• Energy Research

With the development of the transportation network, vessels are increasingly used in the tourism business. The international cruise business requires huge investments and a clear international and domestic legal framework. Russia has unique opportunities to develop cruise tourism as a country with the world’s longest total length of coastal line (37.7 thousand kilometres). Russia intends to develop and support cruise tourism in the Arctic and increase the tourist flow to the Arctic to a certain level in order to promote socio-economic development in the region. At the same time, a rapidly evolving tourism in the Arctic brings new challenges related to the preservation of environmental safety and protection of national interests and requires comprehensive legal cover and regulation at the national level. This article deals with Russian Federation’s laws regulating sea/river cruise shipping involving an international element. It scrutinises state rules and policies on navigation in the Russian Arctic waters and relevant International Treaties of the Russian Federation, highlights the peculiarity of the cruise shipping contract in terms of Russian laws regulating the relationship arising from it, and finally, analyses the effects of Russian legislation in the field of Arctic tourism to its development. The authors attempted to summarise experts’ views on relevant Russian legislation’ shortcomings and put forward possible solutions.

Sustainable, efficient, and affordable energy supply embraces a strong relationship with socio-economic development, specifically in developing countries. Pakistan has been facing an energy crisis in the form of expensive electricity generation by largely depending upon fossil fuels and experiencing power shortages. This paper offers a thorough analysis of Pakistan's renewable energy (hereinafter RE) potential and current practices, in trying to meet its energy demands. There is a limited academic discussion available concerning the utilization of RE resources of Pakistan to produce cost-effective and cost-competitive energy, including the formulation of pertinent laws and policies. This study adopts qualitative means to investigate global trends and current practices in renewables, followed by concrete observations and recommendations to improve the situation in Pakistan. The objective of the study is, therefore, to establish the significance of renewables and to examine possible solutions available to the government of Pakistan in addressing its energy crisis. The study concludes by suggesting that there is an urgent need to follow the global trend in replacing conventional energy methods with the country's extensive RE resources in order to ensure sustainable economic security and growth.

In addition to the traditional so-called Arctic states, non-Artic states and some other international organisations are now showing a growing interest in this area. China, for example, has achieved some progress, since becoming an Arctic Council permanent observer, through participation in resource development in the region and strengthening its bilateral relations with the Arctic states. The present study examines China’s Arctic policy and its implications for the governance of the Arctic Ocean. It also provides an insight into the existing relevant international legal instruments and examines China’s interest in the participation, governance, and resource protection activities in the Arctic Ocean region, to successfully implement Chinese Arctic policy. To this end, the study examines the connection between the “white paper” and “China’s Arctic Policy”, in the context of executing the “Belt and Road Initiative”, in particular the “Arctic Silk Road”. The study concludes that China intends to perform a dynamic role in governing the Arctic Ocean, as a less challenging but cooperative partner in this region.

Energy has gained great attention and extensive demand as an important element of the development of human society over the globe. As the representative of the traditional energy use, coal and oil have made a significant contribution to the economic take-off. However, their negative effects are becoming increasingly obvious simultaneously. On the one hand, the world is facing severe energy depletion crisis as the energy consumption increases. Eventually, the development and use of energy at large lead to a deteriorating environment. Facing these dual effects, States have begun to attach importance to the exploitation of renewable energy. Marine renewable energy (hereinafter MRE) has become the gateway to energy revolution based on its particular advantages. This paper pays attention to the American institutional framework and legal system for the development of MRE, along with its advantages, prerequisites, opportunities, and barriers, followed by various pertinent recommendations, as the U.S. is the leading country in this field. It is concluded that the U.S. has a comprehensive legal system for the development of MRE. However, it has to timely intersect with the opportunities and barriers in the light of the administrative or legal framework and enhance its institutional structure for the successful implementation as well as to be competitive for the attainment of required goals.

This study presents a critical analysis of the environmental challenges regarding global environmental policies and current practices in China. The study provides imperative evidence about the current emission control strategies, environmental planning, legislation, policy instruments, and measures to provide a sustainable environment for the present and future generations. The study followed a well-defined analytical methodology to analyse the measures adopted to control emissions as a trade-balancing tool for the environment. The findings indicated that domestic as well as the international collaborations were effective in controlling the present problem of environmental pollution, and suggested a need for collaborative agreements to amend the Environmental Protection Law (EPL). The analytical findings determined that the proposed EPL considered SO2 or NO2 emissions while neglecting an important source of environmental pollution, i.e., CO2 emissions. The research findings also suggested a need for to accelerate efforts in a more professional, practical, and result-oriented manner to analyse the diverse nature of environmental issues. The research highlighted some of the obstacles to the successful implementation of EPL for current and future environmental challenges.

The natural earth environment has been facing various alterations due to anthropogenic activities even long before the industrial revolution. Economic development can no longer be achieved at the cost of the environment. Sustainable development takes and maintains appropriate environmental standards. This study sketches a thorough analysis of the current situations and likely impacts on the environment from the various infrastructural development projects under the China–Pakistan Economic Corridor (hereinafter CPEC). Most of the potential outcomes of this project are already known. However, there is a limited academic discussion available concerning its environmental hazards coupled with the relevant laws and policies. The study adopts qualitative means of research to carefully investigate into the environmental challenges and current practices following by pertinent observations and recommendations to improve, implement and formulate bilateral or multilateral, environmental standards in the region. This study aims to explore why it is inevitable to revise the CPEC-related projects, such as shifting from coal-based energy projects to renewables and building climate-resilient infrastructure in order to avoid various environmental harms. The study concludes by suggesting that along with economic integration, it is also essential to promote legal cooperation between China and Pakistan concerning environmental laws as an integral part of the national geopolitical policies to make CPEC a long-lasting as well as a more safe, secure and sustainable project.

Environmental issues know no boundaries and are recognised as a matter of regional and/or global concern, and neighbouring countries have to face shared environmental effects. Environmental laws internationally, particularly in the last thirty years, have grown significantly and have contributed to environmental protection in a variety of national, regional and international management strategies. In recent years, environmental legislation has entered into a responsible and mature phase in several non-Western countries, particularly in Asia. The present study examines the shared environmental obligations of regional or neighbouring countries using China and Pakistan as a case study and provides references from international (environmental) laws as well as states’ best practices. This study adopts a well-defined analytical methodology to not only investigate the implications of environmental laws but also to define the gaps in the existing framework of environmental laws in the region and recommend appropriate grounds to systematically fill these gaps through much-needed legal cooperation before it is too late. The study provides a detailed analysis and pertinent knowledge horizons, and concludes that there is an abrupt need for China and Pakistan to revise their trade agreements and include the environment as an integral part of each mega-infrastructural activity, including the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor. Most of the potential outcomes are already known but there is little academic discussion available concerning the perspective of cross-boundary environmental laws, and the present study intends to fill this gap.