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This paper discusses the relationship between environmental and economic performance and the influence of corporate strategies with regard to sustainability and the environment. After formulating a theoretical model, results are reported from an empirical analysis of the European paper manufacturing industry. New data are used to test hypotheses derived from the theoretical model, using environmental performance indices representing different corporate environmental strategy orientations. In particular, an emissions-based index largely reflecting end-of-pipe strategies and an inputs-based index reflecting integrated pollution prevention are distinguished. For the emissions-based index, a predominantly negative relationship between environmental and economic performance is found, whereas for the inputs-based index no significant link is found. This is consistent with the theoretical model, which predicts the possibility of different relationships. The results also show that for firms with pollution prevention-oriented corporate environmental strategies, the relationship between environmental and economic performance is more positive, thus making improvements in corporate sustainability more likely. Based on this last insight, managerial implications of this are discussed with regard to strategy choices, investment decisions and operations management.

Sewage sludge management is crucial for water utilities to move towards a circular valorisation of resources. The current literature focuses mainly on the technological aspects of sludge management strategies. However, the current discussion of these strategies does not consider possible pressures arising from the utilities' civil society stakeholders and from policymakers. To fill this gap, this paper develops a conceptual framework, based on the current literature, that identifies the utility's key decisions on sludge management strategies (valorisation route, overperformance and vertical integration), and links them to possible pressures arising from civil society and existing regulations. Subsequently, the study validates the framework through a multiple explanatory case study, investigating the empirical relevance of such pressures in six water utilities across Europe. The influence of citizens and municipalities is found to be crucial in the choice of sludge valorisation routes. Economic instruments, command and control instruments and, new to the literature, regulatory uncertainty are found to be key policy features influencing utilities' decisions on sludge management. The paper provides a first-of-its-kind investigation that highlights the mechanisms through which policymakers and civil society stakeholders shape utilities' sewage sludge management strategies. The results complement and extend existing theoretical knowledge on the role of institutional pressures in the implementation of sustainable environmental systems. • Stakeholders' influences on utilities' sludge management choices are conceptualised. • Policymakers and civil society influence utilities' sludge management choices. • Incentives, obligations, regulatory uncertainty shape sludge management choices. • Citizens and municipalities drive utilities' sludge management choices. • Utilities' characteristics moderate the impact of institutional influences on their choices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Mediterranean basin is one of the most vulnerable regions worldwide due to its population density, the concentration of economic activities along the coasts and borderline climatic balance. It is identified as one of the most critical erosion hotspots in Europe, mainly due to the degradation of coastal areas, overexploitation and unsustainable practices affecting beach tourism, agriculture and fishing. The region is also affected by other phenomena such as storms and floods, which are exacerbated by climate change. To mitigate and adapt to these environmental and climatic changes, Nature based Solutions (NbSs) are considered a promising step-forward. However, despite their global recognition in both research and policy, few scientific papers and documents on the state of NbSs implementation for coastal risk management in the Mediterranean exist. This paper aims to provide an understanding of the status of NbS adoption for coastal risk management in the Mediterranean through a literature review. Out of 162 scientific papers and documents, only 23 were found to be relevant to the study. Through the definition and support of an innovative matrix-based approach, the analysis of the state of adoption of NbSs have been performed. Despite the limited information on the state of the adoption of NbSs for coastal risk management in the Mediterranean due to the low numbers of scientific research and documents available, some key considerations have been revealed. • The Mediterranean basin is the most critical erosion hotspots in Europe. • NbSs are recognized a promising step-forward in coastal risk management. • Novel framework for the analysis of past and present NbS implementation. • Few studies report the adoption of NbSs for Mediterranean coastal risk management. • NbS for coastal risk management in the Mediterranean is still in an experimental phase. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents the first outcomes of the "FAIRMODE pilot" activity, aiming at improving the way in which air quality models are used in the frame of the European "Air Quality Directive". Member States may use modelling, combined with measurements, to "assess" current levels of air quality and estimate future air quality under different scenarios. In case of current and potential exceedances of the Directive limit values, it is also requested that they "plan" and implement emission reductions measures to avoid future exceedances. In both "assessment" and "planning", air quality models can and should be used; but to do so, the used modelling chain has to be fit-for-purpose and properly checked and verified. FAIRMODE has developed in the recent years a suite of methodologies and tools to check if emission inventories, model performance, source apportionment techniques and planning activities are fit-for-purpose. Within the "FAIRMODE pilot", these tools are used and tested by regional/local authorities, with the two-fold objective of improving management practices at regional/local scale, and providing valuable feedback to the FAIRMODE community. Results and lessons learnt from this activity are presented in this paper, as a showcase that can potentially benefit other authorities in charge of air quality assessment and planning. • Air quality is still a challenge in various areas in Europe. • FAIRMODE provides methodologies and tools for supporting air quality improvement. • Specifically, a new FAIRMODE initiative for better management practices has been recently launched. • The initiative provides a "live tutorial" to interested authorities. • First results on improved emission inventories and concentrations are presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper reviews the current problems and prospects to overcome circular water economy management challenges in European countries. The geopolitical paradigm of water, the water economy, water innovation, water management and regulation in Europe, environmental and safety concerns at water reuse, and technological solutions for water recovery are all covered in this review, which has been prepared in the frame of the COST ACTION (CA, 20133) FULLRECO4US, Working Group (WG) 4. With a Circular Economy approach to water recycling and recovery based on this COST Action, this review paper aims to develop novel, futuristic solutions to overcome the difficulties that the European Union (EU) is currently facing. The detailed review of the current environmental barriers and upcoming difficulties for water reuse in Europe with a Circular Economy vision is another distinctive aspect of this study. It is observed that the biggest challenge in using and recycling water from wastewater treatment plants is dealing with technical, social, political, and economic issues. For instance, geographical differences significantly affect technological problems, and it is effective in terms of social acceptance of the reuse of treated water. Local governmental organizations should support and encourage initiatives to expand water reuse, particularly for agricultural and industrial uses across all of Europe. It should not also be disregarded that the latest hydro politics approach to water management will actively contribute to addressing the issues associated with water scarcity. • We concentrated on new future perspectives for addressing current resource recovery strategy challenges. • We revealed a snapshot for future needs for a fully circular European economy. • We built a discussion platform in holistic water recovery by COST Action. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper constitutes an overview of the hitherto prevailing knowledge of the factors which influence the attractiveness of forests. What is more, it shows, in a cross-sectoral manner, the study methods and general preferences of people in the context of recreational use of forests. 109 papers published in the years 2000–2016 have been analyzed. In the work, five main issues were discussed, which constitute the study subject i.e.: a) the preferred forest type and function; b) expenses incurred by people to reach a forest (time and distance); c) the society's demand for technical infrastructure and forest management; d) factors disturbing the recreation in forest areas; e) reasons and frequency of visits to forests for recreation purposes. The results indicate that the following have an impact on the perception of forests: tree stand factors (age, species composition, etc.), social factors (age, material status, interests, etc.), and factors related to human activity (the extent of forest operations, noise, littering, etc.). Based on the literature, it is possible to indicate a model forest, which in view of respondents, is described as the one that is preferred for recreation purposes. The model differs depending on the analyzed part of Europe. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Flood risks are managed differently across Europe. While a number of research studies aim to understand these differences, they tend to pay little attention to the social constructionist aspects of flood risk governance, i.e. the meaning that societies give to flood risk and governance. This paper aims to address this gap by understanding differences in flood risk management approaches (FRMA) from a discursive-institutional perspective. Based on this perspective, an analytical framework was developed to systematically analyse and compare discourses pertaining to flood risk and its governance in six European member states (England (the United Kingdom), Flanders (Belgium), France, the Netherlands, Poland and Sweden). Correspondingly, this paper demonstrates how the hegemonic discursive-institutional patterns of flood risk governance differ between the six European countries. These differences may influence the capability of countries to learn from each other, adopt new FRMAs or cooperate with each other. Moreover, the paper argues that differences in discourses partially account for the differences in FRMAs between countries, combined with other factors. Additionally, broader implications are discussed. For example, the research findings imply that some discourses tend to favour or disfavour other discourses, and that they additionally also tend to favour particular FRMAs; e.g. the flood risk discourse pertaining to high manageability of risks seems to favour a governance discourse of collectivity and central governance . The different insights imply that further research is necessary to understand the complex interaction of discourses and institutional arrangements. