| 1. |
- Mauerhofer, Volker
(author)
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3-D Sustainability : An approach for priority setting in situation of conflicting interests towards a Sustainable Development
- 2008
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In: Ecological Economics. - : Elsevier BV. - 0921-8009 .- 1873-6106. ; 64:3, s. 496-506
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- This paper aims to provide a new approach to objectively assess hierarchies and priority setting in the relationship between environmental, social and economic sustainability within Sustainable Development. After a literature review, several widely used conceptual figures (diagrams) describing this relationship were assessed using SWOT analyses in order to identify the major weaknesses in these pictorial descriptions. Based on the findings, a new concept called '3-D Sustainability' has been developed and is presented visually as well as is described in the text. This concept introduces and ranks criteria for the assessment of hierarchies within, and conflicts of interests between, social, environmental and economic sustainability (the three dimensions of sustainability). These criteria are applied to several existing hierarchies and solutions to conflicts of interests. Based on the SWOT analyses, the main shortcomings of the widely used conceptual figures were identified as (1) misinterpretation of embeddings, (2) misjudgement of equity between the three dimensions of sustainability, (3) a lack of expression of limitations, and (4) lack of adequate decision support. These shortcomings are overcome (theoretically and in practice) by '3-D Sustainability', a slightly more complex, but conceptually richer, figure than the widely used conceptual figures assessed. In particular, the shift of the burden of proof within the three sustainability dimensions is argued as a main solution. The application of the criteria of '3-D Sustainability' to several real examples indicates its usefulness in decision support, while justifying more sustainable hierarchies and solutions in the settlement of conflicts of interests within the three sustainability dimensions. © 2007 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
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| 2. |
- Mauerhofer, Volker
(author)
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Foreword and introduction
- 2021
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In: The Role of Law in Governing Sustainability. - : Routledge. - 9781003158837 ; , s. xii-xv
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Book chapter (peer-reviewed)
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| 3. |
- Mauerhofer, Volker
(author)
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Legal aspects of ecosystem services : An introduction and an overview
- 2018
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In: Ecosystem Services. - : Elsevier B.V.. - 2212-0416. ; 29, s. 185-189
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- This introductory contribution to a Special Issue (SI) titled “Legal Aspects of Ecosystem Services” intends to provide both a short introduction on the SI-topic as well as a brief overview on the content of each paper therein. The introduction aims to provide an overall entry point into the topic from a legal as well as an interdisciplinary perspective. It first offers initial insights into the relationship between the rule of law as one socially constructed normative framework and ecosystem services. Furthermore, it also points out interrelations among rule-focused, economic-focused and information-focused incentives, all with the potential to influence human behaviour with regard to ecosystem services. The overview delivers as a sort of short-cut a table of authors, levels of the geopolitical scale addressed, types of analysis implemented and themes focused upon within the Special Issue. It further provides an overview of the main direction of each contribution to this SI. The conclusions strive to provide a brief summary of the “why” the “when” the “where” the “how” and the “what” of current and future research on legal aspect of ecosystem services.
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| 4. |
- Mauerhofer, Volker
(author)
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Social capital, social capacity and social carrying capacity : Perspectives for the social basics within environmental sustainability
- 2013
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In: Futures: The journal of policy, planning and futures studies. - : Elsevier BV. - 0016-3287 .- 1873-6378. ; 53, s. 63-73
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- This article aims to contribute to the continued development of a coherent theory and practical implementation of sustainable development in the social context. It does so by presenting a systematic discussion on 'social capital', 'social capacity' and 'social carrying capacity' under the umbrella of environmental carrying capacity regarding environmental sustainability. Based on an in-depth literature review, the relationship between social capital and human capital is assessed in detail, the overlap between the social capacity approach and different capability approaches closely discussed and the use as well as the meaning of social carrying capacity in science and in practice for environmental sustainability is more intensively explored. In summary, the results of the analysis provide for all the three assessed terms an innovative variety of possible new contributions to future policy proposals and research priorities for social sustainability regarding population growth, social riots, overwork and technical overload obeying the environmental limits. © 2013 Elsevier Ltd.
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| 5. |
- Mauerhofer, Volker
(author)
-
Summary and conclusions
- 2021
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In: The Role of Law in Governing Sustainability. - : Routledge. - 9781003158837 ; , s. 264-270
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Book chapter (peer-reviewed)abstract
- This conclusion presents some closing thoughts of the key concepts discussed in the preceding chapters of this book. The book outlines a research agenda proposal for assessing the role of law for the implementation of the latest political agendas of the United Nations and the European Union implying global environmental and biodiversity net gains as the ultimate goal for a sustainable development even already till 2030. It identifies that a lack of clear and precise international legislation leads to unsustainable exploitation of marine energy and mineral resources. The book provides recommendations to improve the international regulatory framework. It highlights the overarching importance of tax law when it comes to powerful tools of national governments to steer sustainability governance but emphasize the complexity of potential solutions. The book investigates the emergence and impact of latest public health law in Nigeria’s federal system. It presents an overview of the existing legal regime in curtailing environmental abuse in Nigeria and of its effectiveness.
