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Dr. Mark Elder
Institute for Global Environmental Strategies, 2108-11 Kamiyamaguchi, Hayama, Kanagawa, 240-0115, Japan

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0 Air Pollution
0 Green Economy
0 Political Economy
0 Sustainable Development
0 Environment and Trade

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Journal article
Published: 28 January 2019 in Global Policy
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ACS Style

Mark Elder; Simon Høiberg Olsen. The Design of Environmental Priorities in the SDG s. Global Policy 2019, 10, 70 -82.

AMA Style

Mark Elder, Simon Høiberg Olsen. The Design of Environmental Priorities in the SDG s. Global Policy. 2019; 10 (S1):70-82.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Mark Elder; Simon Høiberg Olsen. 2019. "The Design of Environmental Priorities in the SDG s." Global Policy 10, no. S1: 70-82.

Chapter
Published: 14 July 2018 in Beyond the Limits to Growth
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This chapter explores the potential for a regional perspective on biofuels in Asia. In the late 2000s, there were high expectations in many Asian countries that biofuels could be produced and consumed on a large scale, and enhance energy security, provide jobs, and reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. There were also high expectations of significant biofuel trade, particularly of exports from Southeast Asia to the EU and Japan. Several Asian countries have biofuel blending mandates and produce modest quantities of biofuels. Current levels of biofuel use in Asian countries may be feasible, but it is likely to be difficult for biofuels to account for a large share of transport fuel use. Overall, this chapter concludes that large-scale increases in production are probably not realistic without large-scale diversion of land from other uses such as food production, and without further pressure on the environment and other resources necessary for production, particularly water. It is not always clear where large amounts of land might be available, so there is no clear source of large-scale sustainable biofuel exports. Encouragement of smaller scale production tailored to local conditions as a way to promote rural development, poverty reduction, and management of certain kinds of waste may be more realistic. However, without large economies of scale, it will be difficult to reduce costs. In addition, there are various other challenges to the promotion of small-scale biofuels such as capacity of farmers, availability and cost of land, water, labor, and other inputs, and availability of markets for final outputs. If the main goal is to increase rural employment rather than energy security or GHG emissions reduction, then there may be other ways to accomplish this besides biofuels. Sustainability standards and certification systems are one possible way to encourage the development of biofuels in a positive direction. However, while they may enable sustainable incremental production, they cannot create new land for biofuels, and if they are to be effective, they should restrain the availability of new land by preventing excessive land use change from forests or food crops.

ACS Style

Mark Elder; Shinano Hayashi. A Regional Perspective on Biofuels in Asia. Beyond the Limits to Growth 2018, 223 -246.

AMA Style

Mark Elder, Shinano Hayashi. A Regional Perspective on Biofuels in Asia. Beyond the Limits to Growth. 2018; ():223-246.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Mark Elder; Shinano Hayashi. 2018. "A Regional Perspective on Biofuels in Asia." Beyond the Limits to Growth , no. : 223-246.

Chapter
Published: 14 July 2018 in Beyond the Limits to Growth
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This chapter examines the social and economic impacts of biofuels in East Asia by analyzing four country case studies, Indonesia, India, China, and Japan. These impacts vary widely depending on specific country conditions. Analysis of the main policies and market conditions in these countries showed that they all emphasized rural development, and Japan prioritized GHG emissions reductions, while the others prioritized energy security. The biofuel promotion targets of India and Indonesia were initially overambitious while Japan’s and China’s were more conservative. All four countries investigated alternative feedstocks and second generation biofuels. Regarding impacts, all four countries have recognized the limitations of biofuels for energy security. Biofuels may have some potential to contribute to rural development, even in Japan, but this is likely to be modest. The idea of growing non-food crops on wastelands is not very realistic, due to the need for significant inputs of fertilizer and water. In any case it is not always clear how much wasteland actually exists, and often it is actually being used for some other economically valuable purpose or providing ecosystem services. Biofuels do seem useful for recycling waste materials, especially in Japan. The main policy implication is that caution is desirable, and high unrealistic targets should be avoided due to risks of food-fuel conflict and limited supplies of land, water, and labor, and because the extent of the impacts and social benefits of biofuels is still unclear. Modest targets, near current utilization rates, may be more sustainable. Finally, it is suggested to promote the use of sustainability standards, which could enable biofuel stakeholders to demonstrate the sustainability of particular production methods in particular circumstances.