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Focusing on the European context, this paper re-examines the relationship between the ESG and financial performance and whether CSR attitude moderates this relationship. A panel data set with all the listed companies in STOXX Europe 600, covering the period 2012–2022 was built, with company data being sourced from the Refinitiv Eikon platform for a total of 6600 firm-year observations. Six measures of financial performance and three regression frameworks were considered for analysis. Overall, inconsistent patterns of effect are identified across ESG predictors and financial performance measures. The presence of a CSR committee was found to negatively moderate the effect of ESG score on ROA only, whereas an external auditor to the CSR report to negatively moderate it with share price. Future research should consider replicating the proposed re-examination framework in other data settings and legislative and accounting contexts to strengthen the current evidence base and therefore deepen our understanding of the mechanisms underlying the investigated relationships. • ESG scores affect financial performance measures inconsistently. • A CSR committee negatively moderates the effect of ESG score on ROA. • An external auditor negatively moderates the effect of ESG score on share price. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Urban forests as nature-based solutions (UF–NbS) play a crucial role for promoting the health and well-being of urban populations. Despite increasing recognition of their importance, knowledge gaps remain regarding UF-NbS implementation, particularly with respect to their performance, their perception, and on decision-making and governance practices for their implementation and management. Grounded in a project-as-practice approach and based on sixteen UF-NbS case histories, this paper seeks to gain insights into UF-NbS project actualities by an identification of characteristic trends as a function of a projects' scope and purpose, or challenge-orientation, respectively. A particular emphasis is on project structure and coordination, on the scope and depth of participation and stakeholder involvement, and on funding mechanisms. Identified trends reveal centrally coordinated, single-responsible public authorities as the most common project structure, but with certain feature contents, i.e., regeneration and reclamation, as being associated with more decentralised forms of governance. It is concluded that irrespective of challenge-orientation, comparatively broad participation appears to be realised within the UF-NbS framework, however, the depth of participation differs considerably. With respect to funding, a strong reliance on public capital is asserted for the UF-NbS context, however, various forms of private contributions appear reasonably common across the assessed case histories. Recommendations for policy-making and avenues of future research are identified, including the validation of identified trends, the fostering of collaboration, the dispersal of decision-making authority, the encouragement for implementing non-tokenistic modes of participation in UF-NbS governance, and the promotion of potentially under-utilised funds. • The governance of urban forests as nature-based solutions has been investigated. • Analysis of sixteen case histories grounded in a project-as-practice approach. • Identification of associations of governance features with challenge-orientations. • Recommendations for policymaking to improve the governance of urban forests. • Avenues for future research highlighted to promote project-based knowledge exchange. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

While non-operating agricultural and absentee forest landowners across the U.S. and Europe are an important group of landowners, our understanding of them remains relatively limited. In this paper, we conduct a systematic literature review on these landowners to encapsulate a current lay of the land in terms of what we know about these landowners and move the dialogue on this topic forward. Eighty-one articles are identified in our search of empirical literature. For each of the landowner types, we discuss their demographics and the three primary themes that emerged related to land management: participation in land management decisions, attitudes regarding land use and ownership, and resource needs in working with these landowners. For agricultural non-operating landowners, we find limited participation in land management decisions, particularly among women, a variety of individual and social factors play a role in involvement, and while they have pro-conservation attitudes, implementation of conservation practices is more limited. Absentee forest landowners we find are more willing to use management plans, yet less willing to engage in active management and risk reduction. These landowners have a range of attitudes regarding land use, with studies highlighting recreation, conservation, and profit motivations. Our review concludes with identifying specific needs for more research and outreach on these landowners. • Systematic review of 81 papers on non-operating agricultural and absentee forest landowners. • Agricultural landowners have limited participation in land management decisions. • Forest landowners use management plans more than active management practices. • More information and outreach, for women landowners in particular, is needed. • We need additional research (especially qualitative) focused on these two groups. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The textile finishing industry is known as a very fragmented and heterogeneous industrial sector dominated mainly by small and medium enterprises (SMEs). As with many other industrial sectors in Europe, it is obliged to act more sustainably in regard to increasingly limited natural resources such as water. This paper presents in-depth survey of wastewater reuse programmes over the last ten years covering the European textile finishing industry. Different wastewater treatment solutions developed are presented and discussed. Special attention is given to the project AquaFit4Use (7th Framework Programme), where almost five years of project work has resulted in valuable know-how practices in water reuse for the most water consuming sectors in Europe i.e. paper, food, chemical and textile. Only the latter is discussed in this paper. The main negative impacts by the textile finishing sector on the environment are still related to intensive water consumption and wastewater discharge, characterised by greater amounts of organic chemicals and colouring agents, low biodegradability, and high salinity. End of pipe treatment of such complex effluents in order to produce reusable water is not feasible. Therefore, separation of waste effluents regarding their pollution level and their separate treatment was the basic approach used in the project. As a result waste effluents with a big reuse potential could be effectively treated by combination of conventional treatment technologies. Proposed water treatment scenarios enable more than 40% reduction in fresh water consumption. Since different guidelines of minimum water quality to be safely reuse in textile processes exist at this stage this issue is discussed as well. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The adoption of the Convention on Wetlands of International Importance in Ramsar, Iran in 1971 committed the UK to conserve and sustainably use intertidal mudflats and saltmarshes for the benefit of present and future generations. Through consideration of their importance and value, current status, the characteristics, causes and consequences of their loss, and the associated responses to loss, this paper reviews the UK progress towards the conservation and sustainable use of intertidal mudflats and saltmarshes. Uncertainties in their current status and trends make it difficult to assess the overall net change in extent across the UK. However, it is apparent that losses due to erosion continue to exceed gains from intertidal mudflat and saltmarsh reparation (IMSR) schemes in south-east and southern England. IMSR schemes in the UK have been generally limited to relatively small-scale trials in comparison to elsewhere in Europe and in the USA. No research to date has unequivocally identified the causes of erosion. Regardless of the cause, the loss of intertidal mudflats and saltmarshes has adverse impacts on the provision of ecosystem services upon which humans and other species depend. The evidence presented in this paper suggests that alongside further science-based research, there is a need to develop a decision-making process capable of accommodating complexity, uncertainty and multiple diverse perspectives, through which more informed, timely decisions and more effective, concerted actions to conserve and sustainably use intertidal mudflats and saltmarshes can be taken. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Agri-environment schemes (AESs) have been implemented across EU member states in an attempt to reconcile agricultural production methods with protection of the environment and maintenance of the countryside. To determine the extent to which such policy objectives are being fulfilled, participating countries are obliged to monitor and evaluate the environmental, agricultural and socio-economic impacts of their AESs. However, few evaluations measure precise environmental outcomes and critically, there are no agreed methodologies to evaluate the benefits of particular agri-environmental measures, or to track the environmental consequences of changing agricultural practices. In response to these issues, the Agri-Environmental Footprint project developed a common methodology for assessing the environmental impact of European AES. The Agri-Environmental Footprint Index (AFI) is a farm-level, adaptable methodology that aggregates measurements of agri-environmental indicators based on Multi-Criteria Analysis (MCA) techniques. The method was developed specifically to allow assessment of differences in the environmental performance of farms according to participation in agri-environment schemes. The AFI methodology is constructed so that high values represent good environmental performance. This paper explores the use of the AFI methodology in combination with Farm Business Survey data collected in England for the Farm Accountancy Data Network (FADN), to test whether its use could be extended for the routine surveillance of environmental performance of farming systems using established data sources. Overall, the aim was to measure the environmental impact of three different types of agriculture (arable, lowland livestock and upland livestock) in England and to identify differences in AFI due to participation in agri-environment schemes. However, because farm size, farmer age, level of education and region are also likely to influence the environmental performance of a holding, these factors were also considered. Application of the methodology revealed that only arable holdings participating in agri-environment schemes had a greater environmental performance, although responses differed between regions. Of the other explanatory variables explored, the key factors determining the environmental performance for lowland livestock holdings were farm size, farmer age and level of education. In contrast, the AFI value of upland livestock holdings differed only between regions. The paper demonstrates that the AFI methodology can be used readily with English FADN data and therefore has the potential to be applied more widely to similar data sources routinely collected across the EU-27 in a standardised manner. