Stefanos Fotiou

The informal waste sector is a valuable asset in the global effort to reduce plastic pollution. These principles should be applied to support sustainable, local and cost-effective waste management solutions and leverage this productive workforce to preserve the environment.

The adoption of the Paris Agreement in December 2015 created the opportunity to use legal instruments for climate action. To reach the strategic objective of limiting global warming to 1.5°C, the Agreement created obligations for States, with subsidiary obligations for different actors. Citizens and organizations are progressively ascertaining the empowerment and prerogatives it enables.

Preliminary analysis of of air pollution data in Thailand showing the following: While internal combustion vehicles are an important source of air pollutants, they are not the primary sources of air pollution in most cities in Thailand. While vehicles do play a larger role in cities such as Bangkok or Nakhon Si Thammarat their overall contribution to the AQI in these cities is much smaller than other factors. In this context, smoke released by agricultural fires and forest fires are the main… Visualizza altro

Preliminary analysis of of air pollution data in Thailand showing the following: While internal combustion vehicles are an important source of air pollutants, they are not the primary sources of air pollution in most cities in Thailand. While vehicles do play a larger role in cities such as Bangkok or Nakhon Si Thammarat their overall contribution to the AQI in these cities is much smaller than other factors. In this context, smoke released by agricultural fires and forest fires are the main source of pollution and are related to unsustainable practices of natural resources management. Meno dettagli

As the world is struggling with the rapid-onset COVID-19 crisis, and while it is early to conclude which response strategies were the most successful, we can already start drawing some lessons to help shape our response to the slow-onset disaster of climate change. We share in this article seven such lessons on how to ensure that the recovery from the COVID-19 crisis will happen in a way that will still put the 2030 Agenda and the Paris Agreement at the center of sustainable development efforts.

Several fronts need to be mobilized to safeguard our environment and consequently improve human health. From a set of dozens of concrete actions that can contribute to this objective this srticle highlights three concrete “low hanging fruits” that could unleash the power of the SDGs and of the planetary health narrative. None of these three actions require new technologies, new mechanisms or even new financial resources. They just need a change of mindset and prioritization of the development… Visualizza altro

Several fronts need to be mobilized to safeguard our environment and consequently improve human health. From a set of dozens of concrete actions that can contribute to this objective this srticle highlights three concrete “low hanging fruits” that could unleash the power of the SDGs and of the planetary health narrative. None of these three actions require new technologies, new mechanisms or even new financial resources. They just need a change of mindset and prioritization of the development of public policies and regulatory frameworks. Whether they will become “low” or “high” hanging fruits depends on political ambition. Meno dettagli

This report is the first outcome of an initiative to identify complementarities between the ASEAN Community Vision 2025 (ASEAN Vision 2025) and the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development (2030 Agenda), and to support ASEAN Member States to implement the two agendas in an integrated way. The report presents a framework for identifying complementarities, and proposes a number of flagship initiatives to support ASEAN countries to simultaneously translate the ASEAN Vision 2025 and… Visualizza altro

This report is the first outcome of an initiative to identify complementarities between the ASEAN Community Vision 2025 (ASEAN Vision 2025) and the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development (2030 Agenda), and to support ASEAN Member States to implement the two agendas in an integrated way. The report presents a framework for identifying complementarities, and proposes a number of flagship initiatives to support ASEAN countries to simultaneously translate the ASEAN Vision 2025 and the 2030 Agenda from political aspiration to practical implementation. The report is divided into four sections. Following this introductory section, Section 2 presents a broad framework for understanding complementarities, including underlying values, guiding and operational principles that connect the ASEAN and UN agendas; it further explains how this framework was used to select five cross-cutting priority areas that are used for further analysis and for the development of specific proposals. Section 3 provides quantitative and qualitative analyses of the five priority areas that have been selected on the basis of the complementarities framework presented in Section 2. The five cross-cutting priority areas, endorsed by the ASEAN community and analysed in this report, are i) poverty eradication, ii) infrastructure and connectivity, iii) sustainable management of natural resources, iv) sustainable production and consumption, and v) resilience. Each priority area provides an entry point from which to address multiple interconnected issues. Section 4 draws on the analysis in the previous section and makes recommendations on how actions could be taken to synchronize and advance the two Agendas. Meno dettagli

This study provides an overview of material resource use and efficiency trends in Asia and the Pacific over 1990 to 2015. The main contribution of this study is a new analytical approach to assess a country’s resource efficiency transition over multiple dimensions (such as material use and material footprint). This approach is grounded on the idea that it is important to monitor the actual pathways through which countries achieve resource efficiency because some transitions are more efficient… Visualizza altro

