Introduction Environmental policy and legislation in Australia have been heavily influenced by non-binding international agreements, in particular, the principle of ecologically sustainable development (ESD). The Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (Cth) (the Act) is the primary vehicle for implementing ESD at the Commonwealth level but it is not consistently able to achieve its object of managing environmental issues and achieving ecologically sustainable development. However, it is important to acknowledge that achieving an appropriate balance of all the relevant social, economic and environmental considerations is a challenging task and one that is invariably a value judgement. Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act Australia's international obligations on biodiversity and conservation have been consolidated in the Act. Nevertheless, the Act performs a significant role in keeping a check on numerous State-sponsored projects and the major trigger for approval under it is impacts on matters of national environmental significance such as World Heritage areas. The Booth v Bosworth case demonstrated that impact assessment is not limited to site-specific impacts of proposals on a narrow range of ‘matters of national environmental significance’ but can also …show more content…
Our Common Future (1987 Report to the UN General Assembly by the World Commission on Environment and Development) defined 'sustainable development' as 'development which meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs'. Much of Australia's domestic environmental policy on sustainable development reflects the influence of Rio Declaration on Environment and Development and Agenda 21. Sustainable development must be considered on the scale of the ecosystem, which may be regional or
Mr. Middleton, a journalist, compiled an article describing, in his opinion, the flaws of the Endangered Species Act. He then attempts to back his opinion with studied analyses, researched facts, and testimonies. To summarize Middleton’s (2011) perspective, “Rather than provide incentives for conservation and environmental stewardship, the Endangered Species Act punishes those whose property contains land that might be used as habitat by endangered and threatened species” (p. 79). This quote is broad and generalized yet draws in readers and forces Middleton to spend the rest of the article backing this statement with more logic based facts.
The map is used as a guide as to how biodiversity policies should be put into play. The vegetation Management Act of 1999 will assist in land clearing which will ensure that the impact on biodiversity is minimalized as to avoid destroying biodiversity values. As seen in Fig.4, biodiversity habitat areas in the Redlands have been extensively fragmented. This in relation to the Koalas being unviable to the region in the near future. Here the aim is to improve biodiversity connectivity by rehabilitation of cleared land or areas.
For many years Australia has been an isolated land, away in the bottom corner of the world, surrounded by thousands of kilometres of ocean at some points. This isolation has developed entire unique ecosystems across Australia, ones that are full of unique native animals and plants.
Humans have played major roles in destroying and protecting a variety of ecosystems. Currently there are many people involved in changing others views on protective earth practices and aware of their impact on changing environments. This is best seen in climate change, conservation movements, and hunting and fishing practices and policies. However, there are already major impacts from climate change, particularly in northern areas, the future impact of a changing climate is rarely considered when determining land-use, including environmental assessments. With expanding resource removal behaviours, the impact of a changing climate and human activities on vulnerable wild life and ecosystems is a big problem. Adding to the problem is a lack of
Biodiversity offsetting is a planning strategy that aims to compensate for losses of biodiversity in a given area by protecting an area elsewhere and generating gains that are ecologically equivalent to the loss in the area being developed (Maron et al. 2012.) In practice, this means that the residual losses in biodiversity that take place as a result of a development can be offset and compensated for in any area in the UK, potentially even far from the one under development. The UK government has suggested that this strategy may be ideal on the basis that countries all over the world, such as the United States, India, Australia and 21 others have and are currently using this planning strategy to meet its society’s needs (DEFRA green paper.) On the 5th of September 2013, DEFRA published a public consultation document on Biodiversity offsetting in England (also called the Green paper) which laid out a framework of options for how biodiversity offsetting in England could potentially operate. The consultation is written in a style that gives information and suggestions as to how an offsetting scheme could operate, however, it also asks 38 specific questions relating to the execution offsetting practices, from very basic questions such as asking if offsetting should be mandatory for developers, to more specific questions regarding potentially off...
