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Does nature still matter in sport? In the balancing between natural and scientific training, Swedish upper-secondary ski schools have played an important role. This paper deals with specific landscape features for testing at three Swedish ski schools: Hallstatestet in Sollefteå, Hovfjällsracet in Torsby, and Stoltjonastestet in Järpen. The following questions will be addressed: How do the coaches at each school use local tests to analyze performance? How is the importance of local tests articulated, and what roles do history and nature play in this process? The paper concludes that the use of local landscapes to articulate elite performance connects ideas of measurability and scientization to the lingering tradition of natural training. Local landscapes thereby become a mediator between scientific and experiential knowledge about sport performance and point out how local sport heritage can be used for addressing environmental issues in sport. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper focuses on Slovakia's compliance performance in the EU law implementation since its accession in 2004. It explores the use of the infringement procedure launched by the European Commission against the Slovak Republic. The article pursues three primary objectives. Firstly, it evaluates Slovakia's non-compliance since joining the EU, using quantitative indicators to compare non-compliance with EU directives in various policy areas. Secondly, it examines if factors known to impact compliance in existing literature also apply to Slovakia. Thirdly, the study delves into environmental infringements in Slovakia, underlining the prominence of environmental concerns and the country's substantial number of related infringement proceedings, including those involving the Court of Justice of the European Union. This analysis contributes insights into understanding compliance gaps within problematic policy areas, specifically environmental policy like waste management, in the Slovak context. The authors' findings indicate that the roots of environmental non-compliance can be traced to how the environmental agenda is prioritised by political elites and officials within the state administration, as well as the interplay of various factors emanating from wider political and social landscapes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The 1998 Aarhus Convention has had a transformative influence on the legal orders of the European Union (EU) and its Member States. In Case C‐873/19, the Court of Justice of the EU expanded its reasoning on the interpretation of article 9(3) of the Aarhus Convention. First, it ruled that article 5(2) of Regulation 715/2007 on EC‐type approval is to be regarded as law relating to the environment. Second, the Court confirmed that article 9(3) of the Aarhus Convention in conjunction with article 47 of the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the EU creates an obligation incumbent on EU Member States to enable an environmental organisation to have standing to challenge a decision approving certain diesel engines devices that restrict emissions. This case note enquires into the consequences of the Court's broad understanding of term ‘law relating to the environment’. Furthermore, it argues that although EU law obligations based on article 9(3) of the Aarhus Convention lack direct effect when read in conjunction with article 47 of the Charter of Fundamental Rights, they produce a similar effect in legal orders of the EU Member States and impose an obligation to provide broad procedural rights for environmental nongovernmental organisations in any matters related to environmental law. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Vanuatu is located within the Pacific Ring of Fire, known for its intense tectonic activity. The country is highly vulnerable to natural disasters, affecting about 12% of the population and causing an average loss of 42.8% of GDP. Internal displacement of population is one of the elements of the strategy to adapt to the consequences of climate change and natural disasters. This article, based on government documents and legislative acts, examines the national policy of the Republic of Vanuatu on climate change and natural disasters, analyzing it to highlight relevant aspects for Ukraine that, after critical reflection and thorough study, should be considered when developing appropriate legislation in Ukraine. It was found that the basis of this policy consists of the following documents: «National Sustainable Development Plan for 2016-2030», «Vanuatu Climate Change and Disaster Risk Reduction Policy for 2016-2030», «National Adaptation Program of Action», «Disaster Risk Management Act No. 23 of 2019», «Meteorology, Geological Hazards and Climate Change Act No. 25 of 2016», «Vanuatu's Revised and Enhanced 1ST Nationally Determined Contribution», «National Policy on Climate Change and Disaster-Induced Displacement». From the perspective of legal support for the rights of displaced persons and the regulation of this process, the most important act is the «National Policy on Climate Change and Disaster-Induced Displacement», which ensures the functioning of institutions involved in planning potential emergencies and combating their consequences, in cooperation with the government of Vanuatu to meet the needs of all affected displaced communities and host communities, including different types of displaced persons: controlled displaced, internal migrants, residents of informal settlements, as well as those threatened with displacement. It is noted that displacement occurs in accordance with international law, with mandatory adherence to fundamental human rights. Considering the limited possibilities for population displacement due to the geomorphological structure of the islands of the Republic of Vanuatu, the efforts of the government of the country are concentrated on disaster prevention and climate change control measures. This is the focus of other important foundational documents of national environmental policy, the analysis of which indicates the construction of a successful system of state management of processes, synergy between the public sector and non-governmental organizations involved, and innovative methods of economic reform. The reviewed documents address a wide range of problems caused by climate change, containing solutions that are undoubtedly useful for legislators, politicians, and executive authorities of many countries, including Ukraine. