CSR and Environmental Reporting in the Czech Republic and Romania: Country Comparison of Rules and Practices

This paper focuses on the development of corporate social responsibility, with special emphasis on environmental issues in two countries that have recently joined the EU: the Czech Republic and Romania. The article analyses the short tradition of Corporate Social Responsibility reporting in both countries and the current state of development, as well as its future perspectives. The paper also deals with the recent developments of environmental reporting in the Czech Republic and Romania, and plans to introduce some basics of environmental reporting into compulsory reporting statements in the Czech Republic. This is then compared it with country-specific approach in Romania. On the Czech side, the comparison is drawn from two short case studies of the Czech heavy industry sector. Similarly, in Romania, the approach is documented on companies from the energy sector and a major shipyard, representing the approach of Romanian heavy industry sector. We conclude that the standard of CSR and environmental reporting is based on the same principles in both countries, but the particular approaches differ. Non-prescriptive approach to environmental reporting should be adopted in the Czech Republic, similarly to other developed countries. Furthermore, in our opinion, more systematic regulatory approach may be adopted in Romania.Corporate social responsibility, environmental accounting, sustainable development, Czech Republic, Romania

Thematic landscape master plan : climate-resilient, permeable, and culturally informed landscape master plan for Hostivice municipality, Czechia

The Master thesis investigates urban as well as open landscape in the Hostivice Municipality, Prague-West District, Czechia. The introduction presents the current state of landscape planning in the Hostivice Municipality, and unveils the concept of landscape within geography and its position in Czech Republic. A selected lens of three themes – Climate Resilience, Transport, and Heritage – is presented as a red thread for processing the whole thesis. Under the respective themes, background information is presented consisting mostly of regional environment publications, historical books, and scientific papers. The method is established according to the concept of landscape as a body of layers in an analysis combining both theoretical sources (contained in the background information), image (historical maps, comprehensive maps sports analytics), and embodiedness (cartographic activity, meetings with municipal representatives). The analysis concludes statements about the Hostivice Landscape respective to each theme. To the Climate Resilience theme, they assert how the landscape is used only for production purposes, split significantly between rural and urban landscape, how the landscape lacks multi-functionality for its users/inhabitants, and how the ecological services are conducted. The Transport theme concludes a low permeability for both pedestrians and cyclists in both urban and rural landscape. The Heritage theme deduces a low appreciation for the agricultural landscape of Hostivice, pinpoints a low care for significant heritage sites including the Hostivice Ponds. As a result, the conclusions are interpreted in articulating an informed set of measures in the Thematic Landscape Master Plan, which is assigned in the three colours for the three themes. The stress is put on connectivity and multi-functionality of the public spaces for the people in Hostivice. The discussion reflects upon the data sources as well as stimulating topics that were generated by the process. It raises arguments for the three selected themes and compares them with Schein’s discourse materialized. The discussion argues for a transformability of the landscape and an essential urge to accustom the role of landscape to our contemporary needs. The Czech landscape legislation is suspected for propelling the urban/rural divide witnessed in the case of the Territorial System of Ecological Stability

Power of choice: The case of electricity generation in Austria and the Czech Republic

The main aim of this thesis is to explain the differences in the resources used for electricity generation in the Czech Republic and Austria from two different perspectives: geographical and institutional. First, geographical conditions and available domestic resources are compared, followed by an analysis of energy policy in both countries. The institutional perspective concentrates on the concept of path dependence and its presence or absence in the development of electricity generation in the chosen countries. Concerning energy, the case of electricity is a good illustration of government’s strategy towards renewable resources and nuclear power that differs significantly in Austria and the Czech Republic

Characterisation framework of key policy, regulatory and governance dynamics and impacts upon European food value chains: Fairer trading practices, food integrity, and sustainability collaborations. : VALUMICS project “Understanding Food Value Chains and Network Dynamics” funded by EU Horizon 2020 G.A. No 727243. Deliverable D3.3

The report provides a framework that categorises the different European Union (EU) policies, laws and governance actions identified as impacting upon food value chains in the defined areas of: fairer trading practices, food integrity (food safety and authenticity), and sustainability collaborations along food value chains. A four-stage framework is presented and illustrated with examples. The evidence shows that European Union policy activity impacting upon food value chain dynamics is increasing, both in terms of the impacts of policies upon the chains, and, in terms of addressing some of the more contentious outcomes of these dynamics. A number of policy priorities are at play in addressing the outcomes of food value chain dynamics. unevenness of the distribution of profit within food value chains, notably to farmers. Regulation of food safety and aspects of authenticity has been a key focus for two decades to ensure a functioning single market while ensuring consumer health and wellbeing. A food chain length perspective has been attempted, notably through regulations such as the General Food Law, and the rationalisation of the Official Controls on food and feed safety. However, there are still gaps in the effective monitoring and transparency of food safety and of food integrity along value chains, as exemplified by misleading claims and criminal fraud. This has led to renewed policy actions over food fraud, in particular. EU regulations, policies and related governance initiatives provide an important framework for national-level actions for EU member states and for EEA members. The more tightly EU-regulated areas, such as food safety, see fewer extra initiatives, but where there is a more general strategic policy and governance push, such as food waste reduction or food fraud, there is greater independent state-level activity. Likewise, there is much more variation in the application of both national and European (Competition) law to govern unfair trading practices impacting upon food value chains. This report presents the findings of a survey of members from the VALUMICS stakeholder platform, that were policy facing food value chain stakeholders across selected European countries, including both EU and EEA Member States. The survey was conducted to check the significance of the main policies identified in the mapping exercise at EU and national levels and so to incorporate the views of stakeholders in the research. The responses suggest the policy concerns identified in EU and national-level research resonate with food value chain stakeholders in participating nations. The report concludes by exploring in more detail how the themes of fairness and of transparency are being handled in the policy activities presented. Highlighted are the ways that both fairness and transparency can be extended within the existing frameworks of EU policy activity. The findings in this report provide an important context for further and detailed research analysis of the workings and dynamics of European food value chains under the VALUMICS project