Following the inspector’s recommendations, in 2002 the County Council rejected the application to register the beach as a town or village green under s. 22 of the Commons Registration Act 1965 (now superseded by s. 15 of the Commons Act 2006). What follows is based on our own attendance at the inquiry, and documentation made available at the inquiry and the inspector’s report and recommendations. The proceedings were adversarial, with at times a great deal of animosity expressed between the parties, and were governed by a select group of planning barristers, fully conversant with the complexities of this area of law, and who conducted an, at times, fierce cross-questioning of the applicant’s (Whitstable Preservation Society’s) witnesses. 21
The Convention on Biological Diversity (hereafter: “CBD”) is an international treaty adopted by United Nations Conference on Environment and Development, held at Rio de Janeiro in June 1992 and came into force on December 29, 1993. Initially when it came into force there were 168 members now it is 193 in total. The aim to protect biodiversity and the dramatic steps taken for conservation, sustainable use and the fair and equitable sharing of benefits attracted the world communities to become members (History of the Convention, n.d). In principle the convention on biological diversity changed the ownership concept of biodiversity protection i.e. (“common heritage of humankind”) to the “sovereign right” of each member country (Hirsch, 2012). It is the responsibility of the each member to develop and implement policies in a way that helps in the conservation and sustainable use of biological resources. It also recognizes the knowledge of local and indigenous people for conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity (Brahmi et al., 2004).The article 8(j) of CBD has an important provision which gives the member state rights to “respect, preserve and maintain” traditional style and knowledge about the conservation and sustainable use of biological diversity. The protection must promote the wider application of such knowledge and stimulate innovation and also ensure that the benefits are shared in fair and equitable manner to the communities.
Halpern and his team suggest that an EBM approach may be the best solution for addressing these issues. Chuenpagdee’s research also highlights the challenges and issues surrounding the implementation of effective MPAs. The study included an in-depth look into four case studies that focused on the design stages of MPAs, and the social issues that must be taken into consideration, and how the incorporation of local communities into management efforts could lead to increases in MPA network success and sustainability. The compilation of data presented in these studies, all highlight the fact that nations are increasing the number of MPAs, in order to reach international goals of conservation, however even if the global area goals of protection are met, it is clear that the success of these protected areas will be heavily dependent upon the socioeconomic issues surrounding the impacted areas, as well as the larger-scale issues that need to be simultaneously addressed such as pollution and climate change, both of which can not be resolved by the implementation of protected zones.... ...
The latter half of the twentieth century was host to the greatest and most widespread advancements in environmental awareness in human history. It was during this time that people began to consider the effects of their polluting cars and their wasteful habits. People began to realize that something must be done to curb humans’ negative impacts on their surroundings and thus the environmental movement was born. One of the most important factors that resulted from this expansion of environmental consciousness occurring over the last several decades has been the protection of endangered species. Much has been done in the legal world to ensure the continued longevity of our planet’s diversity, including two major policies: CITES and the Endangered Species Act. Each of these policies has approached the welfare of endangered species in a different way, with varying degrees of success. Each strategy will be summarized and analyzed, beginning with the CITES treaty, as it was enacted before the Endangered Species Act. However, before examining the function and effectiveness of each strategy, it is important to understand the history behind each one of them.
Environmental impact assessment (EIA) entails a multifaceted appraisement of the possible aftermath caused by a project or action on the surrounding man-made and natural environment (Wood, 2003). This systematic process requires the involvement of all interested stakeholders in the process and the public, in order to achieve a widespread consent on the planned project and mitigation strategies proposed [European Commission (EC), 2014].
Sustainability is a concept with a diverse array of meanings and definitions – a widely used glamorous, ambiguous, ambivalent and vague concept that is used by different stakeholder groups in various ways. Presumably to avoid noodling over a terminology or to avoid the confrontation with a definition, most widely the concept is broken down a planning process (c.f. e.g. Döring & Muraca, 2010). That is why most common sustainability is understood as sustainable development.1
Legislation aimed at protecting New Zealand’s environment and natural resources has been through countless reforms to better tailor it to the various discourses that surround environmental management. In Simin Davoudi’s (2012) reading “Climate Risk and Security: New Meanings of “the Environment” in the English Planning System”, Davoudi discusses that environment can be seen in various different ways, as local amenity, heritage ,landscape ,nature reserve, as a store house of resources, as a tradable commodity, as a problem, as sustainability and as a risk (Davoudi, 2012). Although, Davoudi’s typology relates to aspects of New Zealand’s environmental management paradigms, it fails to include some important aspects such as indigenous and community inclusion. Davoudi’s (2012) typology can provide for future guidance in the discourse surrounding environment as risk.
Economic valuation is an important component of environmental policy, although it is difficult to affix a cost on the environment and ecosystem services, it is a measurement that is relevant to most in society humans. Therefore, economic tools may be useful in reinforcing the importance of maintaining biodiversity and preserving fragile ecosystems.
(7) Adams, W. M. The Future of Sustainability: Re-thinking Environment and Development in the Twenty-first Century. Rep. The World Conservation Union, 22 May 2006. Web. 23 Oct. 2013.
‘Development that meets the needs of the present with the ability for the future generation to meet their own needs.’ (World Commission on Environment and Development, 1987) Sustainable development requires three key components: economy, society and environment, sustainable development can be success through striking balance in those factors. These three components are indispensible, they compel to depend on each other. On the other words, we can only gain a decent and energetic environment and society if the economy is strong with a healthy a stable growth rate.