ACS Style

Mark Elder; Jane Romero; Anindya Bhattacharya; Daisuke Sano; Naoko Matsumoto; Shinano Hayashi. Socioeconomic Impacts of Biofuels in East Asia. Beyond the Limits to Growth 2018, 87 -118.

AMA Style

Mark Elder, Jane Romero, Anindya Bhattacharya, Daisuke Sano, Naoko Matsumoto, Shinano Hayashi. Socioeconomic Impacts of Biofuels in East Asia. Beyond the Limits to Growth. 2018; ():87-118.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Mark Elder; Jane Romero; Anindya Bhattacharya; Daisuke Sano; Naoko Matsumoto; Shinano Hayashi. 2018. "Socioeconomic Impacts of Biofuels in East Asia." Beyond the Limits to Growth , no. : 87-118.

Book chapter
Published: 30 May 2018 in Routledge Handbook of Sustainable Development in Asia
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Mark Elder. Regional governance for environmental sustainability in Asia in the context of sustainable development: a survey of regional cooperation frameworks. Routledge Handbook of Sustainable Development in Asia 2018, 468 -494.

AMA Style

Mark Elder. Regional governance for environmental sustainability in Asia in the context of sustainable development: a survey of regional cooperation frameworks. Routledge Handbook of Sustainable Development in Asia. 2018; ():468-494.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Mark Elder. 2018. "Regional governance for environmental sustainability in Asia in the context of sustainable development: a survey of regional cooperation frameworks." Routledge Handbook of Sustainable Development in Asia , no. : 468-494.

Journal article
Published: 21 September 2016 in Sustainability
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A key but contentious aspect of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) is the means of implementation (MOI). Many developing countries emphasize the importance of international assistance while developed countries focus more on domestic financing and the private sector. The text of the SDGs includes a broad range of MOI. However, a discussion has arisen about whether countries should prioritize some goals over others due partly to concerns that MOI may be insufficient. In contrast, this article argues for a more optimistic outlook concerning MOI and the feasibility of achieving the SDGs. First, most SDGs and targets are themselves means—or intermediate goals—contributing to the achievement of other goals. The structure of the SDGs blurs the fact that different goals have different functions, such as providing resources or enabling environments. Greater focus on the interlinkages and synergies among goals could enhance the effectiveness of implementation and reduce costs. Second, integrated planning and implementation, needed for leveraging synergies among goals, will require enhanced capacity, particularly for governance and coordination. We argue that the strengthening of such capacity is a central MOI that requires more attention since it is a precondition for the effective mobilization and deployment of other MOI. Third, although upfront investments may seem high in absolute terms, financial feasibility is realistic when considering existing global financial stocks and flows and the expected benefits.

ACS Style

Mark Elder; Magnus Bengtsson; Lewis Akenji. An Optimistic Analysis of the Means of Implementation for Sustainable Development Goals: Thinking about Goals as Means. Sustainability 2016, 8, 962 .

AMA Style

Mark Elder, Magnus Bengtsson, Lewis Akenji. An Optimistic Analysis of the Means of Implementation for Sustainable Development Goals: Thinking about Goals as Means. Sustainability. 2016; 8 (9):962.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Mark Elder; Magnus Bengtsson; Lewis Akenji. 2016. "An Optimistic Analysis of the Means of Implementation for Sustainable Development Goals: Thinking about Goals as Means." Sustainability 8, no. 9: 962.