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the proliferation of human activities, a series of marine ecological and environmental problems have arisen. Judicial application is important to test legislative achievements, explore judicial difficulties, and examine the compliance with the law. There is no case law in China and the impact of judicial decisions on the protection of marine environment is therefore indirect. Judicial decisions can reflect the implementation of the Marine Environmental Protection Law and play a crucial role in improving the marine environmental protection. An analysis of 2,443 cases related to marine environmental protection heard by courts at all levels across China from 1 January 2019 to 31 December 2023 has been conducted. The findings indicate an overall downward trend in cases related to marine environmental protection, suggesting positive governance outcomes to some extent. However, certain problems remain in the judicial protection of marine environment. Therefore, legislative efficiency should be properly increased and an independent crime for marine environmental pollution should be introduced to further clarify the legal bases for marine environmental protection. The intelligent trial assistance technology should also be applied to shorten trial time, improve trial efficiency, and unify judicial rules. The People's Courts should play an active role in the provision of evidence and specific evidentiary burden provisions for different types of marine environmental pollutions should be proposed. The data sharing channels between various systems should be facilitated and the functionality for case referral should be developed for the coordination of administrative enforcement and criminal justice within a unified administrative enforcement platform. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to realise the European Union's (EU) transition to clean and carbon‐neutral energy systems, various individual infrastructure systems and energy networks will have to coordinate and operate as an integrated energy system. Traditionally, these different infrastructure systems operate within their own sectors and are governed by separate legal regimes. The intersection of these different legal rules and interests creates regulatory uncertainty and risk for infrastructure operators and can dissuade operators from participating in system integration. This paper explores how infrastructure operators can overcome the legal uncertainty and regulatory risks of operating as an integrated system, whilst also ensuring that the policy objectives of the energy transition are realised. This paper argues that, by pursuing public values and energy justice principles, infrastructure operators will overcome the legal uncertainty surrounding system integration. By doing so, infrastructure operators will facilitate the realisation of an energy transition that is just, inclusive and in the public interest. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In response to the limitations of the United Nations climate change regime, a range of dynamic climate governance arrangements have emerged, including minilateral 'climate clubs'. Although proposed as a solution to move international climate policy forward, depending on their specific design, climate clubs could raise implications from the perspective of the principle of common but differentiated responsibilities and respective capabilities (CBDR‐RC). Accordingly, this article aims to analyse different climate club design options through the lens of CBDR‐RC. First, it explains the general rationale for climate clubs and presents a spectrum of key club design features. Second, this article describes how CBDR‐RC has been operationalised under the climate regime. Third, drawing on current club‐like arrangements—namely, the Climate Club, the Clean Energy Ministerial and the proposed Global Arrangement on Sustainable Steel and Aluminium—it critically examines whether different design options are (likely to be) compatible with CBDR‐RC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The European Union (EU) has voiced its support for a twin (digital and green) transition. However, in this transition, public values are (re)conceptualised and (re)shaped. Public values entail principles and norms determining rights and responsibilities for actors within a society and the governing bodies and are the foundation for future legislation. To understand the reshaping of public values in the EU twin transition, and whether the EU's current policy trend is sufficient to safeguard public values against the pressures of the twin transition, this research analyses what public values are at the core of the EU's twin transition in EU policy. The analysis of academic research in this article concerning the twin transition has identified 11 public values lying at the core of the twin transition. The examination of EU policy documents concerning twin transition developments reveals six public values embedded in legislation. Additional care should be taken to avoid the mixing of public values, as this risks pressures on public values going unnoticed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To realise the objectives of the European Green Deal (EGD), fossil carbon will have to be not only reduced but also replaced with recycled carbon. The European Commission considers industrial carbon management and carbon capture and utilisation (CCU) technologies to be part of the solution. A value chain ensues when carbon dioxide (CO2) is captured and utilised as raw material. Examination of the climate, energy and environmental legal landscape of one specific CCU value chain—comprising of waste, waste incineration and plastic raw material—reveals the varied approaches regulation has towards CO2 and carbon. In this article, both carbon cycle legislation and legislation on the carbon source and the material storing carbon are analysed. The legislation being developed directly for CCU for products (other than synthetic fuels) focusses on the carbon cycle and CO2 under the EU emissions trading system (ETS) and a proposed Carbon Removal Certification Framework. Regulatory uncertainty remains for the studied CCU value chain as the capture of CO2 from waste incineration has yet to be incentivised under the EU ETS. Further, the criteria for the permanence of carbon storage in products to qualify under the EU ETS and of the long‐term storage under the Carbon Removal Certification Framework (CRCF) have yet to be developed. For a more complete understanding, we have also analysed waste and product regulations. The conceptual structure of the EU Waste Framework Directive does not seem to support circulating carbon. This context also raises the fundamental question of whether the purpose of waste incineration could be carbon recycling instead of mere energy production. Regarding material storing carbon, plastics, the regulator has been silent as CCU‐originated plastic raw