The multiple data and geographic knowledge approach to a liquid toxic road accident mitigation - two block GIS data processing for an operative intervention

One of the current tasks of disaster management is to effectively counter toxic accidents on traffic communications. The paper demonstrates the procedure of the use of geographic data and knowledge with GIS technology for the operational mitigation of accident impacts on the traffic communication with leakage of toxic substance. A simulated leakage of toxic liquid substance on a highway in the Czech Republic was chosen as an example. The process is divided into two units. In the first preparatory block, data on soils and the geological environment are analysed and purpose oriented pre-processed. The data layer generally describes the expected movement of pollutants, e.g. predominant surface runoff, or predominant infiltration and/or a balanced combination of both of them. In the second operational unit, a location of the accident is precisely identified and the estimation of possible routes of pollutant runoff is performed with respect to the current status of the territory. Key points on these routes are identified with the aim to select mitigation measures and optimum access routes modelled for intervention techniques to reach key points in order to prevent contamination of water bodies.Web of Science141644

Public participation in the process of EIA intentions of wind power plants in the Czech Republic

Public participation in decision-making process is an important function of the process called Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA). The respect for the public right in the participation of environmental impact assessment and the right to information are generally controlled by non-governmental organizations (NGOs) in cooperation with the Ministry of Environment. The support of public is provided in the cases in which queried entity tries not to give the requested information in the appropriate range. NGOs do not follow how the public is involved in the EIA process, and how the comments are relevant or incorporated and whether the final standpoint is influenced. This standpoint is not monitored by Czech Statistical Office. The article deals with the involvement of the general public in the EIA process of wind power plants in the Czech Republic. In selected regions (Moravskoslezský, Olomoucký, Ústecký and Jihomoravský), not only the quantity but also the relevance of the comments in relation to the outcome of the process are evaluated. The own typology groups of the public (individuals, petitions, self-government etc.) and also applying comments (noise, nature protection, administrative mistakes etc.) were used for the evaluation. All intentions obtained concurring standpoints in the case of zero or low interest of the public.O

The status of commons in the changing landscape in the Czech Republic

Commons were ancient pastures, which once occurred in every village in many countries, including the Czech Republic. They have been a landscape and social phenomenon for decades. However, social and economic changes brought an end to community ownership and traditional management of these commons. The number of commons has been decreasing since the middle of the 19th century and currently very few remain. This paper evaluates the status of former commons in 35 cadastres in south-western Bohemia and describes the changes they have undergone in the last two hundred years. Three historical periods were identified as the main drivers in the changes in the status of commons. We started with a period from the middle of the 19th century to the 1950s, the second from 1950s to 1990s and the last from 1990s to 2019. Aerial images and field surveys revealed that 93% of former commons disappeared due to afforestation, conversion to fields and natural succession occurring on abandoned commons. The social and economic aspects associated with these changes are mentioned. Some of the commons are part of the Territorial system of landscape ecological stability (Ecological networks) and we suggest that more of the remaining commons should be included in this network. They could play a role in maintaining biodiversity and providing stepping stones in a uniform agriculture landscape. We propose to evaluate the conservation and ecosystem value of these commons in more detail and set up the appropriate management essential for the preservation or restoration of commons, an indisputable part of our biological and cultural heritage

A Multi-Commodity Mathematical Modelling Approach—Hazardous Waste Treatment Infrastructure Planning in the Czech Republic

This paper presents an analysis of infrastructure for the processing of Czech hazardous waste and pays attention to predictions of waste management development in the upcoming years. For this purpose, a unique complex approach to modelling future waste management changes is applied. The method uses a multi-commodity network flow model with reverse flows between treatment facilities to consider complete waste management of hazardous waste. The future outlook (2030) for the forecasted generation of different types of hazardous waste in the Czech Republic requires decisions on waste treatment facility infrastructure. The uniqueness lies in using real data for such a wide scope of a task, further enhanced by concurrent analysis of more types of waste interconnected through limited processing capacities. The results indicate the insufficiency in hazardous waste thermal treatment and stabilization. A suggestion is to extend the incineration capacity because it influences the stabilization units, which must process the remaining waste. The recommended increase is 100% with different proportions in individual regions