This book offers a global overview of the present status of action on climate change and on the efforts devoted to develop innovative economic tools. Drawing on the most recent data, this collective book analyses the development of carbon markets in Europe and worldwide and assesses the involvement of major sectors such as agriculture, forestry, transport and housing in the fight against global warming.
In the chapter “Competitiveness, Jobs, and Green Growth: A “Glocal” Model,” Geoffrey Lipman of Greenearth.travel and Victoria University Melbourne, with Terry Delacy and Paul Whitelaw of Victoria University Melbourne, present the conceptual and operational research led by the Victoria University Centre for Tourism and Services Research to create a system where destinations can identify optimum green growth development scenarios for Travel & Tourism, to sustainably build wealth and create jobs. The authors present a conceptual global framework for green growth and travelism and show how adjusting it to the local level allowed for a major strategic visioning effort (conducted in Bali Indonesia in 2012), which has resulted in the Green Growth 2050 Roadmap.
A global climate agreement is crucial in keeping global warming below the target of maximum 2 degree increase in this century. This will require enhanced ambitions by all Parties and need transformational change towards sustainable, low carbon development and green growth. The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and its UNEP Risø Centre have in cooperation with the Global Green Growth Institute (GGGI) prepared the Perspectives 2013 to respond to this global challenge. The publication focuses on how elements of a new climate agreement can contribute to close the ‘emissions gap’. Six articles have been invited to address crucial aspects of a possible new agreement;
This empirical paper focuses on the relationship between changes in GDP and CO2 emissions as a country's economy moves through periods of growth and decline. Using a comprehensive panel, the author documents substantial heterogeneity in the relationship across countries. Specifically, countries can be classified into one of the following groups: Group D (for decline) includes countries where the emissions growth rate is more strongly associated with the GDP growth rate in periods of GDP decline than in periods of GDP growth. Group G (for growth) includes countries where the degree of association is stronger in perods of GDP growth. Finally in Group D (for symmetrical) it is not possible to reject the hypothesis that the relationship is the same for growth and decline. According to a simple count criterion, approximately a third of the countries in the sample fall into each group. Notably China and the US, currently the world's largest emitters by a substantial margin, are in group D. These results have potentially important consequences for long-term emissions projections.
Bamboo, rattan, seagrass and other raw materials used in handicrafts production are an important part of Viet Nam’s natural capital. These are valuable resources that need to be protected, harvested and utilised in a sustainable manner to ensure a vibrant crafts sector now and for future generations. The environmental impacts of crafts production by households and Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) are often considered negligible given the scale of their operations, yet taking into account their sheer number, use of natural materials and limited capabilities, their production practices should also be appropriately addressed. Piecemeal interventions just at the production cultivation or stages, will only produce equally limited results. A comprehensive and integrated approach is needed to make green and clean-up the entire value chain, starting from raw materials collection, processing, crafts production and transportation, right up to final markets. Coordinated interventions to make green five value chains were supported in Viet Nam, respectively in the: bamboo and rattan, seagrass, sericulture and silk, lacquerware and handmade paper sectors.
Renewable energy markets, industries, and policy frameworks have evolved rapidly in recent years. This report provides a comprehensive and timely overview of renewable energy market, industry, investment, and policy developments worldwide. It relies on the most recent data available, provided by a network of more than 500 contributors and researchers from around the world, all of which is brought together by a multi-disciplinary authoring team. The report covers recent developments, current status, and key trends; by design, it does not provide analysis or forecasts.