Fractured International Environmental Governance and the Potential Role of the Commonwealth in Biodiversity and Climate Change

Abstract

This paper begins by examining the reasons behind most failures of governance, including fault lines in institutional and professional specialisation, and in ideology. These three, forever competing within and between themselves, frustrate attempts to find solutions to some of the world's most pressing challenges. Not least among these are environmental challenges, where preferences and priorities that are geographically, professionally or ideologically narrow inevitably fail to achieve solutions for the greater good. What role can the Commonwealth play in addressing the fracture lines that bedevil solutions for climate change and biodiversity? It may help to stimulate global action on these issues if it can encourage agreement across multidimensional global boundaries. We know the Commonwealth is not a leading global force for controlling climate change or biodiversity loss; but if it had the political will it could be an exemplar of how, between a group of vastly diverse countries across the globe—and on the global political stage—binding agreement and positive action on climate change and biodiversity could be promoted and perhaps achieved. One of the strongest features of the Commonwealth is the generation of long-standing legal and ethical norms whose appeal is obvious even if their implementation is lacking. These norms should not be limited to the rule of law, democracy and human rights, but should include environmental norms because these too are fundamental to a satisfactory human condition.     

气候变化损害的国家责任:虚幻或现实

人类活动导致的气候变化是当前全球生态系统和人类生存所面临的最大威胁之一。受历史积累因素的影响,无论各国如何控制、削减温室气体排放,气候变化造成的损害仍不可避免,而气候变化损害的国家责任也日益成为国际社会无法回避的现实问题。作为一种特殊的跨界损害,气候变化损害无论在国际不法行为的认定还是因果关系的确定方面,都对现行国家责任制度提出了挑战。由于诸多障碍的存在,追究气候变化损害的国家责任在目前尚不具备充分的现实可行性。不过,来自国家责任的潜在压力至少有助于敦促各国积极改善温室气体排放政策,并就气候变化损害的救济尽快制定切实有效的全球性解决方案。     

论气候变化语境下的国际服务贸易法适用问题:以一般例外规则为视角

各国日益重视采用服务贸易措施应对气候变化,我国WTO服务承诺亦与气候变化相关。因措施通常视成员是否承担减排义务而给予不同待遇,容易违反非歧视原则,一般例外是判断措施合法性的关键。一般例外适用于气候变化时将面临措施性质认定、必要性测试、发展中成员可否利用引言获得特殊待遇等诸多难题。为确保一般例外适用的可预见性并妥善平衡贸易与气候变化,需强化贸易与气候变化的相互支持,解决一般例外法理的连贯性不足等缺陷,避免僵化解释,力争规则更新修改。     

Reform of Nuclear Disasters＇ Legislation Adapting to Climate Change

核灾害的应对重在预防,而气候变化改变了核灾害的成灾机理,强化和放大了灾害风险。适应气候变化的核灾害应对制度变革：立法理念必须从减轻灾害向减轻灾害风险转变;内容创新必须重点突出核设施选址中夯实程序的完整性、非居住区和规划限制区制度中补充发展权补偿内容、防灾规划在体系完善基础上“融入主流”等三个方面;运行机制改革应该在国际层面创建多中心的灾害风险治理框架,在国内层面推进“三元、三级”的统舍与协调。     

学习型政党建设的组织行为维度阐析

学习是一个持续的过程,要使学习能够深入持久地坚持下去,就需要用制度和机制来约束和督促,充分发挥制度和机制的保障作用。因此,不断探索学习型党组织建设的方法和途径,健全学习型党组织的制度,是推进学习型党组织建设的重要保障。     

仪式变迁:地方化与全球化

在全球化的潮流中,地方社会传统的信仰与仪式也必然随之变迁。这些变迁可以看作是地方在与国家和全球的环境互动中进行的行为模式的调整,以能符合时代与国家的要求,同时又能满足自己或社区的整合需求的选择。地方性的信仰与仪式操演结合国家的在场实现了这种变迁,又或者加以保护和改造,在全球化的语境中演化成了非物质文化遗产。这也正是费孝通先生所指出的全球体系之中的地方或族群在文化全球化中表现出的同质性与异质性的二元特点。     

谈工会办公室的应有职能

工会办公室在工会组织框架内有“交叉十字型”和“垂直层级型”两种形式;工会办公室的运行模式可分为“聚点运行式”和“散点运行式”两类。工会办公室职能的有效发挥与其在组织框架内的地位设置和职级设计有直接关系。     

Supporting local climate adaptation planning and implementation through local governance and decentralised finance provision

Policies developed at national levels can be unresponsive to local needs. Often they do not provide the rural poor with access to the assets and services they need to allow them to innovate and adapt to the ways that increased climate variability and change exacerbate challenges to basic securities – food, water, energy, and well-being. In development deficit circumstances, common pool resources are important for climate adaptation purposes. In order for climate adaptation actions to deliver resilience, local perspectives and knowledge need to be recognised and given due priority in formal planning systems. Basing formal adaptive development planning on local strategies can support and strengthen measures that people have been tested and know to work. Local climate adaptation through collective action can address current increases in climate variability, future incremental changes, and the need to transform existing systems to deal with qualitative shifts in climate. These types of adaptation can work in cumulative ways. The results of local adaptation collective action that have benefits of low rivalry between users while being highly inclusive can be considered “local public goods”. Evidence is beginning to emerge that when local governance systems facilitate high levels of participation in planning collective action for climate adaptation, and direct access to resources for implementing local plans, “local public goods” can be created and common pool resources better managed.     

Climate resilience in fragile and conflict-affected societies: concepts and approaches

To understand resilience to climate and environmental changes in fragile and conflict-affected societies is particularly important but equally challenging. In this paper, we first develop a conceptual framework to explore the climate-fragility-conflict and climate-resilience-peace nexus. Second, we discuss approaches to promote pathways from climatic changes to peace. We draw on the relevant literature and International Alert's experience in fragile and conflict-affected societies to stress the key role of resilience. To build resilience, climate, development, peacebuilding, and government actors would have to overcome bureaucratic and institutional barriers and cooperate across thematic and regional silos.     

Getting Rich Before Getting Old or Vice Versa？

正REGARDING China’s economic and social outlook,there are two contending views in the domestic and overseas academic world.One predicts that China will get affluent before becoming an aging society,and the other holds the opposite opinion.A comprehensive and dynamic analysis is needed before reaching a conclusion.Complex Factors in Economic Growth Total Factor Productivity(TFP)is the most accepted measurement through which to judge total inputs’output productivity,that is,the ratio of total output to total inputs.TFP includes technological progress,organizational innovation,professionalism,etc.An increase of this index refl ects the progress of science and technology.High