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Incineration is a promising disposal method for sewage sludge (SS), enriching more than 90% of phosphorus (P) in the influent into the powdered product, sewage sludge ash (SSA), which is convenient for further P recovery. Due to insufficient bioavailable P and enriched heavy metals (HMs) in SSA, it is limited to be used directly as fertilizer. Hence, this paper provides an overview of P transformation in SS incineration, characterization of SSA components, and wet-chemical and thermochemical processes for P recovery with a comprehensive technical, economic, and environmental assessment. P extraction and purification is an important technical step to achieve P recovery from SSA, where the key to all technologies is how to achieve efficient separation of P and HMs at a low economic and environmental cost. It can be clear seen from the review that the economics of P recovery from SSA are often weak due to many factors. For example, the cost of wet-chemical methods is approximately 5∼6 €/kg P, while the cost of recovering P by thermochemical methods is about 2∼3 €/kg P, which is slightly higher than the current P fertilizer (1 €/kg P). So, for now, legislation is significant for promoting P recovery from SSA. In this regard, the relevant experience in Europe is worth learning from countries that have not yet carried out P recovery from SSA, and to develop appropriate policies and legislation according to their own national conditions. [Display omitted] • Sewage sludge ash (SSA) is an alternate P source for fertilizer production. • The key to recovering P from SSA is the separation of heavy metals. • Wet-chemical methods are more common in current industrial applications. • Thermochemical methods are more economical for recovering P. • Legislation is significant for promoting P recovery from SSA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hydromorphological stream assessment has significantly expanded over the last years, but a need has emerged from recent reviews for more comprehensive, process-based methods that consider the character and dynamics of the river with greater accuracy. With this as a focus, a series of hydromorphological tools have been developed and/or further extended in Europe within the context of the REFORM (REstoring rivers FOR effective catchment Management) project. The aim of this paper is to present the set of REFORM hydromorphological assessment methods and, based on some examples of their application, to illustrate and discuss their synergic use, specific features, limitations and strengths. This assessment and monitoring includes three tools: the Morphological Quality Index (MQI), the Morphological Quality Index for monitoring (MQIm), and the Geomorphic Units survey and classification System (GUS). These tools constitute the assessment phase of an overall multi-scale, process-based hydromorphological framework developed in REFORM. The MQI is aimed at an assessment, classification and monitoring of the current morphological state; the MQIm aims at monitoring the tendency of morphological conditions (enhancement or deterioration); the GUS provides a characterization, classification and monitoring of geomorphic units. A series of examples are used to illustrate the potential range of application, including: (i) an assessment of morphological conditions; (ii) an assessment of the morphological effects of restoration projects; (iii) an evaluation of the geomorphic impacts of interventions for risk mitigation; and (iv) an integrated use of MQI and GUS to assess and characterise morphological conditions. Finally, some of the main features, strengths and peculiarities of the three hydromorphological tools are discussed with the support of examples of their application. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Investment products labelled as sustainable, as well as regulations on sustainable finance, such as the EU taxonomy for sustainable activities, are on the rise globally. While some of these products and regulations include forests and forestry, the forest–sustainable finance nexus is largely unexplored in academic research. This paper systematically analyses the emerging expert debate spanning across the financial and forest sectors. We conducted 51 in-depth qualitative interviews with experts from financial institutions, timberland and impact investors, international organizations, civil society organizations and academia. We chose mainly experts from Europe, as one of the regions spearheading the topic globally. Based on these, we identify five main narratives on the nexus between sustainable finance and forests. These narratives are strikingly different regarding such dimensions as emphasis on risks versus opportunities, preference for public versus private governance and investments, as well as on the sustainability of forest-related investments per se. While financial sector experts are mainly concerned about financial risks, and only partially about deforestation risks, forest sector experts with financial expertise promote investment opportunities either for the asset class, or to increase private investment in tropical forests. In contrast, some experts from both the forest and financial sectors explicitly exclude forests as investable assets for the private sector, seeing them instead as pure public goods. We conclude with underlining the importance of more cross-sectoral dialogue, but also research, to both critically assess and advance the role of sustainable finance policy and practice in supporting forest conservation, restoration, and sustainable management. • We analyse the link between sustainable finance and forests based on 51 expert interviews. • Five distinct narratives can be distinguished, differing strongly regarding several dimensions. • Differences include varying risk/opportunity, private/public governance, and forest/sustainability emphases. • Financial sector experts prefer mitigating financial risks, and partially deforestation ones. • Forest sector experts aim to increase investment opportunities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Integrative forest management approaches, aiming to combine the provision of multiple forest ecosystem services in the same forest area, are popular forest management concepts in Europe. Their understanding and application varies, however, across the continent. This paper looks at one dimension of integrative forest management approaches in particular – the integration of nature conservation measures into forest management; focusing on its understanding and application, as well as current and future social, technological, ecological, economic and political factors enabling or hampering this integration. Drawing on 42 qualitative in-depth interviews with national experts and forest practitioners, our study provides insights into the integration of nature conservation measures into forest management systems aimed at wood production and the provision of other forest ecosystem services under various conditions. Across the investigated countries, the main factors perceived to facilitate this integration are the personal motivations and knowledge of forest managers and their long-term economic thinking related to the resilience of the forest in the face of climate and societal change. In turn, the main factors perceived as hampering the integration are current wood-market demands, and a lack of (public) financial incentives. Public pressure is also perceived as an important influencing factor, which can both impede or support integration. Other ambiguous factors include societal knowledge and related knowledge gaps, relationships between local stakeholders, and the legal framework in which forest management operates. The study concludes with suggestions of how to enhance the uptake of the integration of nature conservation measures into forest management in Europe. • Societal pressure seen as an important driver for integrative approaches. • Societal pressure perceived to impact both uptake and method of conservation measures. • Intrinsic motivation of foresters and economic sustainability support measure uptake. • The wood market and lack of public finances hamper the integration of nature conservation. • Tension between uptake of integrative approaches and economic goals reported. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Efficient use of the water resource requires internalization of all costs in the price of water, including environmental and resource costs. However, water resource management tends to be highly political and increasing water prices are a sensitive and complicated policy matter. Hence, there is a need for increased understanding of the implementation process and the attitudes towards implementation among the general public. This paper explores the spatial heterogeneity in the public attitude towards internalizing environmental and resource costs in the price of water across the EU regions. Within an extensive spatial dataset constructed for the purpose, we estimate the effect of individual information levels and affordability concerns on the attitude towards environmental water pricing. Information about water problems is found to have a significant and positive effect on attitudes as is affordability concern, which may be explained by expectations of inequity measures to come in place in parallel with increasing water prices. Overall these results support the hypothesis that lack of information and affordability concern could lead to resistance towards efficient water pricing among the general public. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Globally, efforts are underway to reduce anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions and to adapt to climate change impacts at the local level. However, there is a poor understanding of the relationship between city strategies on climate change mitigation and adaptation and the relevant policies at national and European level. This paper describes a comparative study and evaluation of cross-national policy. It reports the findings of studying the climate change strategies or plans from 200 European cities from Austria, Belgium, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Netherlands, Spain and the United Kingdom. The study highlights the shared responsibility of global, European, national, regional and city policies. An interpretation and illustration of the influences from international and national networks and policy makers in stimulating the development of local strategies and actions is proposed. It was found that there is no archetypical way of planning for climate change, and multiple interests and motivations are inevitable. Our research warrants the need for a multi-scale approach to climate policy in the future, mainly ensuring sufficient capacity and resource to enable local authorities to plan and respond to their specific climate change agenda for maximising the management potentials for translating environmental challenges into opportunities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The knowledge about potential climate change impacts on forests is continuously expanding and some changes in growth, drought induced mortality and species distribution have been observed. However despite a significant body of research, a knowledge and communication gap exists between scientists and non-scientists as to how climate change