This book unpacks the politics of climate change in Australia in the context of successive conservative Coalition governments resisting any moves to mitigate emissions and as local communities and transnational corporations struggle with each other to control the transition to a sustainable energy future. As Australia has abundant clean energy resources in terms of solar and wind, the book offers a test case for study of the energy policy transition in the 21st century. It does so by using tools from political economy and sociology, teasing out public attitudes to renewable energy technologies and innovative infrastructure investments, unpacking the complex parameters of this historical debate, tracing the rise of household 'prosumers' and arguing the case for grassroots ownership of renewable infrastructure or 'energy sovereignty' - already pioneered by some isolated communities in Australia. The cultural and emancipatory benefits of cooperative ventures are well known. However, capitalism is not readily defeated by democracy. The promotion of individual households as 'virtual power stations', of 'smart technologies' and even of cryptocurrency into the energy transition innovative mix opens up ever new horizons for corporate control.

This book comprises select proceedings of the National Conference on Recent Advances in Traffic Engineering (RATE 2018) with technical papers on the themes of traffic operation control and management, traffic safety and vulnerable road users, and sustainable transportation. It covers a wide range of topics, including advanced traffic data collection methods, big data analysis, mix-traffic characterization and modelling, travel time reliability, scenario of pedestrian and non-motorised vehicles (NMVs) traffic, regional traffic growth modelling, and applications of intelligent transportation systems (ITS) in traffic management. The contents of this book offer up-to-date and practical knowledge on different aspects of traffic engineering, which is useful for students, researchers as well as practitioners.

