Who should do what in Environmental Governance:
Institutions and Constraints
Alghero, September
21-24, 2005
Organizers
Participants
and Topics
Dates
and Venue
Travel
information
Accompanying
persons
Programme
Albert Breton,
Department
of Economics, University of Toronto (Canada)
Giorgio Brosio,
Dipartimento
di Economia, Università di Torino (Italy)
Silvana Dalmazzone,
Dipartimento
di Economia, Università di Torino (Italy)
Giovanna Garrone,
Dipartimento
di Economia, Università di Torino (Italy)
Albert Breton
Department of Economics,
University of Toronto (Canada)
Pierre Salmon
Laboratoire d'Economie
et de Gestion Université de Bourgogne, Dijon (France)
Compliance
in Decentralized Environmental Governance
Giorgio Brosio
DIpartimento di Economia,
Università di Torino (Italy)
Bicameralism
and Environmental Legislation
Silvio Funtowicz
Institute for the Protection
and Security of the Citizen, European Commission, Ispra (Italy)
Models
of Science & Policy: from Expert Demonstration to Participatory Dialogue
Jason Johnston
Program on Law and the
Environment, University of Pennsylvania Law School, Philadelphia, PA (USA)
Shaping
Entitlements: A Brief Analytic History of the Judicial Role in American
Environmental Governance
Xavier Labandeira
Faculdade de Ciencias
Económicas e Empresariais, Universidade de Vigo, Galiza (Spain)
Miguel Rodríguez
Faculdade de Ciencias
Económicas e Empresariais, Universidade de Vigo, Galiza (Spain)
Green
Tax Reforms and Decentralization
Sarah Lumley
School of Earth and
Geographical Sciences, University of Western Australia, Perth (Australia)
Losing
the Land of Plenty? The use and abuse of economic theory and discounting
by governments in Australia
Government
interpretations and applications of economic theory often do not lend themselves
well to environmental protection and conservation. This is, in part, because
governments tend to use short time frames and apply discounting to project
selection in a manner better suited to commercial decision-making. The
application of accounting techniques, like discounted cash flow analysis,
to environmental resources based programmes has long been controversial,
and much has been written of it in the economics literature. The outcome
of discounting is to weight future costs and benefits at a lower value
than present costs and benefits, in order to reflect present time frame
returns in the form of a net present value (NPV). Compounding this problem
is the fact that, even among some economists, the assumptions and requirements
of economic theory are often little known and poorly understood. For example,
the accommodation of non-market (intangible) costs and benefits in total
economic value (TEV) is often neglected. Many governments are keen to demonstrate
that their policies are ‘economically viable’ and free-market friendly,
mistaking commerce and finance for economics.
In
Australia this problem has been prominent in arguments between the centralised
National government and some decentralized State governments over how publicly
owned natural resources should be used. Australia is a country rich in
biodiversity and mineral wealth and poor in soil and water quality and
quantity. One issue in which some state governments, such as that of Western
Australia, have become embroiled in dispute with the national government
has been over the use of remnant old growth forests for logging. Forests
are particularly vulnerable to time frame and discount rate weightings
because of the high (tangible) present financial returns from selling timber
compared with the low present financial returns from forest conservation.
Forestry is one activity that environmental economists have suggested could
attract differential (low or even negative) discount rates. Although using
different discount rates simultaneously is contrary to the requirements
of economic theory, it may help to conserve old growth forests and other
valuable environmental assets for the future.
Issues
of time frames, time preference [private and social], discounting, and
the theory and practice of economics are analysed and discussed in this
paper. The role of decentralized governments, their institutional frameworks,
their relationship to the national government in Australia, and the question
of whether, how and to what extent they apply differential discount rates
in environmental planning and management, is examined in the light of the
interpretation and use of economics. The recognition of intangible social
and environmental values in resource use and conservation by decentralised
governments is also discussed.
Laura Marsiliani
Department of Economics
and Finance, University of Durham (UK)
Culture,
Public Opinion and Environmental Policy
Elinor Ostrom
Indiana University,
Bloomington (USA)
An
Institutional Approach to the Study of Local Communities and Forest Resources
Finding
ways of learning from the expensive lessons of the past is a challenge
for all researchers interested in people and the environment. Many
factors influence how humans impact forests, for better or worse.
The relevant institutional factors alone are numerous. For instance, in
many forests, local, evolved rules regulate who may harvest what forest
products, how much may be harvested, when, by what techniques, and in what
locations. Other rules may specify the means of monitoring and enforcing
harvesting rules, the degree of authority at various scales of organization,
and the methods for resolving conflicts. In other forests, there may be
an almost total absence of agreed upon rules defining uses, users, and
modes of use. Whether effective rules exist or not is rarely evident
to those planning conservation projects -- particularly those working in
the capital city. When local institutions are not recognized, external
projects may actually destroy rules and norms that have long been used
by local forest users to protect neighboring forest resources.
In
this presentation, I will describe an effort to integrate research methodologies
to examine both social and biophysical processes affecting forest conditions.
I will briefly describe the methodology developed by the International
Forestry Resources and Institutions (IFRI) Research Program. Then,
I will present findings from several countries regarding factors affecting
processes of institutional change to protect local forest conditions.