Journal article
Published: 09 July 2015 in Journal of Cleaner Production
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Existing research on business participation in voluntary environmental programs emphasizes a variety of explanations, including regulatory pressure and incentives, market pressure, self-regulation, and firm size. However, most of this literature focuses on cases from North America and Europe. The contribution of this research is to examine how well this literature applies to a different geographical region and policy context by examining the case of Japan's recent policy mix to reduce emissions of volatile organic compounds following revisions to Japan's Air Pollution Control Law. The scientific and policy significance of this case includes a high level of private sector voluntary participation and a sizable reduction in volatile organic compound emissions (44.1 percent). Moreover, the case is related to the major global air pollution priorities of particulate matter and ozone, since volatile organic compounds are important precursors of these two secondary pollutants. This was also the first case in Japan's environmental policy to use a combination of regulatory and voluntary approaches. This study draws upon records of official policy discussions, data related to relevant industry associations, and other primary source documents to test hypotheses on participation in voluntary programs for two relatively large emitting industries with high emission capture rates in Japan: the chemical and printing industries. The results indicate that explanations for the participation of Japanese firms are largely consistent with arguments based on North American and European cases regarding regulatory pressure and incentives, market pressure, and self-regulation, but only partially consistent regarding the role of firm size. The analysis shows that there were similarities and differences in the factors influencing the participation of the two industries which were partly related to industrial associations and industrial structure. In addition, the results highlight the importance of two points which are less emphasized by existing literature, the business-government bargaining process, and how to maintain the credibility of regulatory threats and avoid regulatory capture. Several policy implications for the design of voluntary approaches are presented.

ACS Style

Naoko Matsumoto; Mark Elder; Akira Ogihara. Japan's policy to reduce emissions of volatile organic compounds: factors that facilitate industry participation in voluntary actions. Journal of Cleaner Production 2015, 108, 931 -943.

AMA Style

Naoko Matsumoto, Mark Elder, Akira Ogihara. Japan's policy to reduce emissions of volatile organic compounds: factors that facilitate industry participation in voluntary actions. Journal of Cleaner Production. 2015; 108 ():931-943.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Naoko Matsumoto; Mark Elder; Akira Ogihara. 2015. "Japan's policy to reduce emissions of volatile organic compounds: factors that facilitate industry participation in voluntary actions." Journal of Cleaner Production 108, no. : 931-943.

Journal article
Published: 01 January 2013 in International Journal of Sustainable Society
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This paper examines a new initiative to build a region-based air quality management system in the People's Republic of China, and identify its key features, significance and potential challenges. This Guideline on Strengthening Joint Prevention and Control of Atmospheric Pollution to Improve Air Quality is a major new policy initiative developed by the Ministry of Environmental Protection (MEP) and other ministries, and was endorsed by the State Council in May 2010. It was developed in part based on the experience of the Beijing Olympics, Shanghai Expo and Guangzhou Asian Games, which demonstrated that air pollution in China is regional and cannot be addressed by provinces acting individually. It is hoped that this new initiative could enable MEP to better encourage and coordinate air quality management and strengthen policy implementation especially at the local level. This paper concludes with policy implications and recommendations.

ACS Style

Xiaofeng Zhou; Mark Elder. Regional air quality management in China: the 2010 Guideline on Strengthening Joint Prevention and Control of Atmospheric Pollution. International Journal of Sustainable Society 2013, 5, 232 .

AMA Style

Xiaofeng Zhou, Mark Elder. Regional air quality management in China: the 2010 Guideline on Strengthening Joint Prevention and Control of Atmospheric Pollution. International Journal of Sustainable Society. 2013; 5 (3):232.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Xiaofeng Zhou; Mark Elder. 2013. "Regional air quality management in China: the 2010 Guideline on Strengthening Joint Prevention and Control of Atmospheric Pollution." International Journal of Sustainable Society 5, no. 3: 232.