material is not recognised in EU plastics law. These issues must be identified and resolved one by one before the EGD can be secured; revisiting only climate law instruments does not suffice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Digitalisation and environmental sustainability are widely discussed topics. However, their nexus remains underexplored and can pose significant challenges for governments and industries alike. The environmental implications of digitalisation are becoming increasingly pertinent with the advent of central bank digital currencies (CBDCs) and their inherent energy consumption and production of e‐waste. On the other hand, digitalisation could potentially support sustainability efforts. This begs the question of how systems of governance, such as regulatory frameworks and internal organisational governance, should harmonise digitalisation and sustainability goals. Such harmonisation entails ensuring that digitalisation processes are environmentally responsible while exploring how the application and features of digitalisation can help achieve environmental goals. By drawing insights from the case study of CBDCs, this article will utilise the paradigm of adaptive governance to seek potential solutions to the environmental implications of digitalisation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

European Union (EU) directives must be transposed into national systems and effectively implemented by all Member States. Differences between national legal systems are an inevitable reality when implementing EU law. Variations in the transposition and implementation of directives can lead to significant differences in the regulatory environment. This article discusses the variations in the transposition and implementation of the EU Water Framework Directive (WFD) in Austria, Finland, Germany and Sweden. What all the analysed Member States have in common are efforts to find ways to comply with the stringent requirements of the WFD. As Member States aim to achieve the requirements of the WFD, they simultaneously appear to look for ways to broaden acceptable interpretations of the WFD requirements to accommodate the national context. This article identifies and examines the different instances where such broadening of interpretation of the WFD has taken place in the four Member States. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Kelp forests are the world's most extensive vegetated marine ecosystems. They provide critical ecological functions as well as valuable ecosystem services for human societies. Yet, kelp forests have been largely overlooked in international environmental law. There are no specific treaties focused on kelp, and they have only benefited to a limited extent under existing regimes. This article analyses the treatment of kelp in international environmental law and finds that there are few formally listed sites containing kelp forests and that several treaty regimes could be better utilised for their benefit. The article concludes by outlining more ambitious ways in which international environmental law can better contribute to the conservation and management of kelp forests and other marine ecosystems facing similar futures. This research seeks to shed light on kelp forests and in doing so seeks to contribute to the growing body of multi‐disciplinary literature on kelp and the role that law can play in securing its future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An international dispute between the Republic of Poland and Czechia over the Turów mine has recently resulted in infringement proceedings brought before the Court of Justice of the European Union concerning the implementation of the Water Framework Directive. This case and the judicial and extrajudicial processes surrounding it facilitate an assessment of the procedure provided for in Articles 258 to 260 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union. The assessment of this procedure is undertaken both in terms of the achievement of the internal policy objectives of the Member State and in terms of the effectiveness of the implementation of European law. We argue that this procedure (under Articles 258–260 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union) is effective in both connections, because it provides a wide range of opportunities for both the judicial authorities of the European Union and the Member States themselves to achieve their objectives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The European Union is actively advancing the green and digital transformation of its industries by seeking to integrate disruptive and novel technologies to enhance efficiency in existing production lines. However, the introduction of these technologies, pivotal for this transformation, has encountered challenges within the current regulatory framework. This article systematically examines the legal framework to understand how authorisation procedures, influenced by environmental legislation interpreted in conjunction with the precautionary principle, might hinder the adoption of disruptive and novel technologies. Additionally, the article evaluates the effectiveness of experimentation rules, such as legal sandboxes, in addressing scientific uncertainties linked to these technologies. Despite tensions between innovation policies and environmental regulations, embracing the precautionary principle in decision‐making procedures could facilitate the adoption of sustainable innovations while prioritising long‐term environmental and societal well‐being. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The majority of Western European countries have adopted a framework climate law (a climate change act [CCA]) to serve as a comprehensive basis for their climate policy and set economy‐wide climate targets. By contrast, among the new European Union Member States, only Malta and Hungary have adopted such a CCA. In Czechia, Poland and Slovakia, a draft CCA exists, yet their adoption is uncertain. This article therefore focuses on countries of the Visegrad Group (Czechia, Poland and Slovakia) and examines the chances of adopting an effective CCA in these countries, taking into account trends, pressures and needs. The article proposes elements that these climate laws should contain, considering the specific situation in these States. