The paper is a working document on the current situation, outlook, best practices and requirements concerning access to information, participation and justice regarding environmental matters in Latin America and the Caribbean.
There is consensus that the three access rights embody the core standards of transparency, equity and accountability in decision-making and are the foundation of environmental democracy and good governance. The link between good governance, environmental sustainability and the eradication of poverty and hunger has been extensively examined in the literature. The core argument is that reducing poverty and empowering the poor requires a receptive government (one that is open to access to information, participation and justice) and a healthy environment.
The importance of principles of access has also been recognized by the business sector. The paper takes note of two voluntary initiatives for private enterprise information transparency are the Global Reporting Initiative and the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative.
Low Carbon Development: Key Issues is the first comprehensive textbook to address the interface between international development and climate change in a carbon constrained world. It discusses the key conceptual, empirical and policy-related issues of low carbon development and takes an international and interdisciplinary approach to the subject by drawing on insights from across the natural sciences and social sciences whilst embedding the discussion in a global context.
This Working Paper analyses opportunities and threats for low-income countries, and the business case for low carbon investment. The study sets out to answer the following questions:
i) How will climate change, international mitigation, and scarcity of natural resources affect trade opportunities and the competitiveness of the most important economic sectors in low-income countries?
ii) How can policymakers and businesses in those countries best respond to the opportunities and threats identified?
iii) When do these three competitiveness-related drivers create a business case for low carbon investment, and when do they create a trade-off? What are the implications for policy?
This report looks at potential options for curbing emissions from international aviation. It considers the environmental, economic and political consequences of potential market based mechanisms, and offers an overall assessment of climate policy in this sector.
This study forms part of the European Commission’s on-going analysis of the opportunities to be gained from improving resource efficiency and how best to help businesses realise the economic potential, as well as environmental and social benefit. The study has examined the main resource efficiency measures available to EU business using a top-down review of literature on resource efficiency together with a bottom-up review of industry data and examples from case studies. Preliminary conclusions on measures were validated through limited industry consultation with EU-based businesses. The scope for businesses to improve resource efficiency has been assessed and the opportunity to business quantified through a business lens as new estimates of direct economic benefits. This research provides a new economic perspective to complement other published studies, a better insight into the impact on businesses of policies and programmes on resource efficiency, and an understanding of the relative effectiveness of resource efficiency measures and of the measures which might best suit particular businesses or sectors of the economy.
This policy brief sets out the different methodologies available to assess the employment potential that green policies can offer and, in so doing, aims to help to focus policy decision-making in order to make it as efficient and productive as possible.