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AbstractA large number of small- to medium-sized community ponds exist in most parts of the Terai region in Nepal. Such ponds could be a viable alternative for other forms of surface irrigation. But, with the lack of efficient management, many of these ponds remain underutilized. An effort was made to facilitate the rehabilitation of such a pond in a selected village of Rupandehi District in Western Terai region of Nepal. This paper aims to evaluate the changed water availability situation in post-monsoon seasons after the pond rehabilitation. The paper also evaluates the feasibility of such interventions especially focusing on the potential to provide additional water and improve agricultural productivity. Results showed small increases in quantifiable indicators such as water availability, cropping intensity, productivity and income. The new institutional setup improved water allocation, improved operation and maintenance, and increased social awareness among the people about the importance of underutilized water resources. The intervention has the potential to be replicated in similar contexts.

Исследование ландшафтов всегда было традиционным научным направлением географии. В России подобная направленность исследований остаётся актуальной, несмотря на то, что термины «геоэкология» и «ландшафтная экология» сегодня более распространены в англоязычном научном сообществе. Наш краткий обзор показывает значительное ускорение антропогенных ландшафтных изменений в Европе, Центральной Азии и азиатской части России за последние пять десятилетий. Ландшафтные исследования в антропоцене должны быть направлены на достижение и сохранение устойчивости ландшафта при его высокой производительности, что включает в себя прекращение деградации ландшафтов, развитие культурных и сохранение природных ландшафтов. Чистая вода и чистый воздух, плодородные и здоровые почвы для производства продуктов питания и других экосистемных услуг, а также биологически разнообразная зеленая среда являются атрибутами ландшафтов, обеспечивающих выживание и благополучие населения. Дисциплинарные и междисциплинарные исследования должны генерировать знания, инновации и правила принятия действенных решений. Генерация знаний в глобализованном мире основана на сборе больших массивов данных и моделировании сценариев. Международные длительные полевые опыты и системы агроэкологического мониторинга будут предоставлять данные для экосистемных моделей и систем поддержки принимаемых решений. Landscape research has been a traditional scientific discipline of geography. This is still the case in Russia, whilst the terms geo-ecology and landscape ecology have become established in the English speaking scientific community. Our short review reveals huge and accelerating anthropogenic landscape transformations in Europe, Central Asia and Asian Russia since the end the 1960s. Landscape research in the Anthropocene has to focus on achieving landscape sustainability at high productivity. This includes halting landscape degradation, developing cultural landscapes, and maintaining semi-natural landscapes. Clean water and air, fertile and healthy soils for food and other ecosystem services and a green and bio-diverse environment are attributes of landscapes for the survival and well-being of humans. Research has to generate knowledge, innovations and decision rules by disciplinary, interdisciplinary and trans-disciplinary work. Knowledge generation in a globalized world is based on big data gathering and scenario modelling. International long-term experiments and agri-environmental monitoring systems will deliver data for ecosystem models and decision support systems.

Esta dissertação investiga a implementação de uma plataforma tecnológica para monitorar métricas (Environmental, Social, and Governance - ESG) 1 no sector energético, com foco na Galp Energia, uma das principais empresas do sector em Portugal. Este estudo é motivado pela necessidade de a empresa cumprir as rigorosas exigências impostas pela nova Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD)2 da União Europeia. A plataforma adotada tem como objetivo centralizar e automatizar a gestão dos dados ESG, esperando melhorias na precisão, transparência e conformidade dos relatórios. A pesquisa baseia-se numa revisão de literatura que sustenta a realização de sete entrevistas com os principais responsáveis pela implementação do projeto, bem como com os futuros utilizadores da nova plataforma. Estas entrevistas são complementadas por uma análise documental fornecida pela Galp, incluindo informação detalhada sobre o processo de seleção e desenvolvimento da plataforma, relatórios institucionais e outras fontes disponíveis na internet. Da revisão de literatura aprende-se que os desafios da implementação de uma plataforma tecnológica para gestão de ESG são: a integração de dados provenientes de múltiplas fontes, a complexidade da adaptação organizacional e a necessidade de garantir a coerência entre as práticas operacionais e os requisitos regulatórios. Por outro lado, os benefícios incluem uma maior eficiência operacional, redução de custos associados à monitorização dos indicadores ESG e um fortalecimento da capacidade da empresa em gerir a sustentabilidade de forma holística e integrada. Embora a utilização de plataformas tecnológicas para a gestão de métricas ESG seja um fenómeno relativamente recente, há uma crescente quantidade de literatura que explora os seus benefícios e desafios. Contudo, devido à novidade do tema, ainda existe uma carência de bibliografia mais consolidada que permita uma análise aprofundada e abrangente do impacto destas soluções no longo prazo. Esta lacuna reforça a relevância do presente estudo, que visa contribuir para o corpo de conhecimento existente, oferecendo uma visão prática e detalhada da implementação de uma plataforma ESG numa empresa do sector energético. O estudo de caso permitiu concluir que a adoção da plataforma tecnológica poderá resultar em melhorias significativas na capacidade da Galp Energia de cumprir as exigências regulatórias e de apresentar relatórios ESG mais completos e precisos. Além disso, a utilização de uma ferramenta centralizada, se bem-sucedida após a sua implementação, poderá proporcionar uma maior agilidade na tomada de decisões estratégicas, com base em dados fiáveis e em tempo real, contribuindo para a consolidação da posição da Galp como líder em sustentabilidade no sector energético. This dissertation investigates the implementation of a technological platform for monitoring Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) metrics in the energy sector, focusing on Galp Energia, one of the leading companies in the sector in Portugal. This study is motivated by the need for the company to comply with the stringent requirements imposed by the European Union's new Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD). The adopted platform aims to centralize and automate the management of ESG data, with the expectation of improving the accuracy, transparency, and compliance of reports. The research is based on a literature review that supports seven interviews with key personnel responsible for the project’s implementation and future users of the platform, complemented by a documentary analysis provided by Galp. This documentation includes information on the selection and development process of the platform, institutional reports, and publicly available online sources. From the literature review, it is learned that the challenges of implementing a technological platform for ESG management include the integration of data from multiple sources, the complexity of organizational adaptation, and the need to ensure consistency between operational practices and regulatory requirements. On the other hand, the benefits include increased operational efficiency, reduced costs associated with monitoring ESG indicators, and enhanced company capacity to manage sustainability in a holistic and integrated manner. Although the use of technological platforms for managing ESG metrics is a relatively recent phenomenon, there is a growing body of literature that explores its benefits and challenges. However, due to the novelty of the subject, there remains a lack of more consolidated bibliographical sources that allow for a comprehensive and in-depth analysis of the long-term impact of these solutions. This gap underscores the relevance of the present study, which aims to contribute to the existing body of knowledge by offering a practical and detailed view of the implementation of an ESG platform in an energy company. The case study concluded that the adoption of the technological platform could result in significant improvements in Galp Energia's ability to meet regulatory requirements and produce more comprehensive and accurate ESG reports. Furthermore, the use of a centralized tool, if successfully implemented, could provide greater agility in strategic decision-making, based on reliable and real-time data, contributing to consolidating Galp's position as a leader in sustainability within the energy sector. info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion