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Decarbonising heating and cooling systems, significant contributors to the EU's (European Union) energy consumption, is a complex and urgent matter. This article discusses the potential coupling of energy communities and district heating and cooling systems, particularly fourth‐ and fifth‐generation models, in the local energy transition. The integration of new‐generation district heating and cooling systems into renewable energy generation is crucial for sustainability, circular economy practices, and community‐based solutions. An examination of the EU legal framework within the Fit‐for‐55 package elucidates how provisions from the new Energy Efficiency Directive and Renewable Energy Directive facilitate the implementation of energy communities in the heating and cooling sector. The existing enabling legislation underscores the suitability of energy communities for heating and cooling sector activities, acknowledging their transformative potential in advancing the energy transition and fostering community empowerment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article examines the possibilities for data gathered by individuals and communities to demonstrate climate impacts on people's lives in domestic and international climate litigation, as well as the likely procedural constraints that such evidence may encounter. Building on recent decisions of domestic, regional and international courts and bodies, and looking in particular at cases related to climate displacement, we consider the potential for civic evidence to provide valuable testimony in climate litigation, for example, grounding abstract and diffuse harms in personal and locally relevant frames. The article concludes by advancing a research agenda to test, and support or disprove, the argument developed that civic evidence from climate‐affected people could be more robustly deployed in climate litigation and could have a complementary and reinforcing, rather than competing, role alongside institutional evidence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article uses infrastructure studies to provide a critical analysis of the European Union's (EU) ambition to regulate data for the ecological transition. The EU's regulatory project implicitly qualifies data as an infrastructure for a better economy and society. However, current EU law does not draw all the logical consequences derived from this qualification of data as infrastructure, which is one main reason why EU data legislation for the ecological transition may not deliver on its high political expectations. The ecological transition does not play a significant normative role in EU data legislation and is largely overlooked in the data governance literature. By drawing inferences from the qualification of data as an infrastructure more consistently, the article opens avenues for data governance that centre the ecological transition as a normative goal. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper identifies the architecture of the justiciability of the right to a healthy environment, analysing the contribution of national and international regimes in climate litigation. It argues that neither the former nor the latter alone can currently offer a fully implementable set of remedies to the catastrophic consequences of environmental degradation. In all the cases, collectiveness is a parameter that needs to be taken into consideration, and which is shaping the way most of successful environmental claims are framed. This calls for a reflection on what courts can contribute, and maybe also if they should contribute at all, in the absence of explicit political will in the form of a specific binding treaty. It is concluded that through the interaction between domestic and international courts we can envisage a full coverage of the rights involved. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research investigates the illegal Vegetation Suppression Authorization (VSA) for Legal Reserve Compensation (LRC) in Tocantins, Brazil, between 2012 and 2014. The VSA is a license issued by state environmental agencies that authorizes the removal or clearing of native vegetation. This infraction resulted from the state environmental agency's mistaken interpretation of Resolution 07/2005 of the State Environmental Council and the Native Vegetation Protection Law, which operates nationally and takes precedence over state resolutions and laws. The study area focuses on eight municipalities contained in the Formoso, Pium, and Javaés river basins. The methodology examines irregular VSA-LRC cases through geospatial data analysis, multitemporal analysis using remote sensing data, and economic assessments in both the origin and destination areas of the compensatory reserve. The results showed that among the 217 VSA-LRC applications during the period, 93 had corresponding geospatial data, indicating that 57.1% of the geospatial data were missing. This discrepancy between the authorized area and the available geospatial information restricts the oversight capability of the regulatory agency. A decade-long deforestation analysis of VSA-LRCs using remote sensing data considered three phases: 2012–2014 (application and issuance of VSA-LRCs), 2015–2018 (operational issuance), and 2019–2022 (post-expiration of VSA-LRCs). The results revealed a total VSA-LRC area of 343.291 km2 (34,329.10 ha), with 229.1169 km2 (22,911.69 ha) of deforestation. Notably, 54.877 km2 (5487.70 ha) of this deforestation occurred in 2019–2022, after the VSA-LRC had expired. The analysis of the LRC origin and destination areas demonstrates a unidirectional strategy, from economically more valuable areas to less valuable ones, according to land market dynamics. Therefore, this investigation concludes the need for greater administrative transparency, the development of a reliable geospatial data system for monitoring, and policy changes and actions to enhance environmental protection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Levelling-Up and Regeneration Act 2023 has marked major reforms in how planning law legally conceptualises policies, places and practices. These reforms have an impact not only on the scope of planning law but also on the shape of environmental law in England and Wales. In particular, the Levelling-Up and Regeneration Act 2023 changes how different forms of national and local policy legally interact, creates new administrative regulation for protected landscapes and establishes a new framework for environmental impact assessment called the Environmental Outcome Reports. This introduction to the legislation illustrates the importance of understanding the planning law reform for environmental law scholarship more generally. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the milestone Francovich case, the European Court of Justice (ECJ) granted individuals, under certain conditions, a right to reparation for Member States' breaches of EU law. While EU environmental law is rife with well-documented infringements, the Francovich principle, however, has seen little use in practice. This article examines why that is. Through an analysis of the ECJ's Francovich -related case law, and especially the ECJ's recent decision in C-61/21 Ministre de la Transition écologique , this study assesses the Court's interpretation of the Francovich condition that the relevant provision must be 'intended to confer rights' on individuals. Against this backdrop, it is shown that the absence of EU environmental law conferring ' Francovich rights' is due to the principle's incompatibility with the collective rights found in EU environmental law. Following from this, this study highlights the incorporation of compensation provisions in three key EU environmental directives as an alternative to Francovich liability and, in so doing, examines the evolving nature of private enforcement of EU environmental law. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study is concerned with a central question in administrative law, as well as environmental law; that is, how to conceptualise and determine the public interest in complex contexts where decisions concern collective action problems, involve multiple actors, cross-temporal and spatial scales, and occur under conditions of knowledge uncertainty. Here, it is argued against the use of trade-offs in the determination of the public interest in these contexts because trade-offs involve epistemological simplifications and de-contextualise interests dismissing the nature of knowledge as a situated and dynamic collective practice. To concretise the critique, the EU Habitats Directive's site protection management provisions are relied on as an example where decisions in the public interest are underpinned by a problematic trade-off logic. To move beyond trade-offs, the article introduces Dewey's thought. More precisely, it is argued that Dewey's deliberative pragmatism presents a cogent conceptualisation of the public interest, and thereby constitutes a first intellectual step to overcome the key limitations of a trade-off logic in determining the public interest in environmental decision-making. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article offers update on significant international environmental law developments from 2023 to 2024. These include application of the European Convention on Human Rights to the issue of climate change in Verein Klimaseniorinnen Schweiz and others v. Switzerland in the European Court of Human Rights, advisory opinion on climate change by the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea, and diplomacy on climate change and other global environmental challenges.

The article provides an overview of several case law relating to environmental protection and energy relevant to European Union (EU) environmental law from decisions by the Court of Justice of the EU delivered in 2023. The cases include the application of Poland for interim measures in the context of the EU Emission Trading Scheme, infringement by Portugal of the annual limit value for nitrogen oxide emissions, and advertising of energy consumption labels on cookers.

On 11 April 2024, the European Union (EU) adopted a new Environmental Crime Directive (ECD) that departs from how the relationship between administrative law and criminal law has previously been defined in EU law. According to the revised ECD, a conduct shall be deemed unlawful when it is in 'manifest breach of relevant substantive legal requirements' – even when there is compliance with an administrative permit. With this, the new ECD has de facto created autonomous environmental crimes. This is revolutionary, as in most legal systems criminal liability is not possible if an operator complied with the conditions of a permit. This article argues that this legal development is welcomed as a way to ensure effective environmental criminal enforcement. The question that remains open, however, is how the concept of 'manifest breach of relevant substantive legal requirements' will be translated by the Member States during the transposition of the amended ECD into national law. It is argued that it is especially important to find a formulation that can be reconciled with the legality principle, requiring the conditions for criminal liability to be specified in a clear and specific manner whilst ensuring that environmental crimes are held to account. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

International and domestic laws are being enacted or adjusted to implement climate goals, such as to fight deforestation—a key source of carbon emissions in tropical countries like Peru. These laws are increasingly connecting trade and the environment and becoming more intertwined at the national and international levels. This analysis reviews Peru's recent change of its domestic environmental and land tenure laws partially in response to the European Union Deforestation Regulation (EUDR) as one recent example of the complexities involved in this interaction. Promoters of this legislative change in Peru frame it as a necessary alignment with the EUDR, but environmentalists argue that it is an excuse to weaken domestic forest protection rules, contrary to the intentions of the EUDR. This case study shows the importance of understanding the specific context of each of the countries targeted by new international zero-deforestation rules and highlights the tensions these new policies can encourage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This analysis examines the decision in Held v State of Montana by the Montana First Judicial District Court, in which 16 youth plaintiffs successfully argued that provisions within the state energy policy and the Montana Environmental Policy Act (MEPA) violate their constitutional right to a clean and healthful environment. As the first climate case in the USA to be brought based on a constitutional right to a healthy environment, it has received considerable attention and is being hailed as a landmark victory. This analysis examines the case in the context of recent trends in climate change litigation and argues that whilst the decision is indeed noteworthy, the circumstances that led to the decision make it unlikely that a wave of similarly successful claims will follow in the USA. Nevertheless, the case could mark a so-called 'constitutional rights turn' in climate litigation, as the case bolsters support for stronger protections for environmental rights. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article "Legislation and environmental jurisprudence" published in Environmental Legal News in October 2024 compiles information on various legal aspects and environmental policies in different regions of Spain. Topics such as climate change, environmental law, and jurisprudence in different autonomous communities are addressed. Studies on environmental criminal jurisprudence and the rights of future generations are also mentioned. [Extracted from the article]