Robert Paehlke
Trent University, Peterborough,
Ontario (Canada)
Local
Environmental Initiatives in a Global Age
Anthony D. Scott
Department of Economics,
University
of British Columbia, Vancouver (Canada)
Contracts
in the Vertical Assignment of Powers over the Environment
Federations
consist of several tiers of government, each with its own sets of sometimes-overlapping
powers and responsibilities. To deal with a
subject for which their
powers are inadequate or are in conflict, governments may choose to compete
directly in the assignment of the powers
or work in a fashion
that uses their capabilities in an organized fashion.
This
last implies a contract between the governments, be it of a delegation
of power, an agreement to share responsibilities or another sort.
The
present paper examines
the role of contracting in a federation's approach to solving environmental
problems.
Jason Shogren
Department of Economics
and Finance, University of Wyoming, Laramie (USA)
Klaas van 't Veld
Department of Economics
and Finance, University of Wyoming, Laramie (USA)
Environmental
Federalism with Regards to Accidental Pollution
Marcia Valiante
Faculty
of Law, University of Windsor, Ontario (Canada)
Privatization
and Environmental Governance
Paul Seabright
Institut d'Economie
Industrielle, Université de Toulouse-1 (France)
(Discussant)
Wallace Oates
Department
of Economics, University of Maryland
(Discussant)
The Symposium
will take place on September 21-24 2005 at the Porto Conte Ricerche
(PCR) Centre in Tramariglio (Alghero), Sardinia.
The meeting will start with a reception
on Wednesday, September 21st in the evening (7pm) and will last until Saturday,
September 24th, with a final banquet on Saturday night. We therefore advise
to schedule departures on Sunday morning.
The PCR Centre
is located on the Porto Conte bay, less than 20 km away from both the town
of Alghero and the airport of Alghero Fertilia (see map below).
Additional information
on the venue can be found at http://www.portocontericerche.it
Daily flights
to Alghero Fertilia from Milano Malpensa, Milano Linate and Roma Fiumicino
are operated by AirOne: http://www.flyairone.it/en/Index.asp.
Alghero airport’s
website lists daily flights from and to Alghero:
http://www.aeroportodialghero.com/Orari_%20aeroporto_di_alghero.htm
As regards travel
expenses, we are unable to refund business or first-class tickets, and
we would like to encourage you to choose among the lowest air fares available.
Please let us know your travel plans as soon as you can.
In order to
refund your travel expenses, we will need the original ticket and the boarding
cards. If the price is not shown on the ticket, we’ll need both the original
ticket and the travel agent’s invoice.
In the case
of jointly authored papers, we will be able to cover accommodation, but
unfortunately not travel, expenses for second authors who wish to attend
the Symposium.
The cost for
accompanying persons in a shared room is €50 per day including breakfast;
lunches and dinners will cost approximately €30 each. The centre,
although not far from Alghero, is a quite secluded spot and accompanying
persons will not be able to rely on public transportation. There are, however,
several car rental agencies in Alghero’s airport.
Wednesday 21 September
Arrivals
Reception at 19.00 (at Porto Conte Ricerche)
Thursday 22 September
Morning Session
9.00-9.45 Introduction
and presentation of the PENG Research Project
9.45-10.45 Contracts
in the Vertical Assignment of Powers over the Environment
Anthony D. Scott, University of British Columbia, Vancouver
(Canada)
10.45-11.15 Coffee Break
11.15-12.15 Compliance
in Decentralized Environmental Governance
Albert Breton, University of Toronto (Canada)
Pierre Salmon, Université de Bourgogne, Dijon (France)
12.30 Lunch
13.45 Beach excursion
Afternoon Session
17.00-19.00 Models
of Science & Policy: from Expert Demonstration to Participatory Dialogue
Silvio Funtowicz, Institute for the Protection and Security of the Citizen,
Ispra (Italy)
Shaping Entitlements: A Brief Analytic History
of the Judicial Role in American Environmental Governance
Jason Johnston, University of Pennsylvania Law School (USA)
Dinner (Agriturismo Sa Mandra)
Friday 23 September
Morning Session
9.00-11.00 Bicameralism
and Environmental Legislation
Giorgio Brosio, University of Torino (Italy)
Losing the Land of Plenty? The Use and Abuse
of Economic Theory and Discounting by Governments in Australia
Sarah Lumley, University of Western Australia, Perth
11.00-11.30 Coffee Break
11.30- 12.30 Environmental
Federalism with Regards to Accidental Pollution
Klaas van’t Veld, University of Wyoming (USA)
Jason F. Shogren, University of Wyoming (USA)
13.00 Lunch
Afternoon Session
14.30-16.30 Political
Institutions, Environmental Policy and Growth
Laura Marsiliani, University of Durham (UK)
Thomas Renström, University of Durham (UK)
Local Environmental Initiatives in a Global
Age
Robert Paehlke, Trent University, Petersborough, Ontario (Canada)
Social Dinner in Alghero
Saturday 24 September
Morning Session
9.00-11.00 An
Institutional Approach to the Study of Local Communities and Forest Resources
Elinor Ostrom , Indiana University, Bloomington (USA)
Privatization and Environmental Governance
Marcia Valiante, University of Windsor, Ontario (Canada)
11.00-11.30 Coffee
Break
11.30-12.30 Green
Tax Reforms and Decentralization
Miguel Rodríguez, Xavier Labandeira, Alberto Gago and Fidel Picos,
University of Vigo, Galiza (Spain)
12.30-13.30 General
Discussion
13.30 Lunch
Dinner in Fertilia
Sunday 21 September
Transfer to the airport and departures.
Tramariglio (Alghero)
- Capo
Caccia
