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1. Natural populations deliver a wide range of products that provide income for millions of people and need to be exploited sustainably. Large heterogeneity in individual performance within these exploited populations has the potential to improve population recovery after exploitation and thus help sustaining yields over time. 2. We explored the potential of using individual heterogeneity to design smarter harvest schemes, by sparing individuals that contribute most to future productivity and population growth, using the understorey palm Chamaedorea elegans as a model system. Leaves of this palm are an important non-timber forest product and long-term inter-individual growth variability can be evaluated from internode lengths. 3. We studied a population of 830 individuals, half of which was subjected to a 67 % defoliation treatment for three years. We measured effects of defoliation on vital rates and leaf size – a trait that determines marketability. We constructed integral projection models in which vital rates depended on stem length, past growth rate, and defoliation, and evaluated transient population dynamics to quantify population development and leaf yield. We then simulated scenarios in which we spared individuals that were either most important for population growth or had leaves smaller than marketable size. 4. Individuals varying in size or past growth rate responded similarly to leaf harvesting in terms of growth and reproduction. By contrast, defoliation-induced reduction in survival chance was smaller in large individuals than in small ones. Simulations showed that harvest-induced population decline was much reduced when individuals from size and past growth classes that contributed most to population growth were spared. Under this scenario cumulative leaf harvest over 20 years was somewhat reduced, but long-term leaf production was sustained. A three-fold increase in leaf yield was generated when individuals with small leaves are spared. 5. Synthesis and applications This study demonstrates the potential to create smarter systems of palm leaf harvest by accounting for individual heterogeneity within exploited populations. Sparing individuals that contribute most to population growth ensured sustained leaf production over time. The concepts and methods presented here are generally applicable to exploited plant and animal species which exhibit considerable individual heterogeneity. Vital rate and internode dataThis data file contains annual vital rate data (stem length growth, fruit production, survival and leaf production) of 830 individuals of the understorey palm Chamaedorea elegans, collected in a 0.7 ha plot in Chiapas, Mexico, during the period November 2012 - November 2015. A 2/3 defoliation treatment was repeatedly applied to half of the individuals. The data file also contains measurements of the lengths of all internodes of all individuals.

Countries with emerging economies face a significant challenge when developing strategies to move towards a low emission energy system and keep their economies growing. The power System plays a crucial role in these strategies and by the correct measurement of its sustainability is possible to identify which alternative improves sustainability the most. This article proposes indicators for the evaluation and assessment of the sustainability of Mexican Power System planning scenarios put forward by two government administrations with a study horizon to 2030. The scenarios are characterized by the program of additions and retirements of generating capacity along the period of 2019 to 2030, and eventually, optimal dispatch was obtained to accomplish the hourly demand. Sustainability indicators were developed and calculated to evaluate the energy security, energy equity and environmental sustainability dimensions. Subsequently the indicators were fed to the Position Vector of Minimum Regret Analysis as multicriteria decision analysis. By analysing the results, it is highlighted that the expansion of power grid capacity, as well as the hourly availability of hydro plants improve the sustainability of the Mexican Power System. The comparison between both scenarios��� performance, based on the Energy Trilemma, indicates that the current government���s planning is slightly more sustainable. International Journal of Sustainable Energy Planning and Management, Vol. 32 (2021)

The development of innovative technologies in wastewater treatment create the concept of biorefinery in wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs), placing anaerobic processes in the highlight. Starting from the conventional anaerobic treatment processes to “closing the loop” scheme, next generation WWTPs are ready to serve for water, energy and materials mining. While bioenergy is still dominating the resource recovery, recovery of value-added materials (i.e. struvite, biopolymers, cellulose) are receiving significant attention in recent years. So, what are the state-of-the-art approaches for energy-efficient resource recovery and re-use from municipal wastewater? This paper follows a critical review on the validated technologies in operational environment available and further suggests possible market routes for the recovered materials in WWTPs. Considering the development and verification of a novel technology together with the valorisation of the obtained products, biorefinery and resource recovery approaches were gathered in this review paper from a circular economy point of view. General currently-faced barriers were briefly addressed to pave the way to a create to-the-point establishments of resource recovery facilities in the future.