1 Zusammenfassung.- Konzept der Studie.- Moeglichkeiten und Grenzen der Kombination beider Ansatze.- Ergebnisse.- Sachbilanz Top-down-Ansatz (Momentaufnahme 1991).- Sachbilanz Bottom-up-Ansatz (Bestandsmodell).- Gegenuberstellung der Ergebnisse.- Eingebrachte Problemstoffe.- Trendfortschreibung.- Leitbilder fur den Baubereich.- 2 Methodischer Ansatz.- 2.1 Bottom-up-Ansatz: Das Modell des Gebaudebestands.- 2.1.1 Stoffflussrelevante Beschreibung des Bestandes in Nutzungs-und Altersklassen.- 2.1.2 Aufbau des Dynamischen Gebaudebestandsmodells.- 2.1.3 Zustand des Bestands - Alterung von Gebauden.- 2.2 Top-down-Ansatz.- 2.2.1 Berechnung kumulierter Groessen im Top-down-Ansatz.- 2.2.2 Vor-und Nachteile des Top-down-Ansatzes.- 2.2.3 Erganzende Erlauterungen zur Vorgehensweise und Datenbasis beim Top-down-Ansatz.- 2.3 Methodik und Datenbasis fur die Bestimmung der eingebrachten Problemstoffe.- 2.3.1 Vorgehensweise.- 2.3.2 Datenquellen und Datenqualitat.- 2.4 Systemgrenzen.- 2.5 Gegenuberstellung des Top-down und Bottom-up-Ansatzes.- 2.6 Sachbilanz.- 2.7 Szenario.- 3 Ergebnisse der Sachbilanz.- 3.1 Bottom-up-Ansatz.- 3.1.1 Stofflager.- 3.1.2 Stoffstroeme.- 3.1.3 Flachen.- 3.1.4 Energie.- 3.1.5 Emissionen und Umweltindikatoren.- 3.1.6 Kosten.- 3.2 Stoffstroeme, Energiestroeme, Luftschadstoffemissionen und Kosten - Top-down-Ansatz.- 3.2.1 Methodik.- 3.2.2 Erstellung der Sachbilanzen.- 3.2.3 Bestimmung jahrlich anfallender Mengen an Abfallen aus den Bereichen "Bauen und Wohnen" fur verschiedene Jahre, Angaben uber weiterverwertete und weiterverwendete Anteile.- 3.2.4 Die Kosten im Sektor "Bauen und Wohnen" im Spiegel der Statistik.- 3.2.5 Zusammenfassung der Ergebnisse.- 3.3 Eingebrachte Problemstoffe.- 3.3.1 Aufgabenstellung.- 3.3.2 Allgemeiner Untersuchungsgang.- 3.3.3 Vorgehensweise und Begrenzungen.- 3.3.4 Stofflisten und Problemstofffrachten.- 3.3.5 Ausgewahlte Stoffe.- 3.3.6 Ausgewahlte Tatigkeitsbereiche und zugeordnete Problemstoffe.- 3.3.7 Problemstoffe im Bauschutt.- 3.3.8 Zusammenfassung und Kommentar.- 3.4 Bilanzierung und Diskussion der Ergebnisse der Bottom-up und Top-down-Ansatze.- 3.4.1 Stoffstroeme.- 3.4.2 Energie und Umweltbelastungen.- 3.5 Vergleich mit anderen Studien.- 3.5.1 Stoffstroeme.- 3.5.2 Kosten.- 3.6 Internationaler Vergleich.- 3.7 Landschafts-und Bodenverbrauch.- 3.7.1 Flacheninanspruchnahme durch Wohnungsbauflachen.- 3.7.2 Katasterdaten.- 3.7.3 Baufertigstellungen und Baugenehmigungen.- 3.7.4 Stadtebauliche Strukturtypen und ihr Flachenbedarf.- 4 Szenario.- 4.1 Modellannahmen.- 4.2 Diskussion der Ergebnisse.- 4.3 Kommentar zum Szenario.- 5 Strategische UEberlegungen zur Bestandsbewirtschaftung.- 6 Forschungsbedarf.- 6.1 Methodische Probleme.- 6.2 Untersuchungsbereich.- 6.3 Regionale Erfassung.- 6.4 Gebaudebestand.- 6.4.1 Beschreibung der Gebaude.- 6.4.2 Abriss, Entsorgung, Recycling.- 6.5 Externe Kosten.- 6.6 Bautatigkeit und Baukosten.- 6.7 OEkobilanzen von Baustoffen.- 6.8 Problemstoffe.- 6.9 Datenlage.- 7 Ziele, Massnahmen und Instrumente fur eine nachhaltige Entwicklung im Sektor "Bauen und Wohnen".- 7.1 Nachhaltigkeit im Bereich Bauen und Wohnen - Ziele und gegenwartige Entwicklungstrends.- 7.2 Handlungsfelder fur eine nachhaltige Politik im Sektor "Bauen und Wohnen".- 7.3 Perspektiven zur Fortschreibung des Bestands.- Anhang A: GISBAU-Inhaltsstoffe.- Anhang B: BUWAL-Zusatzstoffe.- Anhang C: Problemstoffe im Bauschutt.

The Mekong River has been a main source of conquest, conflict, and cooperation in the Southeast Asian region. Much has been written on the vital and critical importance of the Mekong River fresh water to the sustainable economic development of the Mekong Delta.This book selects the Mekong Delta as a case study of regional cooperation for water and food security for not only for Vietnam but also for the world in a new century of global economy. It focuses not only on the Mekong Delta as an integral part of the River but also on Can Tho City and its 12 provinces that produce over 50 percent of the country s rice output and 60 percent of total fishery output. The book takes a micro approach to examine how each province is adapting to the twin threats of mainstream dams construction and climate change, reducing fresh water flows and increasing saline infusions on its present and future economy. Finally, it reviews the roles of international institutional arrangements, namely the Mekong Committee and the Mekong River Commission, in promoting regional cooperation among the riparian states for political and economic development of the Mekong Delta."