Twenty years ago, legal scholars and regulators alike were convinced that information-forcing regulations heralded a new era in environmental law. Coming off the success of the Toxics Release Inventory (TRI), which seemed to decrease toxic chemical pollution solely by forcing industry to disclose if they released certain chemicals, many called information regulation the third wave of environmental law. New information disclosure policies were enacted and old policies reinvigorated, leading to a plethora of informationbased regulations throughout environmental law. Now, twenty years later, the emergence of big data and artificial intelligence (AI) approaches to environmental analysis have only further increased the belief in the benefits of information-forcing approaches. In this time, the central premise that information regulation works to change behavior and improve environmental outcomes has been largely unquestioned. Despite the widespread enthusiasm, after decades of implementation it is increasingly clear that information regulation largely fails to achieve its environmental goals. This Article makes two main contributions. By drawing on quantitative and qualitative case studies of information-forcing regulations, it first answers the question of whether this approach to environmental regulation is effective. It evaluates the success of information-forcing policies, finding that these policies often fail both to change behavior towards improving environmental conditions and to achieve other stated goals. This Article then analyzes the mechanisms behind information forcing in conjunction with these case studies to propose characteristics that determine the success, or failure, of information regulation. It finds that contrary to popular belief, persuasive and economic mechanisms do not drive environmental behavior change. Instead, informationforcing regulations with legal mechanisms of action show the most promise and efficacy. Moving beyond sweeping promises of efficiency and transparency to understand the specific characteristics that make these programs successful is essential moving forward into an era of big environmental data. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this study is to present rules on establishing the catalogue of parties to proceedings in cases for issuing decisions on environmental determinants. The analysis, based on investigation of the law in force and examination of the law in the historical angle, shows that entities that to whom an authority refuses to grant the status of a party in proceedings for issuing an environmental decision find it difficult to evidence their legal interest in these proceedings due to no access to relevant documents and case files. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The success of marine environmental regulations in terms of social challenges in Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) countries is the main subject of this study, which compares and contrasts them with an eye toward sustainability, the integration of digital technologies, environmental law, and reducing ecological degradation. Environmental solid governance is essential as BRI countries increase their marine activity, an important part of the world economy by systems thinking; the marine industry includes a broad range of operations about the ocean and its resources through social challenges to promote environmental legislation in terms of emissions in the countries participating in the BRI. This study evaluated the effects of institutional quality and technical advancements in marine policies between 2013 and 2024. This project aims to examine how various policy contexts relate to marine conservation, how well they comply with international environmental regulations, and how digital technology can improve the monitoring and implementation of policies through systems thinking. This study aims to determine common obstacles and best methods for enforcing marine policies by examining research from different BRI countries. The results deepen our understanding of how these policies can be best utilized to meet sustainable development objectives while preventing the degradation of marine ecosystems due to economic growth and business. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Abstract Predicting evaporation is an essential topic in water resources management. It is critical to plan irrigation schedules, optimize hydropower production, and accurately calculate the overall water balance. Thus, researchers have developed many prediction models for predicting evaporation. Despite the development of these models, there are still unresolved challenges. These challenges include selecting the most important input parameters, handling nonstationary data, extracting critical information from data, and quantifying the uncertainty of predicted values. Thus, the main aim of this study is to address these challenges by developing a new prediction model. The new prediction model, named Gated Recurrent Unit–Multi-Kernel Extreme Learning Machine (MKELM)–Gaussian Process Regression (GPR), was used to predict one-month ahead evaporation in the Kashafrood basin, Iran. This model was executed in multiple stages. First, a feature selection algorithm was used to determine the most critical input parameters. A data processing technique was then employed to decompose nonstationary data into stationary intrinsic mode functions (IMFs). The GRU model then processed these components to extract their essential information. In the following step, the extracted information was inserted into the MKELM model to predict evaporation. Finally, the GPR model quantified the uncertainty of predicted values. Our research also introduces a new optimizer called the Salp Swarm Optimization Algorithm–Sine Cosine Optimization Algorithm. This algorithm was used to tune the model parameters. This algorithm's performance and the prediction models’ accuracy were evaluated using several error indices. According to the study results, the GRU–MKELM–GPR model performed better than other models in predicting monthly evaporation. It improved the training and testing mean absolute error values of the other models by 21%-43% and 8.2–33%, respectively. Moreover, the new model improved the R2 (R-squared or coefficient of determination) values of other models by 5–12%. Generally, the main findings of this paper included the superior performance of the new model in predicting evaporation data and the superior performance of a new optimizer in adjusting model parameters. These findings highlighted the effectiveness of the suggested model in addressing the challenges associated with evaporation prediction.