This study provides an overview of material resource use and efficiency trends in Asia and the Pacific over 1990 to 2015. The main contribution of this study is a new analytical approach to assess a country’s resource efficiency transition over multiple dimensions (such as material use and material footprint). This approach is grounded on the idea that it is important to monitor the actual pathways through which countries achieve resource efficiency because some transitions are more efficient than others. The paper illustrates the diversity in transition pathways of countries, especially their non-linearities. These non-linearities suggest that while countries make resource efficiency gains along one dimension, they make little progress in or lose resource efficiency along other dimensions. The combination of pathways has implication for a country, but that implications is typically overlooked. The analysis also highlights strong similarities in the resource efficiency transition pathways of countries most affected by the East Asian financial and economic crises that began in 1997. To quantify diverse resource efficiency transition pathways of countries, the study introduces the concept of a resource efficiency transition score (RETS) as a rating that is based on how close an actual transition pathway is to the most efficient pathway (represented by a linear transition). Based on the analysis of policy landscape of some of the top performers of RETS as well as a review of literature, the paper suggests nine policy pathways to promote resource efficiency. The study concludes with five avenues for promoting resource efficiency through greater regional collaboration. Meno dettagli

Understanding how efficiently we use natural resources is a vital step for designing policies to tackle inefficiencies. This infographics booklet reveals both the patterns and the evolution of natural resource use in the Asia Pacific over the last 40 years. The booklet presents findings in a graphic format that makes the trends of resource use and resource efficiency in the Asia-Pacific region accessible to all readers.

The general objective of the SCP toolkit is to support those policy makers and representatives of local and national administrations in Mediterranean countries, as well as all other interested stakeholders, willing to learn more about the SCP approach and its implementation in the region. It provides a set of effective tools and instruments, case studies and lessons learned which can help build national SCP frameworks and integrate them into national and sectoral policies.
This publication… Visualizza altro

The general objective of the SCP toolkit is to support those policy makers and representatives of local and national administrations in Mediterranean countries, as well as all other interested stakeholders, willing to learn more about the SCP approach and its implementation in the region. It provides a set of effective tools and instruments, case studies and lessons learned which can help build national SCP frameworks and integrate them into national and sectoral policies.
This publication, adapted to the context and priorities of the region complements the ’Planning for Change (P4C)’ methodology developed by UNEP to guide countries towards the development of national programmes on sustainable consumption and production. Meno dettagli

Sustainable Consumption and Production: A Handbook for Policy Makers, developed by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) with the financial support of the European Commission, provides a comprehensive introduction to developing policy for Sustainable Consumption and Production (SCP), designed specifically for the Asia-Pacific region. Part A of the Handbook provides an introduction to SCP and the policy cycle, reviewing various policy tools and instruments available to policy makers… Visualizza altro

Sustainable Consumption and Production: A Handbook for Policy Makers, developed by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) with the financial support of the European Commission, provides a comprehensive introduction to developing policy for Sustainable Consumption and Production (SCP), designed specifically for the Asia-Pacific region. Part A of the Handbook provides an introduction to SCP and the policy cycle, reviewing various policy tools and instruments available to policy makers. The rapidly growing consumption and production trends in Asia and the Pacific are examined, highlighting the urgent need for a transition towards SCP. Part B focuses on specific policy opportunities for cleaner and safer production, sustainable lifestyles, sustainable cities, sustainable public procurement and sustainable tourism, showcasing a number of inspiring and successful SCP policies and initiatives from across the region. This Handbook highlights opportunities in Asia and the Pacific for the transition towards SCP, a key element for achieving sustainable development. Meno dettagli

The Asia-Pacific region has, since the mid-1980s, developed into a powerhouse for manufacturing, which has further increased resource use and environmental impact in the region. If we consider who consumes the manufactured products from the Asia-Pacific, the attribution of resource flows looks different. A consumption approach refers to the place where goods and services are consumed and attributes upstream resource flows using environmentally extended input-output techniques to demonstrate the… Visualizza altro

The Asia-Pacific region has, since the mid-1980s, developed into a powerhouse for manufacturing, which has further increased resource use and environmental impact in the region. If we consider who consumes the manufactured products from the Asia-Pacific, the attribution of resource flows looks different. A consumption approach refers to the place where goods and services are consumed and attributes upstream resource flows using environmentally extended input-output techniques to demonstrate the extent to which developing economies’ resource use and carbon emissions contribute to consumption elsewhere. The fact that the Asia-Pacific has become the “workshop of the world” should not make us overlook the huge changes that have occurred in domestic household consumption in the region, especially in developing nations. Indeed, the emergence of new consumers in China, India, and other Asia-Pacific developing countries has had an increasing impact on global resource use. Meno dettagli

The production, storage and distribution of goods that are based on hazardous materials, posing
the risk of occurrence of accidents that may incur into a wide range of adverse effects. These
may result from incidents such as industrial fires, explosions, and large spills or releases of
chemicals into the environment, affecting both businesses and the public.

