerging sustainable energy sector. It offers readers a deeper understanding of these contemporary issues by drawing on the lessons learned in real-world sustainable energy and green finance development activities in China, which are driven by central planning and policy implementation and complemented by investments and finances from public-private partnerships.

The aim of this 2-volume book is to highlight how Sustainability Science approaches can help solve some of the pervasive challenges that Africa faces. The volumes collect a number of local case studies throughout Africa that adopt transdisciplinary and problem-oriented research approaches using methodologies from the natural and the social sciences. These are put into perspective with chapters that introduce key sustainability challenges such using a regional focus. Through this multi-scale and inter/transdisciplinary approach the proposed volume will provide an authoritative source that will pack in a single volume a large amount of information on how Sustainability Science approaches sustainability challenges in African contexts. While there have been general books about sustainability science, none has had a strong African focus. As a result the 2-volume set fills a major gap in the Sustainability Science scholarship. This volume sets the stage for the series. PartI introduces key sustainability challenges in Africa. Parts II‐III highlights specific case studies related to these challenges from West and Central Africa.

This is the first book illustrating China's forest carbon projects. It includes an analysis of the policy and future development trends of China's forest carbon market and showcases the country's most representative forest carbon projects. Accordingly, it offers a valuable resource for all policymakers and researchers interested in forest carbon, as well as project developers and engineers involved in forest carbon projects.

This book systematically introduces readers to the framework of China's ETS pilots, exploring their design and operating process, the current state of the carbon market, and various barriers encountered. To do so, it deconstructs the Guangdong ETS, which is the largest and most representative of China's seven ETS pilots. The book subsequently describes and evaluates all seven pilots in terms of their efficiency, macro and micro effects, the method involved in the DEA model, the CGE model, and cost-benefit analysis. In turn, in the assessment section it demonstrates how some ETS pilots have failed to control carbon emissions due to inordinately high emissions quotas issued by the local government etc. Further, it argues that ETS should focus on those industries with large emissions and high mitigating potential for the time being, and then gradually expand the scale of its coverage.As China's national ETS is slated for launch on the basis of the lessons learned from the ETS pilots, the book offers a timely and valuable resource for all those who want to understand and forecast the development of China's ETS. It includes a wealth of descriptions and explanations of Chinese government policies involving carbon emissions control, making it a unique resource.

Climate change is one of the greatest challenges of our time. As such, both the Fifth Assessment Report (AR5) released by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) and the 25th Conference of the Parties (COP 25) recommendations call for action not only from government, but also from various stakeholders. Apart from the knowledge offered by modeling and forecasts, which allows the readers to understand the problem and how it is likely to develop in the future, the book highlights approaches, methods and tools that can help readers cope with the social, economic and political problems posed by climate change. In other words, the book's goal is to accelerate developments in the field of climate change adaptation. This book gathers papers presented at the “2nd World Symposium on Climate Change Adaptation”, a joint initiative by the University of Coimbra (Portugal), the Research and Transfer Centre “Sustainable Development and Climate Change Management”at Hamburg University of Applied Sciences (Germany), and the International Climate Change Information Programme (ICCIP). The book is truly interdisciplinary, covering various key areas in the field of climate change adaptation. Its focus is on “integrative approaches to implementing climate change adaptation”, and is expected to contribute to the further development of this fast-growing field.