impact scenarios can be interpreted and what they imply for European forests. It is still challenging to advise forest decision makers on how best to plan for climate change as many uncertainties and unknowns remain and it is difficult to communicate these to practitioners and other decision makers while retaining emphasis on the importance of planning for adaptation. In this paper, recent developments in climate change observations and projections, observed and projected impacts on European forests and the associated uncertainties are reviewed and synthesised with a view to understanding the implications for forest management. Current impact assessments with simulation models contain several simplifications, which explain the discrepancy between results of many simulation studies and the rapidly increasing body of evidence about already observed changes in forest productivity and species distribution. In simulation models uncertainties tend to cascade onto one another; from estimating what future societies will be like and general circulation models (GCMs) at the global level, down to forest models and forest management at the local level. Individual climate change impact studies should not be uncritically used for decision-making without reflection on possible shortcomings in system understanding, model accuracy and other assumptions made. It is important for decision makers in forest management to realise that they have to take long-lasting management decisions while uncertainty about climate change impacts are still large. We discuss how to communicate about uncertainty – which is imperative for decision making – without diluting the overall message. Considering the range of possible trends and uncertainties in adaptive forest management requires expert knowledge and enhanced efforts for providing science-based decision support. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper assesses the applicability of the Frame of Reference (FoR) approach for the environmental monitoring of large-scale offshore Marine Renewable Energy (MRE) projects. The focus is on projects harvesting energy from winds, waves and currents. Environmental concerns induced by MRE projects are reported based on a classification scheme identifying stressors, receptors, effects and impacts. Although the potential effects of stressors on most receptors are identified, there are large knowledge gaps regarding the corresponding (positive and negative) impacts. In that context, the development of offshore MRE requires the implementation of fit-for-purpose monitoring activities aimed at environmental protection and knowledge development. Taking European legislation as an example, it is suggested to adopt standardized monitoring protocols for the enhanced usage and utility of environmental indicators. Towards this objective, the use of the FoR approach is advocated since it provides guidance for the definition and use of coherent set of environmental state indicators. After a description of this framework, various examples of applications are provided considering a virtual MRE project located in European waters. Finally, some conclusions and recommendations are provided for the successful implementation of the FoR approach and for future studies. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The paper deals with the management problem how to decide on tree species suitability under changing environmental conditions. It presents an algorithm that classifies the output of a range shift model for major tree species in Europe into multiple classes that can be linked to qualities characterizing the ecological niche of the species. The classes: i) Core distribution area, ii) Extended distribution area, iii) Occasional occurrence area, and iv) No occurrence area are first theoretically developed and then statistically described. The classes are interpreted from an ecological point of view using criteria like population structure, competitive strength, site spectrum and vulnerability to biotic hazards. The functioning of the algorithm is demonstrated using the example of a generalized linear model that was fitted to a pan-European dataset of presence/absence of major tree species with downscaled climate data from a General Circulation Model (GCM). Applications of the algorithm to tree species suitability classification on a European and regional level are shown. The thresholds that are used by the algorithm are precision-based and include Cohen's Kappa. A validation of the algorithm using an independent dataset of the German National Forest Inventory shows good accordance of the statistically derived classes with ecological traits for Norway spruce, while the differentiation especially between core and extended distribution for European beech that is in the centre of its natural range in this area is less accurate. We hypothesize that for species in the core of their range regional factors like forest history superimpose climatic factors. Problems of uncertainty issued from potentially applying a multitude of modelling approaches and/or climate realizations within the range shift model are discussed and a way to deal with the uncertainty by revealing the underlying attitude towards risk of the decision maker is proposed. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The major event that hit Europe in summer 2021 reminds society that floods are recurrent and among the costliest and deadliest natural hazards. The long-term flood risk management (FRM) efforts preferring sole technical measures to prevent and mitigate floods have shown to be not sufficiently effective and sensitive to the environment. Nature-Based Solutions (NBS) mark a recent paradigm shift of FRM towards solutions that use nature-derived features, processes and management options to improve water retention and mitigate floods. Yet, the empirical evidence on the effects of NBS across various settings remains fragmented and their implementation faces a series of institutional barriers. In this paper, we adopt a community expert perspective drawing upon LAND4FLOOD Natural flood retention on private land network (https://www.land4flood.eu) in order to identify a set of barriers and their cascading and compound interactions relevant to individual NBS. The experts identified a comprehensive set of 17 barriers affecting the implementation of 12 groups of NBS in both urban and rural settings in five European regional environmental domains (i.e., Boreal, Atlantic, Continental, Alpine-Carpathian, and Mediterranean). Based on the results, we define avenues for further research, connecting hydrology and soil science, on the one hand, and land use planning, social geography and economics, on the other. Our suggestions ultimately call for a transdisciplinary turn in the research of NBS in FRM. [Display omitted] • The European expert community perspective on nature-based solutions is presented. • 12 groups of nature-based solutions relevant to flood risk management are defined. • 17 implementation barriers for the 12 nature-based-solution groups are identified. • Cascading and compound barriers call for a transdisciplinary approach to floods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Gentle Remediation Options (GRO) are risk management strategies or techniques for contaminated sites that result in no gross reduction in soil functionality (or a net gain) as well as risk management. Intelligently applied GROs can provide: (a) rapid risk management via pathway control, through containment and stabilisation, coupled with a longer term removal or immobilisation/isolation of the contaminant source term; and (b) a range of additional economic (e.g. biomass generation), social (e.g. leisure and recreation) and environmental (e.g. CO2 sequestration) benefits. In order for these benefits to be optimised or indeed realised, effective stakeholder engagement is required. This paper reviews current sector practice in stakeholder engagement and its importance when implementing GRO and other remediation options. From this, knowledge gaps are identified, and strategies to promote more effective stakeholder engagement during GRO application are outlined. Further work is required on integrating stakeholder engagement strategies into decision support systems and tools for GRO (to raise the profile of the benefits of effective stakeholder engagement and participation, particularly with sector professionals), and developing criteria for the identification of different stakeholder profiles/categories. Demonstrator sites can make a significant contribution to stakeholder engagement via providing evidence on the effectiveness of GRO under varying site contexts and conditions. Effective and sustained engagement strategies however will be required to ensure that site risk is effectively managed over the longer-term, and that full potential benefits of GRO (e.g. CO2 sequestration, economic returns from biomass generation and “leverage” of marginal land, amenity and educational value, ecosystem services) are realised and communicated to stakeholders. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The Environmental Liability Directive (ELD) establishes a framework of liability based on the ‘polluter-pays’ principle to prevent and remedy environmental damage. The ELD requires the testing of appropriate equivalency methods to assess the scale of compensatory measures needed to offset damage. The aim of this paper is to contribute to fill the existing knowledge gap on the application of the value equivalency approach for damage compensation in this context. We analyze the toxic spill damaging the Doñana National Park (Spain) in 1998. The welfare losses associated with the resource damage are estimated using non-market valuation and compared to the value of the compensatory measures taken after the accident. Our results show that the in-kind compensation may have been insufficient to offset the welfare losses. We conclude that a more comprehensive knowledge of the human welfare effects caused by environmental damage is of substantial importance to determine compensatory remediation, as insufficient information in this respect can lead to erroneous decisions causing loss to society. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

In the past few decades, solid waste management systems in Europe have involved complex and multi-faceted trade-offs among a plethora of technological alternatives, economic instruments, and regulatory frameworks. These changes resulted in various environmental, economic, social, and regulatory impacts in waste management practices which not only complicate regional policy analysis, but also reshape the paradigm of global sustainable development. Systems analysis, a discipline that harmonizes these integrated solid waste management strategies, has been uniquely providing interdisciplinary support for decision making in this area. Systems engineering models and system assessment tools, both of which enrich the analytical framework of waste management, were designed specifically to handle particular types of problems. Though how to smooth out the barriers toward achieving appropriate systems synthesis and integration of these models and tools to aid in the solid waste management schemes prevalent in European countries still remains somewhat uncertain. This paper conducts a thorough literature review of models and tools illuminating possible overlapped boundaries in waste management practices in European countries and encompassing the pros and cons of waste management practices in each member state of the European Union. Whereas the Southern European Union (EU) countries need to develop further measures to implement more integrated solid waste management and reach EU directives, the Central EU countries need models and tools with which to rationalize their technological choices and management strategies. Nevertheless, considering systems analysis models and tools in a synergistic way would certainly provide opportunities to develop better solid waste management strategies leading to conformity with current standards and foster future perspectives for both the waste management industry and government agencies in European Union. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