This monograph adresses the challenge of the environmental assessment of leightweight electric vehicles. It poses the question whether the use of lightweight materials in electric vehicles can reduce the vehicles' environmental impact and compares the environmental performance of a lightweight electric vehicle (LEV) to other types of vehicles. The topical approach focuses on methods from life cycle assessment (LCA), and the book concludes with a comprehensive concept on the environmental assessment of LEVs. The target audience primarily comprises LCA practitioners from research institutes and industry, but it may also be beneficial for graduate students specializing in the field of environmental assessment.

This book analyzes new forms of capitalism that are manifesting under the pressures of global transformation. By studying economic and environmental indicators in various parts of the world, it seeks to reconcile economic growth with environmental and social sustainability, which is an important issue in both developed and emerging economies. These indicators include the explosive development of digital technologies and new global value chains, which are reshaping economies and societies all over the world. The contributing authors also address the challenge of immigration, the sustainable development transformation, the ties between productivity and social rights, automation and global value chains, the energy transition, and innovation and sustainable growth.

This book is published open access under a CC BY 4.0 license. This book summarizes presentations and discussions from the two-day international workshop held at UC Berkeley in March 2015, and derives questions to be addressed in multi-disciplinary research toward a new paradigm of nuclear safety. The consequences of the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear accident in March 2011 have fuelled the debate on nuclear safety: while there were no casualties due to radiation, there was substantial damage to local communities. The lack of common understanding of the basics of environmental and radiological sciences has made it difficult for stakeholders to develop effective strategies to accelerate recovery, and this is compounded by a lack of effective decision-making due to the eroded public trust in the government and operators. Recognizing that making a society resilient and achieving higher levels of safety relies on public participation in and feedback on decision-making, the book focuses on risk perception and mitigation in its discussion of the development of resilient communities.

This exhaustive survey assesses the performance of the United Nations and its member states in all key areas, at the same time as laying down a road map for sustainable development in the future. Deploying the Human Green Development Index as a new metric for an era in which human survival is intimately dependent on the viability of the Earth as a clean and sustainable habitat, the report showcases a vast array of data, including HGDI indicators for more than 120 nations. It provides a detailed and comparative rationale for the selection of data for the 12 goals and 54 HGDI targets, which cover human and global needs into the future. The index measures 12 Sustainable Development Goals, based on but also extending the eight Millennium Development Goals defined in 2000. The SDGs, proposed by a high-level UN panel, will supersede MDGs in 2015. They focus on ending poverty, achieving gender equality, providing quality education for all, helping people live healthy lives, securing sustainable energy use, and creating jobs offering sustainable livelihoods. They also work towards equitable growth, stable and peaceful societies, greater efficiency in governance, and closer international cooperation. With indicators covering everything from air particulates to percentage of threatened animal species in a nation's total, and informed by the latest research (with inequality-adjusted metrics for amenities such as education and healthcare), this comprehensive study offers readers not only a wealth of valuable core data, but also a well-argued rationale for using the HGDI. In today's world, we cannot view our development as being distinct from, and unaffected by, that of the Earth we inhabit, or that of our planetary cohabitees.

The aim of this book is to document for the first time the dimensions and requirements of effective integrated groundwater management (IGM). Groundwater management is a formidable challenge, one that remains one of humanity's foremost priorities. It has become a largely non-renewable resource that is overexploited in many parts of the world. In the 21st century, the issue moves from how to simply obtain the water we need to how we manage it sustainably for future generations, future economies, and future ecosystems. The focus then becomes one of understanding the drivers and current state of the groundwater resource, and restoring equilibrium to at-risk aquifers. Many interrelated dimensions, however, come to bear when trying to manage groundwater effectively. An integrated approach to groundwater necessarily involves many factors beyond the aquifer itself, such as surface water, water use, water quality, and ecohydrology. Moreover, the science by itself can only define the fundamental bounds of what is possible; effective IGM must also engage the wider community of stakeholders to develop and support policy and other socioeconomic tools needed to realize effective IGM. In order to demonstrate IGM, this book covers theory and principles, embracing: 1) an overview of the dimensions and requirements of groundwater management from an international perspective; 2) the scale of groundwater issues internationally and its links with other sectors, principally energy and climate change; 3) groundwater governance with regard to principles, instruments and institutions available for IGM; 4) biophysical constraints and the capacity and role of hydroecological and hydrogeological science including water quality concerns; and 5) necessary tools including models, data infrastructures, decision support systems and the management of uncertainty. Examples of effective, and failed, IGM are given. Throughout, the importance of the socioeconomic context that connects all effective IGM is emphasized. Taken as a whole, this work relates the many facets of effective IGM, from the catchment to global perspective.