Abstract A Central European catchment underlain by base-poor orthogneiss was studied using mass budgets and Mg–Ca–Sr isotope systematics. For 50 years, the catchment received large amounts of partly soluble dust from a nearby cluster of coal-burning power plants, while suffering from acid rain and severe spruce die-back. Our objective was to investigate to what extent anthropogenic dust contributes to Mg and Ca in runoff and to identify fractionations affecting Mg and Ca isotope composition of 13 ecosystem pools and fluxes. We hypothesized that if Mg and Ca runoff fluxes were significantly larger than their atmospheric inputs, Mg and Ca isotope ratios in runoff would converge to those of bedrock Mg and Ca. This relationship could be obscured by isotope fractionations. Strontium characterized by negligible isotope fractionations served as a Ca proxy. There was a strong positive correlation between Mg and Ca fluxes via spruce throughfall and catchment runoff. Monitoring of rainfall, canopy throughfall and runoff fluxes revealed a 20-, 15- and 15-fold excess of Mg, Ca and Sr in runoff, respectively, compared to atmospheric deposition fluxes. This sizeable excess per se would indicate predominance of geogenic base cations in runoff. The behavior of Mg and Ca isotopes was de-coupled. Petrographic study indicated that 92% of bedrock Mg was bound to easily dissolving biotite, 97% Ca was present in plagioclase, and nearly all Sr was in orthoclase. While Mg isotope ratios in bedrock and runoff were indistinguishable, corroborating predominantly geogenic Mg in runoff, Ca and Sr isotope ratios in bedrock and runoff were significantly different, consistent with a non-negligible contribution of atmospheric Ca and Sr to runoff. Previous study of sites underlain by felsic rocks indicated that the δ44Ca value of apatite was often higher than the δ44Ca value of plagioclase. Should weathering of apatite and/or plagioclase preferentially release Ca that is isotopically heavier than bulk rock, the geogenic Ca source at JEZ would converge to the mean δ44Ca value of runoff. Calcium isotope data would then become more consistent with a major role of geogenic Ca in JEZ runoff indicated by mass balance data.

Abstract Microplastics (MPs) are a global problem due to their pervasiveness and possible harm to humans and other living organisms. It has been reported that a wide variety of foods, including seafood, contain microplastics. Dried pink shrimp (Penaeus notialis) popularly called ‘dried crayfish’ is a common delicacy in many Nigerian and West African local recipes. To our knowledge, this is the first study to assess the presence of meso- and microplastics in dried shrimp in Nigeria. From a survey of five popular markets in Ekiti State, South West, Nigeria—Shasha, Oja Oba, Agric Olope, Afao (Ikere), and Oja Isale (Ifaki), 15 samples of sun- and smoke-dried pink shrimp were purchased, and their meso- (5–25 mm) and microplastic (1 to

Abstract Eco-labels are market tools that provide consumers with relevant information, enabling more informed and sustainable purchasing decisions. As fisheries operate on a high production scale, it is possible to dilute the costs of implementing and maintaining these initiatives. However, as the production scale decreases, small producing communities may need help participating in product certification processes. In global contexts, where consumer markets become increasingly demanding, the need for certification can translate into a barrier to selling such products. In this context, the present article aims to investigate existing certifications in the literature for large- and small-scale fisheries and their benefits and challenges for the fisheries. The systematic literature review was conducted to achieve the research objectives. A total of 38 articles were analyzed for this study. The Marine Stewardship Council emerged as the most recognizable certification body worldwide. Market access was the benefit of this certification scheme. On the other hand, small-scale fisheries face barriers in obtaining this market access tool, with costs being the primary challenge cited. Certification schemes can significantly enhance the fisheries value chain by fostering better interactions between fisheries stakeholders and reshaping the structure of small-scale fisheries.

Abstract The “Just Transition” concept aims to ensure an equitable shift toward low-carbon economies by minimizing negative impacts on workers, communities, and vulnerable sectors, while inclusively distributing the benefits of environmental policies. However, this process faces structural and conceptual barriers that extend beyond technical challenges, such as the lack of effective participation, power dynamics, persistent inequalities, and tensions between economic growth and sustainability. This work transcends traditional notions by adopting a plural and critical perspective from the Pluriverse to explore the challenges and opportunities in reshaping the Just Transition. We argue that integrating local knowledge and adopting epistemic justice approaches are essential for designing transitions that not only mitigate the climate crisis but also promote autonomy, social equity, and ecological regeneration.

Abstract Background Recycling nutrients and organic matter available as waste in urban areas may close nutrient gaps and improve soil quality, but the concentrations of potentially toxic elements (PTEs) are commonly higher than in mineral fertilisers. How quickly may the limits for soil quality be exceeded, and for which elements, if such materials are applied intensively? For a rough answer to this question, we used soil data from ten case farms near Oslo and Bergen (Norway) to estimate how PTE concentrations increased when the demand for nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P) and potassium (K) in a theoretical carrot crop produced every year was covered by compost or digestate from source-separated food waste, or composted garden waste, compared with manure from horses and poultry which are often kept in peri-urban areas. Results With the intensive fertilisation assumed here, the Norwegian soil quality limits for PTEs were reached within 20–85 years, and faster for soil with more organic matter since regulatory limits set by weight discriminate soils with low bulk density. The limits were reached first for Cu and Zn, which are both essential micronutrients for crop plants. The concentrations of macronutrients in the urban waste-based fertilisers were not well balanced. Rates covering the K demand would lead to high surpluses of P and N. In peri-urban vegetable growing, high applications of compost are not unusual, but more balanced fertilisation is required. Conclusions The Norwegian regulations for PTEs in organic soil amendments and agricultural soil are stricter than in the EU, and do not support recycling of organic matter and nutrients from urban waste. Many materials which can only be applied with restricted amounts to Norwegian agricultural soil, may be applied according to crop demand in the EU. Growers utilising urban waste-based fertilisers intensively should monitor the soil regularly, including PTE analyses. Soil sampling should occur on fixed sampling points to reveal changes in concentrations over time. Norwegian authorities should consider a revision of the organic fertiliser regulation to support recycling of valuable organic materials. There is a need for more data on the PTE concentrations in agricultural soil and organic fertiliser materials.

