https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/handle/123456789/29626 2026-04-12T19:58:05Z 2026-04-12T19:58:05Z https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/handle/123456789/101547 2022-09-12T05:27:07Z 2017-01-01T00:00:00Z

Title: Enhancing sustainability : a feasibility analysis of green measures in a school Abstract: Schools offer the potential of a strategic approach for the improvement of Malta's sustainability status. By improving waste management, the problem of limited resources and space in Malta is improved, and gas emissions from waste minimised. C02 emissions may be reduced through PV s, energy saving lights working with sensors, and through the inclusion of passive building features. These contribute to increased social comfort. Social well-being is enhanced through committees such as EkoSkola and campaigns, such as the HSBC Catch the Drop campaign. These help in the involvement, and education of students, as well as the environment. Water savings are possible through cistern water displacers (referred to as water hippos), mulching machine and water catchments. These should be accompanied by no-cost solutions, such as raising student awareness. Water catchment is an expensive water saving measure, but it is effective and of high value, and can lead to a free water supply as from the 61st year (this may be acceptable given that schools are commonly used for longer periods). In 6 years, the water catchment potentially provided a return of €13,263. Thus, the catchment lifetime and that of a school favour its implementation. SWHs and intelligent lighting systems are more challenging financially for a school environment than the measures mentioned, depending greatly on the electricity tariffs. These are considered as green measures, even though not necessarily feasible. In the one school analysed more than 90,000 units of electricity were generated in one year, 5,284m3 have been potentially saved in six years from a water catchment, an annual average of 1,152m3 of water consumption has been possibly reduced through the water hippos, and 1,868m3 can be potentially reduced through the use of a mulching machine. The latter is especially cost-feasible because of the school has a large landscaped area. This study is of contribution to the decision-maker considering the measures analysed. The findings can be supported by future studies taking a greater scope and incorporating the role of local schools, and the possibility of extending the use of schools, in recognition of the strategic concept. The school is now generating its energy at a lower rate than the electricity tariff, and is gaining approximately €4,688 from water hippos and the mulching machine (as an estimate). Description: MSC.ENV.MANGT.&SUS.

2017-01-01T00:00:00Z https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/handle/123456789/29814 2018-05-05T01:26:15Z 2017-01-01T00:00:00Z

Title: Sustainable approach to the decommissioning of offshore oil and gas rigs : a legal analysis Abstract: This dissertation focuses mainly on the environmental aspects of sustainable decommissioning from a legal perspective. It aims to examine the extent to which the legal framework on decommissioning integrates sustainability and more especially environmental sustainability on three levels: international, European Union and national level, in the U.S. and in Nigeria. Therefore, this dissertation will analyze the extent to which the protection of the environment is taken into account in the decision–making process concerning offshore decommissioning. For this purpose, different data sources were used: international and regional conventions, EU law, Nigerian and U.S. national laws and host government contracts; law cases; and law doctrine and research. The main difficulties encountered were due to the fact there is no oil and gas offshore decommissioning regulation at the EU level. Therefore, there is little literature available that directly addresses this at the EU level. Moreover, according to the legal context, the laws applicable to offshore decommissioning may be unclear and every so often contradictory. The first chapter will analyze the offshore decommissioning and environmental protection under international law. Due to the lack of explicit global agreement on offshore decommissioning, the chapter will focus on the UNCLOS, the Convention on the Prevention of Marine Pollution by Dumping of Wastes and Other Matter (London Convention) and the 1996 Protocol to the London Convention 1972 (London Protocol), the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD as well as regional sea conventions which embed provisions on dumping of redundant oil and gas facilities at sea and the protection of the environment. The chapter aims to demonstrate the ground provided to sustainable offshore decommissioning at the international level and the limits of these regulations focusing on an environmental point of view. Guidance documents, which are established through the above-mentioned conventions, shall also be analyzed in this chapter since they provide assistance to States in spite of their non-binding legal nature. The second chapter will examine the integration of sustainable decommissioning in European Union (EU) law. This examination shall start from the assertion that EU law lacks a specific comprehensive framework for offshore decommissioning. This is despite an attempt to create one after the Brent Spar crises. Given that the Brent Spar incident has created a movement of interests towards offshore decommissioning in Europe, its consequences at the EU level will be examined. Having analyzed this event, the consequences of a lack of specific EU legal framework for offshore decommissioning will be demonstrated. Nevertheless, this chapter provides an overview of EU laws applicable to offshore decommissioning focusing on the environmental and sustainable aspects. It also analyses the liability and insurance aspects of offshore decommissioning given that liability and financial guaranties contribute to promote a sustainable approach to decommissioning. Due to the large range of laws, only some directives (i.e. the Oil and Gas Safety Directive,23 the Marine Strategy Framework Directive, the Habitat Directive, the Waste Framework Directive and the Environmental Liability Directive) would be analyzed. The third chapter is a comparative analysis of the laws applicable to offshore decommissioning in Nigeria and in the U.S.. Both are federal States; this chapter shall focus on the federal law. This chapter takes into account that comparatively, the U.S. has a more mature legal framework on this issue. Therefore, this chapter aims to recommend changes to be made to the Nigerian system based on U.S. model on decommission that ensures environmentally sustainable offshore decommissioning. This chapter examine the laws and policy of these States as well as aspects of the petroleum contracting system related to decommissioning. This chapter presents the implementation of the rigs-to-reefs program in the U.S. given that, compared to Europe, the conversion of platforms into artificial reefs is an option which represents around 10% of the decommissioning. This option is of particular interest as it avoids the destruction of habitats which have developed in the area as a result of the installations. Therefore, such program could represent a valuable option. This comparative chapter is of interest especially with regards to the recommendation made to improve the Nigerian framework on decommissioning and to other States which may deal with decommissioning in the future. Description: LL.M.ENERGY ENV.CLIMATE