A study of the Nova Scotia surface air temperature over the last century (1900 to 2015) shows that internal variability on inter-annual, decadal and multi-decadal time scales can be partly explained by ocean-atmospheric climate modes, external and anthropogenic forcings. The Atlantic Multidecadal Oscillation (AMO) and Arctic Oscillation (AO) are shown to be the dominant climate drivers in Nova Scotia. The El Niño Southern Oscillation (ENSO) is also shown to be a dominant climate driver but only during the summer. Multivariate models were generated over the full time period using only natural ocean-atmospheric modes of variability but could not explain the rapid increase in the recent rate of warming (post-1980). The inclusion of anthropogenic greenhouse gas forcing to the models improved their predictive power annually and seasonally. The modelling results show that 11% of the annual variability in Nova Scotia results from natural forcings along with anthropogenic greenhouse gas forcing while seasonally up to 28% of the temperature variability can be explained by natural plus greenhouse gas forcings. The annual and seasonal low explained variance suggests that Nova Scotia is poorly modulated by climate indices, specifically during the winter, the time when relationships between ocean-atmospheric modes and the regional climate should be the strongest. It leads to believe that Nova Scotia is located in a transition zone where large-scale ocean-atmospheric modes of variability are transitioning from being positively correlated in a region to being negatively correlated in another region. The results of this study help to better understand how large-scale ocean-atmospheric modes of variability, external and anthropogenic greenhouse gas forcings affect Nova Scotia’s surface air temperatures and also provide insight into future potential variability under a changing climate.

We are now facing the challenge of sustainable development. This thesis focuses on the building illumination of one downtown hospitality building, the Renaissance Vancouver Hotel (RVH), to demonstrate three options for sustainable development of architectural lighting. The thesis employs architectural exterior lighting based on the technology of light emitting diodes (LEDs) as a vehicle to demonstrate how to reduce the energy consumption and maintenance costs of decorative lighting on building façades via three transformative lighting strategies. These three transformative lighting strategies demonstrate three possibilities of applying LEDs to develop architectural creativity and energy sustainability for an outdoor decorative lighting system. The first transformation utilizes LEDs for the retrofit of existing compact fluorescent lights (CFLs) on the RVH’s façades and rooftop, in order to improve and diversify the building’s illumination in a sustainable manner. The second transformation optimizes the yearly programming of the new outdoor decorative LED lighting in accordance with differing seasonal and temporal themes in order to save energy, demonstrate architectural creativity via versatile lighting patterns, and systematically manage the unstable generation of renewable energy. The third transformation explores the potential of on-site electricity generation in an urban context instead of its purchase from BC Hydro. Photovoltaic (PV) panels will generate the electrical requirements of the RVH’s decorative exterior LED lighting. This transformation will transfer daytime solar energy to electricity for night outdoor building illumination; consequently, it can encourage outdoor activities in the nighttime for Vancouverites, and is a means of compensating for the limited daytime hours in Vancouver’s winter months.

This Case was used at the First Sustainability in Agribusiness Case Competition held by the College of Management and Economics, at the University of Guelph on March 16‐17, 2012. Other than for the 2012 competition the case has remained confidential. Part 1 was used in the eliminatory round; Part 1 and Part 2 were used for the final round of the competition. International Journal on Food System Dynamics, Vol 4, No 3 (2013)

Nature-based Solutions can mitigate carbon emissions and provide multiple ecosystem services that improve the well-being of humanity. However, their performance is poorly understood. We assessed publicly available data from Canadian projects that could be considered Nature-based Solutions (NbS) according to the IUCN Nature-based Solutions framework. Across three sectors (government, industry, and Indigenous) we observed a general lack of standardized monitoring, reporting and verification (MRV), and high variability in funding mechanisms. This hinders NbS effectiveness, deters further financing and renders MRV difficult to properly integrate in Nationally-Determined Contributions. We also observed geographic and ecosystem coverage gaps that exclude key regions, stakeholders, and ecosystems within Canada. The effective participation of Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities (IPLC) is fundamental to equitable and effective climate and biodiversity action. Five principles are highlighted to promote effective NbS codesign and implementation with IPLC. Novel artificial intelligence and machine learning methods can also help overcome current gaps in the Canadian NbS landscape, but more research is needed to determine the full scope of limitations and benefits of these big-data driven approaches. We acknowledge the support of the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC). Sustainability in the Digital Age would like to acknowledge the Fonds de Recherche du Québec (FRQ) for core operational support that has complemented project funding.