Abstract This study evaluates the efficacy of discrete bacterial consortia in bioremediating sandy loamy soil deliberately contaminated with 20 mg/kg of chlorantraniliprole (CAP). It monitors alterations in total bacterial populations and CO2 emissions, tracking residual CAP levels through UV scanning and HPLC analysis. Six active bacterial degraders (four Bacillus strains (B. subtilis subsp. subtilis AZFS3, B. pumilus AZFS5, B. mojavensis AZFS15, and B. paramycoides AZFS18), one Alcaligenes strain (A. aquatilis KZFS11), and one Pseudomonas strain (P. aeruginosa KZFS4)) were used in single or combined preparations and grown on trypticase soy broth for 24 h at 30 °C before preparing the inoculants and adjusting the bacterial cell count to 107 CFU/dwt g soil. The bacterial consortia were added to the CAP-contaminated soil and incubated for 20 days at 30 °C. The di-, tetra-, and hexa-bacterial consortia recorded the highest levels of viable bacteria, reaching their peak after 3 to 11 days of incubation. Then, they declined to the minimum levels at the end of the 20 days, which coincided with their complete removal of CAP from the soil. At the end of the incubation period (20 days), the CAP was mainly biodegraded, scoring biodegradation rates of 90.05%, 93.65%, and 98.65% for T3, T4, and T5, respectively. This concurred with the highest average CO2 production. Based on the results of the HPLC analysis, the hexa-bacterial consortium T5 demonstrated the highest rate of CAP biodegradation (99.33%) after a 20-day incubation period, resulting in the lowest residual level of CAP in the soil (0.67%). Bioinformatic analysis predicted that the CAP biodegradation pathway reached CO2 and H2O. Under optimized conditions, the hexa-bacteria consortium is the most effective CAP biodegraded and is recommended as an eco-friendly treatment for eliminating CAP pollution in the field.

Abstract Background Microplastics, polymer-based particles

Abstract Persistent and toxic chemicals remain a significant pollution concern, underscored by the European Union's Zero Pollution Action Plan. Daily exposure to complex chemical mixtures starts early and continues throughout life, for instance for consumer products such as toys, plasticware, furniture, and synthetic fibres. EU-funded research projects like COPHES/DEMOCOPHES, HBM4EU, and PARC have documented population exposure to these substances. The outcomes of such research initiatives have contributed to highlighting the adverse health impacts of Substances of Concern (SoCs), leading to several regulatory actions within the EU. SoCs include hazardous chemicals such as carcinogens, mutagens, endocrine disruptors, and “persistent, bioaccumulative, and mobile” (PBM) chemicals. The digital transformation in chemicals management has resulted in policies that mandate electronic submissions of chemical risk assessment-relevant data, and the creation of industry-specific databases like the Substances of Concern in Products (SCIP) database, established by the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) under the revised Waste Framework Directive (WstFD). These databases describe SoCs and their link with products, offering a comprehensive view of chemical quantities, emission sources, exposure pathways, and other relevant data, contingent on robust data governance. Effective chemical risk assessment requires characterizing hazards, exposure sources and levels, and drawing conclusions concluding on potential risks, supported by a well-defined problem formulation and monitoring. This includes setting objectives and defining the scope of the risk assessment and decision-making, particularly regarding early warning signal detection for the purpose of public health protection. Successful risk assessment hinges on access to robust, traceable, accessible, and interoperable data across scientific disciplines and regulatory frameworks. This paper discusses the challenges of aggregating human health risk assessment-relevant chemical information from multiple sources, especially from the perspective of data fusion and reuse. It presents findings from a research project focused on utilizing chemicals datasets from various governmental and scientific sources. The study highlights the need for improved data presentation and availability to enhance usability for all stakeholders. Recommendations are made for the EU Commission, ECHA, industry, and academia to support harmonized data practices, increased transparency, and the development of sustainable chemical applications fostering safer market introductions. These recommendations can also be useful to other data providers that care about the reusability of the data they publish or manage.