This paper presents an assessment of the potential impact of the EUs biofuel directive on European land use and biodiversity. In a spatially explicit analysis, it is determined which ecologically valuable land use types are likely to be directly replaced by biofuel crops. In addition, it is determined which land use types may be indirectly replaced by biofuel crops through competition over land between biofuel and food crops. Four scenarios of land use change are analyzed for the period 2000–2030 while for each scenario two policy variants are analyzed respectively with and without implementation of the biofuel directive. The results indicate that the area of semi natural vegetation, forest and High Nature Value farmland directly replaced by biofuel crops is small in all scenarios and differs little between policy variants. The direct effects of the directive on European land use and biodiversity therefore are relatively minor. The indirect effects of the directive on European land use and biodiversity are much larger than its direct effects. The area semi natural vegetation is found to be 3–8% smaller in policy variants with the directive as compared to policy variants without the directive. In contrast, little difference is found between the policy variants with respect to the forest area. The results of this study show that the expected indirect effects of the directive on biodiversity are much greater than its direct effects. This suggests that indirect effects need to be taken explicitly into account in assessing the environmental effects of biofuel crop cultivation and designing sustainable pathways for implementing biofuel policies. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Integration of European long term ecosystem research (LTER) would provide important support for the management of the pan-European environment and ecosystems, as well as international policy commitments. This does require appropriate coverage of Europe and standardised frameworks and research methods between countries. Emerging interest in socio-ecological systems prompted the present assessment of the distribution of LTER activities across European socio-ecological gradients. This paper presents a European stratification with a 1 km2 resolution, delineating 48 broad socio-ecological regions. The dataset is based on an existing biogeophysical stratification constructed using multivariate clustering of mainly climatic variables and a newly developed socio-economic stratification based on an economic density indicator. The coverage of European LTER facilities across the socio-ecological gradients is tested using this dataset. The analysis shows two strong biases in the present LTER effort. Firstly, urban and disturbed regions are consistently under-represented, illustrating a bias for traditional ecological research away from human activity. Secondly, the Mediterranean, for which some of the most extreme global change impacts are projected, is receiving comparatively little attention. Both findings can help guide future investment in the European LTER network – and especially in a Long Term Socio-Ecological Research (LTSER) component– to provide a more balanced coverage. This will provide better scientific understanding of pan-European environmental concerns and support the management of natural resources and international policy commitments in the European Union. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

This paper is about improving the viability of discard-reduction pilot projects. One way to address the problem of wasteful discarding of fish at sea is to initiate pilot projects to trial potential solutions, such as selective gear, area closures, discard bans and data enhancement, which could subsequently be adopted by the fishing industry, either voluntarily or through regulation. However, such pilot projects are often difficult both to set up and to sustain through to completion and implementation. This study reviewed 15 discard-related pilot projects to find out what were the most important determinants of their success or lack of it, and to recommend ways in which the prospects of future pilots could be improved. The review identifies the seven most important factors associated with the viability of the pilot projects - fisheries crises; incentivization; funding; expertise; leadership; and enforcement - and shows how fisheries regulators could take steps to reinforce these factors – by faster responses to crises; more incentives and funding; greater use of fishers'' knowledge and leadership; and better enforcement mechanisms. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The impacts of agricultural land use are far-reaching and extend to areas outside production. This paper provides an overview of the ecological status of agricultural systems across the European Union in the light of recent policy changes. It builds on the previous review of 2001 devoted to the impacts of agricultural intensification in Western Europe. The focus countries are the UK, The Netherlands, Boreal and Baltic countries, Portugal, Hungary and Romania, representing a geographical spread across Europe, but additional reference is made to other countries. Despite many adjustments to agricultural policy, intensification of production in some regions and concurrent abandonment in others remain the major threat to the ecology of agro-ecosystems impairing the state of soil, water and air and reducing biological diversity in agricultural landscapes. The impacts also extend to surrounding terrestrial and aquatic systems through water and aerial contamination and development of agricultural infrastructures (e.g. dams and irrigation channels). Improvements are also documented regionally, such as successful support of farmland species, and improved condition of watercourses and landscapes. This was attributed to agricultural policy targeted at the environment, improved environmental legislation, and new market opportunities. Research into ecosystem services associated with agriculture may provide further pressure to develop policy that is targeted at their continuous provisioning, fostering motivation of land managers to continue to protect and enhance them. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The paper presents a geographic information system (GIS) model-based approach for analysis of potential contamination of soil and water by pyrethroids for the European continent. Pyrethroids are widely used pesticides and their chemical and toxicological characteristics suggest there may be concerns about human health and ecosystems, although so far there is no strong evidence indicating actual risk. However, little monitoring has been conducted and limited experimental information is available. We perform an assessment exercise that demonstrates how accessible information and GIS-based modeling allow to estimate the spatial distribution of chemical concentrations and fluxes at a screening level. The assessment highlights potential hot spots and the main environmental transport pathways, in a quick and simple way. By combining information on pesticide use, crop distribution and landscape and climate parameters we identify potential problem areas to help focusing monitoring campaigns. The approach presented here is simple and fast, and can be applied to virtually all pesticide classes used over a large domain, and is therefore suitable for the screening of large quantities of chemicals, of which the majority has not undergone any systematic environmental monitoring program. The method has been tested through benchmarking with other well-established models. However, further research is needed to evaluate it against experimental observations. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Over one hundred wetland specialists and Earth Observation experts from around the world gathered at the European Space Agency's ‘GlobWetland Symposium: Looking at wetlands from space’ in Frascati, Italy, from 19 to 20 October, 2006. The aim of the Symposium was to stimulate discussion between the two communities by reviewing the latest developments in Earth Observation (EO) for the inventory, assessment and monitoring of wetlands and identify key scientific, technical and policy-relevant challenges for the future. The results provide an overview of the key areas of current research in the use of EO for mapping and managing wetlands, while also pointing out gaps that could hinder global inventory, assessment and monitoring of wetlands. This paper provides a summary of the main outputs with a focus on the role of EO technologies in supporting the implementation of the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands. The summary contains a qualitative analysis of the state of the art and considers possible directions and priorities for future research, development and application of EO-based technologies in wetland management. In this context we: 1) highlight those applications where EO technologies are ready for wider uptake by wetland managers, and provide suggestions for supporting such uptake; 2) indicate where EO technologies and applications currently in the research and development stages could potentially be useful in wetland management; and 3) provide recommendations for new research and development of EO technologies, that can be utilized to address aspects of wetland management not covered by the range of current EO applications. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The European Habitats Directive 92/43/EEC has defined the need for the conservation of habitats and species with the adoption of appropriate measures. Within the Natura 2000 ecological network of special areas of conservation, natural habitats will be monitored to ensure the maintenance or restoration of their composition, structure and extent. The European Space Agency's GlobWetland project has provided remotely sensed products for several Ramsar wetlands worldwide, such as detailed land cover–land use, water cycle and inundated vegetation maps. This paper presents the development and testing of an operational methodology for updating a wetland's habitat map using the GlobWetland products, and the evaluation of the extent to which GlobWetland products have contributed to the habitat map updating. The developed methodology incorporated both automated and analyst-supervised techniques to photo-interpret, delineate, refine, and evaluate the updated habitat polygons. The developed methodology was proven successful in its application to the wetland complex of the Axios–Loudias–Aliakmon delta (Greece). The resulting habitat map met the European and Greek national requirements. Results revealed that GlobWetland products were a valuable contribution, but source data (enhanced satellite images) were necessary to discriminate spectrally similar habitats. Finally, the developed methodology can be modified for original habitat mapping. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The overall objective of the Ramsar Convention, signed in 1971, is the conservation and wise use of wetlands by national action and international cooperation as a means to achieving sustainable development. This complex and challenging task requires national, local and international bodies involved in the implementation of the convention to rely on suitable geo-information to better understand wetland areas, complete national inventories, perform monitoring activities, carry out assessments and put in practice suitable management plans based on updated and reliable information. In the last years, Earth Observation (EO) technology has been revealed as a key tool and unique information source to support the environmental community in different application domains, including wetlands'' conservation and management. In this context, the European Space Agency (ESA) in collaboration with the Ramsar Secretariat launched in 2003 the “GlobWetland” project in order to demonstrate the current capabilities of Earth Observation technology to support inventorying, monitoring, and assessment of wetland ecosystems. This paper collects the main results and findings of the “GlobWetland” project, providing an overview of the current capabilities and limits of EO technology as a tool to support the implementation of the Ramsar Convention. The project was carried out in collaboration with several regional, national and local conservation authorities and wetland managers, involving 50 different wetlands across 21 countries on four continents. This large range of users provided an excellent test bed to assess the potential of this technology to be applied in different technical, economic and social conditions. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Increased development pressures on the marine environment and the potential for multiple use conflicts, arising as a result of the current expansion of offshore wind energy, fishing and aquaculture, dredging, mineral extraction, shipping, and the need to meet international and national commitments to biodiversity conservation, have led to increased interest in sea use planning with particular emphasis on marine spatial planning. Several European countries, on their own initiative or driven by the European Union''s Marine Strategy and Maritime Policy, the Bergen Declaration of the North Sea Conference, and the EU Recommendation on Integrated Coastal Zone Management, have taken global leadership in implementing marine spatial planning. Belgium, The Netherlands, and Germany in the North Sea, and the United Kingdom in the Irish Sea, have already completed preliminary sea use plans and zoning proposals for marine areas within their national jurisdictions. This paper discusses the nature and context of marine spatial planning, the international legal and policy framework, and the increasing need for marine spatial planning in Europe. In addition, the authors review briefly three marine spatial planning initiatives in the North Sea and conclude with some initial lessons learned from these experiences. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Many forests in the Alps are acknowledged for protecting objects, such as (rail) roads, against rockfall. However, there is a lack of knowledge on efficient silvicultural strategies and interventions to maintain these forests at optimal protection level. Therefore, assessment tools are required that quantify the rockfall protection effect of forest stands over time, and thereby provide the ability to evaluate the necessity and effect of management interventions. This paper introduces such a tool that consists of a 3D rockfall module embedded in the patch based forest simulator PICUS. The latter is extended for this study with a new regeneration module. In a series of experiments the new combined simulation tool is evaluated with regard to parameter sensitivity, model intercomparison experiments with recently proposed algorithms from the literature, and the ability to respond realistically to different management regimes in rockfall protection forests. Results confirm the potential of the new tool for realistic simulation of rockfall activity in heterogeneous mountain forests, but point at the urgent need to improve the knowledge base on the interaction of understory and rockfall activity. Further work will focus on model validation against empirical rockfall data, and include reduced tree vitality due to damage from boulder collisions as well as the explicit consideration of downed dead wood. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Post-consumer waste plastics that cannot be mechanically recycled represent a concerning environmental issue. According to the latest available data for Europe, as much as 25% of collected post-consumer waste plastics are landfilled, 43% is energy recovered, and 32% is recycled. One possible way of recovering non-recyclable plastics is pyrolysis, which is considered environmentally friendly technology for obtaining fuel or chemicals from plastic waste. To tackle the challenge of recovering non-recyclable plastics via pyrolysis, it is necessary to determine their actual composition. Visual separation of collected non-recyclable plastics was performed, and Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy was used to confirm the accuracy of visual separation. A significant amount of plastics labelled as "other" was found. Since the composition of "other" waste plastics has not been sufficiently investigated, relatively few studies on their pyrolysis have been conducted. Therefore, they were characterised and added to the mixture with other found polymer types of non-recyclable plastics. Thermogravimetric analysis was conducted to determine thermochemical behaviour and kinetic parameters required for laboratory pyrolysis investigation. Kinetic analysis was conducted using the Friedman isoconversional model-free method and non-linear multivariate regression method. The goal of this paper was to analyse the kinetics, determine the product yield and characteristics of the pyrolysis process of non-recyclable plastics over zeolite catalysts. It was found how the decomposition of non-recyclable plastics occurs in two decomposition steps. The activation energy of non-recyclable plastics was 144 kJ/mol in the first stage of decomposition and 262 kJ/mol in the second stage of decomposition. It decreased by 34% and 6.5% after fresh fluid catalytic cracking catalyst was added and 41% and 18.3% with iron-modified Zeolite Socony Mobil-5 catalyst. The yield of condensate was 55% (wax) for the original sample, and it decreased to 50% (wax and oil) and 27% (mostly oil) with fresh fluid catalytic cracking and iron modified Zeolite Socony Mobil-5 catalysts. Processes with catalysts promoted the formation of olefins and aromatic compounds in pyrolytic oil. All pyrolysis products had a high value of higher heating value ranging from 39 MJ/kg to 43 MJ/kg showing good potential for further energy use. • Pyrolysis of non-recyclable plastics was studied in absence and presence of catalysts. • With the addition of catalysts the activation energy of non-recyclable plastics significantly decreased. • Aromatic and olefinic compounds predominantly formed in the presence of catalysts. • Catalysts have greatly affected the viscosity of pyrolysis condensate (from wax to oil). • High value of higher heating value shows good potential for further energy use. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In Europe, regions in the Mediterranean area share common characteristics in terms of high sensitivity to climate change impacts. Does this translate into specificities regarding climate action that could arise from these Mediterranean characteristics? This paper sheds light on regional and local climate mitigation actions of the Mediterranean Europe, focusing on the plans to reduce greenhouse gases emissions in a representative sample of 51 regions and 73 cities across 9 Mediterranean countries (Croatia, Cyprus, France, Greece, Italy, Malta, Portugal, Slovenia, Spain). The study investigates: (i) the availability of local and regional mitigation plans, (ii) their goals in term of greenhouse gas emissions reduction targets on the short and medium-long term, and (iii) the impact of transnational climate networks on such local and regional climate mitigation planning. Results of this study indicate an uneven and fragmented planning, that shows a Mediterranean West-East divide, and a link with population size. However, overall, both regional and city action seem insufficiently ambitious with regards to meeting the Paris Agreement, at least at city level. While national frameworks are currently weak in influencing regional and local actions, transnational networks seem to be engaging factors for commitment (at city level) and ambitiousness (at regional level). The uneven and fragmented progress revealed by this study, does not align with the characteristics shared by investigated regions and cities in terms of environmental, socio-political, climatic and economic conditions. The results support the call of a common green deal at the Mediterranean level to further address specific Mediterranean challenges and related needs. This will allow to capitalise on available resources, generate local-specific knowledge, build capacities, and support Mediterranean regions and cities in preparing the next generation of more ambitious mitigation plans. [Display omitted] • Analysis of mitigation plans of 51 regions and 73 cities in Mediterranean Europe. • Uneven progress, with West-East divide and a generally modest short-term ambition. • Bigger size Mediterranean regions and cities show higher climate action. • Mitigation planning is affected by national regulation and transnational networks. • There is a case for cross-border cooperation among Mediterranean regions and cities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper proposes a bottom-up method to estimate the technical capacity of solid oxide fuel cells to be installed in wastewater treatment plants and valorise the biogas obtained from the sludge through an efficient conversion into electricity and heat. The methodology uses stochastic optimisation on 200 biogas profile scenarios generated from industrial data and envisages a Pareto approach for an a posteriori assessment of the optimal number of generation unit for the most representative plant configuration sizes. The method ensures that the dominant role of biogas fluctuation is included in the market potential and guarantees that the utilization factor of the modules remains higher than 70% to justify the investment costs. Results show that the market potential for solid oxide fuel cells across Europe would lead up to 1,300 MW of installed electric capacity in the niche market of wastewater treatment and could initiate a capital and fixed costs reduction which could make the technology comparable with alternative combined heat and power solutions. • We integrate solid-oxide fuel cells (SOFCs) in wastewater treatment (WWT). • SOFCs are efficient co-generation devices but hindered by high capital costs. • Technical SOFC potential in Europe WWT, up to 1370 MW, may promote cost reduction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Integrated forest management (IFM) can help reconcile critical trade-offs between goals in forest management, such as nature conservation and biomass production. The challenge of IFM is dealing with these trade-offs at the level of practical forest management, such as striving for compromises between biomass extraction and habitat retention. This paper reviews some of the driving factors that influence the integration of nature conservation into forest management. The review was conducted in three steps – a literature review, an expert workshop and an expert-based cooperative analysis. Of 38 driving factors identified, three were prioritised by more of the participants