The thesis aims to uncover and challenge the prevailing assumptions related to transnational networks in the field of climate change (TNCCs). TNCCs are often seen as promoters of a more horizontal model for global climate governance. Throughout the chapters, the thesis challenges this common conception. Focusing on the relation between the C40 cities network and two Latin American cities, Lima and Mexico City, I argue that transnational networks are actors facilitating access to cities by transnational companies instead of solely promoting the sharing of experiences and the support for a more inclusive global climate governance model. Put differently, based on the empirical evidence, the thesis claims that transnational climate networks work as an instrument for the transnational capitalist class (TCC, see Carroll, 2010) promoting market-based solutions and economic hegemony in climate politics. Empirically, the thesis shows how the C40 operates as a facilitator to transnational corporate investment in a range of infrastructures in cities from the global South. In particular, the study focuses on the intervention in urban policies related to Low Carbon Emissions Public Transportation (LCEPT) infrastructures. Both directly and indirectly – through other Western Non-governmental organizations (NGOs) (e.g., WRI, ITDP) - the C40 creates channels for transnational corporate actors to gain access to local policy-makers and, in that way, gain access to such transnational investments. As a result, these interventions impact the type of urban climate politics promoted in southern cities (a constant struggle between mitigation vs. adaptation policies) and the actors who benefits from these policies (private companies or the population). The chapters in the first part help us to fill the gap in the conceptualization of the role of transnational networks in urban public policy. The literature survey shows that governance is conceptualized, for the most part, with an institutionalist framework undermined by the evidence given in the case studies. The theoretical chapters also reveal the misconceptions in the literature related to transnational networks, not as promoters of horizontal collaboration, but as facilitators for transnational companies and the private sector, promoting transnational corporate (TNC) developed solutions to climate change. Differing from the conceptions in the literature, transnational networks do not always promote an exchange of information and practices among its members. The transnational networks that have the support of philanthropic organizations or multimillionaire companies such as C40, prioritize the creation of public/private partnerships, as well as the endorsement of technical and TNC-developed responses when addressing climate change. Likewise, like the C40, transnational networks encourage a transfer of climate policies from IOs (mainly from the global north), multinational and philanthropic foundations that involve technological and market-based solutions with a top-bottom approach. As shown in the empirical chapters, legislation in both cases – Mexico City and Lima - promotes private actors. Nonetheless, access to the design and decision-making process of climate politics for local NGOs and civil society in general, is not the same as for transnational NGOs and wealthy philanthropies. What transnational networks have brought to cities in the global South is the expansion and the reinforcement of economic links among the TCC. As a result, these transnational actors have included cities in Latin America in the last decades, utilizing business relations and infrastructure projects aligned to this TCC network. In other words, transnational networks promote economic relations and economic globalization at the city level. The present study reflects the dominance of Northern corporations and think-tanks in the ‘green sector’ as part of climate colonialism (Bachram, 2004; Katz-Rosene & Paterson, 2018; P. J. Newell & Paterson, 2010), indicating the way this transnational class drives the 'solutions' in urban climate politics. The empirical section of the study shows the result from interviews performed between March 2017 and March 2018, and the analysis of the empirical evidence from official documents, legislation, and governmental programs until September 2018. The second part aims to illustrate the complexity of transnational governance through the observation, interpretation, and analysis of two representative cities in Latin America. The main goal is to show the how of transnational climate change relations in Latin American cities. For instance, how does the network C40 facilitate access to urban climate politics for other actors, and how do they work as intermediaries between multinational corporations and cities? The study further demonstrates this argument by analyzing the influence of transnational actors in Lima and Mexico City, who working within the network C40 promote the implementation of a Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) system in each city. The chapter on LCEPT describes how transnational actors influence public transportation policies mainly in two ways: by offering technical solutions or contacting those who have technical solutions with city officers. These transnational actors contribute to shaping different cities' strategies in the public transportation sector. Throughout the rest of the chapters, the study demonstrates where the most substantial influence comes from. By observing urban climate policies in each city, the thesis shows the level of influence from transnational actors in LCEPT politics.