From ‘Green Laggard’ to Regional Leader: Explaining the Recent Development of Environmental Policy in Chile

Environmental policy in Chile has developed rapidly in recent years, and the country has become a regional leader in renewable energy, climate change policy, recycling, and nature conservation. This contrasts with the previous neglect of environmental issues in the country and its depiction as a ‘green laggard’ (Orihuela, 2014: 251) within Latin America. In this article the recent development of environmental policy in Chile is reviewed and five factors affecting this development are analysed: international influences, institutional legacies, a window of opportunity opened by environmental movements, policy entrepreneurship, and business power.     

From discourse to policy: US policy communities’ perceptions of and approaches to climate change and security

ABSTRACT

Increasingly, a diverse set of policy communities, including those with defence, development and environmental mandates, frame climate change as a security threat. Most often this discursive formation labels climate change as a ‘threat multiplier’. This framing, however, is vague, linear and leaves many questions unanswered regarding how institutions can develop and implement policy that addresses the joint challenges of climate change, conflict and security. Utilising a mixed-methods approach, and grounding data collection in US policy communities, this article examines how policy actors and institutions integrate climate-security discourses into policy processes. The objective of this research is to provide direct insight into how the discourses and technical understandings of climate-security transition into policy priorities and implementation realities. This research identified three common approaches to climate-security: (1) A challenge of adaptation and resilience; (2) A potent political argument; and (3) An issue of limited importance and feasibility. These approaches, however, are inconsistent across sectors and within organisations, suggesting a lack of cohesion and considerable challenges in identifying and responding to climate change as a ‘threat multiplier’.     

论国际投资中的国家责任问题

国际投资中的国家责任问题主要涉及国际投资的法律保护问题 ,如对外国投资和投资者的待遇标准、国有化或征收及其补偿问题。另外 ,还涉及特许权协议、拒绝司法、外交保护等问题。就外资待遇而言 ,发展中国家应根据其经济发展的实际情况在双边投资保护条约中慎重承诺。笔者通过对国有化问题的分析 ,认为国家在这个问题上所承担的国家责任不是传统国际法上的国家责任 ,而是一种“合法行为引起的国家责任”。关于特许协议 ,笔者认为它是国内契约。此外 ,在国际投资中 ,还涉及因污染转嫁而产生的国家责任。     

漓江旅游业可持续发展与水生态保护

漓江是桂林的母亲河,是桂林旅游业的精华和精品。要更好地治理漓江,经营漓江,促进漓江旅游业的可持续性发展,必须注重水生态的保护与修复。     

论共同侵权行为之“共同”

随着社会的发展和社会分工的细化,人们之间的交往趋于频繁,由此也诱发了侵权问题的复杂化。如何准确认定共同侵权行为取决于我们对“共同”的理解,理论界为此提出了不少观点。《人身损害赔偿司法解释》在批判、吸收各种学说的基础上提出了新的评判标准,其进步意义应予肯定;但在判断无意思联络数人侵权致同一损害结果时,应以损害是否可分作为认定共同侵权行为的标准。     

论我国反商业贿赂立法之缺失与完善

商业贿赂是一种不正当竞争行为,同时也是腐败的一种重要表现形式,它侵害了市场经济的公平竞争秩序,腐蚀了我国的廉政制度,严重影响了我国市场经济的健康发展。然而,我国现行的反商业贿赂立法存在法条分散、概念界定模糊、司法解释缺失等问题,从而给执法部门在司法实践中造成了很大的困难。因此,明确商业贿赂的范围、构成要件和法律责任对于我国现阶段开展反商业贿赂专项治理具有十分重要的意义。     

道路交通事故责任归责原则的演进与《道路交通安全法》第76条

20世纪以来尤其是二战以后,汽车成为大众的普通代步工具,交通事故逐渐成为最常见的一种人身伤害事故。各国立法者开始高度注意道路交通事故的民事赔偿问题,逐步建立起过错推定、无过错责任或严格责任的归责原则。《道路交通安全法》第76条确立了一个归责原则体系,对于不同情况下的责任承担适用不同的归责原则。这样的规定最有利于保护受害人,同时也不至于让加害人承担过重的赔偿责任;同时,设立机动车第三者责任险意义重大。     

环境权:一种新兴的现代人权

人权是最基本的权利,环境权来自人权。生存权位于人权的核心,而环境权作为一项基本人权是不可剥夺、不可放弃和替代的权利。如果没有环境权,传统人权体系中的生存权就不可能得到完善的保障。环境权源于生存权,但超越了生存权,因此它是一种新兴的现代人权。     

从松花江水污染事件检视跨界污染损害责任制度

跨界污染对一国之周边相邻国家和区域乃至全球环境会造成严重危害,产生相应的国际法律责任。以此次松花江水污染事件为视角,凸现了现行立法对跨界污染损害责任制度存在的诸多缺欠和不足。本文提出:应科学界定跨界污染损害概念,导入严格责任,确立国家责任的特点、适用范围、主体和形式。完善相关的预防和赔偿机制是各国间处理跨界污染事件的有效途径,以期实现全球环境和谐可持续发展治理。     

侵权还是违约--由一则案例引起的思考

侵权责任与违约责任是两类基本的民事责任。我国《民法通则》专设“民事责任”一章 ,不仅就两类责任的共性问题作出了阐述 ,而且对两类责任分别作出了规定。然而由于民事责任的复杂性 ,民事违法行为性质的多重性 ,使这两类责任常常发生竞合。本文试图通过对一个典型案例的分析 ,揭示违约责任与侵权责任的概念及其构成要件 ,确定侵权责任与违约责任竞合的标准 ,以期对民事立法和司法实践有所贡献。