Book chapter
Published: 06 September 2012 in Socioeconomic and Environmental Impacts of Biofuels
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Daisuke Sano; Jane Romero; Mark Elder. Jatropha Production for Biodiesel in Yunnan, China: Implications for Sustainability at the Village Level. Socioeconomic and Environmental Impacts of Biofuels 2012, 205 -228.

AMA Style

Daisuke Sano, Jane Romero, Mark Elder. Jatropha Production for Biodiesel in Yunnan, China: Implications for Sustainability at the Village Level. Socioeconomic and Environmental Impacts of Biofuels. 2012; ():205-228.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Daisuke Sano; Jane Romero; Mark Elder. 2012. "Jatropha Production for Biodiesel in Yunnan, China: Implications for Sustainability at the Village Level." Socioeconomic and Environmental Impacts of Biofuels , no. : 205-228.

Book
Published: 01 January 2012 in Socioeconomic and Environmental Impacts of Biofuels
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Biofuels are currently in the middle of a heated academic and public policy debate. Biofuel production has increased fivefold in the past decade and is expected to further double by 2020. Most of this expansion will happen in developing nations. This volume is the first of its kind, providing a comprehensive overview of the biofuel debate in developing countries. The chapters are written by a multidisciplinary team of experts, exposing the key drivers and impacts of biofuel production and use. The book covers impacts as diverse as air pollution, biodiversity loss, deforestation, energy security, food security, greenhouse gas emissions, land use change, rural development, water consumption and other socioeconomic issues. Its wide focus accommodates examples from countries in Africa, America and Asia. As such, this book will become an indispensable companion to academics, practitioners and policy makers who wish to know more about biofuel issues in the developing world.

ACS Style

Ricardo Abramovay; Bothwell Batidzirai; Ryan Blanchard; Gareth D. Borman; Matteo Borzoni; Miguel Carriquiry; Mark Elder; Amani Elobeid; Karl-Heinz Erb; Colin Everson; Jacinto F. Fabiosa; Yan Gao; John Garcia-Ulloa; P. Winnie Gerbens-Leenes; Mark B. Gush; Helmut Haberl; Jason Hill; Arjen Y. Hoekstra; Francis X. Johnson; Lian Pin Koh; Fridolin Krausmann; Christian Lauk; Janice S. H. Lee; Markku Lehtonen; Omar Masera; Andreas Mayer; Siwa Msangi; Christoph Plutzar; Stephen Polasky; Jane Romero; Daisuke Sano; Margaret Skutsch; Julia Steinberger; Anne Sugrue; Theo H. van der Meer; Graham P. Von Maltitz; Kristina Wagstrom. Socioeconomic and Environmental Impacts of Biofuels. Socioeconomic and Environmental Impacts of Biofuels 2012, 1 .

AMA Style

Ricardo Abramovay, Bothwell Batidzirai, Ryan Blanchard, Gareth D. Borman, Matteo Borzoni, Miguel Carriquiry, Mark Elder, Amani Elobeid, Karl-Heinz Erb, Colin Everson, Jacinto F. Fabiosa, Yan Gao, John Garcia-Ulloa, P. Winnie Gerbens-Leenes, Mark B. Gush, Helmut Haberl, Jason Hill, Arjen Y. Hoekstra, Francis X. Johnson, Lian Pin Koh, Fridolin Krausmann, Christian Lauk, Janice S. H. Lee, Markku Lehtonen, Omar Masera, Andreas Mayer, Siwa Msangi, Christoph Plutzar, Stephen Polasky, Jane Romero, Daisuke Sano, Margaret Skutsch, Julia Steinberger, Anne Sugrue, Theo H. van der Meer, Graham P. Von Maltitz, Kristina Wagstrom. Socioeconomic and Environmental Impacts of Biofuels. Socioeconomic and Environmental Impacts of Biofuels. 2012; ():1.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Ricardo Abramovay; Bothwell Batidzirai; Ryan Blanchard; Gareth D. Borman; Matteo Borzoni; Miguel Carriquiry; Mark Elder; Amani Elobeid; Karl-Heinz Erb; Colin Everson; Jacinto F. Fabiosa; Yan Gao; John Garcia-Ulloa; P. Winnie Gerbens-Leenes; Mark B. Gush; Helmut Haberl; Jason Hill; Arjen Y. Hoekstra; Francis X. Johnson; Lian Pin Koh; Fridolin Krausmann; Christian Lauk; Janice S. H. Lee; Markku Lehtonen; Omar Masera; Andreas Mayer; Siwa Msangi; Christoph Plutzar; Stephen Polasky; Jane Romero; Daisuke Sano; Margaret Skutsch; Julia Steinberger; Anne Sugrue; Theo H. van der Meer; Graham P. Von Maltitz; Kristina Wagstrom. 2012. "Socioeconomic and Environmental Impacts of Biofuels." Socioeconomic and Environmental Impacts of Biofuels , no. : 1.