Indigenous peoples have passed down vital knowledge for generations from which local plants help cure common ailments, to which parts of the land are unsuitable for buildings because of earthquakes. Here, Hendry examines science through these indigenous roots, problematizing the idea that Western science is the only type that deserves that name.

This book provides a comprehensive overview of current renewable energy technologies and their basic principles. It also addresses the financial aspects of renewable energy projects and analyzes their profitability, covering the most relevant topics for engineers, economists, managers and scientists who are actively involved in renewable energy research and management. The authors are professionals and researchers who are active in the industry, and supplement the main content with revealing case studies and best-practice examples.

This book provides a timely and insightful analysis of the expansion of biofuels production and use in recent years. Drawing on interviews with key policy insiders, Ackrill and Kay show how biofuels policies have been motivated by concerns over climate change, energy security and rural development.

This comprehensive handbook provides a unique overview of the theory, methodologies and best practices in climate change communication from around the world. It fosters the exchange of information, ideas and experience gained in the execution of successful projects and initiatives, and discusses novel methodological approaches aimed at promoting a better understanding of climate change adaptation. Addressing a gap in the literature on climate change communication and pursuing an integrated approach, the handbook documents and disseminates the wealth of experience currently available in this field. Volume 2 of the handbook provides a unique description of the theoretical basis and of some of the key facts and phenomena which help in achieving a better understanding of the basis of climate change communication, providing an essential basis for successful initiatives in this complex field.

This book documents and compares the experiences of a wide range of universities across the five continents with regard to sustainable development, making it of special interest to sustainability researchers and practitioners. By showcasing how integrative approaches to sustainable development at the university level can be successfully employed to bridge the gaps between disciplines, the book provides a timely contribution to the literature on sustainability and offers a valuable resource for all those interested in sustainability in a higher education context.

This book is a reality check of where energy will come from in the future. Today, our economy is utterly dependent on fossil fuels. They are essential to transportation, manufacturing, farming, electricity, and to make fertilizers, cement, steel, roads, cars, and half a million other products. One day, sooner or later, fossil fuels will no longer be abundant and affordable. Inevitably, one day, global oil production will decline. That time may be nearer than we realize. Some experts predict oil shortages as soon as 2022 to 2030. What then are our options for replacing the fossil fuels that turn the great wheel of civilization? Surveying the arsenal of alternatives - wind, solar, hydrogen, geothermal, nuclear, batteries, catenary systems, fusion, methane hydrates, power2gas, wave, tidal power and biomass - this book examines whether they can replace or supplement fossil fuels. The book also looks at substitute energy sources from the standpoint of the energy users. Manufacturing, which uses half of fossil fuels, often requires very high heat, which in many cases electricity can't provide. Industry uses fossil fuels as a feedstock for countless products, and must find substitutes. And, as detailed in the author's previous book, "When Trucks Stop Running: Energy and the Future of Transportation," ships, locomotives, and heavy-duty trucks are fueled by diesel. What can replace diesel? Taking off the rose-colored glasses, author Alice Friedemann analyzes our options. What alternatives should we deploy right now? Which technologies merit further research and development? Which are mere wishful thinking that, upon careful scrutiny, dematerialize before our eyes? Fossil fuels have allowed billions of us to live like kings. Fueled by oil, coal, and natural gas, we changed the equation constraining the carrying capacity of our planet. As fossil fuels peak and then decline, will we fall back to Earth? Are there viable alternatives?

