Sovereign States in the Greenhouse: Does Jurisdiction Speak against Consumption- Based Emissions Accounting?

The paper investigates the significance of jurisdiction for the choice of accounting method of greenhouse gases. Making use of the distinction between retrospective and prospective responsibility, it assesses three different arguments from jurisdiction against consumption-based emissions accounting. It argues that one of these arguments, the effectiveness argument, provides a strong potential reason against consumptionbased emissions accounting. To the extent jurisdictional control is needed to reduce some emissions, and production-based accounting incentivizes states to reduce these emissions, there is a reason of environmental effectiveness for sticking with production-based accounting.

Analysis on the Effectiveness of the Input in Household Waste Classification of Residents—Taking S City in China as an Example

S city in China has implemented a waste classification system and constructed a waste classification model with government-led market and public participation. In order to explore the effectiveness of waste classification input in S city, this paper conducts analyses from the points of view of the classification facility’s construction, environmental effectiveness, social acceptability and operation sustainability, based on interviews with and questionnaire surveys completed by related parties. The results show that the current waste classification facility system in S city is basically completed; high rates of both properties and residents comply with the waste classification system. S city has established a government-led waste classification pattern that depends on social participation. This pattern has been recognized and accepted by residents and is economically sustainable. At the same time, it is pointed out that the current marginal effectiveness of the waste classification input is showing a declining trend. Future investment should shift from investment in facilities and equipment to incentives for autonomous management by residents, and the corresponding evaluation of investment and effectiveness should also change accordingly. This requires the government to guide the refined management system.

Recent Advances in Biotechnological Itaconic Acid Production, and Application for a Sustainable Approach

Intense research has been conducted to produce environmentally friendly biopolymers obtained from renewable feedstock to substitute fossil-based materials. This is an essential aspect for implementing the circular bioeconomy strategy, expressly declared by the European Commission in 2018 in terms of “repair, reuse, and recycling”. Competent carbon-neutral alternatives are renewable biomass waste for chemical element production, with proficient recyclability properties. Itaconic acid (IA) is a valuable platform chemical integrated into the first 12 building block compounds the achievement of which is feasible from renewable biomass or bio-wastes (agricultural, food by-products, or municipal organic waste) in conformity with the US Department of Energy. IA is primarily obtained through fermentation with Aspergillus terreus, but nowadays several microorganisms are genetically engineered to produce this organic acid in high quantities and on different substrates. Given its trifunctional structure, IA allows the synthesis of various novel biopolymers, such as drug carriers, intelligent food packaging, antimicrobial biopolymers, hydrogels in water treatment and analysis, and superabsorbent polymers binding agents. In addition, IA shows antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, and antitumor activity. Moreover, this biopolymer retains qualities like environmental effectiveness, biocompatibility, and sustainability. This manuscript aims to address the production of IA from renewable sources to create a sustainable circular economy in the future. Moreover, being an essential monomer in polymer synthesis it possesses a continuous provocation in the biopolymer chemistry domain and technologies, as defined in the present review.

Evaluating the effectiveness of a shipping company environmental protection

Оценка экологической эффективности функционирования судоходной компании позволяет определить экологические аспекты воздействия компании на окружающую среду. Подобный анализ обеспечивает определение способов наилучшего управления экологическими аспектами. При планировании снижения экологической нагрузки необходимо осуществить выбор показателей для оценки экологической эффективности. Выполнено структурирование целей и подцелей управления безопасностью, выбран критерий экологической эффективности судоходной компании. Обоснована необходимость определения коэффициентов важности каждой цели. Для оценки экологической эффективности выбран критерий максимума аддитивной технической полезности. Разработана методика анкетирования судоходных компаний для определения значимости и достаточности сформулированных целей в рамках оценки экологической эффективности судоходной компании. Проведено анкетирование ведущих российских судоходных компаний по выявлению степени значимости и достаточности состава целей, подцелей и процедур, используемых для оценки экологической эффективности системы управления экологической безопасностью компании. Выбраны виды характеристик технической полезности для всех процедур, характеризующих эффективность мероприятий, и обоснована оценка экологической эффективности судоходной компании. The assessment of the environmental efficiency of the functioning of a shipping company allows us to determine the environmental aspects of the company's impact on the environment. Such an analysis provides a definition of how best to manage the environmental aspects. When planning to reduce the environmental burden, it is necessary to select indicators for assessing environmental efficiency. The structuring of the goals and sub-goals of safety management was carried out, the criterion of environmental efficiency of the shipping company was selected. The necessity of determining the importance coefficients of each goal is justified. To assess the environmental efficiency, the criterion of maximum additive technical utility is selected. The methodology of the survey of shipping companies was developed to determine the significance and sufficiency of the formulated goals in the framework of the assessment of the environmental efficiency of the shipping company. A survey of leading Russian shipping companies was conducted to identify the degree of significance and sufficiency of the goals, sub-goals and procedures used to assess the environmental effectiveness of the company's environmental safety management system. The types of technical utility characteristics for all procedures that characterize the effectiveness of measures are selected and the assessment of the environmental efficiency of the shipping company is justified.