than any of the others: two are socio-cultural factors, identity (how people identify with forest) as well as outreach and education, and one is economic – competitiveness in forest value chains. These driving factors correspond to what are considered in the literature as enablers for IFM. The results reveal that targeted, group-oriented, adaptive and innovative policy designs are needed to integrate nature conservation into forest management. Further, the results reveal that a " one-size-fits-all " governance approach would be ineffective, implying that policy instruments need to consider contextually specific driving factors. Understanding the main driving factors and their overall directions can help to better manage trade-offs between biodiversity conservation and biomass production in European forests. Image 1 • Integrated Forest Management may help to reconcile critical trade-offs in forest management. • 38 driving factors identified as important for integrating nature conservation into forest management. • Several driving factors correspond to what can be considered as enablers of Integrated Forest Management. • Policy need to account for contextually specific driving factors to integrate nature conservation. • Integrative approaches demonstrate the need for targeted, group-oriented and adaptive policy designs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Small reservoirs, as the preferred blue-green engineering infrastructure for use against intensive runoff processes, have risen in number in Central Europe during the past three decades. However, the modelling of sediment siltation is not included in reservoir planning. The unknown temporal sedimentation of a reservoir can lead to the lifespan of the construction being uncertain. The aim of this study is to present a relatively simple process for local managers to model siltation and, consequently, accurately estimate the lifetime of a small reservoir. Three empirical models (USLE, RUSLE and USPED) were applied to two small catchments in Central Europe. This paper takes advantage of real measured and modelled sedimentation during 2012 and 2017, presenting two different terrain measurement approaches. Our study emphasizes the importance of the R-factor value. The temporal development of the R-factor is dependent on climate change, and the R-factor value has been rising steadily during the last decades. The annual mean R-factor has increased 1.04-times due to changes in precipitation patterns between the periods 1961–1980 and 1997–2016. These changes can explain possible growth in the levels of incoming sediment into reservoirs. We identified the correlation (R > 0.7) between observed sedimentation, the R-factor, and precipitation, and we concluded that the supposed rise of precipitation in Central Europe due to climate change will lead to an increase in the levels of stored sediment in reservoirs. Therefore, it is recommended for reservoir managers to use USPED model and to include the estimation of modelling of siltation rate into reservoirs' maintenance projects. • The USPED erosion model is suitable for the assessment of reservoir siltation rate. • The infilling process in small reservoirs is relatively slow. • The current rate of climate change potentiates erosion processes. • The R-factor is rising, with significant disturbances in year-on-year comparisons. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sewage sludge handling is becoming a concern in Europe due to its increasing amount and the presence of contaminants, such as heavy metals and pharmaceutical and personal care products (PPCPs). Currently, over 70% of sludge in Europe is treated thermally by incineration or used as fertilizer in agriculture. New thermochemical methods are under development and are expected to be implemented in the near future. This paper considers the life cycle environmental impacts of the following five alternatives for sludge handling, taking into account the presence of heavy metals and PPCPs: i) agricultural application of anaerobically digested sludge; ii) agricultural application of composted sludge; iii) incineration; iv) pyrolysis; and v) wet air oxidation. The results suggest that anaerobic digestion with recovery of nutrients and electricity has the lowest environmental impacts in 11 out of 18 categories considered. For the mean to maximum resource recovery, composting is the worst alternative, followed by pyrolysis with lower recovery rates. Agricultural application of anaerobically digested sludge has the highest freshwater ecotoxicity due to heavy metals, unless their concentration is in the lowest range, as found in some European sewage sludge applied on land. Therefore, stricter control of heavy metals in the sludge is needed for this option to limit freshwater ecotoxicity to the levels comparable with the thermal processes. The results also indicate that PPCPs have a negligible contribution to freshwater ecotoxicity when compared to heavy metals in the anaerobically digested sludge. Since thermal processes are currently drawing attention due to their potential benefits, the findings of this work suggest that their adoption is environmentally beneficial only if high resource recovery rates can be achieved. Image 1 • Environmental impacts were estimated for five sewage sludge treatment techniques. • Composting is the worst alternative, followed by pyrolysis for lower resource recovery. • Anaerobic digestion has the lowest impacts but the highest total freshwater ecotoxicity. • Heavy metals pose much higher freshwater ecotoxicity than PPCPs. • Thermal processes are environmentally beneficial only at high resource recovery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper we examine an example of a conservation conflict that is encountered in Ireland arising from the designation of Special Protection Areas (SPAs) for the Hen Harrier under the European Birds Directive (Directive, 2009/147/EC) and the consequent restrictions that are placed on forestry activities within these SPAs. We examine the causes of the Hen Harrier-forestry conflict; identify what stakeholders believe are the policy instruments and management strategies that may be useful in managing the conflict and finally identify plausible solutions that may be relevant to similar conflicts around multi-functional forests elsewhere in Europe and globally. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with key actors in this conflict. Drawing on Walker and Daniels' conflict triangle theory, a qualitative analysis of the transcripts of these interviews revealed that the conflict between Hen Harrier conservation and forestry in Ireland has a number of deep-rooted dimensions including those relating to the substance (e.g. restrictions on forest management activity in the SPAs), as well as procedural (e.g. lack of stakeholder engagement) and relationship dimensions (e.g. lack of trust). The polarisation of views in this conflict testifies to how entrenched stakeholders can become through lack of communication and trust. The policy instruments that stakeholders identified as having potential to address the conflict include the introduction of incentives/compensation scheme; changes to restrictions; more data and research on Hen Harrier bird surveys; implementation of landscape management models; and better communication and stakeholder engagement. The study highlights that conservation conflicts persist due to the multi-functional nature of forests and also due to repeated mistakes in terms of the lack of engagement with local stakeholders. Increasing the involvement of local actors has important substantive and instrumental benefits including improving the quality of decisions, as well as creating a greater chance of policies being better socially and politically acceptable. The need for more and better capacity-building across EU Member States for statutory and government agencies to learn from one another in terms of how to avoid repeating the same mistakes from one site to another is highlighted. • A forestry and conservation conflict is examined. • The conflict has substance, procedural and relationship dimensions. • Stakeholder hold very polarised views. • Lack of communication and trust are major issues. • Stakeholders share a common interest and goal in terms of conservation and incentives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Overfishing is one of the main impacts on the marine environment and multiple-use Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) could be a useful tool to conserve biodiversity and promote sustainable resource exploitation. However, ensuring a high level of protection on the ground is a difficult task. This work contributes to the analysis of the causes at the root of MPAs' ineffectiveness by examining the management of Paracentrotus lividus fishery in an Italian MPA, employing a multidisciplinary approach built on biological and socio-economic competences. This sea urchin species has a determinant ecological role in structuring infralittoral benthic assemblages and is the most exploited echinoid in Europe. From 2010 to 2018, underwater sampling was conducted over 39 monitoring sites to define P. lividus spatial and temporal trends. Declared catches and semi-structured interviews with local stakeholders were used to define the socio-economical context, underline existing conflicts among them, as well as to trace the historical evolution of sea urchin fishery. The results show that the management of sea urchin fishery is not sustainable, primarily because of the stakeholders' non-compliance with the rules. P. lividus stock is progressively declining (-73% in 9 years), showing no difference between MPA (0.5 ± 0.15 ind./m 2 ) and control sites (0.3 ± 0.04 ind./m 2 ). Moreover, fishermen dominate the social arena while scientists, civil society and local press have little relevance. Additionally, the untruthfulness of catch declarations was proved, the IUU fishery is relevant and the black market is hiding the actual economic value. This work offers management solutions that may be useful in other areas that show similar compliance issues., (Copyright © 2020 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

To unravel the challenges in the global diffusion of climate-friendly technologies, this investigation analyzes the diffusion of climate change-related technologies across countries. By using an unbalanced panel of selected European countries over the period 1990-2020, this investigation quantifies the carbon dioxide (CO2) emission effects of the diffusion of climate change-related technologies that are mediated by imports, geographical and technological proximity and free diffusion of technologies. In this study, the effects of domestic development of climate change-related technologies, population and affluence are also accounted for, and the emission effects are estimated using a fixed-effects panel model with instrumental variables. The instrumental variable for foreign technology spillovers is based on the technology support policies adopted in foreign countries. As expected, international spillovers of climate-friendly technologies are negatively linked to CO2 emissions, thus promoting emission reductions across the region. Importantly, emission reductions in Europe are more strongly influenced by international technology spillovers than by domestic innovation activities. Moreover, while all the analyzed technology diffusion channels appear relevant, the results are the most robust regarding import-mediated technology spillovers. Insights from this study support policy recommendations, especially in the trade policy context., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.)

