scholarly journals Conservation at the International Level

Conservation ◽  
2021 ◽  
pp. 331-360
Author(s):  
Charles Perrings
Keyword(s):  
Public Goods ◽  
Strategic Behavior ◽  
Climate Mitigation ◽  
International Level ◽  
Migratory Species ◽  
Governance Mechanisms ◽  
Multilateral Agreements ◽  
National Jurisdiction ◽  
National Governments ◽  
The Impact

The conservation of ecosystems that either span national jurisdictions or extend beyond areas of national jurisdiction requires the establishment of governance mechanisms that operate above national governments, and hence that involve some cession of national sovereignty. This involves the coordination of national action, usually through the negotiation of bilateral or multilateral agreements. Chapter 14 considers the problem of conservation across national jurisdictions, focusing on ecosystems that span jurisdictions, migratory species, and the international movement of pests and pathogens as an incidental effect of trade and travel. It explores the impact of strategic behavior on the effectiveness of multilateral agreements, and the institutions developed to supply transboundary public goods such as climate mitigation.

scholarly journals A multilevel carbon and water footprint dataset of food commodities

2021 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Tashina Petersson ◽  
Luca Secondi ◽  
Andrea Magnani ◽  
Marta Antonelli ◽  
Katarzyna Dembska ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Water Footprint ◽  
Greenhouse Gas Emission ◽  
Grey Literature ◽  
Climate Mitigation ◽  
Food Sector ◽  
Environmental Pressures ◽  
Global Environmental ◽  
Dietary Shifts ◽  
Food Commodities ◽  
The Impact

AbstractInforming and engaging citizens to adopt sustainable diets is a key strategy for reducing global environmental impacts of the agricultural and food sectors. In this respect, the first requisite to support citizens and actors of the food sector is to provide them a publicly available, reliable and ready to use synthesis of environmental pressures associated to food commodities. Here we introduce the SU-EATABLE LIFE database, a multilevel database of carbon (CF) and water (WF) footprint values of food commodities, based on a standardized methodology to extract information and assign optimal footprint values and uncertainties to food items, starting from peer-reviewed articles and grey literature. The database and its innovative methodological framework for uncertainty treatment and data quality assurance provides a solid basis for evaluating the impact of dietary shifts on global environmental policies, including climate mitigation through greenhouse gas emission reductions. The database ensures repeatability and further expansion, providing a reliable science-based tool for managers and researcher in the food sector.

scholarly journals Environmental modification via a quorum sensing molecule influences the social landscape of siderophore production

2017 ◽  
Vol 284 (1852) ◽  
pp. 20170200 ◽  
Author(s):  
Roman Popat ◽  
Freya Harrison ◽  
Ana C. da Silva ◽  
Scott A. S. Easton ◽  
Luke McNally ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Quorum Sensing ◽  
Public Goods ◽  
Bacterial Species ◽  
Relative Fitness ◽  
Iron Starvation ◽  
Signal Molecule ◽  
Signalling Molecules ◽  
Signalling Molecule ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Social Trait

Bacteria produce a wide variety of exoproducts that favourably modify their environment and increase their fitness. These are often termed ‘public goods’ because they are costly for individuals to produce and can be exploited by non-producers (cheats). The outcome of conflict over public goods is dependent upon the prevailing environment and the phenotype of the individuals in competition. Many bacterial species use quorum sensing (QS) signalling molecules to regulate the production of public goods. QS, therefore, determines the cooperative phenotype of individuals, and influences conflict over public goods. In addition to their regulatory functions, many QS molecules have additional properties that directly modify the prevailing environment. This leads to the possibility that QS molecules could influence conflict over public goods indirectly through non-signalling effects, and the impact of this on social competition has not previously been explored. The Pseudomonas aeruginosa QS signal molecule PQS is a powerful chelator of iron which can cause an iron starvation response. Here, we show that PQS stimulates a concentration-dependent increase in the cooperative production of iron scavenging siderophores, resulting in an increase in the relative fitness of non-producing siderophore cheats. This is likely due to an increased cost of siderophore output by producing cells and a concurrent increase in the shared benefits, which accrue to both producers and cheats. Although PQS can be a beneficial signalling molecule for P. aeruginosa , our data suggest that it can also render a siderophore-producing population vulnerable to competition from cheating strains. More generally, our results indicate that the production of one social trait can indirectly affect the costs and benefits of another social trait.

scholarly journals International framework agreements: new paths to workers' participation in multinationals' governance?

