Exploring under-utilised low carbon land resources from multiple perspectives: Case studies on regencies in Kalimantan

Mobilising under-utilised low carbon (ULC) land resources for future agricultural production can help reducing pressure on high carbon stock land from agricultural expansion, particularly for deforestation hotspots like Kalimantan. However, the potential of ULC land is not yet well understood, especially at regency level which is the key authority for land-use planning in Indonesia. Therefore, this study explored ULC land resources for all regencies in Kalimantan. By analysing information from six monitoring domains, a range of indicators were derived to provide insights into the physical area of ULC land from various perspectives. It was found that these indicators show largely different values at regency level. For example, regency Pulang Pisau has a substantial area of ‘temporarily unused agricultural land’ but a very limited area of ‘low carbon land’ – this implies that not all ‘temporarily unused agricultural land’ is ready for future exploitation when assessing from different aspects. As a result of such diverging indicators, using a single indicator to quantify available ULC land resources is risky as it can either be an over- or under-estimation. Thus, ULC land resources were further explored in the present paper by taking four regencies as case studies and comparing all the indicators, supported with relevant literature and evidence collected from narrative interviews. This information was used to estimate ULC land area by possible land-use strategies. For example, Gunung Mas was found to have a large area of low carbon land which is not occupied and might be suitable for oil palm deployment. However, the major limitation is that physical estimates cannot provide a complete picture of ‘real’ land availability without considering a broader range of socio-economic factors (e.g. labour availability). Therefore, physical land area indicators from different domains must be combined with other qualitative and quantitative information especially the socio-economic factors underlying land under-utilisation to obtain better estimates.     

路基稳定性数值分析

本文通过对常见的路基稳定性分析案例进行强度折减法的数值分析,为进一步研究这一方法在路基稳定性分析中的应用奠定基础。     

资源环境约束下乌鲁木齐市低碳城市建设路径研究

城市是最大的温室气体排放主体和减排的主要承担者。本文以乌鲁木齐市低碳城市建设为研究对象,通过分析乌鲁木齐建设低碳城市的优劣势,提出低碳城市建设的路径,以期对乌鲁木齐市低碳城市的建设提供参考。     

Pure meat – Public perceptions of risk reduction strategies in meat production

Experience has shown that both the assessment and implementation of new technologies in food production are challenged by negative assessments of the technologies by the public. This article seeks to deepen our understanding of the concerns that may underlie negative attitudes to various kinds of risk reduction strategy in meat production, with the aim of distinguishing between forms of risk reduction in terms of their acceptability. The paper reports the result of a focus-group study. Six focus groups with Danish citizens (N: 5–9) were conducted during May 2006. The design of the groups took a bottom-up approach and included elements of meat quality, meat safety and risk reduction strategies. The study shows the dilemma risk reduction presents to members of the public. On the one hand, people want safe meat; on the other, the study showed that with the exception of hygiene practices, people generally have an aversion to risk reduction strategies. Some variation was found, however, in the rejection of the strategies. Thus, more acceptable strategies are characterised by a low degree of technological interference, and by being close to the consumer’s experience in everyday life and/or familiar to the participants’ picture of meat production. It is also important that the strategy does not alter the quality of the end-product (meat) in an unfavourable way. The implications of the results and the inherent dilemma for meat safety policy formation are discussed.     

Auction winning,social dynamics and non-compliance in a payment for ecosystem services scheme in Indonesia

Conservation auctions for payment for ecosystem services (PES) are useful to identify the levels of incentives that will cover the opportunity costs of farmers supplying ecosystem services. Although auctions are increasingly used for allocation in PES schemes, the factors that lead to their successful implementation and eventual environmental outcomes are poorly understood in developing countries. We investigated the socio-economic and institutional contexts that led to smallholders' auction winning and eventual compliance using linear mixed-effects models, and post-auction and post-contract surveys. We employed a case study of a conservation contract preceded by a sealed-bid, multiple round, uniform price auction for watershed services from coffee farmers in Lampung, Indonesia. The auction participants presented low education levels, low asset endowments and small plot sizes. The study obtained evidence that farmers with larger plot areas were more likely to win the contracts, suggesting economies of scale. Most farmers considered the auction a fair self-selection mechanism to allocate contracts where allocation was not influenced by power or social rank. Non-compliance was associated with labor availability constraints, short duration of land ownership and existence of previous conservation applications, suggesting lax of capability to invest in applying conservation agriculture. Final bids were however not good predictors of compliance, among other factors, calling into question the potential of auctions to elicit the actual incentive from the farmers. Ensuring that farmers understand the purposes of auctions for effective contract allocation beyond a mere game and identifying farmers that might encounter difficulties fulfilling the contract could increase the likelihood that such a PES scheme would be successful.     

国际碳基金经营风险管理的经验与启示

当前，国际碳基金运营体系日趋成熟。本文总结了国际碳基金在治理运营模式、风险评价、风险控制与项目退出四个方面的运营经验；并结合实际，提出了中国进一步发展碳基金的建议。     

当前中国低碳社区建设的现状及改进路径分析

建设生态文明一直是我国的重要目标，但当前我们面临的生态问题很多，其中碳排放过量就是一个重要方面。为此，在发展低碳经济、推行低碳生产的同时，控制社区碳排放量、建设低碳社区成为我们的任务。它对于建设生态文明、促进人与自然和谐相处具有非常积极的意义。政府对低碳社区建设非常重视，也取得了显著成效，但当前依然存在诸如社区废弃物的低碳处理还处于粗放状态、居民的低碳环保意识有待提高等问题。为此，我们既需要认真总结和借鉴西方发达国家低碳社区的成功经验，又需要根据我们自己的情况进行改进，比如在社区建设低碳节能型建筑、激发社区居民在低碳环保方面的生活自觉，以及在能源的使用上尝试以新换旧等。     

Carbon Markets in China: Development and Challenges

China is attempting to initiate its own carbon market—an important market-based policy instrument which would determine the fate of global climate policy as the largest emitter of carbon dioxide across the world. This article looks at carbon trading development so far and examines the key challenges ahead in China. These past experiences—whatever from international CDM practice, or SO₂ emission trading and a domestic voluntary carbon market—have paved the solid way to build the existing ETS pilots similar to European Union Emissions Trading System (EU ETS). The investigation into China’s ETS pilots discovered some important and urgent issues such as the capsetting and deepening energy market reform.     

农网改造升级工程接地施工若干质量问题的防控探讨

当前我国已经将决战脱贫攻坚、决胜全面建成小康社会作为主要的战略目标,为了实现这一目标,实现脱贫攻坚,电力保障是一个非常重要的因素。近年来我国全面推进农网改造升级工程。农网改造工程的接地施工质量的重要性毋庸置疑,但是农网改造工程的特殊性又使得接地质量的判断变得不好把握,本文从农网改造工程接地质量现状、防控措施等方面进行探讨。