Following the presentation ofChina's Agenda XXIin 1994, the Fondazione Eni Enrico Mattei began a fruitful collaboration with the SSTC (State Science and Technology Commission) on Natural Resource Accounting of the People's Republic of China. Among other initiatives, the Fondazione organised a seminar held in Beijing in March 1996, entitled "Resources Accounting in China". This volume brings together 11 papers as the result ofthat seminar. Our main attempt was to compare approaches and knowledge of specific issues in this area. As far as the approach is concerned there appear to be some interesting comparisons to be drawn considering the authors' different fields of expenence. Seven papers are written by Chinese participants and four by visiting experts from the West. All the Chinese contributions point out the importance of the environment in economic development and a determination to measure the effects as a means to successful management of natural resources. They concentrate on rather specific issues within the constraints of the prevailing economic conditions where identification and pricing of assets tend to be specified by administrative norms. Although the general framework of the Chinese approach tends to be scientific and administrative, all papers contain interesting and useful statistical information. The papers by visiting experts also stress the importance of taking into account environmental aspects in deriving indicators relating to economic development. In contrast to the Chinese contributions, however, they tend to be more abstract and more clearly based on economic theory.

Decisions about the conservation and use of natural resources are made every day by individuals, communities, and nations. The latest edition of Field’s acclaimed text highlights the incentives and trade-offs embedded in such decisions, providing a lucid introduction to natural resource issues using the analytical framework of economics. Employing a logical structure and easy-to-understand descriptions, Field covers fundamental economic principles and their general application to natural resource use. These principles are further developed in chapters devoted to specific resources. Moreover, this up-to-date volume addresses the challenge of achieving socially beneficial utilization rates in the twenty-first century amid continuing population growth, urbanization, and global climate change. Topics new to the Third Edition include: • implications of climate change on resources • fracking • energy intensity and the energy efficiency gap • reducing fossil energy • forests and carbon • international water issues • globalization and trade in natural resources

This book is the proceedings of the 7th China High-resolution Earth Observation Conference (CHREOC). The series conference of China High Resolution Earth Observation has become an influential academic event in the earth detection area, attracting more and more top experts and industry users of related fields. The CHREOCs focus on the popular topics including military-civilian integration, the One Belt and One Road project, the transformation of scientific research achievements. They also discuss the new ideas, new technologies, new methods, and new developments. The CHREOCs have effectively promoted high-level institutional mechanisms, technological innovation, and industrial upgrading in the high-resolution earth observation area, and extend the influences of the state-sponsored major projects.

It is really no longer necessary to stress the importance of availing of sound statistical information on the environment. Originally .limited to circles of insiders and experts this message has now fully reached political decision makers and the general public at large. In this procedure macro-economics has - sumed a particular role, e.g. when evaluating related financial implications but also when propagating alarming overall figures on the harm this generation is doing to our environment. Accordingly, the need is o!>vious to further promote the development of international standards and - operation in the field of environment statistics in general and environmental economic accounts in p- ticular. Therefore, the AiJstrian Statistical Society (ASS) together with the Austrian Central Statistical Office (ACSO) with pleasure hosted the IARIW Special Conference on Environmental Economic Accounts, in May 1991. These institutions are similarly pleased that now this publication on the proceedings of this Conference can be presented. They connect this with grateful thanks to all those who contributed to the successful completion of this work, in particular the authors and the editors. The impression seems warranted that the outcome of this coordinated overall endeavour was more than just better mutual understanding, viz. something like an increasing consciousness of the common - nominator tending to expand.

The Guide to Sustainable Development and Environmental Policy is a comprehensive presentation of definitions, philosophies, policies, models, and analyses of global environmental and developmental issues. With a wealth of comparative, multidisciplinary, and geographically varied perspectives on environmental governance, it also provides detailed and balanced discussions about specific environmental issues. The guide combines formal, objective entries with critical commentaries that emphasize different opinions and controversies. With succinct explanations of more than a thousand terms, thoughtful interpretations by international experts, and helpful cross-referencing, this resource is designed to serve as a roadmap for understanding the issues and debates in the overlapping fields of environment and development. Intended for use by activists, journalists, policymakers, students, scholars, and interested citizens, the Guide to Sustainable Development and Environmental Policy will be a helpful tool for anyone trying to get a comprehensive look at the many environmental organizations, schools of thought, development programs, international environmental treaties, conventions, and strategies that have proliferated in the past few decades.