2008 ◽  
Vol 14 (1) ◽  
pp. 111-126 ◽  
Author(s):  
Isabelle Schömann ◽  
André Sobzack ◽  
Eckhard Voss ◽  
Peter Wilke
Keyword(s):  
Trade Unions ◽  
Self Regulation ◽  
Industrial Relations ◽  
Negotiation Process ◽  
Social Consequences ◽  
Social Regulation ◽  
International Level ◽  
Political Debate ◽  
Labour Standards ◽  
The Impact

This article describes the results of a major study on the impact of codes of conduct and international framework agreements (IFAs) on social regulation at company level. The limits of labour legislation at the national, as well as the international, level provide a strong motivation for both multinationals and trade unions to negotiate and sign IFAs. IFAs offer a way to regulate the social consequences of globalisation and to secure adherence to labour and social standards. They thus form part of the growing political debate on the international working and production standards of private actors. Examination of the negotiation process, the motivations of the parties, and the content of the agreements and implementation measures provides valuable insights into the impact of IFAs on multinationals' behaviour in respect of social dialogue and core labour standards. Finally, the article highlights the influence of such agreements on public policy-making and the limits of private self-regulation at European and international level, addressing the growing and controversial debate on the need for supranational structures to regulate labour standards and industrial relations.

Long-term legacy of delayed climate mitigation in global glacier response

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Fabien Maussion ◽  
Quentin Lejeune ◽  
Ben Marzeion ◽  
Matthias Mengel ◽  
David Rounce ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Sea Level Rise ◽  
Greenhouse Gas ◽  
Sea Level ◽  
Climate Mitigation ◽  
Delayed Response ◽  
Glacier Change ◽  
Mountain Glaciers ◽  
Glacier Runoff ◽  
The Impact

<p>Mountain glaciers have a delayed response to climate change and are expected to continue to melt long after greenhouse gas emissions have stopped, with consequences both for sea-level rise and water resources. In this contribution, we use the Open Global Glacier Model (OGGM) to compute global glacier volume and runoff changes until the year 2300 under a suite of stylized greenhouse gas emission characterized by (i) the year at which anthropogenic emissions culminate, (ii) their reduction rates after peak emissions and (iii) whether they lead to a long-term global temperature stabilization or decline. We show that even under scenarios that achieve the Paris Agreement goal of holding global-mean temperature below 2 °C, glacier contribution to sea-level rise will continue well beyond 2100. Because of this delayed response, the year of peak emissions (i.e. the timing of mitigation action) has a stronger influence on mit-term global glacier change than other emission scenario characteristics, while long-term change is dependent on all factors. We also discuss the impact of early climate mitigation on regional glacier change and the consequences for glacier runoff, both short-term (where some basins are expected to experience an increase of glacier runoff) and long-term (where all regions are expecting a net-zero or even negative glacier contribution to total runoff), underlining the importance of mountain glaciers for regional water availability at all timescales.</p>

The interplay between digital transformation and governance mechanisms in supply chains: evidence from the Italian automotive industry

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Emilio Paolucci ◽  
Elena Pessot ◽  
Riccardo Ricci
Keyword(s):  
Digital Technologies ◽  
Digital Transformation ◽  
Development Effort ◽  
Governance Mechanisms ◽  
Relational Governance ◽  
Firm Level ◽  
Digital Interface ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Automotive Suppliers ◽  
The Impact

PurposeThis paper aims to investigate the effect of specific subsets of digital technologies and governance mechanisms (i.e. relational and contractual) on the efficiency of the automotive supply chain (SC).Design/methodology/approachBuilding on the Transaction Costs Economic (TCE) theory, and on the literatures on the governance and Digital Transformation of SCs, the research employs a multi-respondent survey on a sample of 101 Italian automotive suppliers. It analyses the interplay between investments in network and physical–digital interface technologies and buyer–supplier relationship governance models in a joint product development effort. The related effects on costs, from the automotive suppliers' perspective, are considered.FindingsThe results confirm the TCE assumptions on governance mechanisms being appropriate to enhance cost performance, but in particular show that digital technologies shape the governance of buyer–supplier relationships with different patterns. The features of synchronisation and accessibility, as ensured by network technologies, are found to strengthen the impact of contractual governance, while the adoption of physical–digital interface technologies, and their enhanced features of virtualisation and traceability, further enhance the impact of relational governance on the efficiency improvements of suppliers.Practical implicationsSC actors need to recognise the importance of long-term collaboration and superior coordination through investments in specific subsets of digital technologies, to ensure a higher product and production data codifiability, transparency and thus integration at both an intra- and an inter-firm level.Originality/valueThis study is one of the first to have considered Digital Transformation in SCs from the suppliers' perspective and its implications on the efficiency of relationship governance with buyers.

scholarly journals Sensitivity of black carbon concentrations and climate impact to aging and scavenging

2016 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marianne T. Lund ◽  
Terje K. Berntsen ◽  
Bjørn H. Samset
Keyword(s):  
Nitric Acid ◽  
Black Carbon ◽  
Radiative Forcing ◽  
Mitigation Strategies ◽  
The Arctic ◽  
Climate Mitigation ◽  
Vertical Profiles ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Model Measurement ◽  
Global Mean