This book explores how African countries can convert their natural resources, particularly oil and gas, into sustainable development assets. Using Ghana, one of the continent's newest oil-producing countries, as a lens, it examines the "resource curse" faced by other producers - such as Nigeria, Angola, and Equatorial Guinea - and demonstrates how mismanagement in those countries can provide valuable lessons for new oil producers in Africa and elsewhere. Relying on a broad range of fieldwork and policymaking experience, Panford suggests practical measures for resource-rich developing countries to transform natural resources into valuable assets that can help create jobs, boost human resources, and improve living and working conditions in Ghana in particular. He suggests fiscal, legal, and environmental antidotes to resource mismanagement, which he identifies as the major obstacle to socioeconomic development in countries that have historically relied on natural resources.

Everyone has heard of environmentalism, but what is it? Is it ideology or religion? Like socialism, environmentalism is a political program, but even more diffuse. Environmentalists hold diverse opinions, from wanting to take care of nature in human interest to putting nature above man. The latter is religious environmentalism, with nature taking the place of the supernatural. This book is a critique of this type of environmentalism, appropriately named ecofundamentalism. This may be a minority or even marginal opinion, but it seems to shape people's thinking to an unwarranted degree. In the worst of cases, it would bring the end of civilization as we know it. Without massive monocultures, supported by pesticides and fertilizer, we could never feed ourselves. Almost 90 percent of our primary energy comes from fossil fuels, without which there would be no air travel, cars and trucks, reliable electricity, and even much of our food supply. Putting a premium on biodiversity and getting serious about greenhouse gas emissions would force us to go without these things, putting us back in the Middle Ages. Fortunately, there is no need to heed any of these environmentalist prescriptions. Contrary to the notion that economic growth is unsustainable and our core problem, it is actually the core solution. Economic growth and technology has made it possible for food production to outpace population growth since the industrial revolution. Economic growth is one reason why population growth worldwide has fallen so that the "population bomb" may never explode. It has also made us largely independent of the weather except for growing our crops. Meanwhile, ecofundamentalism would cause more harm than good.

Investor Relations and ESG Reporting in a Regulatory Perspective is a comprehensive and detailed practical guide for financial market participants, focusing on the stock market, written for practitioners by practitioners. The main themes of the book include the challenging integration of investor relations (IR) and the non-financial reporting of environmental, social and governance (ESG). Further, the book provides a comprehensive overview of the complex regulatory framework of the European Union (EU) related to the financial markets, including the expected global trends in this area. This includes financial legislation such as MiFID II, MiFIR and MAR along with non-financial legislation like the EU's taxonomy, CSRD and SFDR. In addition, this book explores the non-financial reporting standards of GRI, TCFD, CDSB, IBC, SASB, IRRC and the upcoming ISSB, and discusses the UN's Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). In addition, the book provides a practical guide regarding IR in special situations, e.g. in connection with takeover response manuals, M&A, investor activism, initial public offerings (IPOs), as well companies' collaboration with e.g. investment banks and corporate finance advisers, financial PR and IR advisers in such situations. The suggested audience of the book includes board members and senior management of in particular listed companies, and companies considering an IPO; professionals working in the fields of IR, ESG and communications; institutional and retail investors; private equity executives; venture capitalists; investment bankers; legal practitioners; accountants and auditors; financial journalists; and politicians. Finally, university and business students may benefit from an insight into the dynamics of the financial markets and the direction they are moving, a possible inspiration for choosing a future career.