The Water Framework Directive (WFD) sets the fundamental structure for assessing the status of water bodies in the European Union. Its implementation is currently entering its fourth six-year cycle assisted by a total of 38 guidance documents. The principal objective is to ensure good status for surface and ground waters. The functioning of the WFD is based on detecting the impact of human pressures on biological, physico-chemical, or hydromorphological parameters, and reducing these causal pressures through a program of measures to achieve good status. Climate change can exert a significant influence on ecological status by directly altering parameters monitored, pressure interactions, or influencing the effectiveness of programs of measures. Aquatic systems respond holistically to climate change with different pressures having additive, synergistic, or antagonistic interactions. The challenge is how to adapt the framework to manage aquatic systems in the context of climate change while maintaining focus on implementing measures to tackle key pressures. This paper examines potential approaches, including reassignment of waterbody type, quantifying the portion of Ecological Quality Ratio (EQR) driven by climate change, and creating an assessment module of climatic pressures and ecological responses. The overall purpose is to stimulate discussion and explore ways to incorporate climate change into the WFD structure., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare no competing interest., (Copyright © 2024 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.)

To effectively protect against the increasingly pervasive effects of climate change, countries and cities around the world are tasked with formulating and implementing climate actions that effectively respond to the challenges ahead. However, choosing the optimal climate actions is complex, since it is necessary to consider many external impacts as early on as the planning phase. Our novel methodology uncovers and integrates into first-of-its-kind decision support framework the identified climate actions of 443 European cities (from 32 countries) and the city structure-related features that influence the basic success of strategy creation into a first-of-its-kind decision support framework. Depending on their budget, population density, development and energy consumption portfolio, the results highlight that the analyzed European cities need to adopt a different way of thinking. The research results lay the foundation for the decision support of evidence-based climate action planning and contribute towards strengthening the role of cities worldwide in the fight against climate change in the future., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.)

New energy vehicles (NEVs), owing to their low carbon emission, have gained immense importance to achieve the net-zero emission target. The global NEVs market has grown significantly over the last decade. China, the United States (US), and Europe are the leading markets for NEVs. This study systematically and critically reviews NEV literature on consumer behavior pertaining to NEV adoption. An attempt is made to uncover the current research trends, research settings, theoretical perspectives, and key factors influencing consumer behavior towards NEVs. These factors are further categorized into five broad factors: (a) economic factors, (b) policy and regulatory factors, (c) psychological factors, (d) infrastructural and technological factors, and (e) demographic factors. Through a critical analysis of existing theories, this study delineates the complex phenomenon of consumer behavior towards NEV adoption, offering a holistic understanding of the key factors influencing consumer behavior. This review suggests that purchasing price, charging infrastructures, consumers' attitudes towards the environment, and government policies are decisive to NEV adoption. This study contributes to the NEV adoption literature by proposing an integrated theoretical framework. Further, it outlines the managerial and policy implications for transitioning towards NEVs to achieve net-zero emission targets., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Free-flowing rivers (FFRs) are fundamental references for river management, providing the opportunity to investigate river functioning under minimal anthropic disturbance. However, large free-flowing rivers are rare in Europe and worldwide, and knowledge of their dynamics is often scarce due to a lack of data and baseline studies. So far, their characterization is mainly grounded in the longitudinal connectivity assessment, with scarce integration of further hydro-morphological aspects, particularly concerning the processes and drivers of changes in their morphology over time scales of management relevance. This work aims to broaden the characterization of FFRs by reconstructing their catchment-scale morphological evolutionary trajectories and understanding their driving causes, to support their management better. This is achieved by integrating freely available global data including Landsat imagery and climatic reanalysis with the few locally available quantitative and qualitative information. The analysis of possible drivers of change at the catchment and reach scale assesses hydrological variability, flow regulation, land use change, sediment mining and bank protection works. We applied this approach to the Vjosa River (Albania), a model ecosystem of European significance and one of the few FFRs in Europe. The Vjosa was recently declared a Wild River National Park. We investigated its catchment-scale morphological changes over 50 years, considering four reaches of the Vjosa and four reaches of its main tributaries. Satellite imagery was analyzed taking advantage of Google Earth Engine cloud computing platform. The analysis reveals a catchment-scale response to climatic fluctuations, especially in the most natural reaches, with a significant narrowing of the active river corridor, following a flood-intense period in the early 1960s. The narrowing rate gradually decreased, from 35% before 1985 to 24% between 1985 and 2000, reaching a new equilibrium from 2000 to 2020. However, the recent trajectories of the lowland reaches have been impacted by human pressures, particularly sediment mining, which intensified after the 1990s, suggesting that these reaches may instead be far from equilibrium and adjusting to such persistent stressor. Identifying the key drivers of change and building catchment-scale knowledge of geomorphic change can inform the management of riverine protected areas, and the proposed integrated approach is a promising tool to help overcome the data scarcity typical of the limited remaining large FFRs., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare the following financial interests/personal relationships which may be considered as potential competing interests: Marta Crivellaro reports financial support was provided by Volontariato Internazionale per lo Sviluppo VIS and CESVI. If there are other authors, they declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.)

In light of growing concerns about climate change and environmental issues, investor interest has surged in the new green economy market. However, the existing literature is limited regarding potential price bubbles and co-bubbles within this new domain. This study examines price bubbles and co-bubbles in the new green economy market, covering 31 indexes classified into three groups: the green economy market and its components, geographical regions, and sectors. Using daily data from August 31, 2005, to May 31, 2024, a test procedure is first applied to detect periods of price bubble in the various indexes, then logistic regressions are employed to examine price co-bubble behaviours. The results show evidence of price bubbles in the green economy market, particularly in solar and wind indexes, with peaks during the COVID-19 pandemic and Russia-Ukraine conflict, whereas the water index is the least prone to price bubbles. Regarding geographical region, the USA market exhibits a higher tendency for price bubbles than the Asian or European markets. Several sectors are resistant to price bubbles. The co-bubble analysis reveals a strong reliance of wind index on price bubbles in the solar and water indexes. Price bubbles in Asia significantly influence price bubbles in Europe and the USA. These findings have implications for investment portfolio management and risk management strategies in the new green economy market., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)