Abstract. Despite recent improvements, significant uncertainties in global modeling of black carbon (BC) aerosols persist, posing important challenges for the design and evaluation of effective climate mitigation strategies targeted at BC emission reductions. Here we investigate the sensitivity of BC concentrations in the chemistry-transport model OsloCTM2 with the microphysical aerosol parameterization M7 (OsloCTM2-M7) to parameters controlling aerosol aging and scavenging. We focus on Arctic surface concentrations and remote region BC vertical profiles, and introduce a novel treatment of condensation of nitric acid on BC. The OsloCTM2-M7 underestimates annual averaged BC surface concentrations, with a mean normalized bias of −0.55. The seasonal cycle and magnitude of Arctic BC surface concentrations is improved compared to previous OsloCTM2 studies, but model-measurement discrepancies during spring remain. High-altitude BC over the Pacific is overestimated compared with measurements from the HIPPO campaigns. We find that a shorter global BC lifetime improves the agreement with HIPPO, in line with other recent studies. Several processes can achieve this, including allowing for convective scavenging of hydrophobic BC and reducing the amount of soluble material required for aging. Simultaneously, the concentrations in the Arctic are reduced, resulting in poorer agreement with measurements in part of the region. A first step towards inclusion of aging by nitrate in OsloCTM2-M7 is made by allowing for condensation of nitric acid on BC. This results in a faster aging and reduced lifetime, and in turn to a better agreement with the HIPPO measurements. On the other hand, model-measurement discrepancies in the Arctic are exacerbated. Work to further improve this parameterization is needed. The impact on global mean radiative forcing (RF) and surface temperature response (TS) in our experiments is estimated. Compared to the baseline, decreases in global mean direct RF on the order of 10–30 % of the total pre-industrial to present BC direct RF is estimated for the experiments that result in the largest changes in BC concentrations. We show that globally tuning parameters related to BC aging and scavenging can improve the representation of BC vertical profiles in the OsloCTM2-M7 compared with observations. Our results also show that such improvements can result from changes in several processes and often depend on assumptions about uncertain parameters such as the BC ice nucleating efficiency and the change in hygroscopicity with aging. It is also important to be aware of potential tradeoffs in model performance between different regions. Other important sources of uncertainty, particularly for Arctic BC, such as model resolution has not been investigated here. Our results underline the importance of more observations and experimental data to improve process understanding and thus further constrain models.

scholarly journals The Impact of Software Testing Governance Choices

2014 ◽  
Vol 26 (1) ◽  
pp. 66-85
Author(s):  
Xihui Zhang ◽  
Colin G. Onita ◽  
Jasbir S. Dhaliwal
Keyword(s):  
Software Development ◽  
Software Testing ◽  
Governance Mechanisms ◽  
Individual Outcomes ◽  
Business Applications ◽  
It Managers ◽  
Dependent Variables ◽  
Organizational Integration ◽  
Governance Choices ◽  
The Impact

Software testing is becoming a critical component of software development, especially because of the proliferation of complex, interconnected, and real-time business applications. As a result, information technology (IT) managers are struggling with pragmatic governance mechanisms for integrating testing with development. Governance issues pertaining to how software testing is organized at strategic, tactical, and operational levels, however, have not received adequate attention in the literature. This study explores the impact of three specific governance mechanisms, including the existence of a distinct corporate testing unit, developers and testers reporting to different executives, and the existence of one-to-one matching between developers and testers, on the organizational integration of testing with development. A national survey of 196 software development and testing professionals was undertaken to investigate the impact of these governance variables on a set of dependent variables comprising organizational, group, and individual outcomes. The results indicate that these governance mechanisms have significant impacts and need to be considered for successful integration of development and testing.

scholarly journals Do Multinational Companies Practice Good Corporate Governance? Empirical Evidence from Bangladesh

2017 ◽  
Vol 7 (2) ◽  
pp. 96
Author(s):  
G. M. Wali Ullah ◽  
Sarwar Uddin Ahmed ◽  
Samiul Parvez Ahmed ◽  
Kazi Md. Jamshed
Keyword(s):  
Corporate Governance ◽  
Financial Performance ◽  
Stock Returns ◽  
Governance Structure ◽  
Multinational Companies ◽  
Governance Mechanisms ◽  
Corporate Governance Structure ◽  
Corporate Governance Mechanisms ◽  
The Impact ◽  
The Way

Corporate Governance refers to the way an organization is directed, administrated or controlled. It includes the set of rules and regulations that affect the manager's decision and contribute to the way company is perceived by the current and potential stakeholders. The corporate governance structure specifies the distribution of rights and responsibilities among different participants in the corporation such as; boards, managers, shareholders and other stakeholders and spells out the rules and procedures and also decision-making assistance on corporate affairs. Corporate governance practices in Bangladesh are gradually being introduced in most companies and organizations (Du, 2006). However, Bangladesh has fallen behind its neighboring countries and global economy in corporate governance (Gillibrand, 2004). Corporate governance structure is mainly considered ambiguous. Specific governance structures or practices will not necessarily fit all companies at all times. Firms with strong corporate governance mechanisms are generally associated with better financial performance, higher firm valuation and higher stock returns. Unfortunately, investors in Bangladesh have a little information about how these corporate values affect the performance of the Multinational Companies (MNCs). This study aims to provide a quantitative contribution to the literature by examining the impact of corporate governance mechanisms on financial performance from the perspective of MNCs. A panel data based Ordinary Least Squared (OLS) regression model was used to measure the quantitative significance of various corporate governance related variables on MNC performance, as identified through a detailed literature review.

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