Contributions of Public Policies to Greening Sugarcane Ethanol Production in Brazil

The development of a green economy is key to achieve sustainable development. Investing in greening the energy sector contributes to mitigate greenhouse gas emissions while helping to develop a more resilient economy. Public policies have a role in driving the biofuel sector towards a more sustainable path, reducing its environmental footprint and enhancing its economic, environmental and social benefits. The aim of this study is to analyse how public policies can contribute to greening the ethanol sector in Brazil. To accomplish this objective, a review of the economic characteristics of the Brazilian ethanol sector was conducted, based on official documents and reports, policies and on scientific studies. Then, a review of Brazilian public policies was conduced to analyse how public polices influence the sustainable production of the Brazilian ethanol sector. Brazilian bioenergy policies have contributed to establish a green biofuel sector, reducing greenhouse gas emissions, enhancing the efficiency in sugarcane production, creating jobs and improving air quality in cities

EIA and EMS integration : Not wasting the opportunity

Environmental tools such as environmental impact assessment (EIA) and environmental management systems (EMS) can be applied to ensure that major projects are constructed and operated using an approach that enables effective environmental protection. Previous research has shown that these tools are frequently applied in isolation at different stages of the project life cycle. The extent of EIA/EMS integration amongst nine of the biggest UK waste management companies was investigated through semi-structured interviews with environmental staff and thematic analysis of their responses. The research found that partial integration of EIA and EMS is widespread. Companies recognised a range of potential benefits to more closely integrating their processes such as system efficiencies, data availability and recognition from the regulator. However, significant barriers to further integration were identified in the form of cost, company structure and the size of the organisation. In a context where the regulation of the waste industry is increasingly aligned towards a risk-based approach, there is a new opportunity to use EIA outputs in an enhanced EMS. More generally, companies should seek to maintain continuity of personnel across the project life cycle and structure their environmental functions so that EIA and EMS staff can work more closely. This would help ensure that the greatest benefit is derived from both tools.Peer reviewe

Current policies and policy implications for environmental pollution.

In the past forty years, China’s struggle with the environmental pollution is accompanied with rapid economic development driven by the reform and opening up policy. The Chinese government takes a series of measures to address environmental deterioration. However, economic growth for priority and poor policy execution impeded the environmental governance effect. This chapter summarized the development phase of environmental managements in China and provided a comparative analysis of environmental policies among different countries. By contrast with the environmental policies of northern Europe and the USA, we provide a critical information on the successful and failed case from environmental policy implementation. Furthermore, we further evaluate the potential challenges of environmental protection, including monitoring, risk assessment, and policy implementation. Thus, environmental management policies, coupled with gut remediation provide an insight into environmental control and human health