This book is committed to provide a holistic view of corruption in the public construction sector, a sector that has been perceived as the most corrupt in the world. Relying on the new findings achieved from a series of qualitative and quantitative studies, this book unveils the specific forms of corruption, the principal causes of corruption, and the prevailing anti-corruption strategies that are used by the current practice. Furthermore, this book provides two metrics that can assess the potential of corruption and the risk of collusion in given public construction projects, respectively. This book will enhance industry and research communities' understandings of corruption in the public construction sector. It is also informative to policy-makers and can help them come up with some more effective strategies to eliminate corruption in the public construction sector.

The book reveals how green buildings are currently being adapted and applied in developing countries. It includes the major developing countries such as China, Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, Pakistan, Cambodia, Ghana, Nigeria and countries from the Middle East and gathers the insights of respected green building researchers from these areas to map out the developing world's green building revolution. The book highlights these countries' contribution to tackling climate change, emphasising the green building benefits and the research behind them. The contributing authors explore how the green building revolution has spread to developing countries and how national governments have initiated their own green building policies and agendas. They also explore how the market has echoed the green building policy, and how a business case for green buildings has been established. In turn, they show how an international set of green building standards, in the form of various techniques and tools, has been incorporated into local building and construction practices. In closing, they demonstrate how the developing world is emerging as a key player for addressing the energy and environmental problems currently facing the world. The book helps developers, designers and policy-makers in governments and green building stakeholders to make better decisions on the basis of global and local conditions. It is also of interest to engineers, designers, facility managers and researchers, as it provides a holistic picture of how the industry is responding to the worldwide call for greener and more sustainable buildings.

Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) and Disaster Risk Reduction Education (DRRE) have overlapping areas of concern focusing on strengthening the link to local communities. In reality, there is significant synergy in ESD and disaster risk reduction (DRR). Both concepts urge looking at the communities, both focus on behavior changes and both call for linking knowledge to action. The Decade of Education for Sustainable Development (DESD) ends in 2014 and the Hyogo Framework for Action (HFA) ends in 2015. Therefore, at this junction, it is important to review the progress made over the past 10 years and to suggest future synergy options. This book is the first attempt to review these two emerging fields and to provide input to the future direction of education.

The book has 11 chapters, drawing lessons mainly from Japan and discussing their implications for the world. The first four chapters provide an overview of the ESD DRR linkage, ESD and its evolution, DRRE and Climate Change Education. These are followed by case studies from ESD practices in Japan, in schools, universities and communities.

The primary target groups for this book are students and researchers in the fields of environment, disaster risk reduction and climate change studies. The book provides them with a good idea of the current research trends in the field and furnishes basic knowledge about these vital topics. Another target group comprises practitioners and policy makers, who will be able to apply the knowledge collected here to establishing policy and making decisions."

Edited in collaboration with TEN ECOPORT project, this volume contains the proceedings of the 1st International Conference on 'Sustainable Development of the Sea-corridors and Coastal Waters'. The book highlights the advances of environmental pollution management on ports and coastal zones. Particular attention is given to water quality, issues that concern the marine environment of sea corridors and coastal waters, especially in regions surrounding ports. In addition to these topics the chapters explore novel methodologies and technologies, IT solutions, data and instrumentation of monitoring water quality. The book is organized into five parts: assessment, monitoring, sustainable management system, port processes and historical ports. TEN ECOPORT (Transnational ENhancement of ECOPORT8 network) is a project co-financed by the South East Europe Transnational Cooperation Programme.

This book presents a broad range of empirical research papers covering key issues in development finance. Despite having gained significant momentum in Africa and other emerging economies, textbooks and research publications on development finance are still very limited. This book shines a light on the main focal areas of the international 'finance for development' agenda and outlines innovative approaches to enhance economic growth and development finance to contribute towards realizing global sustainable development goals. Chapters from expert contributors cover topics such as domestic resource mobilization, debt relief, microfinance, financial sustainability, tax buoyancy, Foreign Direct Investment, foreign capital flows, and labour productivity. This book serves as a valuable reference tool for researchers, students and practitioners in this field.