Research article
Published: 25 July 2011 in The Journal of Environment & Development
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This study shows that some Japanese local governments, at both the prefecture and city levels, have engaged in international cooperation with local governments in developing countries in Asia to improve environmental management and explains their motivations to do so even if international cooperation is not usually considered part of local governments’ mandate, and despite fiscal constraints. Forms of cooperation include training officials from developing countries in Japan, dispatch of Japanese local government expert officials to developing countries, partnering with and providing assistance to international organizations, establishing organizations for international environmental cooperation, and hosting international intercity network programs. This cooperation can be explained by a combination of environment-related factors and degree of local area’s international orientation. Environment-related factors include desire to make a contribution based on local experience and human capital, promotion of international environmental business, response to trans-boundary pollution issues, and conservation of natural assets. Collaboration with the national government is an important facilitating though not determining factor since local governments respond differently to national policies. Other facilitating factors include local governments’ fiscal capacity. The cases in this study can promote consideration of the potential motivations and ways that local governments in industrialized countries can contribute to international environmental development.

ACS Style

Hidenori Nakamura; Mark Elder; Hideyuki Mori. The Surprising Role of Local Governments in International Environmental Cooperation. The Journal of Environment & Development 2011, 20, 219 -250.

AMA Style

Hidenori Nakamura, Mark Elder, Hideyuki Mori. The Surprising Role of Local Governments in International Environmental Cooperation. The Journal of Environment & Development. 2011; 20 (3):219-250.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Hidenori Nakamura; Mark Elder; Hideyuki Mori. 2011. "The Surprising Role of Local Governments in International Environmental Cooperation." The Journal of Environment & Development 20, no. 3: 219-250.

Journal article
Published: 30 November 2009 in Applied Energy
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Japan has developed a variety of national strategies and plans related to biofuels which address four main policy objectives, including reduction of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, energy security, rural development, and realisation of a recycle-based society. This paper reviews these national strategies and plans as well as associated implementing policies, and discusses the extent to which these objectives may be achieved. This paper found that the long-term potential of biofuels to contribute to GHG reduction goals will depend not only on the rates of technological development of the second generation biofuels but also on the development of other advanced vehicles. In the medium term, the potential contribution of biofuels to rural development and realising a recycle-based society could become significant depending on the progress of technology for both second generation biofuel production and the collection and transportation of their feedstocks. The potential contribution of biofuels to Japan’s energy security is constrained by the availability of imports and the potential of domestic production.

ACS Style

Naoko Matsumoto; Daisuke Sano; Mark Elder. Biofuel initiatives in Japan: Strategies, policies, and future potential. Applied Energy 2009, 86, S69 -S76.

AMA Style

Naoko Matsumoto, Daisuke Sano, Mark Elder. Biofuel initiatives in Japan: Strategies, policies, and future potential. Applied Energy. 2009; 86 ():S69-S76.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Naoko Matsumoto; Daisuke Sano; Mark Elder. 2009. "Biofuel initiatives in Japan: Strategies, policies, and future potential." Applied Energy 86, no. : S69-S76.