The United Nations Environment Programme is a leader on addressing these challenges and
provides support to… Visualizza altro

The production, storage and distribution of goods that are based on hazardous materials, posing
the risk of occurrence of accidents that may incur into a wide range of adverse effects. These
may result from incidents such as industrial fires, explosions, and large spills or releases of
chemicals into the environment, affecting both businesses and the public.

The United Nations Environment Programme is a leader on addressing these challenges and
provides support to governments and the private sector on awareness, prevention, preparedness
and management of industrial disasters. UNEP’s contribution to these areas is in line with the
International Strategy for Disaster Reduction and with the Strategic Approach for International
Chemicals Management, and based on a number of tools and initiatives that provide an
integrated approach to Industrial Disaster Management. Meno dettagli

This publication includes the abstracts of the introductory lectures and results of the parallel workshops of a workshop on the management of Natura 2000 areas in Europe. The five working groups were a) Social impacts of ecotourism, b) Ecological sustainability in Natura 2000 areas, c) Participatory planning and ecotourism, d) Productisation of nature-based tourism activities and e) Preserving landscapes – combining conservation, tourism and forestry.

The paper explores the sustainable development of ecotourism in the small islands of developing states and other small islands. Challenge of ecotourism planning; Details on the regulation of ecotourism; Costs and benefits of ecotourism.

The paper uses a multi-input, multi-output non parametric method (DEA) to estimate the relative efficiency of the forest offices fire suppression system in Greece. A total of 12.000 individual forest fire incidents from ten years are used as the model's cases. The main output variables are the response time after the announcement of the fire and the total area burned in a fire. The input variables are both endogenous (personnel and fire suppression tools) and exogenous (wind speed, topographic… Visualizza altro

The paper uses a multi-input, multi-output non parametric method (DEA) to estimate the relative efficiency of the forest offices fire suppression system in Greece. A total of 12.000 individual forest fire incidents from ten years are used as the model's cases. The main output variables are the response time after the announcement of the fire and the total area burned in a fire. The input variables are both endogenous (personnel and fire suppression tools) and exogenous (wind speed, topographic data and vegetation type). The relative efficiency of a total of 52 forest fire suppression stations is estimated. Meno dettagli

A model for the estimation of the efficiency of the sawmills industry is presented in this paper. The model is based on the estimation of indexes of technical allocative and overall efficiency of the production process. The paper is based on one of the authors Ph.D dissertation. A stochastic frontier production function is estimated for a total of 44 sawmills. Seven different indexes are estimated and statistical analysis performed examining the relation between the efficiency indexes and… Visualizza altro

A model for the estimation of the efficiency of the sawmills industry is presented in this paper. The model is based on the estimation of indexes of technical allocative and overall efficiency of the production process. The paper is based on one of the authors Ph.D dissertation. A stochastic frontier production function is estimated for a total of 44 sawmills. Seven different indexes are estimated and statistical analysis performed examining the relation between the efficiency indexes and endogenous variables of the sawmills. The efficiency indexes which were calculated for the units under evaluation, are at general level low to very low. Having drawn up two classes of efficiency we notice that in the class of high efficiency only 12 from the 44 sawmills are included (about 27%). This fact leads to the conclusion that the productioon process is not following the best available technology in the majority of the units but that there are also big opportunities for efficiency improvements. The production units for which the efficiency indexes were estimated show particularly low performances regarding the labor efficiency. It is especially important the fact that 50% of the units display a labor efficiency index below 0.3. In other words a structural low labor efficiency has been observedin the units which have been evaluated. Meno dettagli

This paper aims to identify the lands in Greece which are used for farm forestry; it
defines the species in these lands in terms of their importance and points out the lack
of a cost accountancy method. Furthermore, the usefulness of the application of the
Activity Based Costing, already applied at international level in various economic
activities, in the field of farm forestry.