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| 6. |
- Mauerhofer, Volker
(author)
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The role of net-gain law for governance of a sustainable development
- 2021
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In: The Role of Law in Governing Sustainability. - : Routledge. - 9781003158837 ; , s. 1-20
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Book chapter (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Governance and law are intrinsically intertwined in addressing the endeavour to achieve a sustainable development. Latest environmental agendas of the UN and the EU imply global environmental and biodiversity net gains as the ultimate goal for a sustainable development up to 2030. This chapter strives to assess the role which law can play within the implementation of these latest worldwide and regional policy directions. It does so by outlining a proposed research agenda. Hermeneutic methods are applied, such as comparative legal analyses and different types of text interpretation (e.g. historic, wording, rational). The findings identify for this research agenda three major parts:the assessment of the interpretation of net gain in connection with law related to the new UN and EU biodiversity and environment net-gain agendasthe analysis of how existing and future law can contribute to environmental and biodiversity net gains by enabling voluntary behaviour (sufficiency), prescribing and implementing binding behaviour (effectiveness), increasing current and future biodiversity’s representation (ecological equity) and/or enabling efficiency while ending rebound effects (eco-efficiency)the elaboration of the legal integration among these four criteria assessed in terms of interrelation, decision making, instrument and policy mixes, as well as geopolitical legal interplay towards environmental and biodiversity net gainsThe proposed research agenda with these three parts is capable to provide (1) a common basic understanding for environmental and biodiversity net gains in relation to law, as well as (2) a starting point for steering the regional and global implementation of this new international policy objective enabling a sustainable development.
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| 7. |
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The Role of Law in Governing Sustainability
- 2021
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Editorial collection (peer-reviewed)abstract
- This book explores how public and private actors can interrelate to achieve also by means of law a sustainable development which is beneficial for the environment, society and the economy. The Role of Law in Governing Sustainability assesses the structure, functions and perspectives of law in the wider governance frameworks of sustainable development. It provides latest and in-depth insights from each of the three dimensions of sustainable development and the relations among them. Latest political developments on global and regional level related to the environmental, social and the economic dimensions are provided as well as in-depth case studies. Thereby the book explores how international and national laws and governance can help us move towards a more sustainable future. This book will be of great interest to students and scholars of environmental law, global governance and sustainable development.
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| 8. |
- Verhaeghe, Griet, et al.
(author)
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National progress towards supranational climate & energy goals due to policies & their mixes? : Insights from Northern & Western Europe
- 2023
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In: Journal of Environmental Management. - : Elsevier BV. - 0301-4797 .- 1095-8630. ; 348
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The European Union's climate strategy obliges its Member States to fulfil common Climate and Energy Targets by 2030 while the Member States are free in their choice of mixes among polices and instruments providing rule-, economic-and information-focussed incentives. This paper comparatively firstly calculates in how far 11 Member States have already progressed towards these targets, based on the goals set in the National Climate and Energy Plans. Secondly, the paper quantitatively investigates in how far there is a relationship between this progress and the use of different policy-mixes of the countries. The findings about the relationship between progress and policy mixes show that most Pearson correlations (weak to moderate) exist for the rule-focussed incentives (r = −0,41 to −0,62), while fewer but stronger correlations exist for economic- (r = −0,79) and information-focussed incentives (r = −0,73 to −0,74). Voluntary and other policies and measures seem to be of less importance as they only show negligible correlations. Since all discovered correlations are negative, this research shows that a good policy-mix should consist out of a fair share of the main three policy-groups. These highly current findings can guide also other countries globally in the development of a good climate strategy.
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| 9. |
- Huang, B., et al.
(author)
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Analysis of existing building energy saving policies in Japan and China
- 2016
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In: Journal of Cleaner Production. - : Elsevier Ltd. - 0959-6526 .- 1879-1786. ; 112, s. 1510-1518
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Building sector accounts for a large percentage of the total national energy consumption in most of the countries, thus it is critical to formulate and implement appropriate energy saving policies in the building sector. This paper focuses on energy saving policies in the building sector by conducting a comparative study between Japan and China. The exiting Building Energy Saving (BES) policies, actual effectiveness of policy implementation and obstacles to the effective policy implementation are compared in sequence. Related policies are categorized into four groups: control and regulatory instruments; economic/market-based instruments; fiscal instruments and information and voluntary actions. Policy effect analysis identifies that BES policies have promoted building energy saving in both Japan and China. Obstacles comparison reveals that Japan and China shared many obstacles including high transaction costs and lack of applicable methodology. Compared with Japan, China is suffering more obstacles such as inefficient enforcement, insufficient levels of information and awareness and immature financial regulation system. Based on the previous findings, common suggestions for overcoming these obstacles of BES policies in Japan and China are presented, such as the accurate methods of baseline identification and emission accountings, innovative incentives, and more capacity building activities. Distinct suggestions for Japan and China are also added by considering their own situations so that both countries can further improve their BES policies. © 2015 Elsevier Ltd.
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| 10. |
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