This introductory article to the Ecological Modernization special issue begins with the observation that, when it comes to transitions, ecological modernization projects are often the ones being implemented. This justifies studying these projects in their own right. An analysis of what is involved in the concept of ecological modernization brings it back to the status of a promise, which is part of a relationship of both continuity and rupture with modernity. The articles in this issue are examined in light of this promise. These projects reveal the internal tensions within ecological modernization and show that, while it is continuously being renegotiated and hybridized, and despite suffering from significant internal limitations and criticisms, these projects appear to be united by their ability to strengthen the most powerful actors through compromises and minimal alignments. These compromises often lead to strong deviations from the promise and, ultimately, from the objectives of energy transition. Cet article introductif du numéro spécial Modernisation écologique part du constat qu’en matière de transition, ce sont le plus souvent des projets relevant de la modernisation écologique qui se mettent en œuvre – ce qui justifie que ces projets soient étudiés en tant que tels. Une analyse de ce que renferme l’idée de modernisation écologique renvoie celle-ci au statut de promesse, qui s’inscrit dans un rapport de continuité rupture par rapport à la modernité. Les articles réunis dans ce numéro sont lus à l’aune de cette promesse. Ces projets révèlent les tensions internes de la modernisation écologique, et montrent que si celle-ci est constamment renégociée et hybridée, si elle souffre d’importantes limites (et critiques) internes, ces projets semblent rassemblés par leur capacité à renforcer des acteurs les plus puissants autour de compromis et d’alignements a minima générant des écarts forts à la promesse et in fine aux objectifs de transition énergétique.

The ‘4 per mille Soils for Food Security and Climate’ was launched at the COP21 with an aspiration to increase global soil organic matter stocks by 4 per 1000 (or 0.4 %) per year as a compensation for the global emissions of greenhouse gases by anthropogenic sources. This paper surveyed the soil organic carbon (SOC) stock estimates and sequestration potentials from 20 regions in the world (New Zealand, Chile, South Africa, Australia, Tanzania, Indonesia, Kenya, Nigeria, India, China Taiwan, South Korea, China Mainland, United States of America, France, Canada, Belgium, England & Wales, Ireland, Scotland, and Russia). We asked whether the 4 per mille initiative is feasible for the region. The outcomes highlight region specific efforts and scopes for soil carbon sequestration. Reported soil C sequestration rates globally show that under best management practices, 4 per mille or even higher sequestration rates can be accomplished. High C sequestration rates (up to 10 per mille) can be achieved for soils with low initial SOC stock (topsoil less than 30 t C ha− 1), and at the first twenty years after implementation of best management practices. In addition, areas which have reached equilibrium will not be able to further increase their sequestration. We found that most studies on SOC sequestration only consider topsoil (up to 0.3 m depth), as it is considered to be most affected by management techniques. The 4 per mille number was based on a blanket calculation of the whole global soil profile C stock, however the potential to increase SOC is mostly on managed agricultural lands. If we consider 4 per mille in the top 1m of global agricultural soils, SOC sequestration is between 2-3 Gt C year− 1, which effectively offset 20–35% of global anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions. As a strategy for climate change mitigation, soil carbon sequestration buys time over the next ten to twenty years while other effective sequestration and low carbon technologies become viable. The challenge for cropping farmers is to find disruptive technologies that will further improve soil condition and deliver increased soil carbon. Progress in 4 per mille requires collaboration and communication between scientists, farmers, policy makers, and marketeers.

In order to reduce production costs and environmental impact of bioethanol from sugar beet low purity syrup 2, an intensification of the industrial alcoholic fermentation carried out by Saccharomyces cerevisiae is necessary. Two fermentation processes were tested: multi-stage batch and fed-batch fermentations with different operating conditions. It was established that the fed-batch process was the most efficient to reach the highest ethanol concentration. This process allowed to minimize both growth and ethanol production inhibitions by high sugar concentrations or ethanol. Thus, a good management of the operating conditions (initial volume and feeding rate) could produce 15.2% (v/v) ethanol in 53 h without residual sucrose and with an ethanol productivity of 2.3 g L h−1.