The use of ex-ante modelling tools in European Impact Assessment: What role does land use play?

Impact Assessment was introduced by the European Commission in 2002 in order to make policy development more transparent and improve the ‘quality’ of European policies. Cross-sectoral consultation, broad participation and the quantitative assessment of the impacts of policies are significant elements of this process. This article specifically addresses the role of tools modelling the impact of policies on land use in Impact Assessment. The choice of a specific modelling tool is conceptualised as an action situation interlinked with other action arenas. The article aims to uncover the institutions structuring the action situation. The outcome of the empirical work suggests that two types of Impact Assessments can be distinguished. Impact Assessments either substantively contribute to the specific policy that the Commission proposes or they legitimise policy choices ex post that have already been adopted. The legislative procedure that applies to a specific policy sector, the policy making culture in the DG and the stakes that are at issue seem to influence whether Impact Assessments contribute to policy development, or legitimise it. Furthermore, the article describes the situation in which desk officers choose a modelling tool throughout Impact Assessment. To advance their careers desk officers aim to produce policy proposals which respond to the issues raised by the actors involved in Impact Assessment and specifically in policy development and, later on, adoption. Therefore, desk officers’ preferences are shaped by the community that is involved in policy development and Impact Assessment. The article describes what role modelling tools play in European Impact Assessment procedures and it names the heuristic of criteria which desk officers use to choose a modelling tool. Besides several technical and data problems of modelling land use impact, it seems to be unlikely that land use will become a significant dimension of Impact Assessment and modelling as it is confronted with an unfavourable institutional environment at the European level.     

宜宾市复合生态系统的能值评价及其可持续发展探析

随着经济总量的增加,作为能源型城市的宜宾在经济增长方式、经济生产结构和城市消费结构上急需进行科学而快速的调整,进而步入人口、资源、环境协调发展的可持续之路。因此本文通过能值分析方法,对宜宾市生态、经济、社会3个子系统的发展状况进行定量化的分析评价,为其科学经济规划提供基础数据平台。     

Human Resource Ecosystem and its evolutionary rules

The paper, based on the concept and the elements of human resource ecosystem （HR Ecosystem）, studies the function and structure of HR Ecosystem, introduces the entropy theory to define the content of entropy of HR Ecosystem, constructs the corresponding distinctive model to distinguish the direction of the evolution of HR Ecosystem and the evolutionary entropy model, and applies the models to demonstrate the evolutionary rules of HR Ecosystem. The study shows that the entropy theory can be well applied to the analysis on HR Ecosystem and that it opens up a new field in the research of human resource management and provides a new effective technical method.     

An assessment of market-based approaches to providing ecosystem services on agricultural lands

Market-based approaches are increasingly being advocated as tools for achieving the conservation of ecosystem services. We examine the reasons why markets so far appear to have failed to provide an efficient allocation of many ecosystem services, and identify the conditions under which markets deliver efficient resource allocation. We discuss different forms of market-based approaches to ecosystem services and identify the characteristics of services that make them better suited to one or another of these approaches. We find that lack of low-cost measurability and valuation currently precludes efficient allocation of many ecosystem services through market-based approaches. Still, some forms of market-based approaches hold promise for cost-effectively managing some ecosystem services provided by and to agricultural lands. In many cases some form of well-designed government involvement will be required to seek outcomes that protect the public interest.     

论中央银行在金融生态系统中的定位——基于一个Keystone的研究视角

在生态系统中,一些物种对整个生态系统的稳定有着举足轻重的作用,它们被称为关键物种(Keystone)。根据生态学中Keystone的定义和判断标准,从中央银行与金融生态系统的关系来看,中央银行具有类Keystone特征。因此,有效发挥中央银行的Keystone作用,可以成为改善金融生态环境的政策切入点。     

Exploring the future of ecological genomics: Integrating CTA with vision assessment

Interactive approaches to technology development provide opportunities for the development of innovative technologies which clearly connect with social practices and address the positive and negative effects as perceived by relevant actors. The challenge is to start an interactive approach early in the development of new technologies, when many options are still open for exploration and there are good possibilities for steering. Early involvement of societal actors is, however, challenged by the absence of concrete applications on which they can develop their own visions from the perspective of their own needs, interests, norms and values. Integrating Constructive Technology Assessment (CTA) with vision assessment is proposed as an approach to overcome this dilemma in the field of ecological genomics and bridge the knowledge gap between parties closely involved with ecogenomics research and other relevant actors. We present, evaluate and discuss the process of identifying guiding visions of the technology developers as a first step in this approach and end with some suggestions on how desirable futures for ecogenomics can subsequently be assessed from the perspectives of different actors.     

进口商品风险分类监管模式的探讨

从风险管理角度出发,提出通过构建进口商品分类管理的监管模式,建立风险分类管理体系,并给出了具体的措施和建议。结果对于创新进口风险监管模式,改善和促进我国进口商品质量安全管理具有重要作用。     

林业现代化评价方法探讨

论述了林业现代化评价指标数据的来源与取得方法、指标设计的基本思路，并且建立了林业现代化的评价模型。认为林业现代化评价指标的标准值应该以中等发达国家相应指标的实际值平均数为主，以专家咨询法（Delphi）定为辅；林业现代化评价指标的权重必须采用层次分析法（AHP）和专家咨询法确定。此外，还详细阐述了林业现代化评价指标权重的计算过程、计算公式和国内外常见的5种现代化评价标准。     

武汉市房地产业生态系统健康状况分析——基于PSR框架模型

在明确房地产业生态系统运行机制及健康内涵后,构建了基于PSR模型的评价指标体系,运用熵权TOPSIS法对武汉市2001—2012年房地产业生态系统健康状况及系统协调度进行了分析。研究结果表明：以2008年为分界点,在此之前,区域房地产业生态系统健康综合指数波动性较大,此后逐渐趋缓,但总体水平还有待提高,2012年房地产业生态系统仅处于“偏冷亚健康”状态：压力、状况和响应三个子系统间虽然保持较高协调性,但需注意系统内部结构调整与优化,避免协调度“虚高”现象。