2017-01-01T00:00:00Z https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/handle/123456789/29804 2018-05-05T01:26:07Z 2017-01-01T00:00:00Z

Title: Salmon, scales, and stakeholder participation : transboundary water governance in the Pacific Northwest Abstract: This thesis describes the impact of local stakeholder engagement on the governance of transboundary resources in the Pacific Northwest. The case study discusses how two local stakeholder groups—the Coast Salish Gathering and Salmon Beyond Borders— engaged with inter-lapping governing processes and jurisdictions regarding shared salmon populations from 2015 to 2017. After describing the methods of engagement, it finds that local stakeholders used networks of action to influence political scales by using a deliberative framework focused on dialogue and cooperation through shared respect for place, science and education; furthermore, it finds the engagement of local stakeholders contributed to governance re-scaling processes, toward both local and international domains. This thesis aims to assist analysis of how public participation is carried out across and between political jurisdictions. Description: Dual Masters; M.SC.CONFLICT ANALYSIS&RES.; M.A.CONFLICT RES.&MED.STUD.

2017-01-01T00:00:00Z https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/handle/123456789/29803 2018-05-05T01:26:13Z 2017-01-01T00:00:00Z

Title: Foreign direct investment and renewable energy sources : legal analysis of current developments Abstract: The master’s thesis is focused on two closely interlinked fields of law, the international investment law and the renewable energy law. The purpose of this thesis is to provide a detailed legal analysis of the current legislation pertaining to foreign investments into renewable energy sources. The analysis is first focused on brief introduction into legal landscapes of investment law and energy law, analysing the Energy Charter Treaty and its principal provisions as a crucial source of international investment law. The focus is shifted on the international investment arbitration, providing a brief theoretical summary and swiftly progressing toward the case study of Spain as an exquisitely suited country for conduction of analysis of main trends in current arbitration practice. The Charanne and Eiser arbitrations serve to illustrate the state of play not only in Spain, but all around the European Union. Afterwards the inclusion of additional two arbitration proceedings, namely Windstream and Mesa Power, initiated under the North American Free Trade Agreement, serves the role of providing a comparative insight into a different set of regulations. In the concluding part of the thesis the author concerns himself with the conflict between investment protection and the right to regulate, which occurred often in the course of this thesis. Last portion of the thesis is dedicated to author’s opinions concerning good legislation and policy advice, which could put an end to the rising numbers of arbitrations in this area of law. Description: LL.M.ENERGY ENV.CLIMATE

2017-01-01T00:00:00Z