Journal article
Published: 30 November 2009 in Applied Energy
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In Asia, as elsewhere in the world, countries rushed to promote biofuels during the dramatic oil price increases of 2007–2008 as a way to enhance energy security, without waiting for the settlement of controversial debates about the environmental effects of biofuels, especially their effects on greenhouse gas emissions, deforestation, biodiversity, and whether biofuels cause a conflict between food and fuel. This paper does not settle this debate, but instead argues that there are straightforward, practical and feasible measures that can be implemented immediately in order to reduce the pressure of biofuels on the environment and food supply, and more generally increase food production. The key is to focus on increasing resource use efficiency in agriculture, especially on different forms of energy use. Resource use efficiency in agriculture is low in many parts of Asia. Concrete measures that could be taken include reductions in market-distorting input subsidies and the introduction of resource-conserving technologies. These could be supplemented with greater use of non-fossil fuels in agricultural production, use of agricultural wastes in energy production, inclusion of input use levels in biofuel certification systems, and greater investment in agricultural research, extension systems, and infrastructure development. Biofuel fever has waned since the onset of the global financial crisis in late 2008, but it is likely to return when economic conditions eventually improve, and possible moves to strengthen the European Union biofuel blending requirements could further accelerate it. Much of the debate on biofuel-related impacts in the region has focused on deforestation, with little attention on agricultural input use, which could also have serious consequences for greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. In sum, this paper argues that governments can still improve the environmental performance of biofuels while reducing potential conflicts with food security by implementing the straightforward measures suggested here. Though these may appear to be basic textbook suggestions, many governments are still not following them even though the spread of biofuels increases their importance and urgency. The message is that the governments in the region should get back to the basics.

ACS Style

S.V.R.K. Prabhakar; Mark Elder. Biofuels and resource use efficiency in developing Asia: Back to basics. Applied Energy 2009, 86, S30 -S36.

AMA Style

S.V.R.K. Prabhakar, Mark Elder. Biofuels and resource use efficiency in developing Asia: Back to basics. Applied Energy. 2009; 86 ():S30-S36.

Chicago/Turabian Style

S.V.R.K. Prabhakar; Mark Elder. 2009. "Biofuels and resource use efficiency in developing Asia: Back to basics." Applied Energy 86, no. : S30-S36.

Journal article
Published: 04 January 2008 in The Journal of Environment & Development
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This article argues that waste management and recycling have become regional or international issues; they can no longer be considered only in a national context. The regionalization or internationalization of waste and recycling issues is caused in large part by the steady advance of economic integration, especially increasing trade and investment flows resulting from trade and investment liberalization. Just as economic integration has separated the location of consumption from the location of most efficient production, it has also separated the most efficient and effective location of recycling from the location of production and consumption. This makes it difficult to operate domestically oriented recycling schemes, as demonstrated by the case of Japan. Therefore, national policies, although still important, are now insufficient, and this article will propose policy recommendations to address this, including the development of national recycling systems and capacity linked to regional recycling zones, regionally coordinated extended producers responsibility, and regional certification schemes for recyclers and traders.

ACS Style

Yasuhiko Hotta; Mark Elder; Hideyuki Mori; Makiko Tanaka. Policy Considerations for Establishing an Environmentally Sound Regional Material Flow in East Asia. The Journal of Environment & Development 2008, 17, 26 -50.

AMA Style

Yasuhiko Hotta, Mark Elder, Hideyuki Mori, Makiko Tanaka. Policy Considerations for Establishing an Environmentally Sound Regional Material Flow in East Asia. The Journal of Environment & Development. 2008; 17 (1):26-50.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Yasuhiko Hotta; Mark Elder; Hideyuki Mori; Makiko Tanaka. 2008. "Policy Considerations for Establishing an Environmentally Sound Regional Material Flow in East Asia." The Journal of Environment & Development 17, no. 1: 26-50.