Binnies’ Post

What a great project.

It’s crucial that as we prepare for the development, and implementation of new policies and planning, we adapt and make do and work with what we currently have in place. A number of our legislative pieces - although not 100% perfect, or often not utilised to their full potential - are also far from broken. The RMA, the NZCPS, the MMPA, to name but a few, need to be fully understood, to be effective on application and implementation. Some of these Acts, Statements and Policies have been in place for 45 years - such as the MMPA, but there are a number of key elements that are very relevant, today. I believe the core issues in not yet achieving an oceans reform in NZ, is that there is little incentive to conserve an area where humans do not live, unless it’s in the best interest of primary commercial fisheries. Where we conserve simply on the basis of obtaining conservation value, the value is deemed too hard to quantify to achieve an outcome. Conservation is not looked at, as an asset. Yet it should be. May we collectively create a fully protected coastal marine area of Aotearoa, now. By utilising the acts and policies we already have in place, and by interpreting them fully, and correctly.

🔎 How to set up a successful cross-continental investigation 🧙♂️ Making teamwork smooth and sufficient can be tricky. Especially across continents and oceans. Especially when you may have important data to share. Let’s talk about good practices in this field. 🌍 On Feb. 21st 15.00 CET join our webinar where Gustavo Faleiros, Director of Environmental Investigations at the Pulitzer Center, will share what kind of guidelines have been established by their editors to enable quality collaboration and great investigation results. ⏰ Gustavo will specifically look at the examples of how challenging projects of the Rainforest Investigations Network and the Oceans Reporting Network, hosted by the Pulitzer Center, were made successful through implementation of those practices. ⚡ Save the date, and join us to learn, discuss, and ask questions. REGISTER here: http://rb.gy/vww6ls

Why do people think differently about risk and uncertainty? How do these differences reveal themselves when people make marine management decisions? And what can we do to navigate an inclusive, sustainable way forward for the marine environment? 🌊🌏 New research from Sustainable Seas looks at perceptions of risk and uncertainty. Check out quick guide two from our series, which helps to explain the influence of worldviews on marine management decision-making 👀👇 https://lnkd.in/gMDpKSdr

Consultation is key to any decision-making. To bring key stakeholders to the decision making table and listening is vital. As a major water plan for the Murray-Darling hope there is further work to bring everyone on-board with the decision-making process.

📢 Did you know that the Institute of Environmental Management and Assessment (IEMA) has a marine and coastal working group? 📢 Are you an IEMA member with deep experience in marine and coastal Impact Assessment in the UK? 📢 Would like to extend your knowledge to this IEMA group to further the production of marine and coastal IEMA guidance, thought pieces, webinars and with responding to key consultations? 🔔 If yes to the above, please reach out to me and I can loop you in with other like-minded professionals. p.s. It is voluntary but absolutely worth the investment as I have found out in my chair role! Edward Walker Rufus Howard

"the team engaged in International comparative analyses of the best practice regulatory regimes on the planet... the below collage comprises publications that our team published 27000 were circulated nationally.... you can see... the rigorously and the lengths by which we went to engines a best practice regulatory ecology". 30 years ago and the NMBA was uses as the template to introduce - 10 year liability capping - compulsory registration of key practitioners in Vic and NT - the first ever Australian proportionate liability regime - compulsory insurance for key building practitioners and so on. Resilient and sustainable law reform that is now decades old. But this was a bygone time, the era of cooperative federalism championed by the Late.. Great... Bob Hawke. It is my understanding that the only organisation in the world at the moment that is championing the virtues of International comparative analyses to develop best practice regulatory ecology guidelines at the moment is the I B Q C www.ibqc.org.au. Please correct me if I am wrong.

The Agreement under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea on the Conservation and Sustainable Use of Marine #Biological Diversity of Areas #Beyond #National #Jurisdiction (#BBNJ Agreement) was adopted on 19 June 2023 by the Intergovernmental Conference on Marine #Biodiversity of Areas #Beyond #National #Jurisdiction convened under the auspices of the United Nations. The #BBNJ Agreement becomes the third implementing agreement to the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea. Under the overall objective of the conservation and sustainable use of marine biological diversity of areas beyond national jurisdiction, for the present and in the long-term, through effective implementation of the relevant provisions of the Convention and further international cooperation and coordination, the Agreement addresses four main issues: 1) #Marine #genetic resources, including the fair and equitable #sharing of #benefits; 2) Measures such as area-based management tools, including #marine #protected #areas; 3) Environmental #impact #assessments; and 4) #Capacity-building and the transfer of #marine #technology. The Agreement also addresses a number of “cross-cutting issues”, establishes a #funding #mechanism and sets up institutional arrangements, including a Conference of the Parties and various subsidiary bodies, a Clearing-House Mechanism and a secretariat. The Agreement is open for signature by all #States and regional economic integration organizations from 20 September 2023 to 20 September 2025, and will #enter into #force 120 days after the date of #deposit of the sixtieth #instrument of #ratification, approval, acceptance or accession. https://lnkd.in/deNkY3Af

Excited and looking forward to meeting up with my SLR Consulting #Georgia colleagues John Wilhite Scott Rois Hailey Brim and Mike Herndon next week at the 2023 Annual Georgia Environmental Conference, where I have been invited to present along with Zarah Thanasides, PE (EAI, Inc.) and Moderator Matt Geary (CETCO) on the topic of "Vapor Intrusion Mitigation in New Construction". Mitigating #vaporintrusion in new construction presents unique design, quality assurance, and long-term operational challenges -- i.e. the selection of the type of subslab system, air conveyance method(s), and barrier materials components. Of particular importance is construction quality assurance, continuing O&M, and long-term #resilience of the system. New construction also offers the opportunity to create a 'greener' indoor environment, which is of increasing importance to owners and tenants. New research on old contaminants (like TCE) and emerging contaminants are creating new questions that affect our practice. Stakeholder and community engagement is of even greater importance given the growing recognition of #environmentaljustice and the importance to a company's #sustainability program. A big thanks to EAI, Inc. and CETCO for inviting me to participate on the panel. SLR helps clients address vapor intrusion and other concerns at brownfields, industrial sites, and large plume sites. Ask us how we can help.

🌿 📄  We’re excited to share insights from the latest European Forest Institute Policy Brief by Sven Wunder, Principal Scientist! In tackling the dual crises of climate change and #biodiversity loss, incentivizing #forest owners towards sustainable management is paramount. Wunder's brief explores the crucial role of Payments for Environmental Services (PES) in this endeavour. 🔎 Discover key lessons and recommendations for implementing effective PES schemes to drive impactful change in forest #conservation and management. 🔗 Read the full policy brief here: https://lnkd.in/dUXExvsD #ForestManagement #EnvironmentalServices #Sustainability #ClimateAction #Biodiversity #EFI #PES #PolicyBrief