Europe

The rapid global conversion of biodiverse landscapes to intensively managed arable fields may decrease microbial diversity and threaten the long-term fertility of native soils. Previous laboratory and experimental studies provide conflicting results: some have recorded declines in overall microbial diversity and certain beneficial microorganisms under intensified cultivation while others report no change (or even increased) diversity. However, few studies have been carried out in actual agricultural fields.
LexisNexis Legal & Professional,

LexisNexis France, Lexis360, Collectivités Territoriales, 16 February 2017

In France the goal is to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 25% by 2050. To support this, there are ambitious targets for the development of photovoltaic energy: 500 MW of new installations per year at a constant rate. Following a consultation with the stakeholders from the photovoltaic sector, a new regulatory framework for solar energy, set out in this detailed practice note, has been implemented which provides two distinct mechanisms depending on the type of installation. Solar energy is critical to SDG 7.2 to increase substantially the share of renewable energy in the global energy mix.

Texte en français.
LexisNexis Legal & Professional,

LexisNexis France, Lexis360, Collectivités Territoriales, 13 February 2017

In France, the law on the development of wind farms has undergone major reform over the last few years aimed at easing regulation to remove existing barriers to the transition to a low carbon economy and to simplify financing. This practice note provides detailed guidance on the current regulations, as they apply to existing wind farms and to the development of new wind farms. Wind power is critical to SDG 7.2 to increase substantially the share of renewable energy in the global energy mix.

Texte en français.
This book chapter advances SDG #3 and #10 by reviewing neural regeneration–based therapeutic approaches as it represents a highly promising therapeutic strategy for AD, including research that CNTF small-molecule peptide mimetic has demonstrated that neural regeneration–based strategy can also be disease modifying for AD.
Background Controversy exists about the differences in air pollution exposure and inhalation dose between mode of transport. We aimed to review air pollution exposure and inhaled dose according to mode of transport and pollutant and their effect in terms of years of life expectancy (YLE).
Elsevier, Sustainable Cities and Society, Volume 28, 1 January 2017
Urban water management via Sustainable Urban Drainage Systems (SuDS) has been successfully applied in cities worldwide. This infrastructure has proven to be a cost efficient solution to manage flood risks whilst also delivering wider benefits. Despite their technical performance, large-scale SuDS uptake in many places has been slow, mostly due to reasons beyond the engineering realm. This is the case of England and Wales, where the implementation of SuDS has not reached its full potential.
Urban source separation infrastructure systems have a promising potential for a more sustainable management of household food waste and wastewaters. A renewed trend of larger implementations of pilot areas with such systems is currently emerging in Northern Europe. This study investigates the drivers behind the decision of stakeholders to implement source separation systems as well as the importance of the previously existing pilot areas in the decision-making process. By means of semi-structured expert interviews, five areas with source separation were characterized and compared.

Disasters impacts on urban environment are the result of interactions among natural and human systems, which are intimately linked each other. What is more, cities are directly dependent on infrastructures providing essential services (Lifeline Systems, LS). The operation of LS in ordinary conditions as well as after disasters is crucial. Among the LS, drinking water supply deserves a critical role for citizens. The present work summarizes some preliminary activities related to an ongoing EU funded research project.

The European Union (EU) has had laws on the disposal of waste for over 30 years and laws concerning the environmental performance of products for over 20. However, these laws have not formed a cohesive whole - and that is about to change. December 2015 saw the European Commission (the body responsible for proposing new EU legislation) published its Circular Economy Package, with the stated objective of "closing the loop" of product lifecycles. This paper provides an overview of this package and demonstrates why the development of standards underpins future legislation.

Elsevier,

The Psychology of Gender and Health: Conceptual and Applied Global Concerns, 2017, Pages 199-229

Violence against women is a growing area of study in development because it is directly related to the health and psychological consequences associated with victims. Contributing to SDGs 3 and 5, this chapter provides a summary of the main strategies that have been proposed to combat this problem by different international and European organizations, with particular attention to the specific application that has been carried out in Spain.

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